Showcasing His Connections

"Since that's the case, let's put getting your Soul Ring off for a couple of days. I'll call an old friend to help you."

As he spoke, Grandmaster immediately wrote a letter, intending to send it to his good friend and have him come over as soon as possible.

"All right, San. Take this young man back for now. I'll let you know when he arrives."

"Okay, Teacher." Tang San nodded.

After leaving the library, Du Hao felt the glances that kept drifting his way from beside him.

After walking for a while, Du Hao finally couldn't take it anymore. He turned to Tang San and said, "San, if there's something on your mind, just say it, okay? The way you keep looking at me is creeping me out."

"We're both people. How come there's such a big difference between us?" Tang San said out of the blue.

As he spoke, he tipped his head back at a forty-five-degree angle and gazed at the sky.

Du Hao looked at Tang San, who had inexplicably started acting all emo.

"What are you mumbling about?" Du Hao didn't indulge him. He quickly reached down and grabbed.

Tang San, who had still been acting emo, instinctively recoiled.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Tang San watched warily as Du Hao pulled his hand back.

"Who told you to start acting crazy?" Du Hao said unconcernedly, then reached down to grab his bird again!

After the two of them wrestled around for a while.

"Honestly, Hao, I'm a little jealous of you."

"How so?" Du Hao asked in return. He didn't think there was anything about himself worth being jealous of.

Wasn't he just a little more handsome, a little more popular with women, and a little more blessed with a cheat?

What was there to be jealous of?

"I'm jealous that you're rich." As he spoke, Tang San suddenly held out a hand. "So, could you lend me some money?"

Tang San's sudden request for a loan caught Du Hao completely off guard.

Du Hao stared blankly at the hand reaching out in front of him.

Then he looked up at his good brother, whose face wore a perfectly shameless smile.

"Have you no shame?" He smacked the pig's trotter reaching toward him.

"Didn't I lend you a thousand Gold Soul Coins last time? How'd you spend it all so fast?" Du Hao said irritably.

"Ah, I spent it all making weapons. Besides, didn't you say you'd provide financial support?"

Hearing Tang San's shameless tone, Du Hao glared at him in exasperation.

"But you're spending it way too fast!"

"Come on, Hao~ I'm begging you~" Tang San put on an exaggeratedly coy act.

"Don't gross me out! I'll beat you up!" Du Hao pointed at him like a husky and cut him off before he could continue.

He didn't know whether he'd raised Tang San all wrong over the years, but the kid's ways of grossing people out...

That was what he said, but he still dutifully pulled a bag of gold coins from his pocket.

He tossed it into Tang San's arms.

"Don't spend it too freely. Ask me for more if you run short."

"Hao, you're a real big spender!" Tang San caught the Gold Soul Coins and immediately fell into the role of a loyal underling.

"We're finally here, Suotuo City..." Flender stood at the city gates, travel-worn and dusty, and sighed with feeling.

After receiving the letter Yu Xiaogang had sent, he'd flown here without stopping.

He'd flown for two whole days and nights!

If he hadn't needed to stop and recover his Soul Power along the way, he probably would've arrived in a single day.

"Junior Spirit Master Academy... It should be over there." He fixed on his target and flew straight toward the designated location.

In his bedroom, Grandmaster was organizing the materials from his latest deductions.

"Xiaogang! I'm heeere!"

The door wasn't locked. After confirming that his friend really was inside, Flender rushed straight in without a moment's hesitation!

He swept the still-unprepared Yu Xiaogang into a bear hug!

"Xiaogang, it's been ages!"

"Indeed, it has." Looking at his old friend, whom he hadn't seen in so long, Grandmaster felt a wave of emotion.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries.

"Hey, Xiaogang, where's that genius young man you mentioned?" Flender asked, already growing impatient.

After all, when it came to geniuses, he, the owl, was serious! Serious about poaching them~

"Don't rush. Let me explain..."

After Grandmaster told him which Soul Beast they planned to hunt and how rare it was,

Flender smiled wryly and lightly punched Yu Xiaogang in the shoulder.

"Ah, so that's why. I knew you wouldn't come looking for me for no reason. Turns out you wanted me to do the hard labor." Though he said that, there wasn't the slightest hint of displeasure in his voice.

Given how close he and Yu Xiaogang were, this was a small thing, nothing worth mentioning.

"There's no other way. If I search by myself, who knows how long it'll take to find it—maybe until the Year of the Monkey." After all, Grandmaster was only a Soul Grandmaster. Asking him to look alone really was a bit much.

Flender didn't say anything in response.

He simply smiled and patted Yu Xiaogang on the shoulder, giving him a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. Since you called me, leave everything to me."

"Just like before, I'll handle the scouting..." Flender looked proud as he spoke. This was his specialty, after all.

He might not be much good at fighting, but when it came to scouting, Flender would guarantee that no one at the Soul Saint rank could outdo him.

Not even a Soul Douluo!

"Good. I believe in you." Grandmaster felt a wave of emotion at that, and couldn't help recalling the days of the Golden Triangle.

Those days...

While the two were still talking, a knock suddenly came from outside the door.

A moment later, Tang San pushed the door open and entered.

"Teacher, who is this?"

"San, you came at just the right time. This is my friend, Principal Flender." Grandmaster deliberately emphasized the word "Principal."

His intention was obvious: he was laying the groundwork for San's future.

"Good to meet you, Principal Flender." Though Tang San had no idea what was going on, he still greeted him politely.

Flender smiled and nodded in return.

"So you're Xiaogang's disciple. You're quite... auspicious-looking." Flender had originally wanted to say "handsome," but after seeing Tang San's dark, soot-covered appearance, he ultimately changed his wording.

Still, you couldn't blame Tang San. He'd been working the forge since childhood, so it was only natural for him to be a little dark.

Grandmaster watched the scene with a smile. The time seemed right, so he stepped forward and introduced the two of them to each other.

After they'd gotten to know each other a little,

Tang San's eyes shone especially brightly as he looked at Flender. His teacher actually had connections with someone this amazing—it was such a delightful surprise!

"All right, San. Go let Du Hao know that we're preparing to hunt a Soul Beast tomorrow. Tell him to get ready tonight and not be late tomorrow morning."

At his teacher's instructions, Tang San immediately nodded and hurried out of the room.

Seeing this, Flender suddenly asked, "Xiaogang, your disciple absolutely has to come to my academy someday!"

With his cultivation as a Soul Saint, he'd seen Tang San's level at a glance. It would hardly make sense not to poach him for his academy.

Yu Xiaogang nodded. "That is indeed what I have in mind, but we'll have to wait until he graduates..."