The morning sunlight slanted through the window onto the floor.
Cao De stretched lazily.
Another beautiful day.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Cao De, a new teacher is holding class today, in that square from yesterday. I won't wait for you!" Oscar's cheerful voice came from outside the door.
"Okay," Cao De answered.
He washed up and gathered his things without the slightest hurry.
By the time he reached the square, everyone was already standing in two groups.
Oscar, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tang San stood on one side.
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing stood on the other.
At the head stood someone he had not seen in quite a while-Yu Xiaogang.
"Cao De!" Yu Xiaogang barked.
"What is it?"
"Everyone else is here, and you're the last to arrive!" Yu Xiaogang pointed at Cao De angrily.
The dean of Shrek Academy was his good friend, so he had plenty of confidence now. It was nothing like his time at Nuoding Academy, where he had feared offending the dean and losing his free meals.
Here, things were different. He had someone backing him.
Even his tone grew tougher when he spoke to Cao De.
He wanted to see Cao De bow and scrape before him.
"Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, what should I do about being late, then?" Cao De asked with a half-smile.
Yu Xiaogang answered without thinking. "I'm a teacher here. Since you're so late, you deserve punishment. Here's what you'll do: kowtow and apologize to me."
"Yu Xiaogang, aren't you going too far?!" Ning Rongrong stepped ahead of Xiao Wu and was the first to shout.
Yu Xiaogang sneered. "I'm doing this for Cao De's own good. To become a powerful Soul Master, you must know when to bend and when to stand tall. Making Cao De kneel now is for his own good. If he encounters a powerful enemy later, kowtowing and admitting his mistake will be the right choice."
Yu Xiaogang had certainly put that into practice. He had survived Qian Xunji only because he knew when to bend and when to stand tall. Whatever Qian Xunji told him to do, he did. That was how he had stayed alive.
At that thought, Yu Xiaogang felt he was treating Cao De far too well, actually repaying resentment with kindness.
He really was outstanding.
"What kind of garbage argument is that? No wonder you haven't even reached level thirty! And you claim there are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters. You're the useless one!"
Ning Rongrong's little face flushed with anger, and she poured out every insult she could think of to throw at Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang hated nothing more than having people bring up his Soul Power Level. If his Martial Soul Mutation had not failed, how could he have been unable to break through?
Yu Xiaogang pointed at Ning Rongrong. "Don't think everyone will be afraid of you just because you're the princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. You're a spoiled princess, nothing but a decorative vase. You can leave the academy right now!"
"Teacher, Rongrong only said that in anger. Please don't be upset." Tang San had dark circles around his eyes and had fallen asleep standing up. Hearing his teacher scold Ning Rongrong startled him awake.
Tang San turned to give Ning Rongrong a reassuring look, then continued.
"Teacher, please calm down."
Cao De lunged forward and drove a kick straight into Yu Xiaogang's chest.
The useless Yu Xiaogang was only level twenty-nine and never exercised. He was dead weight through and through.
That kick sent Yu Xiaogang flying backward, blood spewing from his mouth. He rolled several times across the ground before collapsing unconscious.
"Cao De, you scumbag! You actually attacked a teacher, and-"
Before Tang San could finish, Cao De shot him a look, and his nerve immediately faltered.
He still could not beat the level-thirty-nine Cao De.
The Tang Sect Rules: never fight an enemy you cannot defeat. Wait until he is weakened and ambush him, or become stronger than him before tormenting him to death.
From a certain angle, Tang San's Tang Sect Rules were very much like Yu Xiaogang's principle of knowing when to bend and when to stand tall.
No wonder they had become master and disciple.
Tang San jogged over to Yu Xiaogang and began checking his injuries.
Cao De paid no attention to whether Yu Xiaogang lived or died. He walked over to Ning Rongrong and said softly, "Rongrong, it's all right now. It's all right."
It was the first time anyone had ever berated Ning Rongrong like that, and her eyes were already rimmed with red.
She had so many more insults she wanted to hurl at him, but her chest felt tight, and she could not get a single word out.
At Cao De's comforting words, the tears she had held back seemed to find an outlet and came pouring down.
Ning Rongrong threw herself into Cao De's arms and burst into sobs.
Beside them, Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks and pinched Cao De's waist to vent her displeasure.
Rongrong only got scolded to tears because she was defending Cao De. It's only natural for her to cry in his arms for a moment.
That was what Xiao Wu thought.
Watching the scene, Oscar tucked his handkerchief into his clothes and rubbed his bare chin.
He silently watched everything unfold.
"Cao De, I... I'm not... a useless vase... I really do work hard," Ning Rongrong said through her sobs.
"You're not a vase, Rongrong. You work hard. It's just that other people look at you through tinted glasses," Cao De said softly, gently stroking her back.
"I'm not a vase," Ning Rongrong repeated, choking with tears.
In the distance, Tang San ground his teeth in anger.
This is all Teacher's fault. If he hadn't scolded Rongrong, why would she be crying? Why would she be lying in Cao De's arms?
What if Rongrong starts hating me because of Teacher?
At that possibility, Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang lying on the ground and immediately released the pressure points he had sealed to suppress his pain.
He woke Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes. The stabbing pain in his chest spread through his entire body, twisting his face.
"Teacher, are you all right?" Tang San helped Yu Xiaogang up.
Crack, crack. Bones broke.
Yu Xiaogang passed out from the pain on the spot.
Tang San used silver needles to wake Yu Xiaogang again, then asked anxiously, "Teacher, are you all right?"
As he spoke, he shook Yu Xiaogang's body several times.
"Little... San... stop," Yu Xiaogang managed to force out.
Tang San kept shaking him. His already damaged breastbone snapped completely with a series of cracks.
"Teacher, what did you say?" Tang San asked urgently, his hands never stopping.
Whoosh! A rushing sound swept through the air.
Flaide descended from the sky. Tang San held Yu Xiaogang and sobbed uncontrollably, repeating, "Teacher, please be all right. Teacher, please be all right."
"Xiaogang! Xiaogang!" Flaide hurried over and examined Yu Xiaogang's injuries.
They were not life-threatening. Only then did Flaide relax.
"What happened?" Soul Power surged around Flaide.
Tang San's eyes shifted. "Dean, it was Cao De! He was late. Teacher told him to stand for a while, but he refused. Seeing that Teacher's Soul Power was low, he attacked him!"
His voice brimmed with anger as he pointed at Cao De, who was still comforting Ning Rongrong.
Hearing Cao De's name, Flaide felt a jolt of alarm.
Surely he doesn't mean Cao De, the investor?!
Flaide followed the pointing finger and saw Cao De's tall, straight back, confirming his suspicion.
What am I supposed to do now?!
Expel Cao De or punish him? Cao De is our money daddy now. I absolutely cannot offend him.
"I'll take Xiaogang for treatment first," Flaide said, preparing to fly away with Yu Xiaogang.
Just then, Yu Xiaogang slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Flaide, he immediately regained his confidence.
His good friend had arrived to back him up.
"Flade, it was Cao De! Cao De did-" Yu Xiaogang rasped, about to accuse Cao De of his crimes. Before he could finish, however, he felt a chill at his neck and passed out again.
"Xiaogang, Xiaogang! This looks serious." Flaide picked up Yu Xiaogang and flew upward.
Yu Xiaogang really is useless. What does Erlong even see in him? If it weren't for Erlong, I'd honestly like to kick you straight down from here.
Flender roared inwardly.
Yes, Yu Xiaogang had barely awakened before Flaide knocked him unconscious with his Soul Power.
Before you continue