Gangzi Looking for a Beating

Lin Chen leaned back slightly against his chair. "I didn't say a single word. Why do you think I had other thoughts?"

Yu Xiaogang said calmly, "Your expression explained everything."

"As expected of Grandmaster. You can read someone's inner thoughts just from their expression. Why don't you take another look at what I'm thinking right now?"

Lin Chen wore a smile, but there was a distinct note of sarcasm in his voice.

"Lin Chen!"

Before Yu Xiaogang could speak, Tang San could no longer hold himself back.

He would not allow anyone to disrespect his teacher, even if his teacher had told him to get along with Lin Chen.

If a teammate had no respect for his teacher, then he could do without that teammate.

"Little San, as an academic researcher, it is perfectly normal for me to face doubts. You needn't take it to heart."

With that, Yu Xiaogang looked back at Lin Chen.

"You needn't be so sarcastic either. If you have any thoughts, say them openly. We can discuss them."

Lin Chen nodded inwardly.

At this moment, Yu Xiaogang did indeed possess a little of an academic researcher's bearing.

No wonder he had managed to fool so many people.

If Lin Chen had not read the original novel and known how unreliable those theories were, he might really have believed the man was a master with genuine talent and knowledge.

Lin Chen said, "I only have one question."

"Since you began cultivating, how many resources have you consumed in total? And how many of those could the families of the people present afford?"

Yu Xiaogang's expression immediately froze.

He was not afraid of discussing theories with Lin Chen. After all, Lin Chen was merely a child from a commoner family. How much could he possibly know about Spirit Masters?

Yu Xiaogang had read through the collections of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and Spirit Hall. How could Lin Chen's knowledge compare to his?

But he had never expected Lin Chen not to discuss theory at all, instead striking directly at the heart of how he had managed to cultivate to level twenty-nine.

Since beginning his cultivation, he had indeed consumed many extremely valuable resources.

Some had been given by his father, some by Bibi Dong. None were things ordinary families could afford, and none could possibly be widely applied.

Everyone turned to look at Yu Xiaogang. Seeing that he remained silent for so long, even the dullest among them realized there was a problem.

Disappointment. Unparalleled disappointment.

They had truly thought there was some way to help a bunch of worthless people like them turn things around and rise to prominence. So it was just resources piled up on top of them.

If their families had those conditions, would they still need to attend Notting Academy?

Tang San looked at his teacher with tightly furrowed brows.

Lin Chen had rendered his teacher speechless with just a casual question. It truly overturned his understanding of the word "Grandmaster."

Even if a Grandmaster lacked real talent and knowledge, shouldn't he at least be a master of talking?

How had it become this...

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath. "If breaking the shackles of talent were truly so simple, Titled Douluo would already be everywhere."

"My original intention was only to encourage everyone and hope they would not give up on themselves."

"Now that you have disrupted things like this, all my painstaking efforts have gone to waste. You are cutting off their hope."

Having slapped that label on him, Yu Xiaogang could not help shaking his head.

He swept his gaze over everyone below, and a trace of pity appeared on his face, as though he were looking at a group of people about to die.

Lin Chen laughed, so angry that he laughed.

This guy's mind did turn rather quickly. In an instant, he had forcibly shifted the blame for his own problem onto Lin Chen.

But...

"I didn't question you at first precisely because what you said did have a great encouraging effect on them."

"But why did you insist on bringing trouble upon yourself?"

"Were you deliberately targeting me, or did you simply lack sufficient confidence in what you yourself said?"

Yu Xiaogang: "..."

Damn it, how did this little brat's mind work so fast?

Wasn't he a commoner?

Wasn't he an orphan with no father or mother?

"Enough."

Yu Xiaogang was about to say something when Lin Chen raised a hand and interrupted him.

"Grandmaster, I suggest you just teach according to the textbook. You should know perfectly well how much value your own stuff has."

Yu Xiaogang's gaze instantly turned sharp.

He could tolerate people questioning his strength, and he could even tolerate people questioning his character. The one thing he could not tolerate was anyone questioning his theories.

"Are you questioning my theories?"

Yu Xiaogang stared at Lin Chen. His voice was low, his eyes icy, as though he would immediately bite if Lin Chen dared say yes.

At those words, everyone turned to look at Lin Chen.

As the two spoke, everyone's gazes kept shifting between them, as though they were watching a turn-based spirit battle.

Lin Chen said helplessly, "Can't you just teach properly?"

"The reason textbooks are called textbooks is because they are broadly applicable. They contain beginner knowledge best suited to all Spirit Masters."

"If your theories were useful, why aren't they in the textbooks?"

"If your theories were useful, why would you be at Notting Academy instead of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy or Spirit Hall Academy?"

"Don't tell me they simply failed to recognize your talent."

"A true Grandmaster is never buried. The only people who get buried are those who are good at nothing yet insist on calling themselves invincible."

Hearing this, everyone could not help widening their eyes.

Good grief, he really dared to say it.

But honestly, what he said seemed to make a lot of sense.

If Grandmaster were truly that capable, he would not be staying in a place like Notting Academy. A high-level Spirit Master academy would have recruited him long ago.

"Presumptuous!"

Yu Xiaogang slammed his palm onto the lectern. Accompanied by a dull boom and an enraged shout, a faint ripple of soul power suddenly spread through the classroom.

"I spent most of my life researching these achievements. What gives you the right to question them?"

"You are nothing but a commoner from the countryside. You have only been a Spirit Master for a few days. What qualifications do you have to question me?"

"Do you know what an insult your behavior is to an academic researcher?"

Yu Xiaogang's hysterical questioning echoed through the entire school building, making the teachers in other classrooms pause their lessons without realizing it.

However, they quickly resumed.

Lin Chen spread his hands. "Wasn't this you insisting on looking for trouble?"

"And didn't you just say so yourself?"

"As an academic researcher, being questioned is perfectly normal."

"So why has it become an insult now?"

"A true master of theory would never lose his composure over a few words from an insignificant nobody like me. They probably would not even bother responding to me."

"Lies never hurt people. The truth is the sharp blade. Only certain fame-chasing frauds would lose their composure over a few words from an insignificant nobody."

The four words "fame-chasing fraud" were like a sharp knife plunging viciously into Yu Xiaogang's heart, sending his blood surging upward.

His neck, cheeks, and pupils were all instantly stained red.

With a scarlet face, Yu Xiaogang pointed at Lin Chen as he panted like a bull. His body and arm trembled uncontrollably from sheer fury.

He opened his mouth several times, yet could not force out even a single word.