A Clean Break: That Comb Crushed into the Dirt

The early morning mist had yet to disperse, but the air over the sports field seemed to have solidified into cement.

Tang San's hand froze mid-air, his fingertips only an inch away from Xiao Wu's luxurious sleeve, yet it felt as though an insurmountable chasm lay between them. He looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar maiden before him—her gold thread long skirt shimmered with flowing light, her gem necklace gleamed brilliantly, and those eyes that had once curved into crescent moons only for him were now as cold as ten-thousand-year ice.

"Not close?"

The corner of Tang San's mouth twitched. He forced out a smile uglier than crying, his voice dry. "Xiao Wu, stop messing around. Did Qian Mo make you take some Bewitching Medicine? Or did he use some evil technique to control your mind?"

The more he spoke, the more convinced he became that he had guessed correctly. A trace of viciousness flashed through his eyes as his left hand quietly moved behind his back, gripping the silent Sleeve Arrow hidden in his sleeve.

"It must be that! Xiao Wu, I'm your brother! We made a vow!" Tang San stepped forward, his urgent tone carrying an unquestionable air of lecturing. "Come here! Let me examine you and drive out the evil! The outside world is too dangerous. Only by my side are you safe!"

"Safe?"

Xiao Wu sneered, her laughter devoid of warmth and filled only with heavy mockery.

"Tang San, since you're so open and honest, let me ask you something."

Xiao Wu stared directly into Tang San's evasive eyes and enunciated each word. "Why has your father, Tang Hao, followed behind us like a ghost for the past six years?"

Those words were like a sledgehammer smashing viciously into Tang San's skull.

Tang San's face instantly turned pale, and his pupils constricted violently. He opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to deny it, but under Xiao Wu's all-seeing gaze, the lie lodged in his throat and refused to come out.

"Y-you knew?" Tang San's voice trembled.

"Of course I knew." Tears welled up in Xiao Wu's eyes, filled with regret for the foolish, innocent years she had spent over the past six years. "A Titled Douluo who neither goes to Spirit Hall for revenge nor hides away in his sect, yet spends every day watching a 'harmless' rabbit. Tang San, tell me, was that to protect you, or to... raise me in captivity?"

"No! It wasn't like that!" Tang San panicked, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. "Dad... he was only worried about my safety! Besides... besides, I never saw Dad. I didn't know he was..."

"Enough."

Xiao Wu cut off his feeble excuse. "Tang San, you've been smart since childhood. Smart enough to terrify people. Do you even believe that excuse yourself?"

"I think this bitch needs to be taught a lesson!"

Nearby, Dai Mubai had long been holding back a bellyful of anger. Seeing Tang San suffer, he roared. His White Tiger Martial Soul instantly possessed him, and he was about to rush forward and drag her away by force. "Xiao San, why waste words on her? Snatch her back first! Once she wakes up, she'll naturally thank us!"

Ma Hongjun joined in as well. "Exactly! She's definitely been hit by an evil technique! Phoenix Fireline!"

The two attacked from either side, their Soul Power fully unleashed as they pounced like starving wolves.

Qian Mo stood on the steps, idly playing with a Gold Soul Coin in his hand without even raising his eyelids.

"Kneel."

Two simple words, spoken lightly.

"Buzz—!"

A pressure of utterly pure Purple Gold Auspiciousness crashed down like the collapse of Mount Tai.

This was not suppression by Soul Power Level. This was a dimensional blow from a higher level of life.

"Crack!"

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's bodies abruptly froze mid-air. Then, as if an invisible giant hand had slammed them viciously into the ground, their knees smashed heavily into the dirt, the sound of cracking bones crisp and clear.

"Aah—!" The two screamed, their faces pressed against the ground, unable to move even a finger.

Qian Mo blew gently on the Gold Soul Coin at his fingertips, his gaze passing over the two ants sprawled on the ground before falling on Xiao Wu.

"Since you're cutting ties, cut them cleanly." Qian Mo's tone was indifferent. "Don't keep that trash around. It's an eyesore."

Xiao Wu drew a deep breath and nodded.

Her hand brushed over the Soul Tool at her waist, and a flash of light appeared.

A crudely crafted wooden comb appeared in her palm.

It was a comb carved from ordinary sandalwood, with a crooked rabbit pattern engraved on it. Tang San had carved it for her himself back at Nuoding Academy, saying that he would help her comb her hair every day from then on.

She had once treasured this comb as if it were precious, needing to place it beside her pillow every night before she could sleep.

When Tang San saw the comb, a spark of hope suddenly ignited in his previously ashen eyes.

"Xiao Wu..." Tang San's voice shook as he stretched out both hands to receive it. "I knew it... I knew you couldn't bear to part with it. This comb was ours..."

"Plop."

Xiao Wu released her hand.

The wooden comb fell straight down onto the dust-covered ground, kicking up a small ring of dirt.

Tang San's hands froze mid-air, his expression solidifying.

Xiao Wu raised her right foot. Her Flowing Cloud Battle Boots, embedded with rubies, glinted with an icy sheen beneath the morning light.

Without the slightest hesitation.

She brought it down.

"Crack."

The fragile sandalwood was instantly crushed into pieces beneath the Soul Tool battle boots, reduced to several worthless chunks of rotten wood.

Even the crookedly carved rabbit was trampled into the mud, its original shape no longer recognizable.

"I don't need your cheap tenderness anymore."

Xiao Wu withdrew her foot, her voice as cold as if she were speaking to a stranger. "This comb is just like your hypocritical affection—utterly worthless."

"Pfft—!"

