Chapter 25: Subsidies and Returning to the Village

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Wang Li understood where Master Ma xiunuo's shock stemmed from. He smiled earnestly, his large eyes conveying sincerity as he said:

"Perhaps my martial soul is the mutated Blue Silver Grass, which is why I've been able to progress quickly under the guidance of the academy's teachers."

After speaking, Wang Li looked at Ma xiunuo, as if wanting to add, You have to believe me!

Master Ma xiunuo accepted this explanation. He lowered his gaze back to Wang Li's file, murmuring to himself:

"Mutated Blue Silver Grass, mutated Blue Silver Grass…"

He gradually began to accept the reasoning; after all, if it was a mutated martial soul with some special traits, that would make sense.

Ma xiunuo then proceeded with the process, confirming Wang Li's martial soul and soul ring to see if they met the requirements for a first-ring soul master. He said gently to Wang Li:

"All right, Wang Li, please summon your martial soul."

Wang Li had nothing to hide and promptly summoned his martial soul. With a thought, a milky-white glow illuminated the room, and a blue plant materialized out of thin air. Thick, sturdy vines emerged, accompanied by a floating yellow soul ring.

Master Ma xiunuo watched in astonishment, his eyes wide, before quickly asking:

"Is that really a hundred-year soul ring? Wang Li, what spirit beast did you get this soul ring from?"

Wang Li replied:

"It's from a hundred-year-old Green Vine."

Ma xiunuo asked again:

"Did you awaken any special abilities after absorbing the soul ring?"

Wang Li pressed his lips together, aware of what Ma xiunuo really wanted to ask, but he couldn't possibly reveal the secret of his Blue Silver Grass:

"Well, after awakening, my Blue Silver Grass martial soul is a bit sturdier than regular ones. After absorbing the first soul ring, these thick vines appeared."

Master Ma xiunuo couldn't help but ask:

"That's all?"

Wang Li nodded:

"Yes, that's all!"

Ma xiunuo's anxious feelings began to settle. He had come to understand Wang Li quite well; while a mutated martial soul could indicate good cultivation talent, a Blue Silver Grass martial soul, even if mutated, had no unique qualities.

This significantly diminished its value. The Spirit Hall had countless talented cultivators, and a Blue Silver Grass martial soul without any special attributes would not garner attention when reported.

Blue Silver Grass is simply Blue Silver Grass; a useless martial soul is just a useless martial soul...

Looking at Wang Li, Ma xiunuo's eyes were filled with pity. It was this martial soul that was holding him back. He said kindly:

"That's enough; you can put your martial soul away now."

Wang Li felt a surge of understanding, and the sprawling Blue Silver Grass quickly retracted, ultimately disappearing into his body.

At that moment, Ma xiunuo retrieved a crystal ball used for testing soul power and presented it to Wang Li:

"Let's do a final test of your soul power!"

Wang Li placed his hand on it, and instantly the crystal ball burst into light. Master Ma xiunuo's eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed:

"Level thirteen soul power! Wang Li, it seems the Green Vine spirit beast you hunted was quite old."

Wang Li then withdrew his hand and sincerely asked:

"Master Ma xiunuo, does this mean I've completed my registration?"

Ma xiunuo smiled and gently replied, "Almost there, almost there."

Returning to his desk, Ma xiunuo took out a special piece of paper that was as white as jade, with a faint aura of soul power, indicating it was crafted by a soul master's hand.

He quickly filled in Wang Li's information on the paper, including his name, origin, martial soul, and soul power, and finally affixed a seal.

Only then did Ma xiunuo say:

"Wang Li, this means your registration is complete. From now on, you will be a soul master of the Heaven Dou Empire. This soul master certificate will prove your identity, registered in the Heaven Dou Empire, Fasnu Province, Nuodding City, Spirit Hall branch. When you travel throughout the Heaven Dou Empire, you can pass through all city gates and checkpoints without issue, as long as it's not a military zone."

As Wang Li accepted the soul master certificate from Ma xiunuo, he felt a sense of receiving an identification card. This piece of paper infused with soul power, if created by a soul master, could not be easily forged.

There are various types of soul masters, and sometimes, they really come in handy.

Wang Li carefully stored the certificate but didn't leave immediately. Instead, he smiled and said:

"Thank you, Master Ma xiunuo, but I've heard that registering with the Spirit Hall allows one to receive subsidies."

Ma xiunuo nodded, looking at Wang Li as he explained:

"Yes!"

He then took out a booklet titled "Heaven Dou Empire—Soul Master Subsidy Record," filled in some information about Wang Li, and solemnly handed it to him:

"Wang Li, keep both your soul master certificate and this booklet safe. Wherever you go, you must show your soul master certificate first, then this booklet to claim your subsidies. This booklet is valid for ten years, and each time you receive a subsidy, it will be stamped. This is to prevent anyone from moving between cities to repeatedly claim subsidies from the state. If this booklet is lost, you will need to return to the place where you registered as a soul master—the Nuoding City Spirit Hall branch—to get a replacement, and the process will be very cumbersome."

Wang Li was a bit surprised; the Spirit Hall's regulations were indeed thorough, proving its long-standing and prosperous status among soul master powers.

After receiving the booklet, Wang Li said:

"Thank you, Master Ma xiunuo. I understand."

With that, Wang Li bid farewell to Ma xiunuo and left, carrying his soul master certificate and the subsidy record booklet. He headed to the service hall on the first floor, where he found the soul master service window and received his first-ever gold soul coin.

Stepping out of the Spirit Hall, Wang Li held the soul master certificate and subsidy record in one hand while playing with the gold soul coin in the other, a smile spreading across his face:

"It's time to go back to the village!"

Although he said he would return to the village, Wang Li didn't set off immediately. Instead, he wandered around the city, where his academy uniform drew attention, and many people eagerly approached him to offer assistance.

Taking advantage of this, Wang Li bought an entire large fat pig, chickens, ducks, fish, various meats, vegetables, seasonings, and finally a large amount of grain—all at a low price.

He also rented two ox carts, which spent most of the gold soul coin he had just received, but Wang Li was happy and didn't mind.

The cart driver, guiding the ox carts loaded with Wang Li's purchases, left the city and headed toward Wang Jia Village.

Despite the large haul, they managed to return to the village before dark. The sudden appearance of the ox carts sparked the curiosity of many villagers.

Eventually, the village chief, Wang Ping, approached to inquire about the commotion.

At this moment, Wang Li got off the cart, looked at Wang Ping, and, seeing the surprise in his eyes, spoke his first words:

"Grandpa Village Chief, I've become a soul master! I want to treat the whole village to a meal!"

(End of Chapter)