I started by submitting to the Douluo Continent, and the nation helped me become a god.

Chapter 44 Tang 3 felt he hadn't tried hard enough.

The night was as dark as ink, and the sparse starlight was obscured by thick clouds, plunging Notting Junior Soul Master Academy into silence.

"Phew... I'm finally back."

The wooden door to Dormitory 7 was gently pushed open, making an extremely slight creaking sound. Tang San slipped in sideways, his movements as light as a swallow returning to its nest, his toes barely touching the ground. The other work-study students in the dormitory were already asleep, their snores rising and falling, and he didn't want to wake them.

He casually wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead. Although his slightly immature face showed undisguised fatigue and dark circles under his eyes, his bright black eyes shone with a light called "sense of accomplishment".

His hands were trembling slightly at that moment.

Those were muscle spasms from swinging the foundry hammer for a long time at high intensity; his arms ached as if they were filled with lead, and he couldn't even lift them. The smell of rust and coke lingered between his fingers, and his fingernails were black, the color of iron filings and charcoal ash mixed together.

This is a medal unique to blacksmiths.

Just now, he finished his last job of the day at Old Wang's blacksmith shop in the east of the city. The stubborn piece of pig iron clanged and jingled under his hammering for two whole hours, finally shedding its impurities and transforming into a piece of fine, refined iron.

After inspecting the goods, Old Wang showed a rare expression of satisfaction. He took out a silver soul coin from his money bag and slapped it into his palm.

"Kid, you've got potential. This piece of refined iron is better than anything I forged back in my youth. This silver soul coin is your bonus. Keep up the good work, and you'll have your day."

The silver soul coin was heavy, with the cool touch of metal, yet it made Tang San feel warm all over.

"One Gintama coin..."

He silently calculated in his mind, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up.

"If we just hold on for another three months, no, just two months! At this rate, we can pay back all the money we owed Xiaowu for those pills!"

For a penniless student working part-time, this was a huge sum of money, and even more so, a weighty hope.

Tang San tiptoed to his bed and was about to put down his backpack when his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the figure on the next bed.

By the faint moonlight filtering in through the window, he saw Xiao Wu sitting cross-legged on the bed.

He didn't sleep soundly on his back as usual, nor did he drool while hugging his pillow.

She maintained an extremely standard meditation posture—both hands, palms up, resting flat on her knees, her back straight, and her signature scorpion braid hanging down her back.

But her breathing seemed off.

It wasn't the long, steady flow that one should have during cultivation; instead, it was slightly hurried and somewhat chaotic.

"Still cultivating so late?"

A hint of surprise flashed through Tang San's mind.

Xiao Wu is usually the most impatient person; it's difficult to get her to sit quietly for even half an hour. Every time he tries to meditate with her, the girl either complains of being bored, secretly opens her eyes to look around, or complains of being hungry with a rumbling stomach.

What's going on today? Did the sun rise in the west?

Was it because of what happened during the day?

Thinking of this, Tang San felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

Although Xiao Wu becoming Li Fulan's disciple made him feel uneasy, if it could motivate Xiao Wu to cultivate harder, then it wouldn't be entirely a bad thing.

He put down his backpack, took out the still-warm silver soul coin from his pocket, lowered his voice, and said in a tone that sounded like he was showing off a treasure:

"Xiao Wu, aren't you asleep yet?"

The girl on the bed visibly stiffened for a moment.

Like a frightened little animal, its whole body tensed up.

Several seconds passed before she slowly opened her eyes.

Her once bright and lively eyes now seemed somewhat evasive, unable to meet Tang San's gaze. In the moonlight, her face was a mixture of paleness and flush, it was hard to tell which. She looked at Tang San with a shifty gaze, as if she were hiding something on her mind.

"Um... Third Brother, you... you're back?"

Xiao Wu's voice sounded a little strange, not as clear as usual. It was slightly hoarse, with an unnatural tremor, like a piece of candy that wouldn't dissolve in her throat.

Tang San was unaware of these unusual occurrences.

