He had pulled away simply because he'd sensed an undisguised aura. At this time, in this place, it was an aura stronger than Dragon Duke and Snake Granny's.
Who else could it be but that gloomy, rat-like Douluo who didn't deserve to be a father?
He was probably angry because he'd seen Tang San's Dao heart shattered and figured there was no hope of winning the sect's favor.
"Are you still trying to run, sir?"
Chen An forced him beyond Suotuo City's bounds. They landed on a barren mountain, alone together.
"Tsk."
Tang Hao didn't care what happened to the people of Suotuo City if they fought. The only thing he feared was exposing his whereabouts and alerting the people of Spirit Hall.
Chen An, meanwhile, wanted to avoid that if possible. Besides, his students were all in Suotuo City.
"You're a real pain to deal with."
He'd been a little too ruthless and couldn't help drawing Tang Hao's ire in the process. What could he say? He couldn't exactly start a direct confrontation. At least he'd made Tang Hao calm down. If he'd drawn his ire, so be it; it wasn't as if this was the first time.
"Why is the Clear Sky Douluo so angry?" Chen An asked with a smile.
Looking at this so-called peerless master, skulking around like a rat crossing the street, he couldn't help laughing.
Everything about him, from his appearance to his current state, fit the image.
"You... Hmph. The headmaster of Phantom Star Academy is just a sharp-tongued brat?"
Tang Hao raised an eyebrow, but his face betrayed an unease he couldn't hide.
He probably felt he couldn't get the measure of Chen An. Earlier, he'd been furious after hearing Flender say that Chen An was only a Soul Douluo, albeit one with powerful Soul Rings. But now that he'd seen Chen An for himself, he couldn't gauge him. Tang Hao himself was now a battered wreck, hardly fit for a fight.
"Heh."
Tang Hao was uneasy. He couldn't ignore what had happened to Tang San. He'd planned to protect his son from the shadows and avoid meeting him, but Chen An had turned everything upside down and wrecked his plans.
"Hmph. You've repeatedly targeted my son and shattered his Dao heart. You're asking for death."
Gritting his teeth, Tang Hao charged anyway. It was only a probe; he didn't summon his Soul Rings, merely bringing out the Clear Sky Hammer.
"Fighting and killing all day long is exhausting, you know?"
Chen An slipped past the probing attacks like ink wash on paper, nimble as a swimming dragon and effortless as a feather. His disciples had made progress over the past few days, and he'd grown stronger as well.
He struck back, forcing Tang Hao to retreat a step. That was enough.
Why fight? In the eyes of the top experts, Chen An was now Tang Hao's peer. A real battle between them would be a fight to the death. Was this some friendly spar?
He could intimidate Tang Hao, or crush him outright—but if they truly fought as equals, it would be a matter of deciding both the victor and who lived.
"Ha..."
Tang Hao breathed out, not daring to say much. Their brief exchange had confirmed that he'd have to pay with his life to win.
The night wind was bitterly cold, and the leaves creaked in the trees. The two stood without speaking for a moment. Then Tang Hao let out a long sigh and lowered his weapon.
"I'm outmatched. I admit it."
If this had happened before his serious injuries, he would have fought to see who was stronger. But more than a decade of drowning himself in drink in a remote village had worn away most of his pride.
Chen An gave him the same feeling as Qian Daoliu. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he truly didn't want to fight him. Call him timid or cowardly if you like. That was simply how it was.
"You're just leaving? What a strange one."
Chen An scratched his head, watching Tang Hao leave without even a threat, his anger still under control. Was this really the Clear Sky Douluo described in the stories?
In the end, there was nothing wrong with what Chen An had done. He'd targeted Shrek, and Tang San was a Shrek student. He wasn't the only one he'd targeted.
Besides, it was a fair competition. If Tang San had been used as a whetstone, that just meant he wasn't good enough.
"Let's head back first, in case that guy doubles back for a surprise attack."
