Soul Land: I am not convinced

Holy Soul Village is a place of picturesque beauty, with lush mountains, clear waters, and the melodic sounds of birds singing and flowers blooming.

At the back of the village, the ancestors of Holy Soul Village rest in the hills.

As per the village's burial customs, a tombstone typically bears the dates of birth and death, along with details about the deceased's ancestors. However, on the back hill of Holy Soul Village, there are two unusual tombstones. Instead of the usual inscriptions, they simply bear the words: Ye's Tomb.

In front of these two graves stood an elderly man who appeared to be in his 60s.

The old man was tall and thin, yet full of vitality. His clothes were clean and neatly arranged, and his hair was combed with care.

Looking at the tombstones, the old man spoke with emotion, "You two, I had no choice. I scolded him, and punished him... but he still insisted on becoming a soul master. Today, I don't even know who he's taken as his master. He received a black card and threatened to go to Notting City to enroll in school on his own!"

"I promised you both before you passed that I wouldn't let him become a soul master. But things have taken such an unexpected turn. I really can't stop him, so now, I have no choice but to let him go to Notting City Junior Soul Master Academy."

"His talent is incredible. Born with full soul power at level [20], maybe our Holy Soul Village will have a second Soul Saint! This time, I'll let him go his way. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

Old Jack grew more animated as he spoke, pointing at the tombstone with two fingers.

"You finally agreed!"

The sudden voice made Old Jack jump in surprise.

He quickly looked around and saw a child, climbing a large tree about seven meters away.

"Ye Feng, come down this instant!" Old Jack shouted.

"I should have been allowed to go to school a long time ago." Ye Feng nimbly descended the tree, using both hands and feet. He stood beside Old Jack and asked, "Grandpa Jack, why haven't you told me yet, how did my parents die?"

"How did they die? Naturally, they died of illness." Old Jack's eyes flickered with guilt, clearly hiding something. He then added, "Ye Feng, you can make lunch yourself; I'm heading to Notting City for a trip."

"Why are you going to the city?" Ye Feng asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Of course, it's for your registration. This time, I'll go to the city and try to find another position for a work-study student. After all, our village is the birthplace of a Soul Sage," Old Jack explained.

"Grandpa Jack, I have the money to sign up!" Ye Feng proudly took out the black card that Ning Fengzhi had given him.

A black card is a status symbol, only issued to individuals whose assets reach a certain level by financial institutions.

"I know you're rich, Grandpa knows," Old Jack said, smiling kindly as he ruffled Ye Feng's hair. "But your life is still long ahead of you, and you'll need money for many things. Being a work-study student will save you five gold soul coins per semester."

Three months later

Tang San had convinced Tang Hao to allow him to study, and Old Jack had secured two work-study student positions. Together with Ye Feng, they happily arrived in Notting City.

At first, Ye Feng was reluctant to work as a student, but he couldn't resist the frugal Old Jack's persistence, so he reluctantly agreed. He entered the Junior Soul Master Academy as a work-study student.

"Little San, Ye Feng, once you enter the academy, don't leave without permission. I'll pick you up when the semester ends."

"Grandpa Jack, are you leaving so soon?"

"The hotel isn't a place for poor folk like us. You two should do your best. When Grandpa sees you again, I hope you'll both have become soul masters."

Old Jack stretched out his hands and affectionately patted Tang San's head with one hand, then Ye Feng's with the other. Nearby, a hotel caught their eye.

It was more luxurious than a simple hotel.

"Wait for me," Ye Feng said, pulling away from Grandpa Jack's affectionate touch. He quickly walked into the hotel. A few moments later, he returned.

"Ye Feng, what did you go in for?" Old Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hold this!" Ye Feng stretched out his hand and handed Old Jack a card.

"What's this?" Old Jack asked, puzzled.

"The key card for the room," Ye Feng replied with a grin.

"The key card? Did you open a room?" Old Jack asked in surprise.

"Of course not. Didn't you see it's about to rain? If you catch a cold or fever, won't it be troublesome for me to take care of you? Trust me, stay for one night before you leave. If you try to head back now, you won't make it back to the village before nightfall," Ye Feng said seriously.

For a moment, Old Jack felt like the six-year-old before him was not a child at all, but more like an adult.

"Nonsense. This is a hotel! I heard it costs one gold soul coin for a night!" Old Jack groaned.

"Not one, but two," Ye Feng corrected him with a smile.

"Two?" Old Jack exclaimed, surprised. He quickly handed the key card to Ye Feng, but Ye Feng didn't take it. Old Jack sighed in frustration. "Go and get a refund. How much food can two gold soul coins buy?"

"Impossible," Ye Feng chuckled. "Once the hotel gets paid, it's non-refundable. If you try to get a refund, I'll leave a bad review for the clerk."

"You child!" Old Jack looked at the key card in his hand, unsure whether to feel happy or frustrated at the same time.

After a while, Old Jack, Tang San, and Ye Feng arrived at the only Junior Soul Master Academy in Notting City. They walked along the main street.

In the distance, they saw a tall archway. It was 20 meters wide and 10 meters high, made of hard stone. Beneath the arch were two iron gates, black and sturdy. Beyond the gates, a winding path led into the academy, flanked by tall trees.

In the center of the arch, four characters stood boldly: Notting College.

As Old Jack led Tang San and Ye Feng toward the entrance, a gatekeeper immediately stopped them.

"What are you doing here? Is this a place where country folk like you can enter?"

Although Old Jack's clothes were neat, he still looked like a simple countryman in the eyes of the city folk.

"Brother, we're from Holy Soul Village. These two children are work-study students sent by our village this year. We just wanted to know if we need to go through any formalities?" Old Jack quickly apologized.

"A golden phoenix in a grass nest? A small village producing people with soul power? I've worked as a concierge for four years, but the academy hasn't had any work-study students in years. Are you two fakes?" the gatekeeper mocked.

"This is the certificate issued by the deacon of the Spirit Palace," Old Jack explained, handing over two certificates.

"Ha, Blue Silver Grass in the Spirit Palace? And born with full soul power? Funny. Funny. Full soul power at level 20 from birth? What's next? Are you going to claim they're born with a full Titled Douluo's power?" The gatekeeper took the certificates and mocked them, tossing them onto the ground unceremoniously.

(End of this chapter)