Yu Xiaogang Mocked by the Entire Academy

Time flew like an arrow, and the years raced by like a shuttle!

In the blink of an eye, the beginning of the next month had arrived.

After several days of running himself ragged like a beast of burden, Tang San finally hauled Yu Xiaogang's four-wheeled cart back to Nuoding City.

The moment they reached the city gate, Yu Xiaogang sprang up from the cart.

"????"

Hidden in the shadows, Tang Hao gripped the handle of his Clear Sky Hammer.

If Tang San and Yu Xiaogang had not been inseparable these past few days, he would never have stood by while Yu Xiaogang treated his son like this!

"Teacher, have you recovered?"

Tang San was covered in travel dust. The fabric at his shoulders had worn thin, and a hole had been rubbed through one of his soles.

"Not yet... I... I've just been sitting for too long. I couldn't bear to stay seated any longer."

Yu Xiaogang gave an awkward smile as he explained.

In truth, he was afraid of running into someone he knew in Nuoding City.

If someone saw that he had taken his disciple out Soul Hunting, only to end up in a Wheelchair, wouldn't they laugh themselves to death?

To preserve his dignity as the Soul Master World's master of theory, he forced himself to stand through sheer willpower.

"Little San, my legs have had plenty of time to recover!"

"As for this four-wheeled cart... throw it away."

The first thing Yu Xiaogang did after standing up was tell Tang San to get rid of the crude cart.

"Teacher, this cart has been with us for so long. What if you need it later—"

"Ah, Little San, you must learn to correct this flaw of yours: you grow far too attached!"

Yu Xiaogang sighed serenely and passed on his wisdom. "This cart may have helped me before, but now that it's useless, it should be thrown away!"

Tang San froze, silently engraving those words in his heart.

He must never forget his teacher's earnest guidance!

"By the way, what time is it?"

Yu Xiaogang suddenly asked.

The time?

Tang San looked up at the sun. "I'd say it's just entered Si Hour."

"Around Si Hour. That means the students are still in class."

"If we're careful, the other teachers and students shouldn't notice us."

Yu Xiaogang's heart settled at once. "Then let's return to Nouding Academy."

Tang San tossed the cart aside and took Yu Xiaogang back, half carrying and half supporting him.

"Oh, one more thing!"

"That Xu Yuan you mentioned—I'm very interested in his Martial Soul. Bring him to see me later!"

"If he's willing to offer up his Martial Soul as material for my research, I wouldn't mind giving him some pointers."

Yu Xiaogang spoke with lofty arrogance, as though this were only natural.

When the Dean of Nouding Academy had first broken through to level forty as a Soul Ancestor, he had struggled to find a suitable Soul Ring.

In the end, he had met Yu Xiaogang at Nuoding Restaurant. Yu Xiaogang had barely lifted a finger before the problem was solved.

Ever since, the headmaster had made him a guest advisor of the academy and had even been willing to befriend him.

Of course, that was only a temporary arrangement!

Who was he, Yu Xiaogang?

He was the son of the Titled Douluo who led the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and a master of theory renowned throughout the Soul Master World!

In his youth, he had stood shoulder to shoulder with Flender and Liu Erlong.

The three of them had joined forces and roamed the continent for years without ever meeting their match!

What right did a mere level-forty-two Soul Ancestor have to call himself his friend?

"Don't worry, Teacher. I'll pass your words on to Xu Yuan!"

Tang San saw nothing wrong with what Yu Xiaogang had said.

After all, even the level-forty-two Soul Ancestor who headed the academy needed his teacher's guidance!

Now his teacher was willing to guide a level-ten Soul Master in cultivation. That was a blessing Xu Yuan must have earned over three lifetimes!

The two chatted as they walked to Nouding Academy.

"Well, well, Grandmaster! You're finally back!"

"I've been waiting here so long the flowers were about to wilt."

The academy gatekeeper came out to open the gate for them.

He recognized both men at a glance.

"Let's go, Little San."

