The pitiful two points he got from sacrificing the guard really put things into perspective. It only made him realize just how valuable a target like Tang San truly was.
"You're dead!" the guard snarled. Being kicked to the ground by a small child was the ultimate humiliation. Fortunately, no one else had been around to see it. He struggled to his feet, ignoring the throbbing pain in his abdomen as he lunged forward, intent on saving what was left of his pride.
"Stop!"
A calm, authoritative voice cut through the air, halting the guard in his tracks. They all turned to see a middle-aged man with a perpetually stiff expression walking toward them. He stopped beside Old Jack.
"Grandmaster," the guard stammered, his furious expression instantly replaced by a fawning, respectful smile.
So, this is Yu Xiaogang, Huo Feng thought, giving the man a quick, dismissive glance. Having read the original novel, he had no respect for the so-called Grandmaster. In his opinion, even Tang San was a better person. If his memory served him right, Yu Xiaogang was currently a level 29 Spirit Grandmaster. Sacrificing him would surely yield a massive reward.
As if on cue, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Hidden mission triggered!] [Mission: Sacrifice Yu Xiaogang!] [Quest Reward: Five-Hundred-Year Yellow Spirit Ring!]
Whoa! A five-hundred-year spirit ring? He hadn't expected the reward for sacrificing Yu Xiaogang to be so generous. Tang San's first spirit ring, from the Datura Snake, was only around four hundred years old. It seemed the system disliked Yu Xiaogang even more than he did.
"Leave these two children with me," Yu Xiaogang said after examining the Spirit Hall certificate Old Jack was holding.
"Thank you, Grandmaster," Old Jack said with immense relief. He gave Huo Feng and Tang San a few last words of encouragement before turning and heading back toward the city gate.
"Come on, let's go inside," Yu Xiaogang said, leading the two boys through the archway of Nuoding Academy. He was keenly interested in these two. The fact that they both possessed innate full spirit power was rare enough to capture his full attention.
"What are your names?" he asked as they walked.
"My name is Huo Feng." "My name is Tang San."
The two answered one after the other. Yu Xiaogang gave them a thoughtful glance before continuing to lead the way. Although Nuoding Academy was only a junior-level institution, the campus was well-kept and the environment was pleasant. Huo Feng was admiring the scenery when he noticed that Tang San and Yu Xiaogang had already fallen into a quiet, intense conversation, seemingly trying to exclude him.
Birds of a feather really do flock together, Huo Feng thought with a mental shrug. People like them were probably drawn to each other. He guessed that Yu Xiaogang had likely already deduced the existence of Tang San's twin spirits from the certificate and was carefully questioning him about it. He couldn't hear the most important parts of their conversation. Are they really afraid I'll overhear?
To them, he was just an ordinary, clueless child. They had no idea that their big secret was no secret to him at all.
Suddenly, a soft thud broke his thoughts. Huo Feng looked over and was stunned to see Tang San kneeling on the ground in front of Yu Xiaogang. He then bowed his head and kowtowed three times with practiced speed.
I forgot he pulls this move, Huo Feng thought, amazed. He doubted even Tang Hao had ever received such a formal show of respect from his son.
"Teacher, please accept me as your disciple!" Tang San pleaded, his head bowed respectfully.
Yu Xiaogang was taken aback for a moment. He glanced at Huo Feng, who was watching from a short distance away, before quickly stepping forward to help Tang San up.
"There's no need for that," he said, though his tone indicated his acceptance.
Tang San stood up, a faint blush of embarrassment on his face as he realized Huo Feng had seen the whole thing. But the embarrassment was a small price to pay for securing the Grandmaster as his teacher.
Now that he had secured Tang San, Yu Xiaogang turned his attention to Huo Feng. In his expert opinion, Huo Feng's potential appeared greater than Tang San's on the surface. Both had innate full spirit power, but Huo Feng's Spirit was an Iron Sword—a decent weapon. Tang San, on the other hand, had the useless Blue Silver Grass. Of course, Yu Xiaogang knew about Tang San's powerful second Spirit, which meant his true potential was far greater.
Even so, he wasn't about to let either of these perfect "experimental subjects"—who could prove his theories—get away.
Forcing a stiff, rare smile, Yu Xiaogang spoke in what he hoped was a soothing tone. "Huo Feng, would you also be willing to take me as your master, like Tang San?"
Become your disciple? I'd rather bang my head against a wall, Huo Feng thought, sneering internally. Besides, he had the system; what did he need a teacher for? But the main reason was his deep dislike for Yu Xiaogang's character. The man's history with Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong was something he could never forgive.
Huo Feng simply shook his head slightly. "Grandmaster," he said in a quiet voice, "I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to focus on my studies at the academy."
Yu Xiaogang was visibly stunned by the answer. He never expected a six-year-old child to refuse him. It was completely outside his calculations. However, he was a master of hiding his emotions and his expression didn't change.
"That's fine. If you have any questions in the future, you can still come to me," he said smoothly, unwilling to give up on such a valuable test subject. This exchange, however, led him to a new conclusion: Huo Feng's intelligence was far inferior to Tang San's. Tang San, despite his age, spoke and acted with the maturity of an adult. Huo Feng, on the other hand, seemed like just an ordinary child.
It wasn't just Yu Xiaogang who was surprised; Tang San was shocked. He had previously held Huo Feng in high regard, but this single act changed his opinion completely. The Grandmaster had deduced his twin spirits from a simple certificate; he was clearly an extraordinary person. Tang San had to kneel and beg to become his disciple, yet Huo Feng had casually refused. What a lack of foresight. He wouldn't say anything out loud, of course, but when he looked at Huo Feng again, his eyes held a clear trace of disdain.
"Alright, I'll take you to the Academic Affairs Office to get registered," Yu Xiaogang said, turning to continue on his way.
Huo Feng and Tang San followed him quietly. The registration process was simple, and once they were done, Yu Xiaogang left. The two boys picked up their luggage and headed toward the dormitories together. Their destination was Building 7, the dorm reserved exclusively for work-study students.
As they reached the door, a loud voice called out from inside. "Are you two the new work-study students?"
A burly kid who looked older than them stepped out. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at them condescendingly.
"My name is Wang Sheng. My Spirit is a Battle Tiger, and I'm the boss of this dorm," he announced. "What are your names?"
Ah, Wang Sheng, Huo Feng thought, his mind racing. He remembered this scene perfectly. This was where Tang San was supposed to fight, win, and become the new boss of Dormitory 7, which would directly lead to his first meeting with Xiao Wu.
Not this time, Huo Feng decided. This opportunity to show off belongs to me.