The Master's Deception

Yu Xiaogang walked at the very front, pushing open a pair of mahogany double doors at the end of the corridor.

This private office was quite spacious and decorated in an antique style.

Three of the walls were lined with tall mahogany bookshelves, densely packed with various heavy tomes.

Some of the pages had already yellowed, looking as though they were from a bygone era.

A burner of sandalwood incense sat in the corner, with faint wisps of smoke curling through the room, attempting to cultivate an atmosphere of profound scholarship and reclusive mastery.

Yu Xiaogang was extremely satisfied with this office of his.

He walked behind the large golden nanmu desk and sat down, crossing his hands on the surface and leaning back slightly, striking a pose he believed best embodied the demeanor of a Grandmaster.

His gaze never once left Tang Wu.

Su Yu led Tang Wu and Xiao Wu into the office.

Without a hint of courtesy, he pulled out two chairs opposite the desk, sat in one himself, and gestured for Tang Wu to sit in the other.

Xiao Wu, meanwhile, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned casually against a nearby bookshelf, eyeing the room with a look of utter disdain.

"These books are the fruits of my labor, collected after I traveled across the Douluo Continent and scoured countless ancient ruins."

Seeing the three of them enter, Yu Xiaogang immediately pointed to the surrounding shelves, his tone carrying an unconcealable arrogance.

Su Yu cast a casual glance at the books and sneered inwardly.

Most of these so-called classics were merely basic Martial Soul primers that could be bought on the market for a few Copper Soul Coin, only rebranded by Yu Xiaogang with hardcover bindings to fool the uninitiated.

Seeing that none of the three spoke, Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat, locked his gaze onto Tang Wu, and began to trot out his theory that had shaken the continent.

"Child, I heard from the Dean that your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, and that you possess Innate Full Soul Power."

Yu Xiaogang's voice was low and brimming with confidence. "In the eyes of the common folk, Blue Silver Grass is a recognized trash Martial Soul. They believe it lacks offensive power, defensive power, and any value for cultivation. Your current Innate Full Soul Power is a complete waste without the guidance of a master. While the vitality of Blue Silver Grass is tenacious, it is far too fragile; any Tool Martial Soul could sever it, and any Beast Martial Soul could crush it. If you train blindly on your own, you will be nothing more than a larger weed, never fit for the big stage."

Yu Xiaogang paused, deliberately holding back to see the shock on Tang Wu's face.

However, Tang Wu remained expressionless throughout, not even lifting an eyelid.

She sat in the chair, leaning half her body toward Su Yu.

She reached out with her fair, delicate hand, focused intently on smoothing a wrinkle on Su Yu's collar, then brushed a speck of dust off his cuff.

Her gaze remained glued to Su Yu, as if everyone else in the room were nothing but air.

Yu Xiaogang did not receive the expected response, and his brows furrowed slightly, but he did not give up, instead raising his volume to continue his spiel.

"However, my theory is entirely different from those of the vulgar masses!"

Yu Xiaogang slammed his hand on the desk and began to speak eloquently. "I have proposed the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul. In my research, there are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters! Although Blue Silver Grass is weak, it possesses a massive advantage that no other Martial Soul has: extreme inclusivity!"

"Because Blue Silver Grass is weak enough, it does not reject soul rings of any attribute. Whether it is poison, strength, or agility, Blue Silver Grass can absorb them perfectly. As long as you take me as your master, I will use all my resources and connections to cultivate you. Not only can I ensure you obtain the most perfect soul ring ratio, but I can also help you break through to become a Soul Ancestor before the age of twenty! This is an opportunity many dream of!"

The more Yu Xiaogang spoke, the more excited he became, his hands waving in the air as he tried to use these profound-sounding tactics to completely hoodwink the little girl from the countryside.

He believed that no commoner Soul Master could refuse the temptation of becoming a top-tier powerhouse.

Yet, when he finished his impassioned speech and looked at Tang Wu with full expectation, he found that she wasn't listening at all.

Not only was Tang Wu unmoved by his theory, but she had also fished a small piece of Osmanthus Candy wrapped in oil paper from her pocket.

