Tang San Lends an Assist

Anyone could tell that Tang San was at the end of his rope and was forcing himself to hold on. If nothing else, the cold sweat on his forehead was proof enough.

But who told him to run his mouth? Chao Tianxiang wasn't about to let this golden opportunity slip by.

Sure enough, Zhao Wuji was immediately put on the back foot. He forced a smile.

"Senior Chao, my student is a little... uh, a little fond of showing off, and he doesn't always know when it's appropriate. Sorry you had to see that."

As he spoke, he glared at Tang San, signaling him not to say anything else out of turn.

Chao Tianxiang said nothing. Instead, she narrowed her eyes slightly and waited for Zhao Wuji to continue.

Zhao Wuji struck while the iron was hot. "Senior Chao, you're a renowned elder who has been famous in the martial world for many years. If word got out that you bullied a junior, wouldn't it sound rather bad?"

"My student really was badly injured before he managed to bring it down. How about this? We elders will act as witnesses and let the juniors compete. Whoever wins gets the Soul Ring. What do you think?"

Zhao Wuji repeated what had been said in the original story, hoping to turn the dispute over the Soul Ring into a contest between the juniors.

That way, a major conflict would become a minor spar, and even if his side won, the other party would have a hard time reneging.

As for who would win, Zhao Wuji was very confident. Shrek Academy might lack other things, but it had monsters aplenty!

Tang San couldn't fight, but they still had Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun for the main assault! There was no way they could lose!

After thinking for a moment, Chao Tianxiang seemed to agree that the proposal was fairly sound. Meng Yiran, the young woman beside her, looked even more eager to give it a try.

Zhao Wuji let out a soft breath. "In that case..."

"No! Why should we compete with them?"

Once again, Tang San ignored the atmosphere that had just been established and spoke up furiously.

"I'm the one who brought that big snake down! Why should some old woman who popped out of nowhere get to snatch it away with a few words?"

"And a competition? Why should I compete with him? That thing is ours!"

Tang San launched into a passionate tirade, utterly oblivious to Zhao Wuji's darkening expression. By now, Zhao Wuji's fists were clenched tight, and he wanted nothing more than to punch this dumbass to death!

I finally talked them into giving ground, and this is when you decide to make trouble for me?

Zhao Wuji was truly about to go mad with rage.

Sure enough, Chao Tianjiao's expression, which had begun to soften, immediately tightened again. Her face ashen, she raised an aged right hand and pointed at Tang San.

"Zhao Wuji, is what your student said what you mean too?"

"Do you really think you can bully this old woman?!"

Then six Soul Rings appeared, and her presence surged in an instant. She was clearly furious.

As she saw it, Tang San's words were part of an act with Zhao Wuji: one played the good cop, the other the bad cop, using both soft and hard tactics to force her to yield!

Chao Tianxiang had roamed the martial world for so many years, yet she had never suffered such an affront!

Just then, an exceptionally powerful presence came from the nearby mountain forest. Zhao Wuji could clearly sense that it belonged to a powerful Soul Douluo!

And the target of that presence was unmistakable: it was heading straight for Chao Tianxiang!

Its owner's identity went without saying. It was naturally the Dragon Duke, Meng Shu!

Zhao Wuji's face turned ashen. He was completely numb.

A problem that could have been settled peacefully had been driven past the point of compromise by a few words from Tang San. The side that had originally held the initiative was now on the back foot.

Zhao Wuji stiffly turned his head and forced out a smile uglier than a crying face.

"Senior Chao, what are you saying? My student... isn't very bright, you understand? He can't help it. He can't control himself and just blurts out nonsense."

But Chao Tianxiang didn't believe him in the slightest. She snorted coldly, clearly having no intention of backing down.

By now, the Soul Douluo's figure and presence were drawing closer and closer.

Zhao Wuji had no other choice. Gritting his teeth, he said with feigned ease:

"Senior Chao, we're all respectable people here. There's no need to damage our relations over a Thousand-Year Soul Ring."

"Since your granddaughter needs this Soul Ring, please, just take it!"

He had no choice. It wasn't that he, Zhao Wuji, was a coward. If he had been alone, he would have charged up and fought them head-on long ago.

But...

He glanced at the others and couldn't help sighing inwardly. There was nothing he could do.

Chao Tianxiang pointed her serpent staff without ceremony. Meng Yiran immediately drew a short knife, killed the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent in one stroke, and sat cross-legged to begin absorbing it.

Oscar stood right beside her, watching Meng Yiran's actions with reddened eyes, but he didn't dare do anything.

At that moment, he was like a powerless husband who had just come home to find his wife...

And he still had to smile at the side, putting on an expression that said, "As long as you're happy, I'm willing to do anything."

Chao Tianxiang said, "Then many thanks for your kindness, Brother Zhao!"

Zhao Wuji smiled along, but his expression was extremely stiff. His eyes kept darting toward Tang San, and he thought that once this was over, he would have to give the boy a proper lesson.

After a while, Meng Yiran finished absorbing it and flashed everyone a radiant smile, revealing two cute little canine teeth.

"Thank you, friends, for helping Yiran hunt for a Soul Ring. I'm truly grateful to you all!"

Those words rubbed salt into the wound. Zhao Wuji's face turned green, while Oscar looked as though his wife had died, sighing and groaning.

When Ma Hongjun heard that, his hands moved with even greater force. He cursed as he struck:

"That'll teach you to run your mouth! That'll teach you to run your mouth!"

Tang San wanted to speak, but the beating had left him too dizzy to make a sound.

At last, just as Zhao Wuji was about to break down, Chao Tianxiang prepared to leave. Before she went, she pointed at Tang San, who was being beaten, and advised Zhao Wuji with a smile that wasn't quite a smile:

"Brother Zhao, let me give you a word of advice."

"If he's sick, get him treated. Don't put it off. If it gets worse, it might be too late to cure him."

"If he can't be cured, don't cling to false hopes, and don't pour too many resources into him. Otherwise, in the end, it'll all come to nothing!"

"Brother Zhao, think it over!"

With those final words, the two figures vanished from where they stood and left, dusting off their hands.

By then, Ma Hongjun's hand was aching from the beating. He hadn't found a brick in the forest this time, so after hitting Tang San for a while, he stopped.

Only then did Zhao Wuji turn his gaze back to Tang San, ready to give him a stern scolding. But when he saw Tang San's pitiful state, his heart suddenly softened, and he held his tongue.

Tang San's constitution really was heaven-defying. Despite being attacked from front and back by the giant snake, gravely wounded all over, and then slapped repeatedly across the face by Ma Hongjun, he miraculously managed to stand up!

His face was swollen like a bighead carp's, his eyes narrowed to slits. With one hand braced against the ground and the other against a tree, he stood up.

"Teacher Zhao! What do you mean by this?"

"What gives you the right to give someone else the Soul Ring I worked so hard to get?"

"Are you even qualified to do that? What gives you the right?!"