Yu Xiaogang Gets Beaten

"Xu Yuan." Xu Yuan responded concisely, his gaze already shifting toward the carriage. "This is no place to linger. Follow us, and let's get out of here first."

"Fine." Zhu Zhuqing did not ask further questions and quickly followed.

Given the current situation, if she did not follow Xu Yuan, she was highly likely to be killed.

Xiao Wu walked over and greeted her: "Hello, my name is Xiao Wu, the Wu of dancing."

Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, looked at the bouncing Xiao Wu who had approached her, and said calmly: "Zhu Zhuqing."

Xiao Wu, however, paid no mind to Zhu Zhuqing's coldness, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward the carriage: "Zhuqing, don't be so serious."

The two women entered the carriage, and after waiting for them to board, Xu Yuan followed them inside.

Having experienced what just happened, the coachman dared not rest here and hurriedly drove the carriage away.

On the other side, on the road to Suotuo City.

Yu Xiaogang was riding in a decent carriage, heading toward Suotuo City.

"Xu Yuan, you are merely lucky. Once a Soul Master reaches the age of 12, their cultivation speed will inevitably slow down." Yu Xiaogang looked at the scenery outside and gritted his teeth.

For the past six years, every time Xu Yuan defeated Tang San, he would claim that what Yu Xiaogang taught was flawed.

This made him extremely dissatisfied, but after being beaten black and blue, he began to harbor hatred for Xu Yuan.

If Xu Yuan had taken him as a master, he would not have let Tang San challenge Xu Yuan, he would not have been beaten up for no reason later, and he certainly would not have become a eunuch.

The carriage suddenly jolted, causing Yu Xiaogang to slam into the carriage wall, a dull pain radiating from his forehead.

He clutched his forehead, his eyes growing increasingly sinister.

Yu Xiaogang knew that his current strength was insufficient to contend with Xu Yuan, so he could only pin all his hopes on Tang San.

"With Tang San's Twin Martial Souls and the cultivation plan I tailored for him, as long as he follows the steps, surpassing Xu Yuan is only a matter of time." Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. "When that time comes, I will let everyone know that my, Yu Xiaogang's, theories are the true laws of the Soul Master world!"

The sky outside the window gradually darkened as the carriage drove into a dense forest.

Yu Xiaogang pulled back the curtain, looking at the thickening twilight, and a trace of unease suddenly rose in his heart.

He always felt that the brat Xu Yuan was not as simple as he appeared, especially that Blue Silver Grass martial soul and those combat techniques; they were simply not things an ordinary youth should possess.

"No, impossible." Yu Xiaogang immediately dismissed his own thoughts. "He must have encountered some kind of fortuitous event to have made such progress. This kind of forced growth will inevitably lead to an unstable foundation, and problems will arise sooner or later."

Despite this, Yu Xiaogang still felt as if a heavy stone were pressing down on his heart.

"Whoa—"

The coachman pulled hard on the reins, and the carriage came to a sudden halt with a screech of brakes.

Yu Xiaogang stumbled, nearly falling from his seat, and the anger he had just suppressed flared up instantly: "What is going on?!"

The curtain was lifted a crack by the trembling coachman, and the scene outside made Yu Xiaogang's pupils shrink.

Seven or eight bandits holding blades and axes were blocking the middle of the road, each with a fierce look on their faces. The burly man in the lead had a hideous scar on his face, and the Ghost Head Blade in his hand glinted coldly in the twilight.

"This mountain is opened by me, and these trees are planted by me!" The scarred man grinned, revealing yellow and black teeth. "If you want to pass through here, leave your road money!"

Yu Xiaogang's heart sank instantly.

He possessed no combat power and was completely unable to deal with these people.

However, he was a Soul Grand Master, so he could try to use his status to intimidate them.

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, suppressed the panic in his heart, straightened his collar, and stepped off the carriage, feigning composure.

He knew this was his only chance.

"Presumptuous!" Yu Xiaogang barked.

His soul power surged, and two soul rings rose from beneath his feet, emitting a faint halo in the twilight.

Although this soul ring configuration was not worth mentioning in the eyes of true experts, it carried enough deterrent power for these ordinary bandits.

Sure enough, the bandits' expressions changed drastically, and their hands gripping their blades and axes tightened.

The scarred man's pupils constricted, and he subconsciously took half a step back.

A Soul Master! And a two-ring Soul Grand Master at that!

They usually bullied ordinary people; when had they ever seen a Soul Master take action?

For a moment, they were too frightened to move.

The coachman watched from the side, dumbfounded; he hadn't expected this "Grandmaster" to actually have some real strength.

Yu Xiaogang felt a bit more secure, a haughty look appearing on his face as he slowly paced forward: "Mere grass-bandits, you dare to block my path? Do you know who I am?"

Yu Xiaogang deliberately released the pressure of a Soul Master, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like lightning: "If you are sensible, get out of the way immediately, otherwise don't blame me for being impolite!"

The bandits looked at each other, clearly intimidated.

Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang felt incredibly satisfied; it was his first time experiencing such a feeling.

A younger bandit tugged at the corner of the scarred man's clothes and whispered: "Boss, it's a Soul Master... should we retreat?"

The scarred man gritted his teeth, about to nod.

Suddenly, an uncertain voice rang out from the crowd: "Wait... this guy looks a bit familiar..."

The one who spoke was a one-eyed bandit; he squinted his remaining eye, staring fixedly at Yu Xiaogang's face, before suddenly slapping his thigh: "I remember now! Isn't this that so-called master of trash theories?"

"Master of trash theories?" The scarred man paused, his gaze shifting back to Yu Xiaogang with a look of scrutiny.

Yu Xiaogang's heart gave a violent jolt, the arrogance on his face freezing instantly as he shouted sharply: "Cease your nonsense! I am Yu Xiaogang, a theoretical master certified by Martial Soul Hall; how dare you slander me!"

The one-eyed bandit chuckled, gripped his axe, and charged straight at Yu Xiaogang.

The moment the bandit's axe came whistling down, Yu Xiaogang was scared out of his wits and turned to run, only to trip over a pebble and land hard on the ground.

Before he could scramble up, the one-eyed bandit lunged forward, grabbed him by the back of his collar, hoisted him up like a chick, and slammed a fist into his face with vicious force.

"Still a theoretical master? I'll show you 'master'!" The dull pain of the fist landing on his face made stars dance before Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

Seeing how easily Yu Xiaogang was defeated, the scarred man's previous wariness vanished into thin air, and he waved his hand: "Brothers, beat him! This old thing actually dared to bluff us!"

The bandits swarmed forward, their fists and feet raining down upon Yu Xiaogang.

Yu Xiaogang curled up on the ground, shielding his head with his hands, while still roaring futilely: "I am a man of Martial Soul Hall! Do you dare to strike me?!"

"Martial Soul Hall? I'd even curse the Emperor himself!" one bandit kicked him, "Theoretical master? I think you're a master of getting beaten!"

Yu Xiaogang's roars were soon drowned out by the sound of even denser blows.