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Chapter 7 - Chapter 6

Nuoding City – Three Months Later

Walking through the streets of Nuoding City, three figures could be seen. One was an elderly man, hunched over, leaning on a cane. The other two were little girls walking hand in hand.

These three people were, of course, Old Jack, leader of Holy Spirit Village, and the children with so-called "useless" martial spirits: Yang Xiaolong and Tang Wutong, who looked around in amazement at the surrounding buildings.

While the little butterfly observed everything with quiet curiosity, the little eagle at her side was the complete opposite. Whenever she saw something interesting, she pulled her friend along to see it too. Sometimes, she even dragged Wutong to look at things she herself wasn't that interested in.

"Don't wander too far, it could be dangerous," Old Jack warned the two seriously, despite finding the scene amusing.

In his mind, even though the girls were now officially spirit masters, he hadn't yet handed them over to the academy. So they were still his responsibility. And deep down, he was happy. Even though one of them was a bit mischievous, both always obeyed him without complaint.

"They really are two wonderful children," he thought, wiping away imaginary tears before continuing to walk.

Earlier, he had asked a merchant for directions to the Elementary Academy. And after a small bribe… cough cough—I mean, after buying one of his fruits, the vendor gave him the proper instructions.

Following the directions "willingly," the three arrived without difficulty at the imposing gate of Nuoding Academy. Despite being an elementary academy, it radiated the grandeur expected of a respectable institution, especially considering its demanding graduation requirements.

"We've finally arrived… at the beginning of our journey," Xiaolong said, her eyes shining with joy and anticipation.

"Mn. Let's do our best," Wutong agreed. Even though she had seen far more impressive structures in her past life, she still felt the same excitement.

"Well, children, I can only accompany you this far. From this gate on, it's all up to you. I hope you accomplish great things and that your dreams come true in this place." Kneeling before them, Old Jack smiled tenderly, discreet tears in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Grandpa Jack! We'll work hard and bring honor to our village!" Xiaolong exclaimed sincerely, her eyes glistening.

"Mn. Leave it to us," Wutong, though more reserved, was also moved by his words.

Patting both girls' heads, Old Jack said his goodbyes and left. When his figure finally disappeared into the distance, both of them quietly wiped away the tears that had formed.

"Let's go, little eagle. Grandpa's gone now. It's time for us to follow our path too," Wutong gently squeezed her friend's hand.

"Hmm… you're right." Despite the slight sadness and the awareness of how dangerous a spirit master's life could be, Xiaolong perked up again. She was determined to see the old man again someday.

"The next time I see him, I'm going to pull such a good prank that his soul will jump right out of his body…" she muttered seriously, making the butterfly's blood run cold.

"Little eagle, you're the one who's sad and he's the one who gets punished? What world do you live in?" Despite the thought, Wutong wisely kept those words to herself.

"Stop right there. Authorized entry only," a stern voice interrupted, belonging to an armored guard in front of the academy gate.

"Hello! Here are our permits," Wutong said, handing over the certificates issued by the Spirit Hall.

The guard, initially stern-faced, softened upon seeing the girls' cute, childlike faces—reminded of his own daughter. However, as he read the contents of the certificates, his face twisted in pure shock.

"T-This must be a lie! You forged these documents!" he exclaimed, glancing between the papers and the girls.

"Sir, these certificates were issued and authenticated by the Spirit Hall itself. They're legitimate," Xiaolong stated, frowning seriously.

"Blasphemy! How do you expect me to believe that two children from the same village have full innate spirit power?! If you were going to lie, at least come up with a better excuse!" the guard roared, cutting her off furiously.

"What's going on here?" a deep male voice cut through the tension.

"Greetings, Grandmaster! These children have forged their Spirit Hall certificates!" the guard hurried to explain.

A man in a black robe took the certificates and examined them carefully. After a few seconds, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking at the girls with a peculiar expression.

"These certificates are legitimate. They were issued by the Spirit Hall, and it's likely the information is true," he said, handing the papers back to the girls and shooting the guard a disapproving look.

Had he not been so knowledgeable, he himself might have reacted the same way as the guard upon seeing records of two children with full innate spirit power and so-called "trash" spirits.

"You two, follow me. I'll take you to the academy office," he said, turning to walk ahead. After exchanging a glance, the girls ran after him with their short legs.

"By the way, sir… thank you very much for helping us," Wutong said, breaking the silence with sincere gratitude.

