Su Yun didn't choose iron for the shaft of his spear. He went with wood instead.
Though it was wood, it was remarkably sturdy.
Given that Tang San had once managed to kill a hundred-year-old Datura Snake with a Sleeve Arrow and a short sword, this spear would definitely be good enough for Su Yun.
After paying, Su Yun took the spear and headed straight for the academy's back hill.
While Su Yun was immersed in practicing the Prairie Fire Spear Technique and Wind God Leg...
Tang San, seated in the carriage, put a question to his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
Inside the carriage.
Tang San voiced his doubts.
"Teacher, why did you make that kind of promise yesterday?"
Tang San was naturally referring to the wager Yu Xiaogang had added during his challenge with Su Yun.
It would have been one thing if his teacher had merely agreed to apologize in public.
But he had even volunteered to tell everyone in the world that he was unworthy of the title Grandmaster!
This was a completely unfair wager!
Yu Xiaogang, who had been sitting to one side with his eyes closed, seemed to have known all along that his student would ask.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to hold back from asking me."
Yu Xiaogang slowly opened his eyes and held up two fingers. "There are two reasons, actually."
"The first is that I wanted to spur you on."
"Over the coming year, you'll inevitably spar with some of your classmates."
"But the results of those sparring matches won't matter much."
"At most, children your age will feel a little embarrassed if they lose."
"It won't really hurt."
"Even from the short time we spent together yesterday, I could already tell you're a sentimental child."
"Your words—'Once a teacher, forever a father'—"
"Your teacher has kept them close to heart."
Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San with an approving gaze. "That's why I deliberately raised the stakes on our side."
"My aim was to use the feelings you have for me to push you into working even harder during your first year of training."
"I'm sorry for that, my student."
As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang bowed slightly to Tang San.
"Teacher!"
Seeing this, Tang San hurriedly helped Yu Xiaogang back up.
The belief that a teacher was a father for life ran deep in Tang San's heart.
Yu Xiaogang bowing to Tang San—
In Tang San's eyes, wasn't that the same as a father bowing to his child?
How could Tang San let Yu Xiaogang bow to him so easily?
He quickly dropped to his knees inside the carriage.
"Your foolish student didn't realize you were doing this for my sake. I never should have asked such a stupid question."
"Your student swears that he'll defeat Su Yun in the competition a year from now!"
Tang San's tone was solemn.
In his previous life, although Grand Elder Tang had taken him into the Tang Sect, not a single elder had been willing to accept him as a student.
Now, he was the only student under his teacher.
He naturally couldn't let his teacher lose face.
"Hahaha! As long as you understand what I mean, that's all that matters. Why do you keep kneeling at the drop of a hat?"
Yu Xiaogang laughed as he helped Tang San up and sat him down. Then he said:
"As I said, that was only the first reason."
"The second reason is that, deep down, I still have a glimmer of hope."
Hope?
Tang San looked at his teacher Yu Xiaogang's usually sorrowful face.
He was puzzled.
"Don't forget, Su Yun has Twin Martial Souls, just like you."
Yu Xiaogang spoke softly.
"Although he's rather unruly, I truly don't want to see a talent like him wasted by some other foolish teacher."
Tang San raised another question:
"But, Teacher, didn't Su Yun say he already had a teacher?"
At this, Yu Xiaogang chuckled and shook his head.
"Xiao San, Xiao San, you're still too young."
"Do you really think the teacher Su Yun mentioned—"
"Do you really think such a person exists?"
After hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, a flash of insight crossed Tang San's mind, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
"Teacher, you mean..."
"Exactly."
Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly. "In my view, that was just the boy speaking out of anger."
"I remember he came from the same village as you. It's called Holy Soul Village."
"From what you remember, were there any powerful Soul Masters in the village?"
Tang San shook his head. "No."
"Exactly."
Yu Xiaogang smiled, convinced that his guess was right.
"I think that little fellow made up some so-called teacher just to prove how talented he is."
"In reality, no such person exists."
"Perhaps, relying on his so-called talent, he can still hold his own against you for now."
"But with my guidance and your own hard work—"
"When you crush him in the competition a year from now, he'll naturally realize that talent alone can't bring out the true power of his Martial Soul."
"Only then will he understand how precious a teacher like me is."
So that was it!
After hearing his teacher's two reasons, Tang San couldn't help admiring his teacher's greatness and painstaking intentions.
His teacher was doing this not only for him, but also for someone who wasn't even his student yet.
He had certainly chosen the right teacher.
"By the way, Teacher, I also noticed something unusual about Su Yun last night."
A scene from the previous night—Su Yun practicing in the dormitory, and the strange things he'd noticed—suddenly flashed through Tang San's mind. He spoke up at once.
"Oh? What happened?"
Yu Xiaogang perked up with interest and asked.
Then—
Tang San told his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, what he had sensed and suspected the previous night.
However, he kept the Mysterious Heaven Skill to himself.
After listening, Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Hmm... Xiao San, your guess matches mine."
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