He was immersed in his joy and couldn't wait to share his day's achievements with Xiaowu.

"Look!"

He opened his palm and held it out to Xiao Wu. The silver-white soul coin reflected a faint light in the dim light, shining brightly and standing out conspicuously.

"Old Wang praised me today, saying I'm a born blacksmith! This silver soul coin is my bonus!"

His tone was full of undisguised pride, and his eyes lit up.

"Hehe, as long as I forge a few pieces of iron after school every day, at this rate, it will probably only take a thousand forgings a hundred times to pay back the money you lent me for those basic pills! Don't worry, I, Tang San, keep my word, I will pay back every single copper coin I owe you!"

Tang San's eyes gleamed with a light, the pride and self-esteem unique to young people.

He didn't want to keep owing Xiao Wu, even though she was his "sister".

Even close brothers keep clear accounts, let alone them, who, though close, aren't truly blood relatives. Xiao Wu's money was her hard-earned living expenses, how could he just take it for free?

Xiao Wu looked at the silver coin in front of her, and then at Tang San's hands, which were slightly red and swollen and covered with calluses from overwork.

Some of those calluses were worn through, with faint traces of blood seeping out; they looked painful.

Her heart skipped a beat.

A strong, bittersweet feeling welled up in her nose, mixed with an indescribable sense of guilt, almost bringing her to tears.

Third Brother was sweating profusely in the sweltering blacksmith shop for a few silver soul coins.

She had been to that kind of place once; it was as hot as a steamer. Standing there for a while would make her sweat profusely, let alone wielding a sledgehammer for hours on end.

And what about yourself?

Today, in Li Fulan's office, I used my charm to deceive him and easily obtained the spot of "personal disciple" and the promise of "unlimited supply".

Those pills, any one of them could be equivalent to Tang San's blacksmithing for several months.

All of this came so "easily".

It was so easy that it made her feel guilty.

"No...no need, Third Brother."

Xiao Wu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging emotions within her. She turned her head away, not daring to look into Tang San's clear eyes, her voice so low it was almost a whisper:

"You don't need to pay back that money. Really."

"How can that be?"

Tang San grew anxious, his brows furrowing.

Even close brothers keep clear accounts, let alone those are living expenses you saved up...

No!

Xiao Wu interrupted him, raising her voice slightly, but then quickly lowered it as if realizing she might wake someone else.

Her fingers gripped the sheets beneath her so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

How do I explain this to him?

She claims she used her charm to get Li Fulan to choose her as her disciple?

Wouldn't that be even more embarrassing?

And if her third brother were to press her for details, asking about the allure she possessed, she would have to explain her identity as a 100,000-year-old soul beast...

No, I absolutely cannot say that.

Xiao Wu bit her lip and quickly made up a story in her mind.

"It's...it's Professor Li. Professor Li Fulan said that my martial soul traits are very suitable for his research direction, so...so he gave me a lot of specially made pills, saying it was as...as a reward for cooperating with his research."

Her voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, until it was almost inaudible.

"From now on... from now on I won't lack pills, and you... you won't have to work so hard forging iron anymore."

After saying that, Xiao Wu felt all the strength drain from her body.

This half-truth, half-lie was like a boulder, suffocating her.

She certainly didn't lack elixirs anymore—because she had lied to Li Fulan.

But she couldn't tell Tang San about this.

It's too embarrassing to say it out loud.

A dignified 100,000-year-old soul beast, actually used its talent to deceive people for a few pills...

Even though you've fooled a bad person, it's still shameful.

The air suddenly became quiet.

A deathly silence.

Even the distant watchman's clapper could no longer be heard; only the sound of each other's breathing echoed in the darkness.

Tang San's smile froze.

The outstretched palm remained suspended in mid-air, but the silver soul coin in its palm now seemed so glaring, so... insignificant.

"Did Teacher Li...give it to you?"

Tang San muttered to himself, his voice somewhat hoarse.

He certainly knew the new special teaching assistant, Li Fulan.