Tang San felt severe pain erupt in his chest. Sweetness flooded his throat, and he sprayed out a mouthful of blood.

It was a blow aimed straight at the heart.

That step had crushed not only a comb, but also the ridiculous self-esteem he possessed as a transmigrator and Son of the Plane.

"Xiao Wu! How could you..." Tang San clutched his chest and staggered backward, pale as paper, his eyes filled with despair and venom.

"Wonderful."

Qian Mo applauded lightly as he walked down from the steps and stood beside Xiao Wu, as though admiring a play that had just ended.

He turned toward Flender, who had long since been left dumbfounded.

"Dean Flender, was this show entertaining?" Qian Mo asked with a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Flender pushed up his crooked glasses, his expression ugly to the extreme. He wanted to lose his temper, to use the pressure of a Soul Saint to teach these lawless students a lesson, to forcibly keep Xiao Wu behind.

"Qian Mo! You've gone too far!" Flender ground his teeth. "You poach my people right in front of me and injure my students! Do you really think Shrek is made of mud?!"

"I don't know whether it's made of mud, but I do know that you're made of gold."

With a flip of his wrist, Qian Mo held a Black Gold Card between his fingertips.

At the request of our readers, VIP membership with ad-free access is now available.

Click to view.

"Here are 100,000 Gold Soul Coins."

Qian Mo flicked two fingers lightly.

The Black Gold Card traced a graceful arc through the air and embedded itself precisely in the dirt by Flender's feet, three inches deep.

"The transfer fee for this rabbit."

Qian Mo spoke lazily, as though he were buying a cabbage at a market. "And including Oscar and Ning Rongrong, I'll add another fifty thousand. This money is enough for you to buy this shabby village and build a cemetery."

The Soul Power Flender had just gathered instantly dispersed.

He stared at the Black Gold Card by his feet, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

One hundred thousand... plus fifty thousand...

150,000 Gold Soul Coins!

The total tuition Shrek Academy had collected over the past twenty years did not even amount to a fraction of that!

With this money, he could even buy a proper academy license in Heaven Dou City and no longer needed to scam food and drink in this godforsaken place!

Dignity?

Before 150,000 Gold Soul Coins, dignity was nothing but bullshit!

"Cough, cough..." Flender swiftly bent down to pick up the card, wiped the dirt off it with his sleeve, and put on an expression of grief and helpless resignation. "Since... since the children's ambitions lie elsewhere, I cannot force them. A forced melon is never sweet. I wish... I wish you all a bright future."

"Dean!!"

Tang San stared at Flender in disbelief, the corners of his eyes nearly splitting open. "How could you..."

"Shut up!" Flender put away the card and glared at Tang San. "Everyone has the right to choose! We must respect Xiao Wu's choice!"

Tang San swayed, feeling as if the entire world were spinning.

Abandoned by everyone.

Was this what it felt like to be abandoned by everyone?

"No... I'm not wrong... The one at fault is this world! The ones at fault are all of you!"

Tang San suddenly lifted his head. His eyes were blood-red as he pushed his Purple Demon Eye to its limit, two streams of bloody tears rolling down his cheeks.

Since reason would not work, he would settle this the Tang Sect way!

"Qian Mo! I want your life!!"

Tang San let out a beast-like roar and charged at Qian Mo without regard for anything else.

Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track!

Mysterious Jade Hand!

Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon!

His body twisted strangely in the air, his right hand shaped into a claw, a pitch-black needle pinched between his fingertips.

King of Hell's Post!

This was the strongest poison weapon he could currently create. It sealed the throat at the sight of blood; not even gods could save its victim!

"Die!!!"

Tang San's face twisted as he poured all his hatred into that single strike.

However.

Faced with this fatal attack, Qian Mo did not even summon his Martial Soul.

He merely stood where he was, watching Tang San pounce like a rabid dog, disgust flashing through his eyes.

"Too slow."

Just as the King of Hell's Post was about to touch the corner of Qian Mo's clothes.

Qian Mo moved.

He did not evade.

He attacked.

He raised his right hand, striking after Tang San yet arriving first.

"Slap!!!"

An incomparably crisp slap echoed throughout Shrek Academy.

Time seemed to freeze.

Tang San's charging body abruptly halted in mid-air, then flew backward at twice the speed at which he had come.

He spun seven hundred and twenty degrees through the air, several bloodied teeth flying out with him, before crashing viciously into the most dilapidated Boys' Dormitory in the distance.

"Boom!"

The already crumbling wooden house completely collapsed.

Dust rose everywhere.

Qian Mo took out a handkerchief and leisurely wiped his hand, as though he had not just sent a person flying but merely swatted a fly.

"A sneak attack? Poison?"

Qian Mo shook his head and casually tossed the handkerchief onto the ground.

"Tang San, that's all you're capable of."

He turned around and waved at Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Oscar, who were already staring in stunned silence behind him.

"Let's go. Back to the temple."

"This place reeks of poverty and hypocrisy. Staying for even one more second makes me sick."

Sunlight fell over Qian Mo's back, stretching his shadow long.

And within those ruins.

Tang San, covered in mud and with his face swollen like a pig's head, painfully crawled out from beneath the broken planks. He still tightly gripped the King of Hell's Post he had failed to fire, staring in the direction Qian Mo and the others had departed, his eyes overflowing with bone-deep hatred.

"Qian Mo... Spirit Hall..."

Tang San crushed the last of his good teeth in his mouth and swallowed them along with his blood.

"I will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold!"

"As long as I create the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus... as long as I..."

He lay in the muddy water like a dog with a broken spine, venting his impotent fury.