"Ah!!"
"Monster!!"
The ordinary students ran away in all directions, crying and howling as they scrambled and crawled away.
Xiao Chenyu and the others also fled while forcing themselves to ignore their trembling legs.
Not a trace remained of their arrogance from a minute ago.
"..."
"..."
The entire field fell silent.
Xiao Wu and the others all stood with their mouths wide open, too shocked to say a word.
So... this was Xia Yan's strength!
One against twenty?!
Xia Yan turned around.
"Now no one will dare bully the Work-Study Students again. Don't worry."
"..."
"..."
After a brief silence,
"Whoa!!!"
Cheers suddenly erupted, making the blades of grass tremble.
The Work-Study Students flushed with excitement and rushed toward Xia Yan, hoisting him high into the air.
"Whoa!!!"
"Brother Yan! Brother Yan! Brother Yan!"
They would finally no longer be bullied!
Xiao Wu, meanwhile, stood frozen in place, one hand over her chest as her little heart pounded wildly. In her watery eyes was reflected the figure surrounded by the crowd.
The Snake Swarm had frightened her as well.
Those snake shadows had truly surged and writhed like a living swarm of snakes, wild and frenzied.
In just an instant, Xia Yan had effortlessly defeated more than twenty people.
She had always thought she was the strongest.
But it turned out...
The corners of her soft lips unconsciously curved into a relieved smile.
So... I'm not unique.
Before long, Xia Yan's record of taking on twenty people alone spread through Notting Academy like wildfire. Every student and every teacher heard about it.
All of them were utterly shocked.
Was it real?
This student was fierce enough to take on twenty people alone?!
The news also reached Yu Xiaogang and Tang San, who had just returned, that evening.
Tang San was greatly shocked. How was that possible?
Where had he gotten a Soul Ring? Who had helped him obtain it?!
One against twenty?
Someone must have been spreading rumors! Even I can't take on twenty people alone. Someone must have been spreading rumors!
Yu Xiaogang was equally stunned.
What?
He had already absorbed a Soul Ring?!
No, Xia Yan, you should have followed my theory! You should have been a defense-type Soul Master!
The Black Tower was heavy and solid. You should have used defensive soul skills!
How could you obtain a Soul Ring on your own?!
Were you trying to prove that I was wrong?!
That night, Tang San tossed and turned, unable to sleep as he stared at Xia Yan's empty bed, which seemed to radiate an invisible pressure.
His mind was filled with thoughts of how to defeat Xia Yan.
Meanwhile, in Yu Xiaogang's office, beneath the flickering candlelight, a middle-aged man cloaked in black silently appeared before Yu Xiaogang.
"Smack!"
The teacup in Yu Xiaogang's hand slipped free and shattered on the floor.
"Y-you are!"
The next day, Yu Xiaogang called Tang San to his office.
His stiff smile was filled with warm and friendly concern.
"Little Three, how did you sleep last night?"
Tang San did not understand why his teacher suddenly seemed like a different person. His teacher had cared about him before, but he had never worn such a... intimate smile.
It looked strange.
Still, he honestly shook his head.
"Not well. Xia Yan is too strong. I don't know how I can beat him."
Yu Xiaogang smiled gently.
"It's fine. Since it's too difficult, we won't do it. How about this? I'll give you a new goal. Before graduation, break through level twenty, and become good friends with Xia Yan. How does that sound?"
"Huh?"
Tang San was instantly dumbfounded. He blinked blankly.
"Teacher, what do you mean?"
Yu Xiaogang smiled brightly, though it was an ugly, stiff smile. He wanted to raise a hand and pat Tang San's head, but suddenly remembered something.
He lowered his hand.
"Heh, Little Three, Teacher has reflected on this. Xia Yan is a good child too. Teacher can't stir up conflict between you two. You should be good friends. There's no need to become opponents.
"From today onward, you should try to make friends with him.
"Rather than thinking about defeating him."
Tang San was confused. That was not right. They had clearly set this goal just the day before yesterday.
Why had it changed today?
Only three days had passed?
And why did Teacher look so strange? His smile was so odd.
It felt forced somehow.
As though he had been forced into it.
Tang San examined Yu Xiaogang's face again. His eye bags were swollen and his eye sockets dark; he had clearly not slept well.
Could it be...
Could it be...
Oh!
In an instant, Tang San came to a realization.
That was right!
Teacher must have heard about Xia Yan's exaggerated record after returning and spent the entire night unable to sleep. He was afraid Tang San would feel pressured, so he had specifically changed the goal.
All of this... was for me!
Tang San was instantly overwhelmed with emotion, and even his vision grew misty.
A teacher for a day, a father for life...
Teacher!
"Teacher!"
Tang San suddenly shouted, startling Yu Xiaogang, who hurriedly asked,
"Little Three, what's wrong?"
Tang San straightened his back. His voice was firm, his unblinking eyes fixed on Yu Xiaogang. Clenching his fist, he made a passionate vow.
"Teacher, don't worry!"
"I will definitely surpass Xia Yan and trample him beneath my feet!"
"This is for me, and even more so for Teacher!"
"?!"
Yu Xiaogang's face immediately went pale with fright. He hurriedly covered Tang San's mouth. "Little Three, what are you saying?!"
"How can you say something like that?!"
"You need to get along well with Xia Yan!"
Otherwise, your father will kill me!
He forced out an even uglier smile than usual. The corners of his mouth twitched as he desperately pulled them upward, but the corners of his eyes drooped downward.
It truly looked worse than crying.
"You can't say that, Little Three. You must build a good relationship with him, consider it as doing it for Teacher!"
"You absolutely must become good friends!"
I want to live!
You're trying to get me killed!
Tang San ignored all of this entirely. Seeing his teacher so flustered only moved him to the point of tears.
Look at how much Teacher cares about me. For my sake, he didn't sleep all night!
To keep me from feeling pressured, he even came personally to persuade me to give up my goal.
This was his affection for me.
But... it was also his denial of me!
Who said I couldn't defeat Xia Yan?!
He grasped his teacher's warm, large hand. With the resolve of an oath in his eyes, he looked at Yu Xiaogang with a seriousness he had never shown before.
"Teacher, don't worry. Before graduation, I will trample Xia Yan beneath my feet!"
"If he looks down on Teacher, then he is looking down on me!"
"No—!"
Yu Xiaogang's legs trembled in fright. He regretted taking Tang San as his disciple. He regretted it.
He truly regretted it!
This was a death wish!
Why wouldn't you listen to advice?!
What the hell were you thinking?!
A chill ran down his spine, and he was truly on the verge of tears. "Little Three, listen to Teacher. Listen to Teacher!"
"Teacher was wrong. Teacher was really wrong!"
Tang San did not listen at all.
His mind was filled only with emotion. His teacher was one of the few people in this world who cared about him.
He cared about him even more than his father did!
"Teacher!"
"Don't worry, I'll work hard!"
Yu Xiaogang clutched his head and wailed.
Tang San was moved to tears.
For a moment, the office containing only two people somehow seemed incredibly lively.
Meanwhile, in the shadows,
Tang Hao wore an entirely different expression. "..."
"?"
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