Chapter 9: Master, I Don't Need to Learn from You!
The master cast a cold glance at the doorman.
"There won't be a next time. If there is, you won't keep your job."
The doorman paled, cold sweat trickling down his back as he nodded hurriedly and stepped aside.
"Let's go," the master said, leading the two boys into the academy.
"Thank you, teacher!" Tang San said, his tone sincere.
"Teacher?" The master chuckled. "I'm not an academy instructor. I merely stay here, eating and drinking for free. You may call me 'Master' as others do. But don't get it wrong next time—unless..."
He paused, his eyes gleaming with an intense light.
"Unless you truly want me to be your teacher."
"Will you teach me how to cultivate my martial spirit?" Tang San asked, his curiosity piqued.
"That depends," the master said, turning to face Tang San. "Would you want me to?"
Tang San hesitated, his sharp mind mulling over the proposition. He neither agreed nor refused, perhaps expecting the master to explain why he deserved such a title.
"You're cautious and intelligent. You're likely waiting for me to justify why I should be your teacher," the master observed. Then, without waiting for a response, he continued:
"You have remarkable potential. In the past century, there have only been three known cases of twin martial spirits. You are one of them."
Tang San froze, startled. His left hand twitched slightly, but he hesitated to speak.
"You want to know how I deduced that, right?" the master asked knowingly.
He opened the Spirit Hall's certification document and said, "This certificate told me everything. I've studied 647 individuals with Blue Silver Grass as their martial spirit. Out of those, only sixteen possessed soul power, a mere 3%. And among those sixteen, not one had innate full soul power like you. According to my 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Spirits' theory, innate soul power correlates with the quality of one's martial spirit. Therefore, you must have another martial spirit—a very powerful one."
"But what if I'm just an exception?" Tang San countered.
Shen Lang smirked silently. To someone like the master—a genius in martial spirit theory—Tang San's rebuttal was flimsy at best.
"You're not an exception. Outliers occur only in cases of martial spirit mutation. Your Blue Silver Grass is just a normal martial spirit. My analysis is irrefutable."
Tang San asked with curiosity, "What's a mutated martial spirit?"
The master, instead of answering, smiled knowingly and said, "So, are you willing?"
This time, Tang San stepped back, knelt, and solemnly kowtowed three times.
"What are you doing?" the master exclaimed, clearly caught off guard.
"One must kowtow when acknowledging a teacher," Tang San replied earnestly.
The master smiled warmly and helped him to his feet.
"Good, good. I didn't misjudge you. 'Once a teacher, always a father.' You've made the right choice."
Turning to Shen Lang, the master asked, "What about you? Do you want to be my disciple as well? This is a rare opportunity."
Tang San looked at Shen Lang with anticipation.
Shen Lang, however, replied calmly, "No need."
The master raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter. "Alright. I trust you'll learn plenty here at the academy."
Tang San seemed slightly disappointed. "Shen Lang, if you don't understand something, feel free to ask me."
Shen Lang nodded with a smile.
"Let's proceed to the Academic Affairs Office to complete your registration," the master said, leading them forward.
---
At the Academic Affairs Office, a teacher named Director Su oversaw their registration. Two younger teachers assisted him.
"What? You've taken the master as your teacher?" Director Su asked Tang San in surprise.
"Is that a problem, Teacher?" Tang San asked.
Director Su quickly shook his head and smiled.
"No problem at all. The master is indeed unparalleled when it comes to martial spirit theory."
After the registration process, the master left. However, as soon as he was gone, the two younger teachers began mocking him.
"Unparalleled in theory, sure. But in reality? The master's nothing more than a joke," one sneered.
"Enough," Director Su said firmly. "He's the dean's friend, and whether his theories hold water or not, he's still a respected figure in the spirit world."
Tang San, overhearing their conversation, frowned slightly but said nothing.
---
The boys were assigned to Dormitory 7, a shared dormitory for work-study students. The conditions were poor, as expected in a remote city like Notting.
Upon arriving, they knocked on the door. A group of students turned to face them, their leader a burly boy named Wang Sheng.
"You're new work-study students, huh?" Wang Sheng said, sizing them up.
"My name is Tang San, and my martial spirit is Blue Silver Grass," Tang San introduced himself.
"I'm Wang Sheng. My martial spirit is the War Tiger. Since you're new, you have to listen to me."
"I'm not going to let you boss me around!" Tang San retorted.
A scuffle ensued, with Tang San swiftly overpowering Wang Sheng using his combat skills. In the end, Wang Sheng conceded and declared Tang San the new leader of the dormitory.
---
As Tang San settled into his role, Shen Lang, who had been observing from the sidelines, spoke up.
"Tang San, how about a friendly competition?"
Tang San turned to Shen Lang, intrigued. Before he could respond, Shen Lang gestured toward the door.
"You'll have to beat her first."
"Who?" Tang San asked, confused.
A cheerful, crisp voice came from the doorway.
"Excuse me, is this Dormitory 7?"
---
End of Chapter.