Douluo: Let me loot an airdrop first.

Chapter 5: The Gatekeeper with a Way to Die

"Is this Notting Junior Academy?" Because Ning Yuanshan's work-study student quota came from the neighboring village, the group traveled to many places and spent several days traveling before finally arriving at Notting City Soul Master Academy on this day.

Having seen countless skyscrapers in his previous life, Ning Yuanshan naturally didn't find the small, junior soul master academy in the tiny city of Notting to be particularly grand. Tang San, on the other hand, had been confined to the deep mountains of the Tang Clan in his previous life, and had only ventured out of the village a few times in this life. Yet, he was stunned and speechless by the magnificent, opulent, and modern buildings before him.

"What are you doing? What are you all doing here? Don't you know this is a place for country bumpkins like you?" The three of them had just reached the academy gate when the guards approached them with disdain and berated them.

Chief Jack had dressed up specially for this trip, but he still looked like a country bumpkin once he got to the city.

Tang San and Ning Yuanshan were both covered in broken elbows and patches. Tang San, in particular, looked pale and thin due to long-term malnutrition. The three of them had been traveling a long way and were covered in dust, making him look like a little beggar.

"The academy gates are actually made of the finest iron!" As soon as Tang San approached the academy, his eyes were fixed on the gates. The gates of Notting Academy were wide and spacious, and he had never seen such a magnificent and imposing sight in the mountains before. In particular, the two dark iron gates under the archway were the most eye-catching.

Tang San gazed at the academy gate, his heart filled with anticipation for his future development.

"Young man, the three of us have come here to study. These two children from our village successfully awakened their martial spirits this year, so we came all the way to your esteemed academy to study! We apologize for bothering you, young man. May we ask what procedures are required for enrollment?" Old Jack said with a warm smile, handing over the certification documents issued by Su Yuntao during the martial spirit awakening ceremony.

"A wooden box spirit? Blue Silver Grass? How can such a useless spirit produce innate full spirit power?" The gatekeeper had a "Are you kidding me?" look on his face and mocked, "If you ask me, these two documents must be forged by you..."

The gatekeeper, with his dog-like eyes, happened to notice several holes in Tang San's clothes and mocked again, "Holy Soul Village? What Holy Soul Village? I think it's more like a beggar's village."

Old Jack was enraged by the guard's sharp rebuke, especially his disrespectful remarks about Holy Soul Village. He immediately took a few steps forward and shouted, "What did you say?"

"Grandpa Jack, calm down," Ning Yuanshan had anticipated this scene. Before the verbal sparring between the two sides could turn into physical pushing and shoving, he immediately stepped in to stop them.

"The certificates issued by the Spirit Hall all have anti-counterfeiting features and are not so easy to forge. Please check them carefully, brother. Or we can exchange a few blows here and there, and you'll know my level of spirit power in no time."

As he spoke, Ning Yuanshan's right hand emitted a dazzling light, as if he was about to activate his martial spirit. Over the years, Ning Yuanshan had trained a lot in the village protection team and had also gone hunting in the mountains with the villagers. Therefore, with his furrowed brows and angry eyes, he had an arrogant and combative appearance that made him appear extremely imposing.

The gatekeeper was just an ordinary person; his harassment stemmed from his dissatisfaction that the three men hadn't offered any bribes. He knew, of course, that the certificates issued by the Spirit Hall were genuine, but it was also true that Tang San and Ning Yuanshan's spirits were utterly useless, and Holy Spirit Village didn't have any significant background. The three men before him were either old or very young, and didn't seem particularly capable. Therefore, the gatekeeper dared to make things difficult for them.

The more Ning Yuanshan acted tough and pretended to be about to fight, the more timid and cowardly the gatekeeper became. Don't underestimate Ning Yuanshan just because he's only six years old; his level ten soul power far surpasses Ning Yuanshan's. If they become soul masters in the future, the difference between them will be like heaven and earth.

"Sir, I didn't sleep well last night and my eyes were playing tricks on me. This proves it's true, you two can go in now... but you can't go in," the gatekeeper said, deflated under Ning Yuanshan's glare, and quickly retreated back into the house after giving a few instructions.

"Phew... thankfully it didn't escalate into a fight..." Ning Yuanshan wasn't afraid of losing a fight with the gatekeeper; his concern was that Tang San might act recklessly and kill someone over such a trivial matter. Ning Yuanshan's reincarnation in Douluo Continent would inevitably alter some of the original plot, and he dared not gamble on whether Grandmaster would appear before Tang San acted, as in the original story, to stop him from killing.

"This kid has warped values. He's willing to take a life over such a trivial matter. I think the ancient martial arts world he was born into is too brutal, where human life is worthless and people kill each other at the drop of a hat... Or maybe Xiao Sanzi lacked love growing up, has an extreme personality, and can't stand being looked down upon, so he breaks down his defenses and goes to extremes at the slightest provocation."

The security guard wasn't a notorious murderer, and he didn't have any deep-seated hatred for the three of them. If he wanted to vent his anger, he could just fight him himself. "If I can't beat him, I still have my mistress..."

It's just a verbal dispute; settle the score on the spot. Backstabbing will only cause more trouble. Tang San's hidden arrows can certainly kill without leaving a trace. But just because there's no evidence doesn't mean others won't suspect you. With so many secrets, aren't you afraid someone will be tailing you?

"Besides, the conflict between our group and the gatekeeper is a conflict. If the gatekeeper dies, even if they don't suspect you, they will still hold you responsible if they don't know who the perpetrator is. Holy Soul Village is only half a day's walk from Notting City. Are you completely wiped out? Aren't you afraid that they have connections behind them and will seek revenge later..."

Ning Yuanshan mentally berated Tang San. It wasn't surprising that Ning Yuanshan was angry; he considered Village Chief Jack as family and Holy Soul Village his home. Tang San's mindless killing could potentially endanger the lives of those he cared about. "Enduring what ordinary people cannot endure is the killer's creed, right? You... you're just being looked down upon, so you're getting angry."

Tang San always makes amends for his mistakes, and Ning Yuanshan's thoughts and ideas were naturally not revealed on his face. After saying goodbye to Village Chief Jack, Ning and Tang prepared to enter the academy.

Just as Ning Yuanshan was pondering whether the time of his enrollment at Notting Academy differed from the original story, and whether the master had already been blown away by the wings of this little butterfly, he heard a greeting from behind.

"Young students, please wait a moment." Ning Yuanshan and Tang San turned around at the same time and saw a thin man in his forties or fifties walking slowly towards them. The man was of medium height, dressed simply, with a crew cut and a stubble beard. Although he looked ordinary overall, he had a profound and unfathomable aura.

At this moment, the man with the crew cut was staring intently at Tang San and Ning Yuanshan. Tang San didn't know who he was or what his intentions were, but being stared at by him gave him a feeling of being seen through. This feeling, as if he were naked and exposed in front of others, made Tang San somewhat wary.