Little San, Go Take Master Meng as Your Teacher

"Clear Sky Your Excellency, you have no idea how much Little San has suffered."

"Without you to back him up, Lin Qi relied on having a Titled Douluo teacher and disregarded both his hometown ties and friendship with Little San, beating him severely."

"You must stand up for Little San."

Tang Hao: ...

How could he not know what Tang San had gone through? He had witnessed Tang San's defeat with his own eyes.

Stand up for Little San?

He did not have the ability, did he?

If he had that ability, would he need Yu Xiaogang to remind him?

Not long after Little San was beaten, he himself had been ruthlessly beaten by that unreasonable fellow.

Thinking of that miserable scene, Tang Hao could not help coughing several times.

This time, Leng Qing had severely injured him more than ever before. He had nearly fallen completely out of the Titled Douluo realm.

He was truly afraid. It had taken him more than five months of recuperation just to preserve his Titled Douluo cultivation.

Tang Hao no longer felt hatred toward Leng Qing. What he felt now was fear.

If he appeared before that man again and received another beating, he might have to bid farewell to the Titled Douluo realm for good.

"Little San, do you want me to stand up for you, or do you want to defeat Lin Qi yourself after your cultivation succeeds?"

Tang Hao was also a man who cared about his pride. Naturally, he would not tell Tang San that he was no match for the person backing Lin Qi and had even been beaten badly several times.

Tang San opened his mouth.

He did want Tang Hao to avenge him. After all, he came from the Tang Sect.

Whether it was Hidden Weapons or poison, as long as it could defeat an enemy, no method was off limits. What was wrong with relying on one's elders?

But since Tang Hao had put it that way, how could he not understand what Tang Hao meant?

"Dad, I will defeat Lin Qi with my own strength."

"Good child. As expected of my Tang Hao's son."

Tang Hao immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

If Tang San had insisted that he avenge him, Tang Hao would have been unable to save face.

Could he really go face that madman again?

"Ah..."

Yu Xiaogang sighed deeply.

Clear Sky Your Excellency simply cared too much about his pride. He could not bring himself to bully the young with his seniority. He was truly too upright.

Yu Xiaogang wanted Tang Hao to avenge Tang San because he also wanted Tang Hao to avenge him.

A day's time had aged him ten years. That profound hatred was etched into Yu Xiaogang's bones.

"Little San, come out with me for a moment."

Worried that Yu Xiaogang might say something else that would put him in a difficult position, Tang Hao spoke to Tang San.

"Alright."

Tang San agreed, then said to Yu Xiaogang:

"Teacher, I'm going out for a while."

"Alright, alright."

Yu Xiaogang was all smiles.

How could he dare say no to Tang Hao's request?

Yet as Tang San followed Tang Hao out, Yu Xiaogang's heart began to grow uneasy.

What if Clear Sky Your Excellency took Little San away? What would he do then?

"Little San, do you want to become stronger?"

After they had walked some distance away, Tang Hao asked.

"Of course."

Tang San's eyes lit up. He wanted to grow stronger desperately. At every moment, he wanted to defeat Lin Qi and repay the humiliation Lin Qi had inflicted on him tenfold.

"Then find a way to move Master Meng and become his disciple."

"What?"

Tang San was utterly shocked.

He had thought his dad was going to teach him some powerful skill or guide his cultivation.

Instead, he was telling him to take Master Meng as his teacher?

"Before coming to see you, I went to Nuoding Academy and saw Master Meng's teaching ability for myself."

Tang Hao patched up his story, lest Little San discover that he had been in Nuoding City for a long time.

"Although he has not accepted any disciples besides Lin Qi, he occasionally gives guidance to students at Nuoding Academy who have questions."

"Those students all have very low talent, but under Master Meng's guidance, they can still gain a great deal."

At this point, Tang Hao paused.