"Yes! Thank you! A little more and I was going to teach that old guy some manners," Xiaolong added, her voice fired up.

"Mn. It's no problem… But I'm not a teacher at this academy," he replied, glancing sideways.

"Eh? Then… are you the headmaster?" Wutong asked, blinking in surprise.

"Now that you mention it… that guard treated you with a lot of respect. You must be the headmaster!" Xiaolong murmured, her eyes wide.

"You're sharp, but no. I'm not the headmaster either. Think of me as just someone who lives here… for free," the man replied, smiling faintly.

"Anyway, we're here. That's the administration building," he said, stopping in front of a staircase and pointing to the building.

The girls thanked him and began to climb the steps, but his voice sounded once more:

"Before you go… satisfy this old man's curiosity. How does it feel to be the third and fourth people in history to possess twin martial spirits?" The girls turned around, curious… until they heard the end of the sentence. Wutong froze in shock; Xiaolong grew suspicious.

"I don't think I introduced myself, right? I'm Yu Xiaogang. But many call me Grandmaster because of my theories on cultivation and spirit masters," he said, striking an arrogant pose.

"Old man, I think you're mistaken. You read our files. Tong'er and I only have one martial spirit," Xiaolong said, looking at him strangely.

"Yes, the files mention only one spirit. But over the years, I've studied deeply the variations and miracles of human spirits, as well as innate power and spirit beasts," he began, his eyes shining.

"The level of a martial soul directly reflects the innate potential of the spirit master. And you two… you couldn't possibly have only a Blue Silver Grass or any ordinary body spirit. The only explanation is that you possess twin martial spirits!" he declared, stepping closer.

"You—" Wutong was speechless. He had discovered her secret with just a glance at her file…

But Xiaolong? She only felt chills from the man's obsessive gaze. Without thinking twice, she gathered her spiritual power and landed a solid punch in his stomach, sending him rolling down the stairs.

"Run, Tong'er! This old man is giving me the creeps! I think he's a pervert!" Xiaolong shouted, pulling her friend by the hand.

Watching the two disappear into the distance, Yu Xiaogang felt shame and humiliation burning his face. He had been humiliated before… but being called a pervert by two little girls? That was rock bottom.

Without a doubt, the worst moment of Yu Xiaogang's life.

----- X -----

Dormitory 7 – Nuoding Academy

Already in front of the dormitory, Xiaolong and Wutong braced themselves to enter. After reporting the incident at the administration office, they were given instructions on where to settle.

As a paying student, Xiaolong should have been entitled to a private room, but since she arrived late, she would have to share a dorm with the scholarship students—which didn't bother her, since it meant spending more time with Wutong.

"Well, this is it. Our school life really begins now," Wutong said, opening the door with a smile.

But what awaited them on the other side was far from a warm welcome—instead, a fist came flying toward them. Luckily, the little butterfly easily dodged and stepped back, leaving Xiaolong to handle the situation.

Noticing the attack, Xiaolong intercepted the blow and countered with a punch that sent the attacker rolling across the floor. The boy growled, annoyed, and launched into a spinning kick, but the girl dodged effortlessly again.

She retaliated with a punch to the boy's face, causing him to stumble. Still, he tried to move forward again, but this time it was Xiaolong who took the initiative, throwing a punch that was blocked—only to follow it up with a kick to the ribs.

Taking advantage of the opening, Xiaolong unleashed a flurry of quick, powerful strikes. The boy couldn't react and could only defend as best he could until she swept his legs out from under him. Just as Xiaolong was about to finish him off, he cried out:

"Stop, stop! I surrender! You win!"

Confused, Xiaolong looked at Wutong, who also seemed puzzled.

"Explain that better before I change my mind and start hitting you again," Xiaolong said, fists still clenched.

Frightened, the boy explained that in Dormitory 7, leadership was decided through hand-to-hand combat, and that ambushing newcomers was an old tradition.

"Hmph. I'm only letting you off because you clearly can't take any more," Xiaolong muttered, entering the dorm disdainfully.

With the tension eased, the other students even came over to welcome them—including the former leader, now defeated.

As the atmosphere in the dorm grew livelier, the door suddenly opened, surprising everyone. From outside stepped a girl with dark hair, bright pink eyes, and a cute pink outfit with bunny accessories, especially a headband that resembled rabbit ears.

"Um… excuse me. Is this Dormitory 7?" the girl asked, visibly nervous as she felt all eyes turn to her.

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