Only I Can Grin and Bear It

Clang!

In the next instant, Yu Xiaogang shot to his feet. The chair beneath him toppled over from his violent movement, crashing loudly onto the floor.

The noise of the fallen chair instantly drew the attention of every teacher and student eating in the cafeteria, interrupting the children's conversation as well.

Yu Xiaogang hurried over to the children's table, grabbed the two who knew the news, and roared:

"What did you just say? Say it again!"

Yu Xiaogang's voice was stiff and strange. His face was twisted into a savage expression, making him look like a vicious ghost.

How could two children only a few years old have ever seen anything like this? Terrified by Yu Xiaogang's ghostly, ugly face, they trembled as they repeated the news.

After hearing it, Yu Xiaogang stood frozen in place, unable to move. His lips trembled, but no words came out.

The two children seized the chance to slip away.

Too terrifying. How could anyone be so ugly, with a face as savage as a ghost's?

"Hahaha! Qian Xunji, you're finally dead. Good riddance!"

After a long while, Yu Xiaogang finally snapped out of it, and wild joy surged through his heart.

For years, Yu Xiaogang had lived beneath Qian Xunji's shadow.

Qian Xunji had been like a sharp sword hanging over his head at all times, leaving him unable to eat or sleep in peace.

After the Golden Iron Triangle disbanded, Yu Xiaogang lost the support of their three-person Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Later, he could only hide away in a backwater like Nuoding Academy, barely scraping by.

He lived neither like a man nor a ghost.

Qian Xunji was finally dead... Yu Xiaogang let out a fierce sigh of relief.

"Idol!"

"Tang Hao, from now on, you're my idol!"

Yu Xiaogang screamed wildly in excitement within his heart, then could not stop himself from fantasizing.

"If I had strength like Tang Hao's..."

"If I were the one who killed Qian Xunji..."

"Who would dare call me trash... Who would dare laugh at me... I would surely become a master admired by all and reach the pinnacle of life!..."

As he thought about it, drool began to run from the corner of Yu Xiaogang's mouth.

He had already sunk into a beautiful dream.

The teachers and students of Nuoding Academy eating nearby looked at Yu Xiaogang behaving like an idiot and began pointing at him.

"What do you think he's doing?"

"Daydreaming."

"That shameless piece of trash only knows how to freeload. He's nothing but a joke."

"Exactly. He eats and drinks for free at the academy every day. He neither teaches students nor attends classes. He claims to be researching some Martial Soul theory, but no one's seen him come up with anything worthwhile."

"Right. Who knows what the Dean was thinking, taking him in and letting him carry on without reining him in."

"Pah, trash."

"What's he standing there grinning for? He looks like an idiot."

"..."

More and more teachers and students gathered for their meals. Looking at Yu Xiaogang standing in the middle of the cafeteria with his bizarre behavior, every one of them offered their mockery.

Yu Xiaogang came back to his senses. Listening to all the ugly remarks, his face gradually turned green.

"Hmph!" He flicked his coarse cloth sleeve and snorted coldly. Putting on an unfathomable expression, his gaze sharp, he clasped his hands behind his back, straightened his spine, and left.

After leaving the cafeteria, Yu Xiaogang did not return as usual to his tiny room of less than thirty square meters in the corner of the top floor of the dormitory building.

Instead, he hurried out of the academy. He was going to the Spirit Hall church in Nuoding City to verify the news himself.

Half an hour later.

Yu Xiaogang rushed back to his room and swiftly locked the door.

He had confirmed it. The news was true.

Qian Xunji was really dead!

Back in his room, Yu Xiaogang began to cry and howl soundlessly. His grief was heart-wrenching, veins bulging across his face as tears streamed down his cheeks. Then he began laughing silently again. One moment he cried, the next he laughed, never making a single sound throughout it all. He looked completely insane.

It was easy to imagine just how immense Qian Xunji's psychological shadow over him had been.

