Tang San and Xiao Wu's Conflict

"Who is it?" Zhao Ming grumbled inwardly.

Xiao Wu's face reddened as well, and she quickly broke free from Zhao Ming's embrace.

Taking a closer look,

Tang San was holding up a heavy hammer, glaring furiously at Zhao Ming. His eyes seemed ready to spit fire, and he looked as though he wanted to smash Zhao Ming to death with one blow.

Good heavens.

That was quite a unique pose.

Across from Zhao Ming and Xiao Wu was a blacksmith shop. Its doors and windows were wide open so passersby could see the blacksmiths at work, which was also a way for them to attract customers.

Looking inside, all kinds of finished ironware hung from the walls. There were not only farming tools here, but even more suits of armor and weapons. After all, soul masters were only a minority in this world, and weapons were still necessary. Naturally, weapons also sold for far more than farming tools.

At that moment, Tang San was bare-chested, his forehead and body covered in sweat. His clothes were tied around his waist, and his face was ashen as he stared coldly at Zhao Ming.

Only then did Zhao Ming suddenly understand. In the original story, Tang San had gone to work as an apprentice at a blacksmith shop because his family was too poor. He earned some money through work-study, and he could also train his Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer while apprenticing.

A blacksmith's main source of income came from selling weapons and protective gear to low-level soul masters and ordinary people. After all, soul masters were the wealthiest. Opening a shop like this between Nuoding Academy and Spirit Hall was ideal. Thus, Tang San, who was apprenticing here, happened to run into Zhao Ming and Xiao Wu while they were being lovey-dovey.

"Tang San! What exactly are you trying to do?!" Seeing that Tang San had ruined the mood between her and Zhao Ming, Xiao Wu was furious. She stormed toward the blacksmith shop and planted a foot on the workbench in front of Tang San.

In Xiao Wu's eyes, Tang San was deliberately picking a fight.

Seeing Xiao Wu approach him in a rage, clearly intending to settle the score, Tang San calmed down.

He had never intended to ruin his relationship with Xiao Wu. But he simply could not stand by and watch her be intimate with Zhao Ming!

"Xiao Wu, sorry. I didn't do it on purpose," Tang San said as gently as he could.

"If you didn't do it on purpose, then you did it deliberately." Xiao Wu's eyes blazed as she snapped, "I think you're just unwilling to accept it. Do you want me to teach you another lesson?"

"Xiao Wu, that's not what I meant. I..." Tang San said bitterly.

"Hmph, I don't care. This afternoon, I'll wait for you on the academy field! I'm going to teach you a proper lesson today." Xiao Wu spoke irritably.

"I..." Tang San's face was full of bitterness. He had not wanted to make things awkward between himself and Xiao Wu.

"What do you mean, 'I'? Are you scared? A grown man who doesn't even dare accept a girl's challenge. Coward." Xiao Wu looked at him disdainfully.

"I accept." Xiao Wu's words were like a sharp sword piercing Tang San's chest, making his heart ache terribly. Gritting his teeth, Tang San agreed in the end. Judging by Xiao Wu's attitude, if he refused, she would probably keep making a scene.

He had only just found this apprenticeship, and he did not want to delay someone else's business because of his own affairs.

Besides, dueling Xiao Wu might not necessarily be a bad thing. Perhaps it could even bring them closer.

The time has come, Zhao Ming thought.

"How about we forget it? Xiao Wu, I think Tang San may really not have meant it. We're all classmates. There's no need to make things so tense." Zhao Ming walked over to Xiao Wu and spoke up for Tang San.

"Zhao Ming, you're still too innocent. Just look at the way he looks at you. He clearly still holds a grudge against you." Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose and shook Zhao Ming's arm.

Tang San's eyes practically breathed fire as he looked at Zhao Ming. Zhao Ming's wandering hand was actually resting on Xiao Wu's backside, and it was driving Tang San nearly mad with rage.

"Tang San, what's wrong? Your complexion doesn't look too good," Zhao Ming asked with feigned concern.

"Hmph, what's it got to do with you?" Tang San said coldly.

"See? You even spoke up for him, yet that's still his attitude." Xiao Wu pouted at Zhao Ming.

"Sigh, Tang San. I know I may have offended you somehow at the start of the school year, but I truly want to be good friends with you. We're classmates, and we're even dormmates. There's no need to act like sworn enemies." Zhao Ming sighed.

"Friends? Who's friends with you? Could we ever possibly be friends?" Tang San replied coldly.

Normally, Tang San might have been able to remain rational given his temperament. But as he watched Zhao Ming's wandering hand continually misbehave on Xiao Wu's body, he was so angry that his lungs felt like they were on fire. Naturally, he spoke without thinking.

"Hmph, Tang San, don't be so ungrateful!" Xiao Wu was enraged to see Tang San give Zhao Ming so little face. Zhao Ming was such a gentle person. For the sake of being classmates, he had been unwilling to make an enemy of Tang San. Yet Tang San did not know what was good for him and spoke so harshly. This was absolutely intolerable.

Xiao Wu had once asked Wang Sheng and the others about the grudge between Zhao Ming and Tang San. On the first day of school, Zhao Ming had refused Tang San's teacher Grandmaster's offer to take him as a disciple, so Tang San had formed a grudge against Zhao Ming.

If Zhao Ming had not been unwilling to fight you, would you have been his match?

One was humble and generous, while the other was unreasonable and disruptive.

One hoped to settle things peacefully, while the other deliberately picked fights.

The difference between them was obvious.

In truth, Wang Sheng and the others had embellished Zhao Ming somewhat when they told Xiao Wu about the matter. One was Grandmaster, whom even they looked down on as someone freeloading at the academy, while the other was the boss they respected. Naturally, their account had favored Zhao Ming. But none of that mattered.

"Xiao Wu, I..." Tang San froze, finally understanding Zhao Ming's intentions.

"Zhao Ming, let's go. Don't bother with this person. He's ruining my mood." Xiao Wu tugged Zhao Ming away at a brisk pace, leaving Tang San with nothing but her retreating figure.

Zhao Ming wrapped one arm around Xiao Wu and held the other behind his back, giving Tang San an upside-down middle finger.

Tang San was instantly furious. After a while, he let out a helpless sigh.