Only one meter—the leaf flew a mere one meter before it could no longer maintain its spinning motion. It had lost its hardness, and the moment it left Tang San's fingertip, the internal energy from the Mysterious Heaven Skill naturally dissipated.
"My cultivation is still too weak." Tang San shook his head in resignation. He rose to his feet—it was time to go back. Today, he would leave the village, and who knew when he'd next make it to this hilltop.
He pushed off from the ground with his toes, power surging through his calves, and activated Ghost Shadow Phantom Trail as he headed down the mountain.
The familiar scent of congee greeted his nose. This would be the last meal he cooked for his father before leaving, and Tang San certainly wouldn't cut corners. He checked the firewood beneath the stove, added a bit more water to the congee—this way, when his father woke up, he could still enjoy it hot.
Lao Jie Ke had already arrived. Perhaps because they were headed to Nuoding City, the old man had dressed in a new outfit today, making him look all the more vigorous and spirited.
"Little San, let's go. That lazy father of yours isn't going to get up." Jie Ke called to Tang San.
Tang San raised a finger to his lips, signaling for quiet. "Grandpa, keep your voice down. Dad hates it most when people wake him up from his sleep." As he spoke, he pulled a piece of burnt charcoal from the stove and scrawled a few lines on the ground. Then he turned back for one last lingering look at his father's door before slinging his bundle over his shoulder and quietly leaving with Jie Ke.
Tang San didn't know many characters in this world's writing. He'd picked up some basics by chance, watching when the village schoolmaster taught the children to read. After all, with the foundation from his previous life, he'd managed to learn some basic written characters.
The door curtain lifted, and a tall figure emerged from the inner room. There was no trace of sleepiness in Tang Hao's eyes. When he reached the doorway, the figures of Lao Jie Ke and the thin little frame of Tang San could still just barely be made out in the distance.
Tang Hao stood motionless. He remained rooted in place long after Tang San and Village Chief Jie Ke had completely disappeared from view.
As if remembering something, Tang Hao suddenly turned and strode back into the smithy, his gaze falling on the characters Tang San had left on the ground.
Two simple sentences: "Dad, Grandpa Jie Ke and I are leaving. Take care of yourself and drink less. The congee is in the pot—don't forget to eat."
His eyes shifted from the words on the ground to the iron pot nearby. Tang Hao lunged forward, swept the lid off the pot with one hand, and lifted the entire thing with both hands. Since Tang San had just added water, the congee hadn't come back to a boil yet, but Tang Hao paid it no mind. He raised the pot to his lips and drank deeply, gulping down mouthful after mouthful. In his eyes, a hazy layer of moisture had appeared without his knowing when.
On the road, Tang San walked quietly alongside Lao Jie Ke, occasionally turning back toward the village.
"Little San, are you reluctant to leave the village, or is it that drunkard father of yours?" Jie Ke patted Tang San's head with a smile.
"A bit of both, I suppose," Tang San answered softly.
Jie Ke smiled faintly. "Compared to my own good-for-nothing grandsons, you're far more sensible than any of them. If only you were my grandson. That drunkard Tang Hao is truly lucky. Don't dwell on it too much—the world outside is vast. Once you're at the academy, you'll make many friends and learn all sorts of knowledge. Once you earn the title of Soul Master, the state will provide you with a monthly stipend. By then, your family's life will improve as well."
Having lived two lives, Tang San's emotions gradually returned to normal as he listened to Jie Ke's words. The restless yearning for the outside world grew within him, and he asked, "Grandpa Jie Ke, can you tell me about the academy? What kind of place is it exactly?"
Jie Ke chuckled. "An academy is, of course, a place to study. Though I've never attended one myself, I have a decent understanding of how they work. Our village has one Work-study Student slot each year, but it's been many years since anyone actually went. The benefits for Work-study Students are quite generous—tuition and housing are waived, and you only need to cover your own food expenses. You can earn your meals by doing simple tasks around the academy, like sweeping classrooms. All in all, a Work-study Student's education is practically free. If you had to pay full tuition, that's not something someone from a poor family like ours could afford."
Tang San said, "Dad told me to find a smithy to work at once I get to the academy."
"You? Work at a smithy? You're joking. I think Tang Hao has truly lost his mind," Jie Ke said with exasperation. "How old are you? You're probably not even as tall as a forging hammer. What smithy would take on an apprentice your age? Besides, blacksmithing isn't even a respected profession—it wouldn't pay much. Just focus on your studies at the academy."
"That said," Jie Ke continued, "if you can make something of yourself at the academy, you really should get that drunkard father of yours to save up some money for you. The intermediate Soul Master Academy doesn't offer Work-study Student slots—that costs a good deal of money. The Soul Master stipend alone won't be nearly enough."
Because Tang San possessed Innate Full Soul Power, Jie Ke already regarded him as a proper Soul Master.
Tang San looked at Jie Ke with confusion. "There are intermediate Soul Master Academies too? How are they different from the elementary ones? They're both academies—shouldn't they both teach knowledge about Soul Masters?"
Jie Ke patiently explained, "Of course they're different. The elementary Soul Master Academy teaches only the basics, along with some general education courses. It only accepts children whose Martial Souls have just awakened. The program lasts six years, and by the time you're twelve, if you show no particular promise, you'd simply become an ordinary Soul Master. But if your potential is solid, most people choose to advance to an intermediate Soul Master Academy. There, you study until you're eighteen. The intermediate academy teaches far more advanced material, and the difficulty increases enormously. If you can't meet the academy's standards, you won't graduate. That's something the elementary academy doesn't do."
(End of Chapter)