Qian Xunji could never have imagined that one casual threat would frighten Yu Xiaogang to such an extent.

It showed just how fragile Yu Xiaogang's mind was. It was utterly vulnerable.

In that regard, Qian Xunji had done one good thing.

After a long while, Yu Xiaogang huddled blankly in a dark corner, his face covered in tears and his eyes sinister and terrifying.

At that moment, memories of his days in Spirit Hall kept replaying in his mind.

That foolish woman Bibi Dong had only seen him display a little talent and cunning beneath his silver tongue, yet she had easily trusted him without even realizing how foolish she was.

And through climbing into the good graces of the Holy Maiden, Yu Xiaogang had obtained the knowledge stored in the Spirit Hall Archives.

By organizing Spirit Hall's collection of books, he had derived the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls.

He could have used it to become famous throughout the world, win the beauty's heart, and reach the pinnacle of life. Yet Qian Xunji had ruthlessly destroyed it all.

Whenever he thought of Qian Xunji slapping him in public, calling him trash, driving him out of Spirit City, and threatening him...

And of Bibi Dong despising him as trash and abandoning him...

Deep pain, fury, and bone-deep hatred flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

Only after a long time did Yu Xiaogang suppress the hatred in his heart.

He bared his ugly teeth and murmured softly:

"Fortunately, Qian Xunji is already dead. The one who threatened me is gone."

"From now on, the sky is high enough for birds to fly, and the sea wide enough for fish to leap."

"No one can restrain me anymore."

Then another thought came to him.

"Since Qian Xunji is dead, Bibi Dong, as the Holy Maiden, is the Pope's first successor."

"Mm... she will definitely become the next Pope."

"If I become the Pope's man, then wouldn't no one dare question my theories again? I will surely become famous throughout the world."

"Yes! This is my opportunity. I must seize it!"

With that thought, a sharp gleam flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes as he quickly climbed to his feet.

But when he recalled how resolute Bibi Dong had been, how she had despised and abandoned him, he hesitated again.

A fierce struggle began within him.

"Bibi Dong was so heartless back then. If I rashly go to find her, I might be walking into a trap."

"If she has no regard for our past and wants to deal with me, or even kill me, wouldn't I be in danger..."

"No, she wouldn't. She clearly loved me so deeply that she couldn't free herself."

"The reason she acted that way was most likely because of Qian Xunji's meddling. Otherwise, she would not have suddenly become so heartless."

"She must still be unable to forget me. I have great confidence in my own charm."

"As long as I go to find her, she will definitely throw herself into my arms."

"Yes, yes, yes. It must be like that..."

Thinking of Bibi Dong's breathtakingly beautiful face and graceful figure, a blaze of desire flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

In the end, desire overwhelmed hesitation. Yu Xiaogang straightened up, clasped his hands behind his back, fixed his sharp gaze ahead, and made up his mind.

"Looks like I can only grin and bear it."

"Bibi Dong, I've given you an opportunity. You'd better seize it. Don't disappoint me..."

Having made his decision, Yu Xiaogang quickly packed up his belongings.

Most importantly, he packed away all those so-called Martial Soul research results of his.

He stored them all inside his Soul Tool.

As for the Dean of Nuoding Academy, the friend who had taken him in, Yu Xiaogang did not even say goodbye.

He quickly left Nuoding Academy and vanished without a trace.

Teachers and students along the way saw Yu Xiaogang carrying a bundle as though he were leaving, and all of them were suddenly overjoyed.

After receiving the news, the Dean of Nuoding Academy was both furious and delighted.

He was furious because he had taken Yu Xiaogang in for so long, yet Yu Xiaogang had left without a word, not even saying goodbye or offering a single word of thanks.

He was delighted because that freeloading parasite had finally left. He would no longer have to be bled dry by him.

The Dean of Nuoding Academy suddenly felt his eyes grow moist, and he sighed unconsciously:

Wonderful!!!