Afternoon, after school at Hongshan Academy—
As Tang Wulin and Nan Fusheng walked out of the academy together, Tang Wulin's face was full of gloom. He had never experienced a more frustrating day in his entire life.
He'd grown up in a very ordinary civilian household. His family was harmonious, his parents deeply in love and incredibly doting. Even when he made mistakes, they would patiently teach him rather than scold him.
But today at the academy, for the first time, he experienced what it truly meant to face difficulty.
Because of his martial soul—Blue Silver Grass—his classmates shunned him. Aside from his friend Nan Fusheng, no one wanted to talk to him. Even the teacher didn't seem particularly warm toward him. During the afternoon's meditation training, the teacher had spent barely any time guiding him.
Well, almost the least time—Nan Fusheng had received just as little attention.
"Is my martial soul that bad?"
Tang Wulin's frustration gradually hardened into stubborn resolve.
"Even if my martial soul isn't good, I'll still become a great soul master. Nan Fusheng was right—there are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters. Success is 99% hard work and 1% talent. If I lack talent, then I'll make up for it with effort!"
Watching Tang Wulin, thoroughly PUA'd by him all afternoon, Nan Fusheng was a bit speechless.
Is this kid that easy to fool?
He'd only given him a small dose of motivational poison from his past life, and Tang Wulin had swallowed it whole.
Phrases like "Nothing in the world is truly difficult—if you set your mind to it, you'll succeed" sound nice, but here in Douluo Dalu, where martial souls and bloodlines decided everything, they were close to meaningless.
That said, there was one thing Nan Fusheng hadn't lied about—Tang Wulin really would become a powerful soul master.
With the Golden Dragon King bloodline, the heritage of a God King's son, and grandparents who were Plane Master and Core of Life, plus a divine dad who'd intervene up to three times on his behalf... if he simply followed the plot, his ascension to godhood was practically guaranteed.
"Fusheng, if you don't have anything to do after school, want to come over for dinner? My mom's cooking is amazing."
On the other side, Tang Wulin had already recovered from his funk. By nature, he was cheerful. With some self-reflection and Nan Fusheng's encouragement, his day's frustrations had faded. But just then, his stomach grumbled, and his face turned red as he extended a warm invitation to Nan Fusheng.
"Sure!" Nan Fusheng answered immediately. After all, this was one of his goals from the start.
As they walked together, a small figure by the roadside suddenly caught their attention.
The afternoon sun wasn't as bright as midday, but the weather was clear and warm. What drew Tang Wulin's eye was a flash of silver light under the sunlight.
There, crouched by the roadside, was a little girl, seemingly younger than them. Her short silver hair glistened in the light. Though her clothes were worn and her face smudged with dirt, she had an air of uniqueness about her.
She looked like a little beggar, but beyond her silver hair, her eyes set her apart.
Her large eyes sparkled like amethysts, so clear that even from a short distance, Tang Wulin could see his reflection in them. Her long lashes curled upward naturally, giving her a dreamy, delicate appearance.
Their eyes met. The little girl didn't shy away—her beautiful purple eyes simply reflected a trace of confusion and curiosity.
"She's here… the Silver Dragon King," Nan Fusheng muttered to himself.
This was the first time he'd seen the famous Silver Dragon King in person.
And yes—she was as beautiful as the stories said. Even now, as just a little girl, it was obvious that she'd grow into an astonishing beauty.
Coupled with that silvery-white hair, it was no wonder so many fanfics made her the female lead.
"Hey little girl, where are your parents?"
Just then, a group of shifty-looking young men also noticed the silver-haired girl and swaggered over.
She didn't look at them—just lowered her head again.
The youths exchanged glances. One of them said with a smirk,
"Silver hair like that is rare… Might be a foreigner from one of the other continents. I bet the black market would love a girl like her. Plus—those eyes? Pure violet!"
The others' eyes lit up with greedy glints. They nodded at each other in silent agreement.
The one who had spoken first squatted down.
"Hey, little girl, where are your parents?"
The girl shook her head silently but didn't speak.
Still smiling, he continued,
"Are you hungry? Big brother will take you to get something delicious, okay?"
The girl shook her head again—this time, more firmly.
The youth exchanged another look with his companions. Then he reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up off the ground. The others stepped in around them, blocking the view of passersby.
As the girl cried out in alarm, the youth hoisted her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?!"
Just then, a childlike yet forceful voice rang out, startling the group.
They turned—and were immediately annoyed. The ones who had spoken were just two kids. One was barely taller than their waists, with a delicate, handsome face. The other was thin and pale, with dark circles under his eyes.
The youth at the back narrowed his eyes and snarled. Then he lashed out with a kick aimed at Tang Wulin.
"Little brat, mind your own business!"
Nan Fusheng reacted instantly, yanking Tang Wulin out of the way. The kick missed entirely.
The one carrying the girl scowled. The commotion had begun to draw attention from nearby pedestrians—they were still on a public street.
With a flick of his wrist, a shiny dagger appeared in his palm. He pointed it toward Tang Wulin with menace.
"If you don't want to die, then scram!"
Nan Fusheng stepped forward and barked loudly,
"We're both soul masters, registered with the Federation Government and Spirit Transmission Tower. If you lay a finger on us, you'll be arrested and dragged to the station!"
"Tch, bad luck!"
Maybe he was actually scared off by Nan Fusheng's bluff, but the leader cursed angrily and put the girl down, then grabbed his buddies and hurried away.
The little girl stumbled and landed on the ground with a thud. Tang Wulin rushed over, crouching beside her.
"Don't be scared! I'm a man—I'll protect you!"
The girl looked up at him. Up close, her purple eyes were even more stunning. A mist of tears seemed to shimmer in her gaze.
"Don't cry… don't cry. The bad guys are gone."
"My name's Tang Wulin. That's Nan Fusheng. What's your name?"
The girl stared blankly for a moment, then—finally—spoke for the first time.
My name is… Na'er.