Wild Dog Milk

Suotuo City, Flender's little shop.

Zhao Wuji had returned from the Star Dou Great Forest with Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar.

Flender was squatting by the shop entrance, holding a chipped bowl.

The bowl contained a white liquid.

Zhao Wuji leaned over for a look, and his brows immediately knitted. "Dean, what the hell is that?"

"Dog milk."

Zhao Wuji froze. "What?"

"Wild dog milk." Flender took a swig without expression. "A bitch near the forest just died. The pups were sold, so the milk couldn't go to waste."

The bowl really did contain wild dog milk.

Don't ask. If you had to ask, it was because he couldn't afford cow's milk anymore.

He had gotten it from a stray dog he had picked up by the roadside.

Tang San and the others had barely reached the entrance when they saw Flender tip his head back and gulp down some dog milk. His brows were pinched tightly enough to crush a fly, and his expression looked as though he were drinking water used to wash Luo Sanpao's asshole.

Zhao Wuji fell silent for three seconds.

"Dean, you've changed."

"I haven't changed. Poverty has made me practical."

Tang San and the others stood nearby, each wearing a different expression.

Dai Mubai looked disgusted, Ma Hongjun stifled a laugh, and Oscar stroked his beard, half of which was missing. Compared with drinking dog milk, having his beard cut off suddenly didn't seem so tragic.

Flender stood up and wiped his mouth. Just as he was about to speak, Yu Xiaogang's voice came from inside the shop.

"You're back? Come inside, all of you."

They entered the room.

Yu Xiaogang sat on a chair missing one leg, propped up with bricks. A layer of mist still clung to his glasses.

Clearly, Flender had already told him most of what had happened when Shrek was demolished.

Tang San stopped short at the sight of Yu Xiaogang.

"Teacher!"

He rushed forward and threw himself straight into Yu Xiaogang's arms.

Yu Xiaogang embraced him, his eyes visibly reddening.

"Little San!"

"Teacher!"

"Little San!"

"Teacher!"

They clung to each other, voices trembling and breaths coming in gasps. One called out, then the other answered, as though they had asthma.

Your Asthma.

They hugged tighter and tighter, their breathing growing heavier and heavier. They sounded like two asthma patients competing to see who would croak first.

"Teacher-you-why are you back-"

"Little San-I-I heard something happened to the academy-"

"Teacher-"

"Little San-"

Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar stood nearby, their expressions slowly shifting from moved to bewildered.

Ma Hongjun leaned toward Dai Mubai's ear and lowered his voice. "Boss Dai, are Grandmaster and Brother San... having an asthma attack?"

Dai Mubai immediately whacked him on the head. "Don't talk nonsense."

Flender gave a dry cough, hoping to interrupt.

Neither of them heard him.

"Teacher-"

"Little San-"

Finally, Flender could stand it no longer. He stepped forward and pulled them apart, one in each hand.

"Enough, enough! Stop wailing. Keep this up, and Dalang, who sells flatbread next door, will come over to ask whether we're holding a funeral."

Only then did Yu Xiaogang wipe the corners of his eyes, put his glasses back on, and sweep his gaze over everyone present.

Tang San stood beside him, his face full of emotion, though inwardly he felt an indescribable irritation.

Teacher was still like this. He was like this in my last life, and he's like this in this one. He hugs me the moment we meet, starts wailing the moment he hugs me, and solves absolutely nothing once he's done.

What he said aloud, however, was, "Teacher, please don't make yourself ill with anger."

Yu Xiaogang drew a deep breath and pressed one hand against the table, his gaze passing over Flender, Zhao Wuji, Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar in turn.

"I have devised three strategies."

Flender hurriedly took out paper and a pen. "Let's hear them."

"First, smear their name." Yu Xiaogang tapped the tabletop. "Use every means available to drag Dream Academy and Shi Meng's names through the mud. Send people to spread rumors and dig up his dirty secrets. Make everyone in Suotuo City see what kind of scum he is."

"Second, sever their roots. Cut off their income, intercept their prospective students, and choke off their supplies. However wealthy the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect may be, it can't withstand throwing money away every day."

"Third, cut off the head." Yu Xiaogang's voice sank. "Find an opportunity to kill Shi Meng openly in the Soul Fighting Arena, or assassinate him in secret. We needn't do it ourselves. Once the Clear Sky True Body appears, a mere twelve-year-old child will surely die."

Having finished, he looked at them with blazing eyes.

Flender frowned. The first one seemed workable, but why did the other two sound so dubious?

Dream Academy was packed with experts. Doing this would be no different from seeking death.

Tang San spoke.

"Teacher, I disagree."

Everyone turned to look at him.

Tang San's tone was calm. "I disagree with all three."

Yu Xiaogang frowned. "Little San, what did you say?"

"Smear his name?" Tang San shook his head. "Who is Shi Meng? The Holy Son of Spirit Hall and the brother of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's young lady. Leaving aside whether anyone would believe your rumors, Dream Academy has the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Spirit Hall behind it. If they trace those rumors back to Shrek, we won't even be able to hold on to what we have now."

Yu Xiaogang's lips moved, but no words came out.

"Sever their roots? Dream Academy gets its resources from two towering mountains: the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Spirit Hall. What could we possibly use to cut them off? Shrek can't even feed itself, and you want to cut off someone else's income?"

Flender silently put away his paper and pen, then downed the last mouthful of dog milk in his bowl.

Actually, once he got used to it, the flavor was pretty authentic.

"Cut off the head?" Tang San's tone grew even more detached. "Teacher, you said to have the Clear Sky Douluo act. Leaving aside whether my father would agree, do you think Spirit Hall wouldn't take precautions? Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, and that Snake Lance Douluo-three Titled Douluo stay by Shi Meng's side without leaving him for a moment. One against three? His old injuries haven't healed. Could he beat them?"

Yu Xiaogang's face alternated between green and white.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, but couldn't offer a single word in rebuttal.

Suddenly, Yu Xiaogang's expression changed, and he clutched his chest.

"Xiaogang? What's wrong?" Flender hurried over.

Yu Xiaogang's expression twisted. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his trembling lips squeezed out a few words. "Heart... heartburn..."

Flender blinked. "What?"

"Heartburn! It feels like a fire's burning in my stomach!"

Flender thought for a moment, looked at the empty bowl in his hand, then looked at Yu Xiaogang.

"Um... Xiaogang, did you drink some of the dog milk in my bowl earlier?"

Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth. "Didn't you say that was the last bowl?"

"It was the last bowl." Flender scratched his head. "But that dog seemed to have eaten something bad before it died. I've had heartburn for the two days I've been drinking it, too. I thought it was just my constitution..."

Yu Xiaogang's face turned from green to purple, then from purple to black. Clutching his chest, he doubled over, harsh rasping sounds rising from his throat.

Everyone stepped back half a pace in unison.

Yu Xiaogang suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot and his breath heaving like an ox's. "Flender! You've poisoned me!"