"Not to mention Lin Qi, Master Meng's personal disciple. A Thousand-Year first Soul Ring—I could hardly believe it when I saw it just now. That is an unprecedented achievement. Don't you want your second Soul Ring to be Thousand-Year as well?"

"I..."

Of course Tang San wanted that.

After seeing Lin Qi's Thousand-Year first Soul Ring, it felt as though ants were crawling over his heart.

He wished he could tear that Thousand-Year Soul Ring off Lin Qi's Martial Soul and swap it with his own.

"Dad, you don't know this, but Lin Qi and I have a terrible relationship. I don't want to become his junior brother."

Hearing Tang San say that, Tang Hao became somewhat angry.

"Before you came to Nuoding City, didn't I tell you to build a good relationship with Lin Qi? How did your relationship become this strained?"

Tang San had no answer.

I can't exactly say I'm jealous of Lin Qi, can I?

His luck, the praise he received, and Xiao Wu...

There were simply too many things, one after another, that made Tang San jealous.

He felt as if he had been living in Lin Qi's shadow all along, never able to see the sun.

"Dad, even if I were willing, it would be useless. When Master Meng took Lin Qi as his disciple, he did not even glance at me."

That was another thing that made Tang San deeply unhappy.

Why did Master Meng only have eyes for Lin Qi and completely ignore him?

He was clearly also born with Innate Full Soul Power, and he even possessed Twin Martial Souls.

It could only mean Master Meng had poor judgment. Tang San had no habit of begging others.

"Little San, those who accomplish great things do not fuss over trifles."

"Master Meng is even willing to guide students as useless as those. With talent as high as yours, how could he fail to see it?"

"The reason he didn't accept you back then..."

Tang Hao had been about to explain his thoughts when he suddenly stopped.

That was close. He had nearly let slip that he had followed Little San ever since he came to Nuoding City.

Tang Hao thought for a moment and changed his wording.

"Perhaps he did not accept you simply because he did not know your talent. You have to display it yourself."

"You can be so respectful toward Yu Xiaogang. Can't you be even more respectful toward Master Meng? Master Meng is a Titled Douluo."

Tang Hao spoke in a tone of disappointment.

"A Thousand-Year Soul Ring! If your second Soul Ring is Thousand-Year, then your fourth Soul Ring has a great chance of being Ten-Thousand-Year. Add your Second Martial Soul, and your achievements will absolutely surpass everyone's, including Lin Qi."

Though he did not want to admit it, Tang San was truly tempted.

How could he not want to absorb Soul Rings beyond the limit? If not for Lin Qi, he would have taken Master Meng as his teacher no matter what.

If he could obtain from Master Meng the method for absorbing Soul Rings beyond the limit, along with the fist techniques and sword arts Lin Qi possessed...

He would definitely make the Tang Sect one of the foremost sects on the Douluo Continent.

But that fellow Lin Qi was already Master Meng's disciple.

If Lin Qi found out that he had personally come to beg Master Meng to accept him as a disciple, Tang San felt that would be worse than death.

"Little San, only those who endure the greatest hardships can rise above others."

"Dad, stop talking. Can't I think it over?"

"How long do you need to think?"

"I... I'll go tomorrow. Let me prepare myself mentally."

"Alright, tomorrow it is."

Tang Hao smiled.

He had finally persuaded Little San. What future could there be in following Yu Xiaogang?

He believed that as long as Tang San was willing to put in the effort, he would definitely move Master Meng.

After all, what teacher would dislike having too many talented students?

Tang San also finally relaxed completely.

Dad was right. Wasn't it just a momentary humiliation? At worst, he could get it back later.

I, Tang San, am determined to take Master Meng as my teacher!

The pitiful Yu Xiaogang leaned against the doorframe. By the time Tang San returned, tears were nearly falling from his eyes.

As expected of my good disciple. Little San truly would not leave. He still had me, his teacher, in his heart.

Yu Xiaogang was overwhelmed with emotion and failed to notice that Tang San subconsciously avoided meeting his gaze.