[In this way, Yu Xiaogang would be unable to meet Tang San at the very first moment.]
Tossing down two Silver Soul Coins was something Zhou Qing did intentionally.
As the saying goes:
"The King of Hell may be easy to deal with, but his little devils are hard to appease."
There was no need to waste words with a gatekeeper like that handing over a little money could settle the matter nicely.
As for why he threw the coins to the ground instead of placing them into the gatekeeper's hands well, as a child, giving money directly might not be an issue in front of Tang San. But doing so in front of Old Jack would seem too worldly. To keep up appearances, the giving of the coins had to appear "accidental."
"Brother Qing, should I pick those two Silver Soul Coins back up later?" Tang San asked.
While not short on money, Tang San didn't want to waste it on a random stranger. Besides, they had just arrived in a new city where they were unfamiliar with everything. Even if his family had money, it shouldn't be flaunted it might attract trouble.
"Forget it. Just think of it as spending money to avoid a problem. There's no need to make enemies with a gatekeeper," Zhou Qing replied. "He may be an ordinary person, but to be stationed at the gate of a primary soul master academy, he's likely connected to a teacher or a director. If we make an enemy of him, life at the academy might become difficult."
Tang San was momentarily stunned, but after thinking it over, he realized Zhou Qing had a point.
After all, when walking around Nuoding City with Old Jack earlier, he'd already seen the disparity between commoners and nobles. When noble children in fancy clothes passed through the streets, others didn't even dare to get close, their eyes full of awe and fear.
Soul masters wielded great power. They might not necessarily hold noble titles, but in reality, their status often surpassed that of the nobility!
Institutions that nurtured soul masters were either wealthy or powerful. At the very least, they had strong backing. For an ordinary person to work as a gatekeeper here, even if he seemed petty, he likely had some family ties to someone within the academy.
Spending two Silver Soul Coins to avoid conflict and secure a smoother academy life—
Zhou Qing truly was clever!
When the two reached the registration area, Zhou Qing went up to a middle-aged man and politely asked, "Hello, teacher. We're soul masters from Saint Spirit Village, here to enroll."
"Show me your Martial Soul certificates," the man replied mechanically, extending his hand like it was just routine.
Zhou Qing handed over the certificates Old Jack had given them before parting. He and Tang San passed them to the teacher together.
"Blue Silver Grass... Heart?"
The man frowned upon seeing the Martial Souls. But when his eyes landed on the phrase "innate full soul power," they widened in surprise.
"This is... I don't even know what to say."
He recorded their information and returned the certificates.
"There are nine dormitories in the academy. The first three are reserved for noble children from the city. The middle three are for regular commoners. The last three are for working students."
"However, we don't have many working students—Dormitory Seven isn't even full yet..."
"Teacher, I'd like to enroll as a full student too," Tang San spoke up. He preferred to stay with Zhou Qing and added, "My family still has some savings."
"That's fine."
The man didn't seem to care much. He issued them both academy uniforms and assigned them a dormitory.
"You'll be in Dormitory Seven."
"Teacher," Zhou Qing asked with a puzzled look, "you just said Dormitory Seven is for working students. But you're putting us there?"
"That's right," the man nodded. "But the middle dormitories are already full—nothing I can do about it." He showed them the dormitory assignment chart to prove he wasn't targeting them specifically.
After thinking it over, Zhou Qing quickly understood.
Most of the regular students in the middle dormitories were probably from Nuoding City itself, which obviously had a higher population than the surrounding villages. While many of them were still commoners, their families were better off, with greater access to resources. They likely had better nutrition, and as a result, a slightly higher chance of awakening innate soul power.
"Thank you, teacher," Zhou Qing said politely. Then he added, "One more question—does the academy provide bedding and such?"
"Nope," the teacher shook his head. "This isn't an apprenticeship guild—it's a proper academy. You're students. Aside from your uniform and dormitory, everything else is your responsibility. Unless... you sign a special agreement. Then we'll provide everything."
"What kind of agreement?" Tang San asked curiously.
"Basically, you'd be obligated to stay on as teachers after graduation," the man explained. "Many commoner soul masters want to sign it, but we can't accept everyone. We're selective. For example, those with poor Martial Souls are eliminated right away."
In other words, you two aren't qualified.
Unlike Su Yuntao, this middle-aged teacher clearly understood what innate full soul power represented. He recognized that Zhou Qing and Tang San had the potential to become high-level soul masters.
However!
They came from a remote village. They had no background, no connections. As for their Martial Souls—Blue Silver Grass was considered trash, with no precedent for successful cultivation. Its future was uncertain.
The Heart Martial Soul? That was a part of one's own body. While Nuoding City had seen such cases, the strength of a soul master came from abilities that extended beyond one's normal self. A soul connected to a body part seemed redundant and lacked promise.
Thus, the teacher believed that despite their innate full soul power, Zhou Qing and Tang San were unlikely to realize their potential. They'd probably burn out along the way.
He wouldn't invest early based on potential alone. He preferred to observe the two of them over the next couple of years—watching how they performed in terms of character and ability—before deciding whether to offer support.
More importantly, they had no noble family ties, and the uncertainty was too high.
"Thank you, teacher."
Zhou Qing once again expressed his gratitude. He unshouldered his bag, took out fifty Silver Soul Coins to cover the tuition for both of them to become full students, and asked where they could purchase bedding supplies. Then he and Tang San left.
Tang San wanted to become a full student because he knew working students had chores to do.
He wasn't interested in wasting time on menial labor those core soul circuits embedded in the soul guide crystal still needed research. Where would he find time to sweep floors?
Not long after Zhou Qing and Tang San departed, a scruffy, flat-topped man arrived at the registration desk and said, "Teacher Mo Hen, let me see this year's enrollment sheet."
"Here, Master."
It was Yu Xiaogang.
Though Mo Hen handed him the form, there was a brief flicker of dislike in his eyes—but it vanished quickly.
"Blue Silver Grass, Heart... Innate full soul power?!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes locked onto the words innate full soul power, his lips curling into a subtle smile—
Opportunity!
It had finally arrived!