Douluo: Starting by Confronting Grandmaster

However, everything that followed was no different from the original story. Tang San's papers happened to be on top, drawing the gatekeeper's mockery and ridicule.

Old Jack then prepared to find Su Yuntao over the gatekeeper's discrimination, only for the gatekeeper to mock Lu Yu and the others as well, dragging their village into it.

Lu Yu could have resolved this conflict very easily.

But he did not.

If Tang San did not make a move and Grandmaster did not appear, how was he supposed to complete the mission?

This angered Old Jack, but the gatekeeper merely grew impatient and began driving them away. Just as he raised his hand to shove Old Jack—

Tang San moved.

Lu Yu's pupils contracted. "So fast."

Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track might not have been especially outstanding, but it was still far superior to Lu Yu's Basic Movement Technique. Only Lingbo Microsteps could probably surpass it.

Tang San grabbed the gatekeeper's hand, pressed it downward, then added a kick. The gatekeeper instantly landed on his backside.

"Little San, you..." Old Jack stared wide-eyed at Tang San, who had suddenly made a move.

Why was this child so impulsive?

Although the other side had indeed been in the wrong, there was no need to resort to violence. He was, after all, from the academy. What if the academy refused to accept them afterward?

"You brat, you're courting death!" Having been knocked down by a little kid, the gatekeeper finally flew into a rage. He got up and charged at Tang San.

Seeing Lu Fei beside him itching to jump in, Lu Yu backhanded him with a loud slap.

Why were you joining in on the fun?

Lu Fei instantly quieted down, though he still shot Lu Yu a resentful glare with his little eyes.

"Stop."

At the sound of a somewhat hoarse voice, Lu Yu hurriedly turned to look.

Sure enough.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Grandmaster made his entrance, looking lazy yet carrying a touch of lofty bearing.

"Grandmaster, you're back?"

The moment he saw Grandmaster, the formerly arrogant gatekeeper immediately behaved himself, making Grandmaster seem all the more like an otherworldly expert. This only made him appear even more smug.

Grandmaster glanced sideways at the gatekeeper and ignored his respect. Instead, he looked at Old Jack and said, "Sir, could you let me see the Spirit Hall certificate?"

Naturally, Old Jack had no objections and directly handed the certificate to Grandmaster.

Grandmaster accepted the certificate and looked it over. A glint flashed through his eyes before he examined the information below belonging to Lu Yu and Lu Fei, his gaze revealing a trace of disdain.

"Which one of you is Tang San?"

Grandmaster raised his head, his gaze continuously sweeping over Lu Yu and the other two.

"I am," Tang San said.

Grandmaster sized Tang San up and down as though he possessed X-ray vision and wanted to see straight through him.

Only after a moment did he nod in satisfaction.

"The certificate is genuine. Sir, on behalf of the academy, I apologize for what happened just now. Leave these three children to me."

How could Old Jack withstand such honor? He repeatedly waved his hands and reminded Tang San and the other two to listen to Grandmaster at school.

Afterward, the village chief briefly gave Lu Yu and Lu Fei a few instructions before leaving Notting Academy with Old Jack.

As for Lu Yu and the other two, they followed Grandmaster into the academy.

"Teacher, thank you." After entering the academy, Tang San thanked Grandmaster.

"Teacher? I am not an academy teacher." Grandmaster lowered his head to glance at Tang San and spoke indifferently.

Lu Yu said nothing, merely watching him show off in silence.

He lived off the academy, ate off the academy, and enjoyed the respect of everyone there, yet he hurried to distance himself from it just to elevate himself.

As expected of you, Grandmaster.

"Not a teacher? Then didn't you just say you represented the academy?" Tang San asked in confusion.

The instant Tang San said that, Lu Yu was baffled.

Wasn't that perfectly rational?

How did he become like someone whose head had been caught in a door so soon afterward?

"Who says only teachers can represent the academy?" Grandmaster still wore that lofty, superior expression.

But those words thoroughly disgusted Lu Yu.

Wasn't that trying to have it both ways?

Tang San suddenly understood. "Then I get it. You must be the principal, or perhaps one of the academy's leaders?"

Grandmaster smiled. "You're quite clever for a six-year-old child, but you are still wrong."

Tang San asked doubtfully, "Then who are you?"

Confronting Grandmaster

Grandmaster said calmly, "I am merely a lodger who mooches food and lodging. Like everyone else, you may call me Grandmaster. Everyone calls me that; I have even forgotten my own name. Tang San, is it? Remember this: teacher and Grandmaster are worlds apart in meaning. Don't call me the wrong thing in the future, unless..."

"Blech..."

Lu Yu truly could not hold it in any longer and dry-heaved.

That was too damn disgusting.

So he knew he was merely a lodger who mooched food and lodging.

And he had even forgotten his own name.

If I were your father, letting you live one more day would be a crime.

