Soul MastersIn everyone's eyes, they stood as the most noble and respected profession on the continent. Yet Tang San observed that commoners' reverence stemmed more from fearful longing than genuine admiration. Every villager dreamed of joining their ranks.
Since gaining awareness, Tang San had devoted himself to studying the path of a Soul Master. His primary source? The infamous "Blind God King" from countless fanfictions - Su Yuntao. The man visited Holy Spirit Village annually, and Tang San had secured his attention through an unusual offer: romantic advice. What began with Su Yuntao's reluctant tolerance blossomed into enthusiastic mentorship, yielding gifts like the "Soul Encyclopedia" and basic Spirit Hall meditation techniques.
Their bond grew strong enough that Tang San gained access to Nuoding City's Spirit Hall archives. Now, as familiar acquaintances, Tang San sought confirmation about Su Yuntao's afternoon visit from Old Jack.
"Grandpa Jack, I'm off." With the elder's confirmation, Tang San headed toward the village's wooded hillside - his regular firewood gathering spot.
The familiar carpet of Blue Silver Grass drew a sigh from him. "This proves why I began studying early," he murmured. "Fanfictions lie. Real hunting requires skill - without it, you're left to chance. Better to gather firewood."
The gap between hunting theory and practice yawned wide. Not that it mattered here - the woods held nothing larger than sparrows. Basket traps demanded precious rice as bait, an unthinkable luxury. Old Jack had explained their village's location between empires made it relatively prosperous (meaning no famines), but decades of hunting had stripped the area clean. Even the nearby stream offered no relief without proper fishing gear.
Two hours later, Tang San returned with a firewood bundle towering over his frame. Dividing it evenly between home and Old Jack's house (payment for four eggs), he encountered Tang Hao emerging sleepily.
"Ha~" Tang Hao lifted the curtain and walked out of the bedroom, yawning as he moved to wash up. Seeing Tang San dividing the firewood, he asked: "Have you been to Old Jack's?"
"Mm," Tang San nodded, then remained silent, clearly not wanting further conversation. Although compared to the original timeline, this version of Tang Hao cared more about him, perhaps because Tang San had only started practicing Mysterious Heaven Skill this year. Tang San wondered - if he didn't practice Mysterious Heaven Skill, would Tang Hao treat him better?
But he couldn't gamble with his talent. He had inherited the secret book's knowledge from Wuxia Tang San but not the actual cultivation experience - he didn't know the meridians for internal force circulation. Without this understanding, how could he practice recklessly? That would be gambling with his life. Who knew if cultivation mistakes could kill him or send him back to the real world?
After dividing the firewood, Tang San took an egg from his pocket and placed it beside Tang Hao who was washing his face. Then he carried the other firewood bundle to Old Jack's house. At least Tang Hao had raised him for a year or two as a baby - though after that period, he had been in a half-dead state...
Tang Hao, having finished washing, picked up the egg. Without peeling it, he threw it into his mouth, chewed three to five times, and swallowed it whole - eating with wild abandon...
Returning to Old Jack's house, Tang San placed the firewood in the backyard.
"You kid, grandpa doesn't lack firewood," Old Jack pretended to scold. "It's just a few eggs. Really, why so serious?"
"Grandpa Jack, this is what I should do. After all, I always eat your food without repayment, and other villagers might gossip." Tang San smiled, taking out another egg from his pocket. He cracked and peeled it as he spoke: "Besides, I need to be self-reliant."
"If your father had your mindset, how could the family be so poor? With his body, he could find work in Nuoding City - even manual labor could earn enough for your future marriage." Old Jack sighed at Tang San's maturity while complaining about Tang Hao's failings. "I don't know what goes through that man's head."
Tang San offered no comment.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
At that moment, a knock came at the door. A man in white suit and cloak, with a blue badge on his left chest, smiled at Tang San and Old Jack inside: "Old village chief, I'm here."
This was Su Yuntao. Because of Tang San, Su Yuntao's attitude toward Old Jack had grown more respectful in recent years - genuine respect for the elder rather than awe of strength. Perhaps Su Yuntao believed raising someone as clever as Tang San was Old Jack's doing.
"Brother Tao, long time no see. I hope you've been well." Tang San quickly swallowed his egg and greeted Su Yuntao. "Grandpa Jack said you were coming this afternoon - are you early?"
"Originally scheduled for afternoon, but I have a date with Sisi today, so I left at three in the morning," Su Yuntao explained. "And you, little rascal - after reading our Spirit Hall's collection, you haven't visited in so long. Master Maxino has been asking about you."
"Who made Sister Sisi spoil me so much? I'd be embarrassed. Besides, aren't you afraid Brother Tao will get jealous?" Tang San put on an exaggerated shy face.
Though still with an unawakened martial soul and ordinary appearance, Tang San's lively personality made him likable. His Spirit Hall library visits served practical purposes - in this real world, deep understanding of soul beasts was essential. Believing fanfiction theories would only lead to disaster. If he followed netizens' analyses, Tang San felt he might become even less reliable than Yu Xiaogang.
"Master Su, we'll trouble you again this year," Old Jack said with a slight bow. "I've already asked the parents to bring the children of age to the village center. Shall we go now?"
"Good. The sooner finished, the sooner I can meet Sisi." Su Yuntao also wanted to complete the task quickly. While happy to see Tang San, helping awaken souls was tedious work for a Great Soul Master - requiring travel and consuming precious soul power.