I Want This Student

Yu Xiaogang came to a steady stop in front of the three of them.

He clasped his hands behind his back again, lifted his chin slightly, and straightened his spine, managing to strike the pose of an otherworldly expert.

He ignored Su Yu, who stood in the middle, and didn't even glance at Xiao Wu, the girl with rabbit ears on the right.

His gaze burned with undisguised greed and longing as he stared fixedly at Tang Wu.

Su Yu stood motionless, his expression unchanged, but the Eye of Truth clearly showed him the changes above Yu Xiaogang's head.

The dark red System Panel was now frantically scrolling lines of blood-red text:

[Target locked: Tang Wu.]

[Fortune level: Child of the Plane (Daughter of Fortune).]

[Potential assessment: Has consumed a top-tier natural treasure capable of cleansing the meridians and marrow. Her Martial Soul has undergone a beneficial mutation, with limitless potential.]

[Suggestion: Take her as a disciple immediately! Once the bond is established, the host can drain her fortune and break through level 30 within three days!]

Reading those lines, Su Yu's lips curled into a scornful smile.

That old bastard had walked into a latrine with a lantern—he was asking for death.

He had gone to so much trouble, using the Conceptual Eraser to snatch Zhao Dabao's Top-Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill and turn Tang Wu's Trash Martial Soul into the Mutated Blue Silver Grass she had now.

And this old bastard wanted to swoop in and pluck the fruit, then drain Tang Wu dry like a blood bag.

Did he really think Su Yu, the one who possessed the Conceptual Eraser, was just there for decoration?

Yu Xiaogang's intensely predatory stare made Tang Wu's skin crawl.

She had grown up in Holy Soul Village, and though she was guileless, she was keenly sensitive to danger and malice.

The look in the close-cropped man's eyes made her deeply uncomfortable.

Tang Wu instinctively took refuge behind Su Yu.

She let go of Su Yu's arm and grabbed the hem of his clothes with both hands instead. Most of her body was hidden behind him; only half her face showed as she watched Yu Xiaogang warily.

Yu Xiaogang grew secretly anxious at the sight, but outwardly he maintained his pose as an otherworldly expert.

He deliberately softened his voice, making it sound smooth and persuasive.

"Child, there's no need to be afraid."

Looking at Tang Wu, who was hiding behind Su Yu, Yu Xiaogang spoke gently. "I've been observing you for a while. You have remarkable bones and extraordinary talent, and your body holds an immense vitality. But it seems you've encountered a bottleneck in your cultivation and don't know how to guide that power."

Yu Xiaogang paused, then smiled with an air of pride. "If you're willing, I can point the way for you. In this world, there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters. With my guidance, your future achievements will be beyond measure."

His words sounded righteous and grand, yet were steeped in a beguiling allure.

The Old Dean, who was standing nearby, immediately lit up.

He saw a perfect opportunity to curry favor and promptly stepped in.

The Old Dean cleared his throat, turned to the students who had stopped to watch, and announced loudly,

"Students, take a good look!"

Pointing at Yu Xiaogang, the Old Dean spoke in a booming voice filled with reverence. "The man standing before you is the renowned Yu Xiaogang, the foremost authority on Martial Soul Theory throughout Douluo Continent!"

"Grandmaster's wisdom is as vast as the sea, and no one can match his research into Martial Souls! He hardly ever takes on disciples, so for him to offer guidance to this young lady today is a blessing she'll enjoy for eight lifetimes!"

The Old Dean turned to Tang Wu and urged her in an exasperated tone. "What are you waiting for, girl? Come out and thank Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang! If you miss this chance, you'll never get another!"

The Old Dean's loud praise immediately caused an uproar among the students nearby.

More and more students gathered along the shaded avenue, all stopping to watch.

"My goodness, is that the legendary Grandmaster? I heard he published the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul, and even people from Spirit Hall have read his work!"

A senior student drew a sharp breath, his face full of shock.

"That girl's so lucky! Grandmaster himself took an interest in her! If I could get even one word of advice from him, my dad would grin in his sleep."

A chubby boy beside him stared at Tang Wu with envy.

"Exactly! Why's she still hiding behind someone? She has no idea how lucky she is."

A few girls whispered among themselves, their voices dripping with jealousy.

The shock and envy of the crowd pleased Yu Xiaogang immensely.

He loved the feeling of being watched with awe.

He straightened his back, his expression growing even more haughty.

He was sure that with the dean singing his praises so enthusiastically and everyone looking on with envy, this sheltered little girl would immediately fall to her knees and beg to become his disciple.

But Xiao Wu, standing to Su Yu's right, was having none of it. She rolled her eyes dramatically; she had already recognized this so-called Grandmaster.

With her arms crossed over her chest, Xiao Wu watched Yu Xiaogang's pretentious act and felt sick.

She carried the memories of her previous life as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, so she knew exactly what kind of person this so-called "Grandmaster" was.

In her previous life, he had spouted nonsense, passing off common knowledge stolen from Spirit Hall as his own theories and swindling people everywhere.

If Tang San hadn't been blind enough to take him as a master in her previous life, that old bastard would have been beaten to death in the street long ago.

This Yu Xiaogang was even more repulsive than the one from before. His eyes were all wrong; he made her want to retch.

Su Yu stood still, listening to the crowd's chatter, his expression calm as water.

He ignored the Old Dean's urging and didn't even look at Yu Xiaogang's smug face.

He simply reached back and took the hand Tang Wu had wrapped tightly around the hem of his clothes.

Su Yu gently patted the back of Tang Wu's hand, his fingertips warm against her skin.

It was a reassuring gesture, telling her there was nothing to fear—he was there.

Feeling the warmth of Su Yu's hand, Tang Wu's nervousness melted away.

As long as Brother Yu was by her side, she wouldn't be afraid even if the sky fell.

She lifted her head and met Yu Xiaogang's gaze without fear, showing no intention of becoming his disciple.

Yu Xiaogang waited a long time. When Tang Wu still hadn't knelt to become his disciple—and had instead clasped hands with the troublesome boy beside her—his expression began to crack.

"Why doesn't this girl have the slightest sense?"

Yu Xiaogang cursed inwardly.

But then he reconsidered. This was the academy's shaded avenue, with too many students watching and too many eyes around.

Maybe a little girl who wasn't used to this sort of attention was too shy to come forward.

With that thought, Yu Xiaogang put on his kindly smile again.

He bent slightly and extended his right hand toward Tang Wu, making an impeccably gentlemanly gesture of invitation.

"Child, there are too many people here. It's not convenient to talk."

Yu Xiaogang's voice grew even gentler. "If you feel uncomfortable, why not come to my private office? It's quiet there. We can sit down and talk properly, in detail, about the direction your Martial Soul should take in the future. I'm sure you'll find my theories interesting."

Yu Xiaogang had a well-laid plan.

As long as he tricked Tang Wu into his private office, where they'd be alone together, he'd have plenty of ways to use his system's functions to force a master-disciple bond.

Once that bond was formed, all of the girl's fortune would be his.

The students nearby were green with envy when they heard Grandmaster personally invite a work-study student to his private office.

The Old Dean also frantically signaled to Tang Wu, urging her to accept.

Tang Wu frowned, about to reject the disgusting old man.

Just then, Su Yu, who had been silent all along, suddenly moved.

"Sure."

He smiled faintly, took the initiative, and led Tang Wu a step forward by the hand. Looking Yu Xiaogang in the eye, he accepted on Tang Wu's behalf.