novelhk Chapter 5 Chen: You have full soul power, I'll eat the pot!
Chapter 5 Chen: You have full soul power, I'll eat the pot!
The old village chief, Zhang Zhuming, was only considered middle-aged in Zhang Xun's first life, even though he was over fifty years old.
But now he has a full head of white hair and his face is covered with wrinkles etched by time.
"Don't worry, son, I won't let your talent go to waste."
He patted his chest with a smile, didn't ask about the two children, and then turned to call on the villagers to start collecting tuition fees.
Looking at the hunched back, Zhang Xun laughed along with the old man, but it was a bitter laugh.
She turned her head and whispered to the little girl beside her, "Tell the village chief later that my master left me money for school."
After saying that, he was about to walk towards the bamboo forest when he suddenly remembered something, took out two gold soul coins wrapped in paper from his body and handed them to her.
"Give it to the village chief."
They then left the village, which was bustling with celebration.
Although the villagers meant well by raising funds, he had inquired beforehand and learned that the tuition for the Junior Soul Master Academy was ten gold soul coins for six years, payable in full upon enrollment.
In Zhuhe Village, where people live on copper coins, the surplus money they could scrape together was enough to send two children to school, but Zhang Xun felt it was really unnecessary to sacrifice their quality of life.
Although the work-study students are exempt from tuition fees, it is a pity that a small, unknown place like Zhuhe Village cannot be allocated a number of places.
In the bamboo forest
As Zhang Xun entered, the fog suddenly thickened considerably.
This formation was set up according to the earth's veins before the Lunar New Year. It doesn't really hinder enemies; it's just meant to add a bit of atmosphere.
With a slight thought, he summoned the nine-section staff.
The name of the martial spirit is just like that, and its basic effect is somewhat similar to a staff.
It significantly enhances Zhang Xun's control over his soul power and mental power, while also providing a certain degree of melee combat effectiveness, allowing him to swing at people.
It's a pity it doesn't have a blade, otherwise I might have been able to use something like a whirlwind slash.
In fact, the so-called nine-section staff was originally just a walking stick used by Master Zhang Jiao when he traveled to disaster areas. Over time, people knew that the Great Master had arrived when they saw the nine-section staff, and it became a symbol of his status.
After years of cultivation and the blessing of the wishes of all beings in the eight continents, it gradually became a Dharma instrument.
Zhang Xun held the bamboo staff out in front of him with both hands, carefully examining every detail, finding it to be identical to the one he had held before his death.
"So, you came along too? Too bad your true master isn't here..."
With a long sigh, the nine-section staff dissipated and returned to his body.
The soul imprint is on the back of my hand. It lights up when I summon my martial soul, which is a bit too bright. It seems I need to wear fingerless gloves.
After stroking the faded mark of the nine-section staff, Zhang Xun quickly returned to the small courtyard in the forest.
Before his martial soul awakened, Zhang Xun always felt out of place in this world. Now, that discomfort has completely faded away, and he has completely become a Douluo man.
Through the window, Zhang Xun saw Chen Xin sitting cross-legged on the bed, his sword lying horizontally on the table, floating along with him.
This invisible disguise is indeed very cool.
From now on, I'll keep the nine-section staff at the ancestral hall.
Zhang Xun released his martial spirit and tried to control it to fly, and soon he could do it as easily as if it were his own arm.
It is very difficult for people with weak mental strength.
It's a good way to hone one's spirit. No wonder Chen Xin likes to have his sword floating around him all the time. He really doesn't give up any opportunity for cultivation.
With that thought, the nine-section staff flew into the ancestral hall, smashing through the window, and then hovered in mid-air in front of the memorial tablet.
Upon hearing the sound, Chen Xin suddenly opened his eyes.
But the returning child showed no emotion on his face, as if he had done something insignificant.
"How's the awakening going?"
"No surprises, just a bamboo stick."
Zhang Xun casually placed the Martial Soul Certificate on the table, then started cooking and lighting the fire.
"Where's your soul power?"
Level 10.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xin was slightly taken aback, then began to clap his hands.
"I didn't expect someone like you to be able to joke around. Not bad, kid, you've improved."
"If you were born with full soul power, I'd eat your pot right here and now!"
As he spoke, he chuckled and reached for the piece of paper on the table. Before he could even look down at it, he saw Zhang Xun carrying a pot over.
What are you doing?
"I didn't expect you to have this taste, sir. Would you like me to salt it a bit to let it absorb the flavor?"
"What salt-baked..." Seeing his extremely serious expression, Chen Xin felt confused. He glanced at the Martial Soul Certificate and immediately slammed his hand on the table.
"What the heck... you're not kidding, are you?"
The Soul Power bar clearly displayed the number 10, the characters so powerful they seemed to pierce through the paper, as if the writer was so excited they wanted to kill someone.
