Tang San the Ungrateful Wretch's Path to Health

Yao Yan was somewhat surprised by this development.

After pondering for a moment, he figured that while meditating in the Medicinal Bath, the medicinal power had not only tempered his body but had also seeped into his Martial Soul.

As a result, the Blue Silver Grass's resilience had been strengthened.

"Not bad at all!"

This unexpected discovery filled Yao Yan with delight.

Meanwhile, Tang San's heart sank into an icy abyss. He looked at Yu Xiaogang and anxiously asked, "Teacher, why is this happening?"

Yu Xiaogang glanced at his disciple and inwardly cried, This is bad. He's starting to doubt my theories.

He hurriedly said, "Xiao San, help me over there and take a look."

Tang San supported Master Yu as they approached the fallen tree and quickly examined it.

"Xiao San, I understand now!" Yu Xiaogang seemed to have made a major discovery as he pointed at a ring of scorched marks on the trunk.

"Look here. Your poison clearly corroded the trunk first, allowing him to pull the tree down so easily. He merely benefited from your efforts!"

Yao Yan glanced over. Although the surface of the trunk was scorched, its core remained completely intact.

"This Master Yu really can lie through his teeth!" He clicked his tongue.

"Is that so?" Tang San scratched the back of his head and pointed at the tree's core. "Teacher, that doesn't seem right. Why is the inside completely intact?"

It seemed that when Tang San harbored doubts, he was still capable of using his brain.

"You don't understand this, do you?" Yu Xiaogang placed one hand behind his back, adopting a lecturing posture. "According to my Ten Core Competencies, his Martial Soul must have undergone some sort of mutation."

"Combined with your corrosion of the inside of the trunk, the two of you produced this result together. Look, isn't the tree's core starting to turn black?"

Tang San leaned in for a closer look. The core really was gradually darkening. "It's true!"

Yu Xiaogang stroked Tang San's head with satisfaction. "My decision to choose a poison-focused path for you was correct."

Tang San nodded in conviction.

Watching this, Yao Yan could not help shaking his head inwardly.

One was willing to be fooled, and the other was willing to fool him!

No longer bothering with them, he turned and headed toward his rented room.

"Someone's leaving in such a hurry. Could it be that he's feeling guilty and planning to plagiarize?" Seeing Yao Yan leave, Yu Xiaogang could not resist making a snide remark.

He was determined to recover the face he had lost earlier.

Yao Yan halted, his hands clenching into fists. Yu Xiaogang had provoked him time and again. He truly did not know the meaning of death!

He suddenly turned around, a mocking smile tugging at his lips. "Master, may I ask what Spirit Beast you chose for Tang San?"

"Why should I tell you?" Yu Xiaogang snorted coldly.

However, when Tang San heard Yao Yan ask, he thought an opportunity had arrived and hurriedly said, "Teacher chose the Mandala Snake as my first Soul Ring."

"Xiao San!" Yu Xiaogang sternly rebuked him.

"Oh... so it was the Mandala Snake." Yao Yan pretended to come to a realization, then his expression changed as he demanded sharply:

"Master! You clearly know that Blue Silver Grass is weak. Even if poison is added, its power will be limited."

"At Tang San's current level, the poison of his Blue Silver Grass can probably only kill rats and bedbugs!"

"How could you mislead your student like this? What are your intentions?!"

"Y-You... you're slandering me!" Yu Xiaogang trembled with rage, his face flushing red as his breathing quickened.

"What do you know!" He forcibly suppressed his fury and retorted sharply, "The Mandala Snake is a Spirit Beast universally recognized for its strong resilience and potent poison. You saw its effects just now."

"With Xiao San's talent, once he hunts a few more poison-type Spirit Beasts in the future, his poison will naturally grow much stronger."

"Is that so?" Yao Yan could not help laughing. He sneered, "I'm afraid all of Tang San's future soul skills will just be Binding!"

"Blue Silver Grass already possesses this sort of control skill. Why would it need a Soul Ring to add it? It's like farting after taking off your pants—completely unnecessary!"

"Master Yu! After studying your theories for so long, surely you don't not know that?"

"Y-You...!" Yu Xiaogang's chest tightened, and he staggered.

"Teacher!" Tang San hurriedly braced Yu Xiaogang with his back.

Yao Yan did not let up. His words were like blades, each one stabbing directly into Yu Xiaogang's sore spot. "Master Yu, don't you recite that saying every day: 'There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters.'"

"Why haven't you been able to break through level thirty for so long? Could that useless Soul Master be you?!"

"Y-You...!" The pain in Yu Xiaogang's chest intensified.

He recalled the disdain and mockery he had suffered in the sect because of his Martial Soul, and even how both of his romances had failed because of it... all those humiliations flooded into his mind at once.

At last, he could no longer endure it. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he fell straight backward.

"Teacher!" Tang San, who had been supporting him with his back, could not hold him up and was crushed to the ground with him.

Fortunately, the gatekeeper had been watching the situation all along and quickly stepped forward to help Yu Xiaogang up.

Tang San checked Yu Xiaogang's pulse and found that he was merely overcome by anger. He could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing his teacher's purple lips, blood at the corner of his mouth, and his body twitching uncontrollably, Tang San recalled how, even when severely injured during the hunt for the Mandala Snake, his teacher had still risked his life to protect him...

His teacher's kindness toward him was as weighty as a mountain, yet Yao Yan had angered him to this state!

He had simply chosen the path to death!

