Several days passed.
It was now the official start of term at the Soul Master Academy.
At dawn, just outside Gucao Village, Yang Yunhai sat on an ox-cart loaded with vegetables, cradling a bundle of bedding. The cart rumbled toward Nuoding City.
His injuries had fully healed over the past few days. With the help of Longgong Di—the village chief's son—he had also been officially registered with the Spirit Hall, receiving both January and February's subsidies. On top of that, the chief had added the village's own support. All in all, Yunhai now had two full gold spirit coins in his pouch—enough to live comfortably for several months at the academy, so long as he didn't splurge.
But there was a complication.
He was enrolling at Nuoding City's Junior Soul Master Academy, where most students came from noble families. As a registered candidate of the Spirit Hall—and potentially the only student affiliated with them before graduation—Yang Yunhai knew he could easily become a target. His lack of background, talent, and strength made him vulnerable to disdain, exclusion, or even covert hostility from noble instructors and students alike.
To avoid drawing attention, not even the village chief came to see him off. Instead, two villagers headed into town to sell vegetables and offered to bring him along.
"Someday, I'll repay this kindness..."As he glanced back at the fading outline of the village gate, Yang Yunhai recalled the chief's parting words. His heart swelled with emotion as he turned his gaze forward.
—
Several hours later, the cart wheels creaked to a halt at the gates of Nuoding City.
The three travelers jumped off and quickly assembled a small vegetable stand by laying wooden boards across crates at the roadside.
One of the villagers then led Yang Yunhai into the city.
After asking for directions several times, they made their way toward the academy.
About thirty minutes later, the main gates of Nuoding Academy came into view.
"…Huh? What a coincidence."Yang Yunhai blinked in surprise. Right in front of the academy, three figures were standing—an elderly man, a plainly dressed boy, and a gatekeeper clad in clean uniform, holding a Spirit Hall certificate and spouting insults.
"What? You don't like what I said?"
"You're dressed in nothing but rags. Am I wrong to say you came from a beggar village? You two should go back to begging! Nuoding Academy isn't a place for trash like you!"
"Scram! Go on—GET LOST!"
The gatekeeper shoved the elderly man hard in the chest.
Even from a distance, the man's voice was loud enough that Yang Yunhai could hear every word.
"The chief wasn't kidding—Nuoding's gatekeeper really is a jerk," the villager beside him clicked his tongue."Maybe… we should hang back a little and see how this plays out?"He was just a common man and didn't dare offend an academy staffer—especially one who treated an old man so cruelly.
Yang Yunhai didn't respond.
Instead, his gaze was fixed on the young boy beside the elder.
As the gatekeeper made his move, the boy reacted in a flash. With a subtle shift, his right foot hooked behind the gatekeeper's heel. At the same time, he delivered a swift palm strike to the man's stomach. Losing balance and taking a blow to the gut, the gatekeeper tumbled back awkwardly onto the ground.
"No doubt about it—that's Tang San. A classic scene."Yang Yunhai nodded inwardly, his attention shifting to the boy's left wrist.
Even from a distance, he caught the brief upward motion of the sleeve and the subtle movement beneath it—fingers tensing, pressure applied, then released.
What really stood out, though, was that the tip of the boy's fingers—protruding from the sleeve—were aimed right at the gatekeeper's throat.
"Damn…"Even Yang Yunhai, who had lived two lives, couldn't help but be impressed.
Tang San's courage and instincts were on another level.
If his eyes weren't mistaken, Tang San had just disabled the safety lock on a hidden sleeve dart. He was ready to kill.
Everything unfolding was exactly as the original story described. Yunhai could even guess the next few lines.
He was witnessing it live.
Tang San. At the front gate of a Soul Master Academy. In public. Surrounded by witnesses. And he was about to use a hidden weapon to kill someone?
Did he not think about what came next?
What would he do after killing the gatekeeper? Kill the old man too? What about the two strangers nearby? What about the townspeople who saw them approach?
Four bodies at the front gate. How would he clean it up? Could he even escape before someone noticed? Or would he just run back to the village?
Did Tang San know whether Tang Hao was secretly watching over him? If not, and Tang Hao didn't show up to intervene or clean up the mess...
Then what?
The village chief dies on the day of academy registration, and Tang San disappears without a trace.How could that not raise suspicion?
Even the investigators would piece it together eventually—and Yang Yunhai had only ever watched a few episodes of Detective Conan and some old crime films.
Wasn't Tang San originally born into the Tang Sect—an elite assassin clan? Wasn't he already 29 when he reincarnated?Did he really lack all sense of emotional control or basic counter-surveillance skills?
Shouldn't he have just remembered the insult, waited for nightfall, and quietly "visited" the gatekeeper at home?
Killing someone in broad daylight, in public, with witnesses?!It was utterly baffling.
Yang Yunhai mentally shook his head and shifted his gaze slightly.A middle-aged man with a buzz cut was approaching.
"Never mind. Let's go."He motioned to the villager beside him.
A raspy voice echoed from the newcomer:"Enough. Stop right there."
"That guy's clothing… probably a teacher," Yang Yunhai murmured. The villager beside him nodded.
That should be Yu Xiaogang.Even from a distance, Yang Yunhai recognized him immediately.
The posture—with hands behind his back—the melancholic, brooding aura…Not bad-looking in his youth. No wonder he managed to win over both Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong.
Yunhai mused:
"For women, 'personality' is just the cherry on top. If Yu Xiaogang were ugly, no way those two would've fallen for him. It's not like either of them lacked money or status."
As for wisdom and knowledge?
Let's be real—looks and wealth still win out. Knowledge? You can buy that.
The villager finally snapped out of his daze, still astonished that such a young boy had taken down a grown man.
"Is that… a teacher?"Following Yang Yunhai's gaze, the man lit up. "He looks kind. I don't think he'll give us or that old man any trouble."
Clutching the bedding under his arm, he turned."Xiaohai, let's go."
Yang Yunhai nodded and stepped forward.
—
By now, Yu Xiaogang had taken the Spirit Hall certificate from the gatekeeper and examined it.
His gaze lingered on Tang San before turning to the gatekeeper.His tone was cold:
"This will be the first and last time. If it happens again, you're gone."
The gatekeeper grumbled silently—a freeloader who hadn't taught a single class in years, not even a real teacher. And yet here he was, acting like the academy's headmaster.
Still, he dared not protest. Yu Xiaogang might not have the authority to fire him, but the headmaster was his friend. That was more than enough.
The man bowed low and scurried away.
Yu Xiaogang then looked down at Tang San, offering a rare smile.
"Let's go inside."
Just then, a hurried voice called out:
"Excuse me, Teacher—could you wait a moment?"
Tap tap tap—Yang Yunhai was pulled forward by the villager and stopped in front of Yu Xiaogang.
"What is it?" Yu Xiaogang frowned, his expression cold as he looked at the villager.
The man's neck shrank slightly.He had assumed that a teacher who had just defended a poor grandfather and kindly held a child's hand must be warm-hearted and approachable. But now… this man seemed severe, even intimidating.
Quickly releasing Yang Yunhai's hand, he pulled a certificate from his coat and respectfully handed it over:
"Teacher, this child from our village also awakened soul power this year. He's been granted a work-study spot. Could you help us register him as well?"
Yu Xiaogang didn't respond verbally.
He accepted the certificate, glanced at it, and immediately frowned.
Blue Silver Grass. Innate Soul Power: 0.5.
A flicker of contempt flashed in his eyes.
Without a word, he returned the certificate to Yang Yunhai and said plainly:
"Follow me."