A Warm Welcome Meets a Cold Shoulder

"Uh..."

An awkward expression appeared on Wang Sheng's face.

He had not expected Tang San to hear his low muttering so clearly.

A half-grown boy had been caught gossiping behind someone's back, and his face immediately burned with embarrassment as he gave an awkward laugh.

"Classmate Tang San, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just saying it casually..."

Tang San gave him a cold glance but did not respond.

Wang Sheng felt a chill run down his back under that gaze and instinctively looked away.

Tang San withdrew his gaze and ignored Wang Sheng no further.

His eyes returned to Xiao Wu, and the chill on his face instantly melted away, replaced by a gentle smile.

The speed with which he changed expressions caught everyone off guard, leaving them staring at one another.

"Hello, my name is Tang San. May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Xiao Wu."

That was all.

Xiao Wu had merely responded out of courtesy, her tone cool.

Otherwise, she would rather not have acknowledged this lecher who had openly looked her over with such a creepy gaze!

"Xiao Wu? What a lovely name." Tang San seemed utterly unaware of her coldness. "I'm also a work-study student from Dorm Seven."

"We'll be roommates from now on. If you need any help, just let me know!"

He took a step forward.

Xiao Wu took a step back.

Unwilling to give up, Tang San stepped forward again.

Xiao Wu frowned and took another step back.

The smile on Tang San's face froze, like basalt hardened after a volcanic eruption—pitted and uneven.

"Thank you." Xiao Wu nodded politely.

Was she polite? Very.

Was she distant? Absolutely.

After having his warm welcome met with cold indifference, Tang San did not know what to say for a moment.

No matter how he looked at it, she was the woman destined for him, the girl who had made him fall in love at first sight.

Why was she so cold?

Could it be that my smile was not sincere enough?

Tang San tried to make his smile even brighter, only for everyone in Dorm Seven to retreat more than ten steps!

"Former boss," one work-study student poked Wang Sheng, "does this guy have something wrong with his head?"

"Don't let him get polio and start biting people everywhere. It's contagious!"

Wang Sheng solemnly chimed in, "Stay away from him from now on. That smile tugging at the corners of his mouth... Tsk, I hope his brain hasn't been infected by bugs!"

But they had all overlooked one thing: Tang San, who cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Technique, had exceptionally sharp hearing!

Just now, Wang Sheng had whispered from several steps away, yet Tang San had heard every word. Now that they were only a dozen or so steps away, it made little difference!

Tang San's mouth twitched wildly, his fists clenched tightly. He wanted nothing more than to slap Wang Sheng into a pig-headed mess!

The atmosphere abruptly sank into an eerie silence...

"Alright," Ye Hua broke the silence, clapping his hands. "Come with me. I'm new here, so I'll treat everyone to a meal as a way of making friends."

"Every single one of you is coming!"

Deafening cheers immediately erupted in the dormitory!

For work-study students, simply eating their fill was a blessing. How could they dare hope to eat at a restaurant?

Now that a rich person was treating them to meat, they could not have been happier!

"Brother Ye Hua is so generous!"

"Let's go, let's go! I know a restaurant in the east of the city that makes incredible braised soul beast meat!"

"Brother Ye Hua, from now on, you're my real big brother!"

Seven or eight work-study students surged toward the door, crowding around Ye Hua as they headed out.

Xiao Wu followed at Ye Hua's side, her steps light, never once looking back.

No one called Tang San.

Not a single person!

Tang San stood where he was, watching the crowd noisily head toward the door. At last, he could no longer maintain his composed bearing.

His fingers slowly curled inside his sleeves, his nails digging into his palms and leaving bloody marks.

He, Tang San!

Innate Full Soul Power!

Successor of the Mysterious Heaven Technique!

Heir to the Tang Sect's ultimate arts!

And in the eyes of this bunch of ants, he was actually inferior to a bastard who had risen through some unknown cheating method?

Damn it!

They all deserved to die!

His gaze swept through the crowd before finally locking onto Wang Sheng, who was walking at the very end.

This was the person who had gossiped behind his back, saying he was inferior to Ye Hua!

A piece of trash who did not even qualify as a soul master dared judge him, Tang San?

His fury needed an outlet.

And Wang Sheng had happened to walk right into the line of fire.

Tang San suddenly attacked. With the movement technique propelled by the Mysterious Heaven Technique, he left an afterimage in the cramped dormitory and appeared behind Wang Sheng in an instant.