It's mutated? But the vast majority of bamboo-type martial souls absolutely do not possess the innate condition of high soul power.
The quality of a martial soul determines that it cannot be strong!
"This is impossible! I possess extraordinary talent, and my family inherits the Seven Kill Sword, the strongest offensive martial soul in the world. Even then, I was only at level nine when I awakened it! How could a mere bamboo stick like yours possibly have innate full soul power?"
His eyes widened, and he even rubbed the paper together. It was indeed real, and no one would dare to fake it.
For a moment, Chen Xin felt somewhat dazed.
Glancing sideways at Zhang Xun's tender little face, the child was holding a wood-chopping knife and gesturing at the pot, seemingly intending to cut it open.
However, he no longer intended to pay attention to it.
The combined innate levels of this little guy's parents are so high that you couldn't count them on one hand; even mutations couldn't produce a level like this!
"Where's your martial spirit? Let me see it!"
"don't want."
"show me!"
Seeing Chen Xin's agitated expression, as if she were about to bite someone, Zhang Xun had no choice but to recall the Nine-Section Staff.
The bamboo cane is eight feet long with nine sections of varying lengths, but it's not particularly special.
He circled around several times, scratching his head and ears, but still couldn't figure out what kind of powerful mutated martial soul this thing was.
"It is indeed innate full soul power, but what about you..."
"Don't say that. Do you need the pot heated up a bit, sir? Maybe it will help with digestion later."
"You actually took it seriously?"
"But I wasn't joking just now. I thought someone as prestigious as a Title Douluo wouldn't joke around."
Chen Xin squinted and met the child's gaze.
He then grabbed the iron pot, which was even darker than his face, and rolled it into a lump of iron as if it were a piece of paper, placing it on the table. He then slapped the Seven Kill Sword aside.
Then he shrugged to indicate that he would continue.
Seeing that Zhang Xun had finally stopped joking around, he glanced at the ancestral hall and sighed.
"You're quite something, kid. Your master has a really sharp eye; no wonder he took you as his disciple."
After thinking for a moment, Chen Xin frowned slightly, then suddenly slapped her face and covered her eyes, as if she had understood something, and her eyes were filled with shock.
Does Zhang Jiao have a method to determine the level of innate soul power?
Impossible! Soul power is only generated during awakening, and even the highest level of mental strength cannot detect or confirm it in advance.
But how come he was able to accurately find the child of an ordinary Soul Master and take him as his disciple?
No, I cannot think too deeply about it; it will affect my Daoist mind.
He took two deep breaths and sighed inwardly. The Taipingdao was a very deep place, and this child's background was much more powerful than he had expected.
The matter of the memorial tablet cannot be trusted. This guy might not be dead yet. It's not difficult for a titled Douluo to fake his death and deceive a child. What is his purpose?
It's just that I haven't joined any faction yet, otherwise I would definitely befriend this faction, or even win over this child.
The Way of Peace should not be antagonized.
Chen Xin got up, put his hands behind his back, and prepared to go back to his room. He glanced at Zhang Xun, who was looking at the iron ball with heartache, and felt a little embarrassed. So he took out a handful of gold soul coins and put them on the table.
He coughed twice and said arrogantly.
"Include the rent for the house and the pots and pans in the future."
Then he raised his hand to recall the Seven Kill Sword, turned around and quickly walked back to his room.
I lost my composure today; I need to adjust myself.
Looking at the gold soul coins on the table, Zhang Xun suddenly felt that Lao Guo's tragic death was not unacceptable.
Thirty-seven coins, enough for him to live here for ten years. Does he really intend to stay here for a long time? Is a Title Douluo planning to live in seclusion in the mountains?
Huh? Ten years? Did I ask for too much back then?
Realizing the issue of prices, Zhang Xun remembered that the tuition for six years at the Elementary Soul Master Academy was only ten gold soul coins.
But on second thought, it's not so wrong.
If you add up the cost of meat at every meal, bamboo rats can be quite expensive outside.
Although I didn't expect him to stay permanently, the price wasn't a problem. I remember that the inn in the village was about the same price, and it only included breakfast and didn't include meat, so the price was actually quite cheap.
Feeling at ease, Zhang Xun put away the gold soul coins. He then thought of the village; it seemed they were still raising funds to prepare tuition fees for Zhang Susu.
He took out eight coins and put them away, then took some copper and silver soul coins, and carrying the old pot's corpse/iron ball, he returned to the village to make purchases.
They didn't return to the cottage until the sun was half setting.
Solving the tuition problem for the children in the village is nothing compared to the kindness of the villagers who have fed him in the past. For Zhang Xun, although they are not blood relatives, they are family.
Zhuhe Village is somewhat similar to a southern clan, as they all share the surname Zhang, and their martial spirits also indicate that they all share a common ancestor.
If that's the case, do we need a reason to help family members who have always been good to us since childhood solve their difficulties?