Conning Each Other, Yet Tang San Seemed to Take It Seriously

"That makes sense! Perfect sense!"

At some point, Ao Yin had already pulled up his pants. Standing behind Tang San, he suddenly loudly praised Yu Xiaogang without holding back.

Tang San, already deeply focused, startled so badly that his whole body jolted.

"Aish, Ao Yin, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Ao Yin scratched his head with a grin. "Listening to Master speak was better than listening to him speak..."

"But let me interrupt for a moment. I want to go a little deeper in. Could you step aside?"

Having just finished taking a dump, he felt refreshed and clear-headed. It was time to get on with proper business; he had not come here to listen to Yu Xiaogang lecture like some grand master.

Yet Yu Xiaogang showed no intention of moving aside. He said bluntly, "Little Ao, your martial soul, the Coiling Dragon Staff, is exceedingly rare. Finding a soul ring suited to you will not be easy!"

"The best choice would be... dragon-type soul beasts. But... dragon-type soul beasts in nature have nearly gone extinct. Even draconic soul beasts are extremely difficult to find!"

Ao Yin was somewhat surprised. What bad idea is Yu Xiaogang cooking up now? He's actually offering me advice on his own?

"Cut the useless crap. I'm not becoming your disciple."

Yet Ao Yin still ended the conversation with a single sentence.

He had already known all that. Earlier, he had even received a reward—a clue that a draconic soul beast, the Fire Glass Vine Serpent, could be found in the Hunting Soul Forest!

But a soul beast of that level was simply beyond what Ao Yin could touch at present. Yu Xiaogang's words meant less than a fart to him.

Ao Yin remembered that if they went a little deeper from here, they should encounter a Datura Snake.

If nothing unexpected happened, that Datura Snake should become Tang San's first soul ring.

Steal it!

He had to steal it!

Ao Yin chuckled. "Master, I can't coil around dragons, so I'll go coil around some snakes instead..."

Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang raised a brow and smiled. "So Little Ao wants to hunt a snake-type soul beast?"

"That's right. Before coming here, I already sent people to scout the area. Draconic soul beasts have practically disappeared from the Hunting Soul Forest. Snake-type soul beasts truly are the best choice for your first soul ring!"

"Little Ao, before coming here, I discovered traces of a 422-year-old Datura Snake active within this Hunting Soul Forest!"

Hmm?

Since Yu Xiaogang knew of that Datura Snake's existence, he surely knew its attributes. The one best suited to absorb it as a first soul ring was not Ao Yin, but Tang San!

So why was he generously sharing this information with him now?

Seeing Ao Yin's apparent confusion, Yu Xiaogang explained, "However, this Datura Snake is extremely fierce. You cannot kill it on your own!"

"If you are willing, I can help you kill it and let it become your first soul ring!"

Cooperation?

Would Yu Xiaogang really be this kind-hearted?

Ao Yin smiled faintly. "May I ask what Master's condition is?"

"Little Ao, you know that I have always wanted you to become my student!"

Hearing that, Ao Yin hesitated slightly. After a long while, he took a deep breath and reluctantly said, "Fine! For the sake of my first soul ring, I'll agree after this is done!"

"Hahahaha!"

Yu Xiaogang laughed heartily, as though a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Teacher! You..."

But Tang San, standing nearby, looked as sickened as if he had eaten fly-ridden shit. Just as he was about to question his teacher, Yu Xiaogang quietly pressed down on his shoulder.

In a low snort only Tang San could hear, he said, "Shut up. I'm doing this for your sake!"

"For my sake?"

He and Ao Yin were sworn enemies, yet his teacher insisted on taking him as a student and even claimed it was for Tang San's benefit? Tang San could not make sense of it no matter how hard he thought!

Afraid Tang San would ruin things, Yu Xiaogang murmured, "That Datura Snake possesses both toughness and venom. It is most suitable as your first soul ring!"

"Mine?"

Tang San swallowed hard, but his teacher had clearly just said it would become Ao Yin's first soul ring!

"Silly child, do you think I cannot see that this boy has no intention of becoming my disciple? The reason I said that was merely to have him charge ahead for you!"

Cannon fodder!

The term instantly surfaced in Tang San's mind, making his heart tremble.

Ao Yin was indeed quite strong. Was his teacher planning to use him as cannon fodder?

On the surface, he would claim to lend a hand, but in the end, he would only protect himself. Once Ao Yin and the Datura Snake fought until both were badly injured, Tang San would be sent in to act!

"Brilliant!"

Tang San could not help but admire his teacher. This was truly ruthless!

"Fine! Since Teacher has spoken, Ao Yin, let's shake hands and make peace!"

Tang San immediately put on a magnanimous expression and proactively extended his left hand, hoping to ease relations with Ao Yin.

"Hypocrite!"

Ao Yin glanced at Tang San's other hand, his right hand still wrapped in bandages, then sneered and ignored him outright.

"Let's go!"

Ao Yin took the lead, still looking as though he had been kept in the dark and was anxious to hurry on.

