Master's Subtle Torment, Xiao Wu's Heart Revealed

In the classroom, my calm, rhetorical question was like a stone cast into a lake, completely shattering the silence of the hall.

Yu Xiaogang's face cycled between green and white; having been poked in the fatal flaw of his theory, he found himself unable to refute it. This embarrassment caused the seeds of hatred toward me to quietly take root in his heart.

The theory class ended in a rush. Yu Xiaogang packed his things and, before leaving, cast a deep look at me—a gaze dark and gloomy, carrying undisguised wariness and resentment.

[Memory suddenly interrupted]

In the original story, this old man was always narrow-minded and held the deepest grudges; anyone who questioned his theories would be targeted by him in secret. Today, I had caused him to lose face, so in the days to come, there would undoubtedly be all sorts of petty obstructions. However, I didn't care in the slightest; I would simply meet force with force and water with earth.

[Thoughts gently withdrawn]

From that day on, Yu Xiaogang began to use his connections within Nuoding Academy to quietly trip me up.

During academic assessments, even though my answers were flawless, he would deliberately lower my scores and deduct credits for no reason. When the academy distributed resources like basic cultivation spirit stones or body-tempering herbs, my share was always inexplicably smaller, and several times, it simply vanished into thin air.

These obstructions were carried out with extreme subtlety, without a shred of overt targeting. Even if I went to the academy instructors to argue, there was no evidence to be found, and I could only swallow this bitter pill.

Tang San watched all of this unfold, the corners of his mouth often curling into a subtle smirk. In his view, it was only a matter of time before his teacher moved to suppress me. With me being held back at every turn, I would eventually lose my edge and never be able to surpass him again.

Facing these underhanded tactics, I maintained a detached mindset throughout.

In truth, relying on the system, I had no need for these low-level cultivation resources; spirit stones and herbs were optional for me. I continued to keep my sharpness hidden, behaving myself in class and keeping to myself during cultivation, letting Yu Xiaogang scheme in the shadows. I did not resist, did not argue, and silently endured it all.

The more I endured, the more I could lower the guard of this master-disciple pair; this was the result I wanted.

Yet, such covert targeting could not escape the sharp intuition of Xiao Wu.

Over the past few days, she had gradually noticed that every time resources were distributed, my share was always the smallest, and my academic scores were always inexplicably low. Connecting this to the gloomy look on Yu Xiaogang's face after I questioned him in class, she instantly understood the cause and effect.

That evening, as the setting sun dyed the Nuoding Academy training grounds red, Xiao Wu specifically sought me out while I was meditating alone, her little face puffed up with indignation.

"Lin Chen, that teacher Yu Xiaogang is going too far! He is clearly targeting you on purpose! And Tang San, he's always watching from the side, enjoying the show—he's so bad!"

She ran to my side, hands on her hips, completely disregarding whether others might hear, and spoke up for me with blunt righteousness, her clear eyes filled with protectiveness.

I slowly opened my eyes, looking at the girl's sincere expression. A trace of warmth flickered in my heart, and I comforted her in a gentle tone: "It's fine, just some petty tricks. They can't affect me, no need to get angry over such trifles."

"But he is clearly being unfair!" Xiao Wu frowned, sitting tightly beside me, her tone incredibly firm. "No matter how others target you, I will always stand on your side! I don't want to be with someone narrow-minded like Tang San!"

After spending this time together, Xiao Wu had long since seen through the gloom and narrow-mindedness in Tang San's bones. Compared to the hypocritical and old-fashioned Tang San, I—composed, restrained, powerful, and gentle—were someone she felt much closer to.

Her heart had long since tilted completely toward me, deviating entirely from the trajectory of the original story.

I smiled faintly and nodded slightly, saying nothing more.

Having this sentiment was enough; take it slow, there was no need to rush.

Under the shade of a tree in the distance, Tang San happened to witness this scene. Seeing Xiao Wu's undisguised protection of me, the jealousy and resentment in his heart sprouted wildly like weeds. He clenched his fists tightly, his gaze toward me growing increasingly sinister.

Yu Xiaogang's secret obstructions, Xiao Wu's heartfelt protection, and Tang San's hidden jealousy—these various entanglements quietly intertwined within the small world of Nuoding Academy.

Yet, I continued to guard my own bottom line. With my Twin Martial Souls hidden deep within my soul and my true rank concealed, I moved steadily through the undercurrents, quietly waiting for the right moment to push Tang San and Yu Xiaogang into the abyss, step by step.