It was best to prepare for the worst. Chen An didn't have a good impression of Tang Hao. Better safe than sorry.
His students mattered.
He hurried back much faster than before. Once he returned, he counted everyone. Nobody was missing, and everyone seemed fine, so he finally relaxed.
"So my current level, 94, is enough to make those guys wary?"
He wasn't planning to sleep tonight. Missing a day or two of sleep didn't matter.
As he kept watch, his mind wandered.
At level 93, he'd been able to face the Spirit Hall consecrations. Now, at level 94, he'd forced Tang Hao to back down. He was fairly satisfied with his strength.
"Master, do we still need to go to the arena today?"
The next morning, Zhu Zhuqing came over with Ning Rongrong to ask.
He'd arranged for Fugui to come back last night. It had been quite a show.
The people at the hotel had looked at Fugui as if they'd seen a ghost. They'd initially wanted to mock him, but Zhu Zhuqing was leading the group. She was Chen An's eldest disciple.
They had no choice but to shut their mouths, their faces sour as spoiled milk.
They didn't know just how important Chen An was, but they knew their highest-ranking leader acted like a grandson in front of him. They even had to show Zhu Zhuqing the utmost respect. Who would be foolish enough not to read the room?
"No need. You can rest for the next few days."
Chen An rubbed his temples, easing the discomfort from staying up all night.
The plan had been set in advance. Di Ao had worked out the match schedule, and everyone had already qualified. Now they just had to wait for the Imperial Fighting Team to show up, fight them, and settle things.
"Oh, Master, you don't look too good. Why don't you get some rest? I can keep an eye on the junior disciples."
Zhu Zhuqing had taken on more and more of an eldest sister's bearing lately.
She'd even volunteered to take responsibility. Seeing how eager she was, he didn't want to turn her down, so he nodded.
"That works. Keep a close eye on them today. And don't go out alone. There may be some danger lately."
He had to remind her. Even while resting, he could keep an eye on the students with his mind. But if someone wandered off alone, he couldn't watch them as carefully.
In that case, he'd have to keep his spiritual sense spread over all of Suotuo City.
"Master, you wanted to see me?"
After Zhu Zhuqing had volunteered, he'd sent word for Fugui to come by.
He'd already decided what to do about Fugui's cultivation technique and future training.
"Yes. Go back with Snake Granny first. I'll be staying here a while longer. I've already explained the situation to her."
Chen An planned to give Fugui the cultivation technique after they returned. For now, he'd have the boy work as a cook in the cafeteria for a while. He also handed him a book.
"Here's a cookbook, with the recipes. Take it and study it."
It was a book of Sichuan recipes. Once the boy got to the academy, he could learn as he cooked, starting out as the head cook in the cafeteria.
"Understood."
Fugui accepted it respectfully. He hadn't expected to get the recipes so quickly. It was unheard of.
Most masters on the continent expected their apprentices and disciples to spend ten or so years doing menial work, exploiting them before teaching them their craft. And even then, they kept secrets from them.
Chen An thought that was ridiculous. It was just one cuisine's recipes. There were still the other seven major cuisines, not to mention all the other regional specialties. This was only the beginning.
Besides, he wanted Fugui to learn a few cuisines as quickly as possible. Then he could take over cooking for the inner disciples, and Chen An wouldn't have to be pestered all the time. It was starting to feel like a job.
As for whether Fugui might take the recipes and run, there was no chance of that. Anyone who could just run off at a time like this wasn't human.
"An invitation to face the Imperial Fighting Team in two days? They're inviting us?"
A carrier pigeon brought a message from Di Ao asking him about the matter. After a quick glance, Chen An understood most of it.
He hadn't expected them to invite the team, even though they'd become famous throughout Suotuo City. Interesting. He didn't know whether to call them fearless youngsters, arrogant youths who thought too highly of themselves, or wonder if they truly had some kind of confidence.
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