Yu Xiaogang's face darkened. He had no desire to deal with the gatekeeper.

Once Yu Xiaogang and Tang San had gone, the gatekeeper could not help sneering. "Pah! What kind of lousy Soul Grandmaster is he?"

"He even dares call himself unbeatable in theory. Just like everyone says, he's a good-for-nothing who lives off the academy."

Word that Yu Xiaogang had taken his disciple Soul Hunting and then vanished for a month had spread throughout Nouding Academy.

Yu Xiaogang was a good-for-nothing who lived off the academy!

At first, everyone had only speculated and joked about it. Now they realized he truly was useless!

A level-twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster had taken his disciple to the Soul Hunting Forest to hunt Soul Beasts, yet somehow managed to disappear for over a month?

The Work-Study Students had even praised Wang Sheng of Dorm Seven as "the smartest prophet in the entire academy"!

Not a word of what he had said in the Cafeteria had been wrong.

Tang San, on the other hand, had spurned his good intentions, mistaking kindness for an insult!

Now karma had come knocking!

They had come to grief in the Soul Hunting Forest, hadn't they?

The gatekeeper was far away, but Yu Xiaogang was still a Soul Master. How could he fail to hear him?

"Teacher, I..."

"Ah! Little San, remember this: don't be rash! Don't get angry! Anger dulls your wits!"

Yu Xiaogang pressed a hand to Tang San's shoulder and spoke as though he alone were sober while the whole world was drunk.

"Teacher, you're so wise!"

Tang San praised him from the bottom of his heart.

"Heh..."

Yu Xiaogang smiled and urged Tang San to take him away quickly.

All he wanted now was to get back to his room at once.

But heaven did not grant his wish!

Ring, ring, ring!

The bell marking the end of class suddenly rang.

Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened. That made no sense. There should have been at least another hour before class ended.

Students poured out of Nouding Academy's teaching building and rushed toward the Sports Field in a great tide.

Yu Xiaogang and Tang San stood right in their path. There was no avoiding them!

"Are you... Tang San?"

"Whoa, Yu Xiao... Grandmaster, Tang San—you're both alive!"

Someone suddenly shouted at Tang San.

The next instant, the entire building erupted.

"That freeloader who claims he's unbeatable in theory and his beloved disciple Tang San are back?"

"Tang San's clothes are nearly as ragged as a Nuoding City beggar's, and there's a huge hole in his shoe. Is he planning to live like a savage?"

"..."

The students of Nouding Academy clamored around them.

"Yu Xiaogang, this is outrageous! You're a Soul Grandmaster, yet you went Soul Hunting and came back in this state!"

Director Su stepped out of a classroom, brows tightly furrowed. Yu Xiaogang had clearly treated a student's life as a game!

Other people might not know whether he stood a chance against a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, but surely he knew his own limits?

"Unbeatable in theory—how fitting! Beyond theory, he's good for nothing!"

The younger teachers who had followed Director Su out could not help mocking him.

Just then, Wang Sheng emerged from the crowd.

"I warned Tang San not to take Yu Xiaogang as his teacher, but he looked down his nose at me. And now?"

Wang Sheng shook his head in disappointment and sighed.

"Xu Yuan, why do you think Tang San became his disciple? What was he hoping to gain?"

Xiao Wu, standing in the crowd, asked Xu Yuan.

"How would I know?"

Xu Yuan blinked.

He had never expected a flash from the Wish-Granting Tree to produce such an absurd outcome for Tang San.

Over the past month, he had nearly begun to suspect the two of them were dead.

"And where did Tang San's Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moonlit Night go?"

Sharp-eyed Xu Yuan suddenly spotted something amiss.

Faced with the entire academy watching and mocking him, how could Yu Xiaogang's fragile heart bear it?

His face flushed crimson, and his fingers trembled with rage.

Perhaps his usual instinct to flee had kicked in, because Yu Xiaogang tried to run again.

Unfortunately, this time his legs could barely hold him up.

Before he could take two steps, Yu Xiaogang fell to the ground.