Yu Xiaogang shot Tang San a warning look. "A small lack of patience ruins great plans!"

Tang San took a deep breath, slowly withdrew his left hand, and gritted out, "Yes, Teacher!"

Once he absorbed his first soul ring, he would definitely tear Ao Yin's foul mouth apart!

Up ahead, Ao Yin slightly turned his head, the corners of his lips curling upward. "Who's plotting against whom is still hard to say!"

Was a 422-year-old Datura Snake really that impressive?

With a single blow of Myriad-Jun Strength, Ao Yin could smash it dead!

Since Yu Xiaogang was narrow-minded and wanted to use him as cannon fodder, he had to hold back a little and play properly with this master and disciple pair!

The three traveled together, and an hour later.

"Ah! Looks like there's no need to search for any Datura Snake. I've found my first soul ring!" Ao Yin suddenly cried out in surprise.

Yu Xiaogang and Tang San both frowned slightly. "What happened?"

The two looked toward where Ao Yin stood and saw that he truly looked as though he had found some priceless treasure.

Yu Xiaogang focused his gaze and saw a Lone Bamboo growing there, tall and thriving.

Ao Yin said excitedly, "Master, my martial soul is the Coiling Dragon Staff. This Lone Bamboo definitely isn't worse than that Datura Snake as my first soul ring, right?"

Tang San frowned beside him. "Is this Lone Bamboo really that good? Good enough for that bastard Ao Yin to give up the Datura Snake?"

"Ahem, ahem!"

Yu Xiaogang hurried over, examined it, and commented, "This is a ten-year Lone Bamboo. Its defining trait is toughness. It can greatly strengthen the toughness and defensive power of a martial soul!"

Toughness?

Wasn't that precisely the first trait Blue Silver Grass needed?

Tang San swallowed, somewhat tempted.

Afraid that Ao Yin would regret it, Yu Xiaogang quickly said, "This ten-year Lone Bamboo is completely unsuitable for the Coiling Dragon Staff. It's much more suited to Little San's Blue Silver Grass!"

"Little San, wouldn't you agree?"

Seeing his teacher recommend it with such a serious expression, Tang San could not tell whether he was being fooled or whether that was truly the case.

He asked doubtfully, "Teacher, isn't the cultivation age of this ten-year Lone Bamboo too low?"

"Hm?"

Yu Xiaogang had not expected Tang San to not only fail to play along, but to ask in such earnest seriousness.

But he could not worry about that now. He first had to fool Ao Yin properly.

He immediately said in a solemn tone, "Little San, soul ring traits and quality come first. The age limit is not the most important thing!"

"Besides, your Blue Silver Grass is soft and weak. After absorbing it, its vines will become harder and tougher, making it much more difficult for enemies to break free from their bindings!"

"It suits your Blue Silver Grass perfectly!"

Yu Xiaogang spoke with great fluency, yet every word struck straight at Tang San's heart. Put that way, the ten-year Lone Bamboo truly was very suitable as Blue Silver Grass's first soul ring.

However, Ao Yin remained unmoved and refused to yield. "Master, don't try to fool me. This bamboo is big and straight. If I use it as my Coiling Dragon Staff's first soul ring, it'll definitely make my weapon a lot bigger!"

"Ignorant fool! Coiling Dragon, Coiling Dragon—what coils around a staff is naturally best as a dragon! Dragons and snakes are one family, so snakes are what suit you best. This doesn't suit you!"

"No! I want this one!"

"No! Listen to your master. I won't harm you!"

"Give it to me!"

"No!"

The two argued back and forth, actually clutching a ten-year Lone Bamboo as they wrestled over it.

Tang San stared dumbfounded from the side. "Neither of them is willing to back down? Could this ten-year Lone Bamboo really be that good?"

Ao Yin was the sort who would never act without profit and would not suffer even the slightest loss, while Master was an invincible authority in martial soul theory.

"Ten thousand Copper Soul Coins!

"If you give up this ten-year Lone Bamboo and let Tang San have it, I will not only help you hunt the Datura Snake, but also compensate you with ten thousand Copper Soul Coins!"

Yu Xiaogang panted heavily before finally compromising helplessly and resorting to the power of money.

He had no choice. That Datura Snake was over four hundred years old, and he could not handle it alone. Yet he did not want Tang San to miss such a good opportunity, so he could only use money and deception together to trick Ao Yin into helping hunt it!

"Ten thousand Copper Soul Coins?"

Ao Yin and Tang San were both stunned.

Of course, Ao Yin was only pretending. Tang San had never seen that much money before, so he was genuinely shocked!

His heart trembled as he thought, Teacher is serious! This ten-year Lone Bamboo is definitely a rare treasure!

He was just about to ask Grandmaster for clarification.

Suddenly!

Hiss—hiss—

An ear-piercing hiss rang out from behind them.

Yu Xiaogang and Ao Yin, who had just been wrestling over the ten-year Lone Bamboo, turned around at the same time.

"Datura Snake!"

Yu Xiaogang's scalp went numb, while Ao Yin's eyes lit up!