"You have a problem?" Grandmaster asked with a frown as he looked at the dry-heaving Lu Yu.

Lu Fei and Tang San also looked at him in confusion.

Lu Yu hurriedly shook his head. "No problem. I ate too much at noon."

Grandmaster nodded indifferently without giving it much thought.

"Grandmaster, what did you mean by unless?" Tang San asked.

Grandmaster's eyes flickered. "Unless you take me as your master."

Tang San froze, then asked doubtfully, "You mean you want to teach me how to cultivate my martial soul?"

"Are you willing?" Grandmaster asked.

Tang San did not answer. He merely studied Grandmaster in silence.

Lu Yu knew he could no longer remain silent, so he raised his hand and asked, "May I ask this Grandmaster what rank you are?"

Grandmaster's brows furrowed tightly, and his face instantly darkened.

Rank was his greatest humiliation.

If his rank had not been so low, he should have been standing in the hall of highest honor rather than wasting away in this tiny Notting Academy.

Lu Yu feigned realization. "So your rank must be too low for you to have the face to say it. Since your rank is so low, what gives you the right to teach others?"

Tang San also frowned slightly.

Although he felt Lu Yu's way of speaking was rather abrupt, his words were crude but reasonable. He wanted to ask the same thing: what gave him the right?

Grandmaster looked coldly at Lu Yu. "Because I am Grandmaster."

"Grandmaster?"

Lu Yu sneered. "If the title Grandmaster is truly as prestigious as you claim, why are you still mooching food and lodging at a low-level Soul Master Academy? Shouldn't you be enjoying the world's reverence in the hall of highest honor?"

"You..."

Grandmaster immediately became furious, yet he could find nothing to refute him with.

Lu Yu continued, "And you mooch food and lodging from this academy while enjoying the respect of others, yet you refuse to acknowledge that you are one of them just to elevate yourself. Don't you think that is dishonorable?"

"I..."

Grandmaster had just opened his mouth when Lu Yu interrupted, "Also, for the sake of some baseless title, you have even forgotten your own name. Do you think you have done right by your father?"

"Tell me, how can someone as dishonorable, disloyal, and unfilial as you have the virtue or ability to teach others? Wouldn't that be leading students astray?"

"How presumptuous!"

Grandmaster was completely enraged. His aura instantly pressed down on Lu Yu.

Who was he?

He was Grandmaster, yet today he had been accused and insulted by a little brat.

Did he not care about his dignity?

However, he soon discovered that his feeble aura pressure had absolutely no effect on Lu Yu.

Lu Yu mocked, "That's it?"

Grandmaster's gaze instantly turned sinister.

He was even considering whether he should teach this little fellow a lesson and let him know what it meant to respect one's teacher.

Lu Yu continued, "You do not even have the courage to face your own flaws, yet you dare call yourself Grandmaster? I wonder which blind fool gave you that title."

Tang San also watched Grandmaster with a frown.

He really was weak.

Fortunately, he had not agreed. If he took such a weak teacher as his master—

What could he possibly learn?

Lu Fei, meanwhile, had long since been dumbfounded. He could not understand why the usually easygoing Lu Yu had suddenly opened fire.

Grandmaster sneered. "Fine. Since you ask what gives me the right, I will tell you. It is because I published the Ten Core Competencies of Soul Masters..."

Grandmaster then rattled off his so-called achievements one by one, exaggerating quite a few of them.

Lu Yu mocked, "That's it?"

"You..."

He had gone to great lengths explaining himself for so long, thinking he would earn Lu Yu's admiration. Instead, he received only two icy words.

Lu Yu asked, "Are you sure you researched these things yourself? By your logic, none of these things existed before you did?"

"As far as I know, even before you, these things you mentioned may not have been common knowledge, but those sects, empires, and even nobles had long known about them, hadn't they?"

"Is it possible that these so-called Ten Core Competencies were merely never made public, and you plagiarized them to glorify yourself?"

"You..."

Grandmaster was rendered speechless again.

Lu Yu smiled. "Looks like I was right again. That explains why you are mooching food and lodging here. In that case, another label should be added to you."

"A plagiarist is no different from a thief."

Thief!

He actually called me a thief.

I, the great Grandmaster... he actually called me a thief.

Grandmaster was so enraged that he could no longer speak. His entire body trembled without pause. If looks could kill, Lu Yu would have died hundreds of times over.

Seeing that the system still had not reacted, Lu Yu could only continue, "Fine, then let us stop arguing over these meaningless honors. Tell me, have you ever taught any student worth mentioning?"

This guy was not going to stop, was he?

But for Tang San's sake, he could only force himself to continue. "No. Who do you think I, Grandmaster, am? Is becoming my disciple something anyone can do just because they want to?"

"Heh."

Lu Yu sneered again. "In my view, a teacher should educate without discrimination. You do not even understand that much, yet you dare claim to teach?"