Lao Jie Ke hurriedly offered an apologetic smile. "Sir, we've come from Sacred Soul Village. This child is the work-study student our village is sending this year. What procedures do we need to go through?"
The gatekeeper furrowed his brow and replied with a sarcastic tone, "Can a poor nest produce a golden phoenix? Does a tiny village like yours really have someone with Soul Power? The Academy hasn't had a work-study student in years. Don't tell me you're frauds."
A flash of anger passed through Jie Ke's eyes, but he swallowed his pride and produced the certificate issued last time by Su Yun Tao, the Deacon from the Spirit Hall Branch, handing it over.
The gatekeeper took the certificate and looked it up and down. "Martial Soul:
"Y-You..." Even with Jie Ke's good temper, he was losing his patience. "You're deliberately making things difficult! Fine, you just wait. I'm going to find the Deacon from the Spirit Hall Branch. Xiao San, let's go." With that, Jie Ke turned and started walking toward the city with
The certificate from the Spirit Hall Branch couldn't possibly be fake, and the gatekeeper knew it. But, people who came to enroll new students were generally expected to show a little "gratitude," especially commoners. It was the principle that the King of Hell is easy to deal with, but the little demons are hard to placate.
Lao Jie Ke hailed from the countryside; although he was a village chief, how could he understand these kind of unwritten rules?
The gatekeeper felt somewhat uneasy. If someone from the Spirit Hall actually showed up, it would be more than he could handle. Of course, he also believed that Spirit Hall personnel would never come to the Academy to question things over two country bumpers.
Feeling sullen, his words naturally couldn't be nice. "Sacred Soul Village? I'd say Beggar's Village is more like it."
"What did you say?" Lao Jie Ke spun around abruptly. The gatekeeper's words had struck at his deepest pride—the same pride that had once made him fall out with
The gatekeeper was startled by the furious Lao Jie Ke and took an involuntary step back. But he quickly recovered, cursing himself internally. It's just an old man, what's there to be afraid of?
"What? Don't like it? I said you're from Beggar's Village—was I wrong? Look at this little pauper, clothes all patched up. You'd better go find somewhere else to beg. Our Nuoding Academy isn't a charity. Scram, get lost!"
As he spoke, the gatekeeper raised his left hand, shoving toward Jie Ke's chest to drive them away.
Just as Lao Jie Ke's rage peaked, suddenly, a thin, small figure appeared between them. It also raised a left arm, its small, delicate hand barely reaching the gatekeeper's hand. The left hand pushed firmly to the right, easily swatting the gatekeeper's left hand aside. At the same time, the small figure took a quick step forward with its right foot, the sole planting perfectly behind the gatekeeper's left foot. Simultaneously, its right hand rose, joining the left to grip the gatekeeper's hand and pull downward.
This move was originally intended to strike the crook of the opponent's left arm, disabling their strength, but the executor was too short. So he could only grip the gatekeeper's wrist instead. His movements were extremely fast; his body lunged forward at the same time. As both hands flung the gatekeeper's left hand aside, they pushed forward—directly into the gatekeeper's lower abdomen.
With a foot suddenly behind the gatekeeper's left leg—even though it wasn't a large foot—it was more than enough to achieve the desired effect. His abdomen was pushed, and his foot was tripped. With a loud thump, the gatekeeper sat down hard on the ground.
"Xiao San, you..." Jie Ke stared, dumbfounded, at the person who had shielded him.
It was Tang San who had acted. The move he used wasn't even a profound
Tang San might be young, but his strength was absolutely not small. Months of swinging that hammer hadn't been for nothing. Even without using the
"Little brat, you're asking for it!" Being knocked down by a child was humiliating. In a fit of rage, the gatekeeper scrambled up from the ground and lunged toward Tang San.
"Enough, stop." Just then, a slightly hoarse voice sounded, halting the gatekeeper's movement.
The gatekeeper froze for a moment, then the fury on his face instantly transformed into obsequious flattery—a change so swift it was almost unbelievable. He bobbed and bowed to the newcomer. "Great Master, you've returned."
Tang San turned to look. A man of medium height, slightly thin, had somehow arrived beside them without anyone noticing. He appeared to be around forty or fifty, with short black hair parted 70-30. His features were very ordinary, his hands clasped behind his back, yet he possessed a unique aura about him. His eyes, opening and closing, held a hint of languor and weariness.
The 'Great Master' only gave the gatekeeper a sidelong glance, ignoring him completely. He addressed Lao Jie Ke, "Old sir, may I see the Spirit Hall certificate?"
Lao Jie Ke, after all, was a village chief and knew how to read expressions. From the gatekeeper's reaction, he could tell this middle-aged man held a very high position at the Academy, not to mention the title of "Great Master." He hurriedly handed over the certificate he was holding.
The Great Master looked at the certificate, then shifted his gaze to Tang San, studying him up and down a few times. For some reason, even though the Great Master's gaze wasn't sharp, Tang San felt as if he were being seen through completely.
"The certificate is genuine, no mistake. Old sir, on behalf of the Academy, I apologize for what just happened. Leave this child to me."
(End of Chapter)