Ch. 81Tang San, Shunned and Driven Out of Notting Academy!
Chapter Summary
Key plot points and events
- After Qin Qi leaves Notting Academy, Tang San becomes a target of resentment because students and staff blame him for Qin Qi’s departure.
- Wang Sheng confronts Tang San, accusing him of betraying the people who had helped the work-study students. Another student prevents Wang Sheng from starting a fight.
- At the canteen, workers mock Tang San, and a teacher tells him the academy has no place for someone like him. Tang San angrily declares he will leave and vows to repay the humiliation.
- Tang San waits for the Dean to persuade him to stay, believing his talent will make him too valuable to lose. Director Su warns the Dean not to repeat the mistake of trusting Yu Xiaogang, and the Dean decides not to ask Tang San to remain.
- When Xiao Wu and the others return, they ridicule Tang San for still being there. He finally packs his belongings and leaves. No one helps or tries to stop him.
- Tang San heads for a large city rather than returning to his village, convinced he will find people who appreciate his abilities. A month later, the story shifts to Qin Qi, who has grown stronger and unlocked a new system function: the “Cultivation Assistant.”
Character developments
- Tang San grows increasingly resentful and isolated. He blames Qin Qi for his troubles, dismisses others as ignorant, and privately plans revenge against the academy. His confidence in his talent remains intact, despite his damaged reputation and his failure to acknowledge his own betrayal.
- Wang Sheng openly rejects Tang San, defending Qin Qi and the work-study students’ gratitude toward him.
- Director Su shows perceptive distrust of Tang San, sensing a calculating resentment that seems out of place in a child.
- The Dean initially hesitates but chooses not to retain Tang San after Director Su’s warning.
- Qin Qi is absent from the main events but remains influential; his reputation at the academy contrasts with Tang San’s. The closing scene signals his continued progress.
Character interactions
- Wang Sheng confronts Tang San, but another work-study student restrains him to protect his impending graduation.
- Canteen workers use sarcasm to criticize Tang San’s treatment of Qin Qi and his alleged false accusations.
- A teacher reinforces the academy’s rejection of Tang San, while Director Su persuades the Dean not to plead with him to stay.
- Xiao Wu and the dormitory students mock Tang San’s empty threats and watch him leave without offering help.
Significant themes
- Consequences and reputation: Tang San’s actions alienate students, staff, and teachers, leaving him socially isolated.
- Pride and self-deception: He sees himself as a wronged genius and blames others, ignoring the contradiction between his claimed Tang Sect loyalty and his theft of its methods.
- Loyalty and gratitude: Wang Sheng and the work-study students remember Qin Qi’s support, while Tang San is condemned for appearing ungrateful.
- Departure and contrast: Tang San leaves in bitterness, while Qin Qi’s later progress suggests their paths are moving in opposite directions.