Tang Wulin: Xie Xie, You Stabbed Me

Soon, Su Chen drove his sports car with Gu Yue into the city, stopping at a small shop that served Braised Beef Stew.

As for the Mecha...

Mecha were better for showing off and getting around in the wilderness. At close range, a sports car was much more convenient.

"Class monitor, vice class monitor, what brings you here?"

Tang Wulin looked at Su Chen and Gu Yue and hurriedly greeted them.

Gu Yue had only just joined Class One, but her demonstrated strength had already won everyone's recognition.

Even Tang Wulin felt that he was no match for Gu Yue.

As for Su Chen, Tang Wulin naturally remembered him. Su Chen was the enforcement officer who had taken away that Silver-haired Girl several years ago.

He'd also learned that the girl was an orphan, and that Su Chen had raised her before sending her to a better academy. His misgivings about Su Chen had vanished.

He thought Su Chen was a good person.

"You two have no loyalty. You find delicious food and don't invite me? And here I've always gone easy on you during training."

Su Chen feigned indignation.

"Xie Xie, I told you we should invite the class monitor sometime. Look where that got us..." Tang Wulin said awkwardly, nudging Xie Xie beside him with an elbow and muttering under his breath.

During training, Wu Zhangkong would occasionally have Su Chen spar with them one-on-one.

Su Chen went easy on neither Wang Jinxi nor the others.

But he went easy on Tang Wulin and Xie Xie, and even offered them pointers during their fights.

"Hmph... This is just a little snack shop. How was I supposed to know Young Master Su would like coming to a place like this?" Xie Xie muttered, pouting.

Su Chen was just too good at showing off. He made Xie Xie feel like he had no presence at all.

Naturally, Xie Xie didn't have a very good impression of him.

"Just because it's a snack shop doesn't mean the food's bad. I could smell it from far away. I bet the Braised Beef Stew is good."

Su Chen led Gu Yue over and sat down behind Tang Wulin and Xie Xie as if he owned the place. Then he said to the owner, "Boss, bring twenty portions each for our table and my classmates' table. It's on me."

"Coming right up!"

The owner replied, then looked at Xie Xie with a pleased smile. "Xie Xie, looks like you've made lots of friends at the academy."

Xie Xie: ...

"Su Chen, did you know vice class monitor Gu Yue before you met at the academy?"

Seeing Su Chen sitting with Gu Yue, Tang Wulin had noticed something interesting and asked curiously.

"Yes. To be precise, Gu Yue's my junior fellow disciple. We're both from the Spirit Pagoda, and we share the same master."

Su Chen nodded, making no effort to hide it.

"I see."

Tang Wulin nodded.

He'd felt there was something unusual about Gu Yue and Su Chen's relationship. So they were senior and junior fellow disciples. That made perfect sense.

And they were both from the Spirit Pagoda. No wonder they were so monstrous, and so rich.

If only he could join the Spirit Pagoda too...

Tang Wulin's imagination ran wild, and he couldn't help feeling envious.

"Here we are! Ten portions of Braised Beef Stew. Go ahead and start eating while I cook the rest."

The owner pushed over a serving cart and handed out the Braised Beef Stew, one portion at a time.

He could only make ten servings at once.

Each table had ordered twenty, forty servings in all, so he'd have to cook four batches.

He wasn't worried about whether they could finish it. After all, Tang Wulin had eaten more than ten portions by himself last time.

Tang Wulin's classmates probably had big appetites too.

The group immediately dug in.

Gu Yue tasted the stew and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction. Then she turned to Xie Xie. "Mm, not bad. You may not be much of a fighter, but you sure know how to eat."

"Who says I'm not much of a fighter? I..."

Xie Xie flushed, clearly unconvinced. He ranked near the top of his class, all right—and he did just as well across the entire first year.

"Oh, you don't believe me? Then I'll ask Teacher Wu tomorrow to set up a one-on-one fight between us. I'll suppress my cultivation to your level. How does that sound?"

Gu Yue raised an eyebrow.

"You... You're picking on me! What's the point of fighting me? If you've got the guts, fight Tang Wulin!" Xie Xie said indignantly.

Tang Wulin: ???

"Gu Yue, don't listen to him. I definitely wouldn't be your match either..." Tang Wulin hurriedly waved his hands.

Tang Wulin thought he could take a beating, but he wasn't a masochist. Getting battered by Gu Yue's Elemental Storm was awful, especially since they were all as powerful as thousand-year Soul Skills.

He could still take a hundred-year Soul Skill.