His right hand shot out, fingers curved into a claw, precisely seizing Wang Sheng's hand.

Control Crane, Capture Dragon!

Before Wang Sheng could react, a searing pain shot through his wrist.

Tang San's fingers tightened like iron pincers, twisting his wrist backward against the joint. His bones creaked with a sound that made teeth ache.

With just a little more force, Wang Sheng's wrist would be twisted apart, ending his soul master career on the spot!

"Ah—ah?"

Wang Sheng's scream had barely left his throat before it caught there.

Because another hand appeared.

That hand firmly pressed down on Tang San's forearm.

It locked the joint Tang San needed to exert force, making it impossible for his fingers to tighten any further!

Tang San's wrist felt as though it had been clamped in an iron hoop, rendering his entire arm immobile.

Ye Hua stood beside Wang Sheng, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Tang San, this is a dormitory, not your Household!"

Tang San abruptly raised his head, killing intent fully exposed in his eyes.

Ye Hua again!

That bastard again!

Was it not enough that he had made Tang San lose all face on the training ground? Now he was here to ruin his plans again?

A lowly ant who had risen through shameless cheating had stepped on Tang San's head time and again. Did he really think Tang San was made of clay?

"Ye Hua, you're courting death!"

Tang San released Wang Sheng and violently shook his right arm, knocking Ye Hua's hand away.

At the same time, he stepped forward half a pace with his left foot, twisted his waist and hips, and drove his right fist—wrapped in the inner power of the Mysterious Heaven Technique—straight at Ye Hua's face.

This punch held nothing back.

The Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record stated—

Disrespect the Tang Sect, and death shall show no mercy!

Although he did not know what method Ye Hua had used to obtain the Coiling Dragon Staff martial soul and Innate Full Soul Power, then claimed innocence while tricking him so thoroughly—

He was certain that even if Ye Hua possessed a powerful martial soul and Innate Full Soul Power, he could not possibly be Tang San's match!

What makes you think that cheating once can outweigh my decades of bitter cultivation!

My battle experience from the Tang Sect in my previous life, combined with six years of rigorous cultivation in this life—can you withstand it!

Yet in the very next second, Tang San was completely dumbfounded.

Bang!

Ye Hua's palm steadily caught Tang San's fist!

Not only did he receive the force of Tang San's years of cultivation with ease, he did so effortlessly!

Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted.

The force behind that punch was enough to shatter blue bricks into chunks.

Yet Ye Hua's palm did not move in the slightest. Even his body did not sway.

That hand was like an impregnable stone wall, impossible to shake no matter what Tang San did.

"You..."

Before Tang San could finish speaking, Ye Hua's counterattack had already arrived.

Holding Tang San's fist, he twisted sharply.

Crack!

The crisp sound of fracturing bone exploded through the dormitory!

Tang San's right forearm bent at an angle no normal human could achieve. Broken bone pierced through flesh, and blood seeped down his sleeve.

"Ah!!"

Tang San immediately let out a pig-slaughtering scream!

But before his scream could fully escape, Ye Hua's next attack had already landed.

A kick struck Tang San's left knee. Another crack of breaking bone rang out, and Tang San's left lower leg folded over as he crashed stiffly to the floor.

A broken right arm and a broken left leg.

The whole process had taken less than the blink of an eye.

The dormitory was terrifyingly silent.

Everyone was stunned.

Wang Sheng clutched his wrist, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg;

Xiao Wu's eyes were round with shock, and she had even forgotten to flick her ponytail;

The other work-study students scarcely dared breathe, as though even exhaling might earn them a savage beating from Ye Hua.

But no one pitied Tang San. He had brought this upon himself!

[ Ding, the host has successfully made Xiao Wu recognize Tang San's shamelessness once again. Salvation Value +5% ]

[ Current Salvation Value: 20%. 10% remains until the next reward ]

[ Friendly reminder: If the host causes a crack to appear in Tang San's Dao Heart, there will be a mysterious reward~~ ]

A mysterious reward?

Ye Hua curled his lip. "System, you've learned bad habits. It won't be some useless trash or a lottery chance with terrible odds, will it?"

[ No, no. It will be a physical reward, absolutely no scam, and its quality will be no lower than your Coiling Dragon Staff martial soul! ]

"Mm, with you saying that, I'm relieved."

Ye Hua looked at Tang San with a faint, ambiguous smile.

Shattering his Dao Heart?

This was really...

Too easy!

When Tang San saw the look in Ye Hua's eyes, an ominous premonition suddenly rose in his heart.