"No! I didn't!"
Tang San had seen this coming. He immediately protested, explaining nervously:
"Teacher, do you think I'm that kind of person?"
"Do I seem like the kind of person who'd steal my sect's techniques, practice them, and then refuse to admit it?"
"Teacher, brothers! You can question my Martial Soul and my talent, but you can't question my character!"
"A man born between heaven and earth shouldn't live in gloom... No, he shouldn't steal and refuse to admit it!"
"In my opinion..."
He swallowed, then offered the explanation he'd prepared:
"This is a misunderstanding!"
"When I was about two or three years old, I accidentally fell into a cave. Those techniques were inside!"
"I really did just find them! There was nothing else in that cave, just those tattered books!"
"I think the Q&A Game got this question wrong!"
"Maybe the Light Screen thinks that because I took the techniques without getting permission from their owner, that counts as stealing!"
"But when I found them, there were only bones and long-forgotten techniques in there. How could I get anyone's permission? They were already dead!"
"All I could do was make sure they didn't go to waste, learn the techniques, and carry them forward! That wasn't stealing at all. The Q&A Game got it wrong—it misunderstood me!"
As he spoke, Tang San put his heart and soul into it, his voice full of grievance. He even raised it very loudly, as if afraid the people around him might not hear.
Sure enough, after seeing his expression and hearing his explanation, everyone thought it made some sense.
Maybe it really was a misunderstanding?
After all, taking something without permission did count as stealing. But if the owner was dead, how could he ask permission?
He'd found something that belonged to a dead person and carried it forward. Surely there was nothing to criticize him for?
Most importantly, the answer said he'd stolen a sect's techniques, but there weren't even any sects like that on Douluo Continent. The answer really did seem wrong.
In an instant, everyone began whispering:
"Could he really have been wronged? Otherwise, why would he be so worked up?"
"Yeah. If he really stole them from some sect, why have we never heard of that sect?"
"I almost misunderstood him! I thought Tang San was just a petty thief!"
"I always said that no matter how despicable someone is, they wouldn't steal other people's techniques and claim they were their own! Tang San looks like an honest fellow to me!"
Many people were now half-convinced that Tang San might truly have been wrongly accused.
The Shrek Seven Devils and Yu Xiaogang had listened to him and watched his expression. He didn't seem to be lying.
Could it really have been a misunderstanding?
Even Yu Xiaogang, who had been a little angry, couldn't bring himself to question Tang San any further.
Still, Gangzi wasn't satisfied. He asked:
"Then, Xiao San, why did you choose A? Why didn't you let me choose A too?"
Tang San explained, "Teacher, I was testing the rules of the Q&A Game!"
"I wanted to see whether the kind of misunderstanding I suspected was possible."
"Now that it's confirmed, we can use it as a reference when answering future questions and be more careful. Don't you agree?"
"You were testing the Q&A Game?" Yu Xiaogang stared at Tang San doubtfully. Something still felt off.
But he couldn't think of any other explanation, so he could only accept it.
Forget it. It was just one question. There'd still be chances to break through level 30 later.
Xiao Wu took Tang San by the hand and said, "Xiao San, I'm glad you cleared that up. Otherwise, people might've thought you liked stealing things."
Tang San replied solemnly:
"Xiao Wu, don't worry!"
"Besides, what use are techniques anyway? Why would anyone steal them?"
"I've never had anything to do with stealing. I'm not interested in it!"
"The happiest I ever was was when I worked as a blacksmith and earned a salary of 91 Silver Soul Coins!"
"How could I possibly steal for some techniques?"
"Mm!" Xiao Wu nodded with satisfaction.
Her righteous and pure third brother really was just as she thought...
Elsewhere.
Hu Liena and the others had also heard Tang San's explanation and suspected it had been a misunderstanding.
But Hu Liena still found it strange. If Tang San had chosen A to test the Q&A Game, why had Song Ye chosen it too?
Hu Liena hurriedly asked Song Ye, who was beside her, "Song Ye, why did you choose A?"
Song Ye couldn't be bothered to answer. He made an excuse: "My hand slipped. I chose the wrong one."
"Your hand slipped? Aren't you choosing the answer in your mind?" Hu Liena said, exasperated.
But perhaps he really had chosen the wrong answer. She didn't press him further.
Forget it. She'd keep watching him.
She had a feeling there was something off about Song Ye. He seemed much more mysterious than she'd imagined.
In the distance, Tang Hao watched the answer, his face darkening completely.
He was too far away to hear Tang San's explanation. All he knew was that Tang San's techniques had been stolen!
"What?!"
"Xiao San's techniques were stolen?"
"That settles it! My son could never be such a petty thief! That guy definitely isn't my son!"
"I've always been an upright, honorable man. I've never harmed anyone!"
"If this fellow inherited my genes, how could he do such a thing?!"
The more Tang Hao saw, the more certain he became that something was wrong.
His suspicions about Tang San's identity were practically set in stone.
Furthermore, after each question, there was a brief explanation.
[The Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record is the Tang Sect's highest secret art. It contains the Mysterious Heaven Skill, Mysterious Jade Hand, Purple Demon Eye, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and the Hundred Interpretations of Hidden Weapons, along with medicinal texts!]
[Among these, the Mysterious Heaven Skill is an internal cultivation method that can cultivate Soul Power! The Mysterious Jade Hand and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon train the hands! The Purple Demon Eye cultivates spiritual power! Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track trains lightness skills! The hidden weapons and medicinal texts are just what they sound like!]
[These techniques would play a crucial role on Douluo Continent!]
After hearing this follow-up explanation, everyone was incredibly envious.
People from the other academies couldn't help exclaiming in amazement.
After reading it, Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up and he was overjoyed.
He thought, Hahaha, good, good!
I didn't expect Xiao San's techniques to be so impressive. They can train just about everything!
If I can get my hands on them, I can claim that I created them!
Then I'll change the name and call them "Yu Xiaogang's Seven Great Soul Master Training Methods," and use them to train my disciples!
These cultivation methods will surely go down in history, just like my "Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul"!
Xiao San, my dear Xiao San, I'm your teacher. You'll give them to me, right?
Yu Xiaogang plotted how to get the techniques for free and publish them under his own name, further establishing his reputation as the King of Theory.
Elsewhere...
Seeing this explanation, Tang Hao grew even angrier:
"What the hell?"
"It can cultivate Soul Power and spiritual power, and it even includes all sorts of hidden weapons and medicinal texts?"
"Damn it! This kid definitely isn't mine!"
"If he really were my son, why wouldn't he hand over such a treasure to me? Am I not his father?!"
"Does he really need to guard against and hide things from his own father?"
"This son is unfilial. He deserves to die!"
Before you continue