Dog-like Thing

Heaven Dou Empire, Fasno Province, Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

It was lunchtime. A large group of students poured out of the teaching building together, chatting and laughing as they headed toward the cafeteria.

Although Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy was merely a small junior Soul Master Academy, its class divisions were extremely strict.

Those dressed in lavish clothes and strutting about arrogantly were the descendants of noble lords. They stood above everyone else in the academy and looked down on all ordinary commoners.

Most of them were also quite powerful. Some were only in their teens yet had already become formidable one-ring Soul Masters.

A one-ring Soul Grandmaster in their teens—what terrifying strength was that? At the very least, in this godforsaken little place, they could be considered Favored Children of Heaven.

These noble students also imitated the adults, clasping their hands behind their backs, speaking politely, and enthusiastically discussing matters of state.

The students who followed at the nobles' sides with fawning smiles were mostly children of wealthy commoner families.

Though they lacked noble status, they possessed considerable wealth and could barely squeeze into the academy's second tier.

They were the nobles' most loyal supporters, even though the nobles had never once given them a proper look.

Yet the sense of superiority radiating from them was no less than that of the nobles.

As for those with the lowest status in the academy, they were the work-study students.

Most of these work-study students wore academy uniforms, since they had no other decent clothes. Even while walking down the road, they twisted their fingers together and kept their heads lowered, not daring to look at the noble air emanating from those "noble lords."

However, whenever the students passed through the cafeteria hall and saw the figure eating at a table in the corner, students of every class would reveal expressions of utter disgust.

He was a middle-aged man with an exceedingly stiff face. He had a crew cut, slightly sunken cheeks, wore black clothes, and looked unkempt and filthy.

Most importantly, the middle-aged man constantly wore a sour expression, with arrogant eyes as if he were the greatest person in the entire world.

As he cast arrogant looks at the academy students, he grabbed chicken legs and eggs from the table and wolfed them down in huge bites, looking as though he had not eaten for two days.

This person was none other than Master Yu Xiaogang.

Whether nobles, commoners, or even academy teachers, they would all stop to point and whisper at Yu Xiaogang.

Around two years ago, Justin, the headmaster of Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy, had brought Yu Xiaogang to Nuoding Academy.

At first, all the academy's teachers and students had warmly welcomed Xiaogang's arrival. After all, the headmaster had said that Yu Xiaogang came from Spirit City. What kind of place was Spirit City? It was the sacred land in the hearts of all Soul Masters across the Douluo Continent.

It was said that anyone who came out of Spirit City was at least a powerful Soul Master.

At the time, many students had thought that this Master, who had traveled thousands of miles from Spirit City, must be an illustrious figure. As long as he gave them a little guidance, they would surely soar to great heights.

Yet what no one in the academy had expected was that this so-called Master was actually just here to freeload!

From the day he arrived two years ago until now, this so-called Master Yu Xiaogang had not taught a single class.

Worst of all, he wore that sour face every day, like a zombie. Especially the way he looked at the work-study students—it was not even as if he were looking at people!

Faced with Yu Xiaogang's behavior, Headmaster Justin was dumbfounded.

No, I went all the way to Spirit City to bring you here. I even arranged lodging and meals for you. Is this how you fucking repay me?

Not only did he eat and drink for free every day, he even looked down on the students of his own academy.

At the start of the school year, one student had eagerly run over to ask Yu Xiaogang a question. Yu Xiaogang had actually pointed at the student's face and cursed him out, saying that the student was trash and did not deserve to ask him anything.

Headmaster Justin had been dumbfounded on the spot.

No, brother, do you really not know who the real trash is? A person with innate half-rank Soul Power calling someone else trash—is the world insane?

Not only was the world nearly insane, the academy students were also nearly driven mad by this so-called Great Master. Every day, whenever they saw the Great Master in the cafeteria, they would stop, then gather in groups of three or five to point and whisper at him.

Listening to the insults of the surrounding students, Yu Xiaogang's face turned livid as he clenched his fists. He cursed inwardly, A bunch of lowly commoners. How dare you speak ill of me? Trash like you will never enter Spirit City for the rest of your lives!

Yet at the thought of Spirit City, Yu Xiaogang could not help but shudder. It was a fear born from the depths of his heart, and its source was a man in Spirit City—Pope Qian Xunji!

Thinking of the days when Qian Xunji had suppressed him, Yu Xiaogang began trembling to his very bones. Then he started cursing inwardly again, saying things like Qian Xunji would have a son without an asshole and would never be able to afford a proper four-dish meal in his life.

Back then, he had been researching—copying—in the Spirit Hall library and should have had a bright future ahead of him. Yet Qian Xunji had not said a word before ordering someone to tie him up.

Most outrageous of all, he had actually dared to tie him directly to a horse and drag him all the way to the Papal Palace.

That was a day Yu Xiaogang would never forget. His five limbs had been tied with ropes and fastened to a horse, then he had been dragged by a War Horse into the Papal Palace.

Most outrageous of all, Qian Xunji had dared to slap him across the face in front of so many people from Spirit Hall, and had even dared to call him trash!

And Bibi Dong! As Pope Qian Xunji's Disciple, she had actually let Qian Xunji do whatever he wanted. Who knew what that bitch Bibi Dong had been doing during that time? She had not even come out to comfort him.

Yu Xiaogang cursed Bibi Dong again in his heart, then continued gnawing on the steamed bun in his hand. After finishing the buns on his plate, he clasped his hands behind his back and went to the kitchen to ask for two more.

Ignoring the Chef's thoroughly contemptuous gaze, Yu Xiaogang took huge bites out of the buns. Before leaving, he did not forget to glare at the Chef, cursing inwardly again: A lowly Chef dares to look down on me? People like him will never become Soul Masters for their entire lives.

However, just as Yu Xiaogang walked out of the kitchen carrying his plate, he heard Xiao Teng, the little brat from the Xiao Clan, chatting with a classmate nearby.

"Hey, did you hear? Pope Qian Xunji is dead. Don't tell anyone else about this. According to information my father received, Spirit City is mourning across the entire city right now."

"Damn, really? Isn't Pope Qian Xunji supposedly a legendary Titled Douluo? He could knock down city walls with one slap. Who could possibly kill him?"

"They say it was Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect."

"Damn, someone from the Clear Sky Sect killed Spirit Hall's Pope? The world is about to change..."

The two nobles chatted as they walked away, but Yu Xiaogang froze where he stood. The plate slipped from his hand and crashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces, while the buns in his hand rolled across the ground.

Ignoring his buns, Yu Xiaogang lunged before the two students like a zombie and grabbed Xiao Teng's shoulder. His eyes were savage. "What the fuck did you say? Say that again! Who the fuck died?"