"Library? Of course, there's one!"
"But since the school hasn't officially started yet, the library might not be open!"
"As for whether there are books related to soul masters and soul beasts inside, I'm not sure."
"Because I haven't been to the library yet!" Lin Dagui scratched his head and said.
"Lin, you're in sixth grade this year. You haven't been to the library in the past five years?" Ye Yu asked, puzzled and curious.
These work-study students, with relatively humble backgrounds, shouldn't they be more eager to study and not miss out on any knowledge?
"Why go to the library?" Lin Dagui responded, seemingly confused. "The teachers teach the knowledge in the library anyway!"
"We have classes in the morning, and we practice in the evenings. We only have time to play in the afternoon!"
"If we have to go to the library in the afternoon, then we won't have time to play!"
Ye Yu felt a bit of pity. He almost forgot that, physically, he was a child, but mentally, he was an adult.
And as someone who had crossed over, he felt an urgency to learn.
But Lin Dagui and the other work-study students were just ordinary kids from commoner backgrounds in Douluo Continent.
Perhaps, to them, reaching the level of a soul master was already enough to change their fate.
Their perspective was completely different from his!
However, this only strengthened Ye Yu's resolve. He must study and cultivate harder.
Because on Douluo Continent, there were surely many people his age who, like him, preferred to play rather than practice.
He only needed to spend less time playing than others, dedicating more time to cultivation and study. Over time, he would be able to somewhat make up for his lack of talent in cultivation.
On the way back to Dorm 7, when Ye Yu saw what was happening inside, he was stunned.
A middle-aged man, wearing a black scholar's robe, was sitting on his bed. His hair was neatly cut into a crew cut, with stubble on his face. His expression was stiff as he looked down at a book.
Ye Yu's face immediately darkened.
The bed this man was sitting on was his!
Perhaps because his bed was not as worn out and was relatively clean, the man had chosen to sit on it.
When the work-study students returned to the dorm, the man immediately put away his book and stood up. In a hoarse voice, he asked, "Which one of you is Ye Yu?"
"I am!" Ye Yu raised his hand, somewhat confused.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Master," the man said lightly.
"You might not have heard of me, but I'm a friend of your dean."
"I heard that your martial soul is Blue Silver Grass and you have a first-grade innate soul power."
"Actually, I'm currently conducting research and collecting data on the Blue Silver Grass martial soul. Could you help provide some data?"
Master Yu Xiaogang walked closer and spoke. Although his words were a request, his posture and tone made it feel as though he was speaking from a position of authority.
This made Ye Yu feel somewhat uncomfortable.
After hearing the self-introduction, Ye Yu realized that the middle-aged man before him was none other than the famous Master Yu Xiaogang of Douluo Continent.
But in the novels and anime, wasn't this Master Yu Xiaogang known for being a talentless individual who had suffered emotional blows from Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong? He was often depicted as self-conscious and timid.
Why, then, did he seem so arrogant and condescending in front of Ye Yu?
Ye Yu could only bear with the discomfort in his heart.
Even if he had looked down on Yu Xiaogang in his past life, this man was now a 29th-level soul master and a friend of the dean of Notting Academy. He was someone Ye Yu couldn't afford to offend.
"Alright, Master, what kind of data do you need from me?" Ye Yu asked with a polite smile.
"Your parents' martial souls, your childhood living conditions, whether you've consumed any rare treasures..." Yu Xiaogang directly listed a large amount of data that he needed.
He even wanted to know Ye Yu's height and weight, and to take measurements of his martial soul, Blue Silver Grass, along with various related data.
"Wait, are you taking my census?" Ye Yu almost couldn't hold back his frustration.
You want me to waste all this time without offering anything in return?
What makes your martial soul so impressive?
"Master, my father's martial soul is a wooden spear, my mother's is Blue Silver Grass. My childhood was just a normal life, and we haven't consumed any rare treasures."
Seeing the attitude of Yu Xiaogang, Ye Yu began to feel uncomfortable. If he cooperated too much, who knew what this man might demand from him next? Perhaps he'd even want daily reports on his training progress.
Therefore, Ye Yu resisted his displeasure and only politely provided the information that was easy to share.
"That's about all I can say."
"Master, I'm going to start my training now!" Ye Yu hinted that it was time for Yu Xiaogang to leave.
Yu Xiaogang raised an eyebrow, sensing Ye Yu's hint, but still, he frowned slightly, showing no sign of understanding. Instead, he said, "Training? Training isn't urgent. First, help me provide the data."
"My research on the Blue Silver Grass martial soul will be beneficial to all Blue Silver Grass soul masters."
"Kid, you should broaden your horizons!" Yu Xiaogang said with a hint of scorn.
Ye Yu was speechless and helpless, but he smiled and said, "Master, I'm just a kid. I don't understand what 'broaden my horizons' means."
"I just want to become a soul master as soon as possible so I can receive the soul master subsidy from the Spirit Hall and improve my living conditions."
"However, I've heard that you have many books and notes about soul beasts and soul masters."
"I'm very interested in those. If Master could lend me one to read, I'll be happy to provide more data to you in return!"
Ye Yu spoke sincerely.
In his mind, this deal was perfectly fair. After all, you can't expect someone to work for free without any compensation, right?
However, when Yu Xiaogang heard this, his face immediately darkened. His mood soured as he thought, This ungrateful brat!
"I am a distinguished master, from a prestigious background. As a renowned theorist on martial souls, being able to collect your data is an honor for you! Yet you still want to steal my books and notes?"
"You have no idea how precious the knowledge of soul masters is!"
Yu Xiaogang had never cared much for the research on Blue Silver Grass, as he knew it was just a trivial matter that likely wouldn't yield any meaningful results.
But the knowledge he had accumulated over the years, especially the books and notes he had collected, was something he treasured greatly.
For years at Notting Academy, he had refused to teach a single class, preferring to be labeled a freeloader rather than reveal even a bit of his knowledge.
Now, Ye Yu wanted to take his books and notes?
No way!
"Fine, if you don't want to help with the data, then forget it!" Yu Xiaogang said, his face stiffening as he turned to leave.
"But you, young one, should learn to be kind and willing to help others."
"Greedy children are never liked by anyone!"
With a cold snort, Yu Xiaogang stormed out of Dorm 7.