She carefully peeled back the wrapper and held the sweet-smelling candy to Su Yu's lips.

"Brother Yu, have some candy."

Tang Wu's voice was soft and sweet, her large eyes filled with adoration.

Su Yu opened his mouth, ate the candy, and smiled as he patted Tang Wu's head. "Truly sweet."

Tang Wu immediately squinted her eyes in delight, like a kitten being praised by its owner.

Xiao Wu, leaning against the bookshelf, saw this and walked over with some dissatisfaction. "Xiao San, you're biased! I want some too!"

"No, I saved this specifically for Brother Yu."

Tang Wu immediately covered her pocket, looking at Xiao Wu with vigilance.

To Tang Wu, Yu Xiaogang's impassioned speech wasn't even half as pleasant as a single word of praise from Su Yu.

Su Yu sat in the chair, legs crossed, pretending to listen earnestly to Yu Xiaogang's teachings and nodding from time to time, as if he were truly convinced by the Grandmaster's knowledge.

In reality, he was sneering repeatedly in his heart.

He focused his spiritual power into his eyes, and a bright golden light swirled deep within his pupils.

The Eye of Truth activated instantly.

His gaze pierced through Yu Xiaogang's sanctimonious facade, locking directly onto the dark red system panel hovering above his head.

On the panel, several lines of blood-red data flickered in real-time:

[Target: Tang Wu]
[Target Favorability: 0]
[Target Trust: 0]
[Deception Progress: 0%]

[System Prompt: The host's words failed to cause any psychological fluctuation in the target. It is recommended to change strategy or increase the intensity of the deception.]

Looking at the row of zeros in the data, Su Yu almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.

This old thing had gone to all that trouble, talking until his mouth was dry, yet he hadn't pushed the progress forward even an inch.

Yu Xiaogang, sitting behind the desk, was indeed parched from all the talking.

He picked up the teacup on the table and took a large gulp, his expression turning rather ugly.

He was a dignified Grandmaster, a titan in the field of Martial Soul theory; even the Pope of Martial Soul Hall had once attended his lectures.

Today, he had lowered himself to personally instruct a six-year-old country girl, yet the other party completely ignored him.

This feeling of being thoroughly disregarded dealt a severe blow to Yu Xiaogang's self-esteem.

"This country girl is truly foolish beyond compare!"

Yu Xiaogang cursed inwardly, "To actually ignore the guidance of a renowned master like me just to flirt with a boy who hasn't even grown his hair out yet. She's truly mud that can't be plastered onto a wall!"

However, the moment he thought of the off-the-charts Luck Plunder System value displayed on his system panel for Tang Wu, his greed once again overcame his anger.

He absolutely could not let go of this prime target for plunder.

As long as he could drain this girl's luck, he could completely shed the label of a loser and become a true powerhouse.

To complete the plunder as quickly as possible, Yu Xiaogang decided to stop wasting his breath.

He could see that this girl's mind was entirely occupied by that boy named Su Yu; he wouldn't be able to sway her with mere words.

He secretly communicated with the Luck Plunder System in his mind.

"System, activate the Forced Apprenticeship Function immediately! I'll get on the bus first and buy the ticket later. As long as the master-disciple bond is established, it won't matter how unwilling she is!"

Yu Xiaogang issued the command frantically in his mind.

"Ding! Forced Apprenticeship Function is ready. Please place your right hand on the target's head and hold for three seconds to forcibly complete the apprenticeship ceremony and establish the luck plunder channel."

The system's cold, mechanical voice rang out in Yu Xiaogang's mind.

Yu Xiaogang stood up abruptly.

The mask on his face was completely torn away; his previously amiable smile vanished, replaced by a look of fanaticism and greed.

His eyes were locked onto Tang Wu, with red bloodshot veins even appearing in the whites of his eyes.

He rounded the wide desk and strode directly in front of Tang Wu.

Without a word, Yu Xiaogang reached out his right hand, fingers splayed, and with an irresistible force, prepared to press down on Tang Wu's head to complete the apprenticeship ceremony.