Well played, you thick-browed, big-eyed Flender!

Flender's face stiffened at these words.

What hidden ailment?! What was this little brat thinking? Surely he hadn't figured out that I was still...

But how could that be possible?!!

Besides, I've kept myself clean and disciplined, so how did that turn into a hidden ailment?!!

And this little rascal, he couldn't possibly think he was whispering, could he?

Flender looked around guiltily, only to spot Zhao Wuji snickering inside the shed.

"You little brat, that was... that was..."

Flender couldn't continue. He loved Liu Erlong, but it was a one-sided crush. Claiming he stayed pure for the sake of love, or that he was guarding his chastity for her, didn't feel right either...

He couldn't exactly say he had no interest in women, could he?

That would be even more suspicious!

Who knew where this kid's imagination would wander if he said that...

Flender ground his back teeth, his hawk-like eyes fixed firmly on Oscar.

"Instead of wasting time on such nonsense, you'd be better off focusing on improving your strength. In the next session, both you and Ma Hongjun will be participating in the Elite Continental Soul Master Tournament, so start preparing early!"

"Master, you've kept yourself so chaste, and you place such importance on the Elite Continental Soul Master Tournament—could it be for a certain female dean?"

Ma Hongjun looked at Flender with curiosity.

Pfft! Another knife pierced Flender's chest.

"I was wondering why you never found anyone, Boss... well, you thick-browed, big-eyed Flender, so that's what it was all about!"

Having traveled far and wide over the years, Zhao Wuji knew quite a bit.

Moreover, having stayed by Flender's side all these years, he was well-acquainted with the relationships surrounding him.

He hadn't thought of it before, but with the unintentional prodding from Oscar and Ma Hongjun, all the clues connected in his mind, forming a... logical chain.

"And here I was, thinking you looked down on the nobility and wanted to build an academy to prove our worth as commoner soul masters. It turns out it was all for your old flame!

If you like Liu Erlong, go chase her! To step aside for Yu Xiaogang and then pine for her behind the scenes—aren't you ashamed of yourself!"

Flender pursed his lips, offering no argument.

In the eyes of the others, this silence was an admission of the truth.

"Yu Xiaogang?"

Oscar frowned. He felt like he had heard this name more than once, and this person seemed to be very important in his foster father's life.

Zhao Wuji glanced at the stunned Oscar and, grinning, opened the floodgates.

"That's right, that Yu Xiaogang, the twenty-ninth-level Soul Grand Master known in the world as the Grandmaster of theory." Noticing Flender glaring at him, he added brazenly, "Don't glare at me. Back then, Boss Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong were known in the world as the Golden Iron Triangle."

After saying this, he patiently explained it to the two children.

"He does have some ability; otherwise, he wouldn't be so highly regarded by so many commoner soul masters.

But as for his character, I, Zhao, have always looked down on him. Boss Flender was always good to him, even stepping aside decisively once he realized he loved Liu Erlong, but what happened later?

When Boss Flender built the academy and needed his help, did he come?

He claims to be for the commoner soul masters, but I only see him caring about his own theories!

Otherwise, with Shrek here providing a path for commoner soul masters, why wouldn't he come?

In my eyes, he's nothing but a hypocrite!"

Zhao Wuji could say this in front of the three of them, but he would never say it outside; he wasn't a gossip, after all. He only brought it up today because it concerned everyone present.

Zhao Wuji's dissatisfaction with Yu Xiaogang stemmed from a few letters he had happened to see.

After Oscar's martial soul awakened, Flender had written to Yu Xiaogang, and Zhao Wuji had seen the letter. Back then, Zhao Wuji had been quite excited, thinking that a genius like Oscar was surely worth Yu Xiaogang's cultivation, right?

He should have come to Shrek to help Flender, right?

He had also seen the reply, which Flender had shown him. At the time, Flender was incredibly excited, saying that the Grandmaster was interested in his foster son, wanted to take Oscar as a disciple, and was coming to Shrek to help.

Zhao Wuji had been in such high spirits, counting the days and nights for Yu Xiaogang to arrive, but all he got was Flender drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

Afterward, itching with curiosity and needing to know what happened, he had snuck a look at the letters while Flender was out.

As it turned out, Yu Xiaogang had looked down on Oscar for being a Food System soul master.

How could that be?

If he despised Oscar for being a Food System soul master, why didn't he say so earlier? The very first letter had already stated that Oscar was a Food System soul master!

So that could only be an excuse. When he found Flender's previous letters, he discovered that Flender had told Yu Xiaogang the incantations and asked how to change them to make them sound better.

Therefore, there was only one reason for Yu Xiaogang's refusal—he despised Oscar's incantations. Thinking back on everything he had done over the years, how could Zhao Wuji not see that this man was a hypocrite!

Since then, Flender's attitude toward Oscar had changed quite a bit. Although he knew Flender did it because he wanted Oscar to prove himself, Oscar was still just a child!

If you treat him like that, how could he possibly understand?!

Zhao Wuji saw it all and felt anxious for them. He spoke up today partly to clear his own mind, and partly for the sake of the relationship between this father and son.

Flender's face alternated between red and white, eventually settling into a sigh as he led Ma Hongjun away.

Ma Hongjun looked back every few steps, debating whether to tell Flender about the information that could resolve his Evil Fire, but feeling it wasn't the right time, he ultimately kept it to himself.

"Oscar, whip up a Recovery Sausage; I'm exhausted from all that yelling."

Zhao Wuji patted Oscar on the shoulder and led him toward a nearby bench.

"But that guy is just a hypocrite who cares too much about his reputation; if only back then..."

Zhao Wuji didn't continue; the past was in the past, and telling Oscar wouldn't serve any purpose other than to burden him.

Over these years, he had witnessed the father-son relationship between Oscar and Flender, and it was a pity that a piece of fly dung like Yu Xiaogang had ruined the whole pot of soup.

Oscar didn't ask further, summoning a Recovery Sausage and handing it to Zhao Wuji.

"Hey... how did you do that?"

"The incantation is just a facade; by communicating spirit power through the Spirit Ring and spirit, it can be generated naturally."

Oscar chuckled softly; even immortals and buddhas have different manifestations, so why get hung up on the names of spirit skills?

This was the result of his years of study at Wudang, and his mindset was no longer what it had been when he first left the Douluo Continent.

"That ridiculous Grandmaster isn't even as good as you, an eight-year-old child."

Zhao Wuji shook his head and scoffed.

"Don't take it to heart, just focus on your cultivation; that piece of trash Yu Xiaogang isn't even fit to carry your shoes."

Zhao Wuji patted Oscar on the shoulder, looking at him earnestly.

He could see something in this child's eyes.

But none of that mattered anymore; in his eyes, Yu Xiaogang was just a clown, and it was only Flender who still treated that clown like a brother.

"Then... Teacher Zhao, I'll head back and focus on my cultivation."

Watching Oscar's retreating figure, Zhao Wuji sighed.

"Such a good child, Yu Xiaogang... you truly deserve to die!"

An unknown strange bird flew across the sky, and night had fallen before anyone noticed.

In a dim dormitory at Shrek, rustling sounds were hidden beneath the noise of snoring.

Following the sound of a door opening and closing, a black shadow darted out of the room.

"Although, based on Teacher Zhao's words, this Yu Xiaogang is someone I really need to look into!"