A thousand-year Soul Skill, though? That was a whole world of misery.

He'd rather spar with Wu Zhangkong than with Gu Yue.

At least when he sparred with Wu Zhangkong, he could learn something. Wu Zhangkong would point out all his mistakes.

Sparring with Gu Yue was just asking to get beaten up.

"What, am I really that scary?"

Seeing Tang Wulin's expression, Gu Yue turned to Su Chen with an innocent look.

"All right, hurry up and eat. When we're done, I'll take you to the auction house."

Su Chen smiled and changed the subject.

Na'er was a homebody, so Gu Yue hadn't seen much of the world either. She'd never even been to an auction house.

The auction house was full of good things, many of them hard to find anywhere else.

Whether rare treasures or other items, Su Chen needed them all. He could also buy some for Gu Yue to help her cultivate faster.

Su Chen wasn't afraid of Gu Yue surpassing him.

On the contrary, he wanted to give her more chances to overtake him, in case she got desperate or lost her temper and did something unpredictable.

"An auction house? I've heard they have things you can't buy anywhere else!" Gu Yue perked up at the words.

"Yeah. If you see anything you like, tell me and I'll buy it for you. Consider it a welcome gift."

Su Chen smiled.

"Heh, at least you have a conscience."

Gu Yue gave a soft little snort.

"Damn rich show-off..." Xie Xie muttered under his breath.

Being a rich show-off made it way too easy to woo girls.

He had money, sure, but only enough to eat and get by. He couldn't compare to Su Chen at all.

After all, Su Chen was a Level 4 Blacksmith.

The money Su Chen could make by forging and selling a few things would be enough to cover Xie Xie's allowance for a whole year.

"Bam—"

Just then, the shop's front door was suddenly kicked off its hinges.

"Old Li, get out here! You still haven't paid protection money after all this time. Do you think I'm begging for food?"

At the bellow, three burly men barged inside. The one in front was a bald bruiser, a toothpick in his mouth and a fierce scowl on his face. He was obviously no good.

"Ah, Brother Light Dragon, it's not that I don't want to pay. Business has been slow, and I have to pay for my daughter's treatment. I really don't have any money left for protection fees!" The owner dropped to his knees and pleaded.

"Heh, what do I care about your daughter? If you can't pay up today, you can shut this shop down!"

Light Dragon sneered and was about to have his men smash up the shop.

At the sight of this, several customers abandoned their unfinished Braised Beef Stew and ran straight out.

"Stop! Don't bully Uncle Li!"

A streak of light shot over. Xie Xie raised the Light Dragon Dagger, released his Soul Rings, and lunged at Light Dragon's shoulder.

"Hmph, what brat is this?"

Light Dragon released his Iron Armored Dragon Martial Soul.

Two Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, one white and one yellow.

"Clang—"

Scales covered Light Dragon's body, easily blocking Xie Xie's dagger.

"Get lost!"

Light Dragon casually swatted Xie Xie away.

"Don't bully Xie Xie!"

Tang Wulin charged in from the side, raising his fist and swinging it at Light Dragon.

Tang Wulin had been born into a poor family.

He despised bullies who threw their weight around.

A dignified two-ring Soul Master was picking on an ordinary person—and had even attacked his roommate. City folk were just awful!

"Brat, are you going to keep this up or what?"

Light Dragon turned and punched hard at Tang Wulin.

"Bam—"

A muffled thud rang out.

Light Dragon felt a terrifying force surge through him, and he instinctively staggered back several steps.

"What kind of monster is this? How can he be so strong?" Light Dragon shook his numb arm, utterly shocked.

"Ah—"

Tang Wulin hadn't unleashed his inner power or awakened the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, so he was no match for Light Dragon.

He was sent flying through the air.

"Wulin!"

Xie Xie rushed over, trying to catch Tang Wulin.

"Bam—"

Tang Wulin crashed straight into Xie Xie. The two of them tumbled around like a pair of rolling gourds before finally coming to a stop.

"Mmgh—"

Tang Wulin's face twisted as he clutched his butt.

"Wulin, are you hurt?"

Xie Xie hurriedly asked with concern.

"Xie Xie... you stabbed me..."

Tang Wulin grimaced, his voice full of reproach.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Xie Xie realized what had happened and hurriedly pulled out his dagger.

"Pfft—"

Half of Tang Wulin's butt immediately sprayed blood, staining his pants red.

Fortunately, Tang Wulin was tough. His muscles clenched, and the bleeding soon stopped.