"Yao Yan!" Tang San's eyes turned bloodshot as he panted heavily and fixed his gaze on the figure not far away.

"What?" Yao Yan frowned. Yu Xiaogang had made a fool of himself. He could not win the argument and had collapsed instead—what did that have to do with him?

"I advise you to show my teacher more respect in the future. Otherwise..." Tang San quietly raised his right arm, and the safety on his Hidden Weapon had already been released.

"Otherwise what?" Yao Yan glanced at the Hidden Weapon and waved dismissively.

That piece of scrap metal could at most kill a hundred-year Spirit Beast. Could it possibly turn the world upside down?

"Hmph!" Tang San snorted coldly and helped Yu Xiaogang toward the school with the gatekeeper.

If no one had been present, he would have made Yao Yan taste the power of the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons!

Watching the three figures depart, Yao Yan's gaze flickered. After this incident, he and Tang San had formed a grudge. He had to make preparations early.

It was also time to make the first move on those opportunities.

Opportunities were ownerless to begin with. Just because they could belong to Tang San in the future did not mean they had to.

If Tang San got his hands on them first, would that not be helping an enemy grow stronger?

With his mind made up, he quickly headed back to his rented room, lit a fire, and prepared today's Medicinal Bath.

Yu Xiaogang's room.

After Tang San used the Mysterious Heaven Skill to guide Yu Xiaogang's meridians, some color finally returned to the latter's pale face.

He carefully tucked the blanket around his teacher, then took the kettle out to fetch some hot water.

When he returned, he heard a bout of coughing.

Tang San hurriedly pushed open the door and asked anxiously, "Teacher, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Yu Xiaogang forced a smile and raised a hand to stroke the back of Tang San's head. He tried to sit up, but his entire body felt weak.

Tang San quickly helped him sit upright and handed him the hot water. "If it weren't for Yao Yan, you wouldn't have..."

Yu Xiaogang hurriedly raised a hand to stop him. "Let's not talk about him for now."

He then took a thick book from beside the bed. "This contains the theoretical knowledge I've summarized recently, and it also records a Meditation Method. It may not compare to the secret techniques of those sects, but it is more than enough for you at your current stage."

Tang San took the book and held it to his chest. "Teacher, I'll cultivate diligently."

Yu Xiaogang stroked his head approvingly. "Oh, right. When you have time, make a trip to Spirit Hall in the city and register."

"Register?" Tang San was somewhat puzzled. "Teacher, I already registered when my Martial Soul awakened."

Yu Xiaogang quickly shook his head. "This registration is different. Now that you have obtained your first Soul Ring, you meet the requirements to become an official Soul Master."

"Besides..."

He paused before continuing, "More importantly—once you register at Spirit Hall, you can receive a monthly Gold Soul Coin subsidy."

"It may not be much, but it can save you the time you spend working and studying, allowing you to focus on cultivation in the future."

"Spirit Hall even gives out subsidies? They seem pretty decent." Gratitude appeared on Tang San's face.

His family was so poor that they could only drink porridge. If there had not been so many wild rabbits on Back Mountain, he might have starved to death long ago.

Upon hearing this, Master Yu's expression darkened. "Xiao San, you're still too naive. How could there be people in this world who treat you well for no reason?"

"Spirit Hall uses this method merely to win people's hearts."

"But..." Tang San wanted to defend them.

Yu Xiaogang raised a hand to interrupt him. "You want to say that regardless of Spirit Hall's intentions, at least they are giving out money, right?"

Tang San nodded.

"That is why I say you are naive." Yu Xiaogang sneered. "Do you think Spirit Hall alone can afford such an enormous sum?

"This money is forced out of the two great empires by Spirit Hall. Spirit Hall merely oversteps its authority and distributes it on their behalf!

"And those commoners do not know gratitude. They only follow Spirit Hall's lead, allowing its wolfish ambitions to grow until it is ready to make a move."

At this point, his tone suddenly grew grave:

"Under normal circumstances, the major academies and the royal families should jointly uphold the rule of the empires. Yet Spirit Hall has bound the commoners to itself. How is that any different from rebellion?"

Upon hearing this, the little goodwill Tang San had felt toward Spirit Hall immediately vanished.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Teacher, if Spirit Hall has such wolfish ambitions, do the empires simply stand by and do nothing?"

A glint flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes. He leaned back slightly and said in a deep voice:

"The two great empires have long been on guard. They have secretly reduced the subsidies, but Spirit Hall would rather pay out of its own pocket than give them up."

"Then why don't the empires take them back and distribute them themselves?" Tang San asked, unable to understand.

Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "It's not that the Empire doesn't want to—it simply lacks the means. Think about it: if the Empire distributed it directly, how many resources and how much manpower would it need to ensure the money reached every soul master?"

"Hand it over to Spirit Hall, and all it needs to do each year is allocate the funds. Still, the Empire has been gradually spreading the word that the money comes from the state."

"There's another important reason."

"What reason?" Tang San hurriedly asked.

"As the saying goes—give someone a liter of rice, and they'll be grateful; give them a bushel, and they'll resent you. If one day the Empire stopped handing it out, who do you think the commoners' anger would be directed at?"

"I see!" Tang San suddenly understood.

Yu Xiaogang lightly patted his shoulder. "Xiao San, you possess the rare Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power. You are destined to become famous across the continent.

"What you need to do is make use of them and raise your strength as quickly as possible."

"This disciple understands," Tang San answered solemnly.

"Oh, right. When you go collect the subsidy, pick up mine as well." Yu Xiaogang handed him his token.