The man always wore a gentle smile and spoke slowly and deliberately, earning him the "love" of the academy's teachers and students. The wealthy aristocratic students, in particular, flocked to him, practically groveling before him.

But Tang San disliked him from the bottom of his heart.

I hate his hypocritical face, I hate his methods of controlling students with elixirs, and I hate even more the scene where he publicly humiliated me in class.

But he never expected that this person would be so "generous" to Xiao Wu.

Pills are among the most expensive resources for Soul Masters. Even the most basic Qi-Nourishing and Foundation-Strengthening Pill costs several gold soul coins per pill. And Xiao Wu's words, "lots," and "we won't lack any more in the future,"...

What does this mean?

This means that the small act of charity that Li Fulan casually peeked through his fingers was more than the money that Tang San earned by working himself to the bone for several years as a blacksmith.

This is the reality of the Soul Master world.

This is the gap between classes.

Tang San slowly withdrew his hand, clutching the silver soul coin tightly in his palm until it ached.

He slowly sat back on his bed, his back to Xiao Wu, his head bowed, looking at his rough hands.

Those hands were covered in calluses, with iron filings under their fingernails, and in several places the skin was worn raw and bleeding.

This is his proudest "medal".

But now, these "medals" seem so ridiculous and so powerless.

I feel like a ridiculous clown.

Tang San, Tang San, what are you still so smug about?

Do you really think that you and Xiao Wu can support your cultivation path with the Tang Sect's unique Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique and the silver soul coins that these hands can hammer out one by one?

Do you think your efforts and hard work can bridge the huge gap in resources?

Look, your proud "Thousand Refinements," the silver soul coin you earned with all your might, is not even worth as much as a tiny bit of charity that slips through the fingers of someone with real resources.

That guy Li Fulan... just because he saw Xiao Wu's potential, he could casually give me something that I might have to work as a blacksmith for years to afford.

Is this fair?

unfair.

But in the world of Soul Masters, there has never been any fairness.

What I call "genius" seems so pale and powerless in the face of absolute resources.

I don't want Xiaowu to accept anything from that person, because I know there's no such thing as a free lunch. Anything that falls from the sky is bound to contain poison.

But... what can I do to stop it?

Do you want to use my blacksmith hands?

Should I take this pitiful Silver Soul coin?

I'm too weak right now.

So weak that they don't even have the confidence to refuse.

I was so weak that I could only watch helplessly as Xiao Wu accepted other people's "kindness" and watch her have to rely on the strong because of my incompetence.

Do not!

Absolutely not!

A strong sense of crisis and resentment grew wildly in Tang San's heart like weeds.

He clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm. The cold edge of the silver soul coin stung his skin, but that pain was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

I must become stronger.

It must be a hundred times, a thousand times better than it is now!

So strong that I don't need to depend on anyone, so strong that I can provide Xiao Wu with better resources than Li Fulan, so strong that that hypocritical guy can't even hold his head up in front of me!

"Third Brother... are you... are you angry?"

Xiao Wu's cautious voice came from behind, tinged with a hint of probing and unease.

Tang San took a deep breath and tried to adjust his stiff facial muscles.

He turned around, a forced smile returning to his face. The smile looked somewhat bitter, but in the darkness, Xiao Wu probably couldn't see it clearly.

"No, silly girl."

He tried to keep his voice steady.

"I was just... thinking that Teacher Li is so good to you. You should follow her training diligently and not let her... kindness go to waste."

When Tang San spoke the word "heartfelt intention," he felt a bitter taste on the tip of his tongue.

"Now that you have the elixir, I'll keep this silver soul coin for now. Later... later I'll buy you delicious food. I'll buy you your favorite candied hawthorns."

"Um... thank you, Third Brother."

Xiao Wu breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at Tang San's somewhat desolate figure in the darkness, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.

But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

It's too complicated to explain in words; there's too much to say.

She could only slowly lie down, pull the blanket over herself, turn to her side, and face the wall.

On the other bed, Tang San lay awake, staring at the dark ceiling, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

"I still haven't tried hard enough!"