"Aaaah!"
Yu Xiaogang finally could no longer bear the pain and cried out loudly!
After a long while, Ms. Su withdrew her martial soul, bringing the treatment to an end.
The exertion seemed to have taken a heavy toll on her. Her breathing was slightly labored, sweat had soaked the hair at her temples, and damp strands clung to her neck and jaw.
Lin Nuo paid no further attention to Yu Xiaogang and went straight over to Ms. Su, ready to support her with solicitous care.
Ms. Su rolled her eyes at Lin Nuo, making him awkwardly withdraw the hand he had placed on her waist.
A trace of disgust showed in Ms. Su's eyes. A mere Soul Ancestor like Lin Nuo actually thought he could take liberties with her.
Even though my soul power level isn't high, my outstanding healing abilities mean I have no shortage of suitors!
His face full of embarrassment, Lin Nuo could do nothing about Su Ya's attitude. He could only divert attention from his awkwardness by checking on Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang had no time to pay attention to them either. He kept running his hands over his own face.
The wounds on Yu Xiaogang's face had completely healed. Even when he touched them, he could not feel the slightest pain.
Unfortunately, crooked, twisted scars still remained on his face.
Lin Nuo drew closer, and the sight of Yu Xiaogang's hideous appearance sent a belated shiver of fear through him.
Yu Xiaogang won't hold this against me later, will he?
Lin Nuo knew Yu Xiaogang very well, so it was hardly strange for him to have that thought.
Feeling the scars on his face, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly took a mirror out of his Space Soul Tool.
He wanted to see what he looked like now.
The present Yu Xiaogang was a far cry from his former self. Before, he had possessed an air of refined elegance, his whole bearing steeped in scholarly grace. Now, scars twisted his features, and an oppressive viciousness radiated from him.
Crack!
The mirror slipped limply from Yu Xiaogang's hand and fell straight to the floor, shattering.
"This isn't me. How could I look like this ghastly thing!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes were vacant, and even his voice had little strength left.
"Xiaogang, there are plenty of healing Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent. You may yet find someone who can cure you," Lin Nuo stepped forward and consoled him.
After speaking, he also shot Su Ya a meaningful look, hoping she might have a good idea.
Su Ya felt utterly helpless. After spending so long treating him, she still could not rest.
But when she remembered Lin Nuo's promise to help her obtain her fourth Soul Ring in the future, she could only help calm Yu Xiaogang down.
"Dean Lin is right. There's a martial soul in the Soul Master World called Nine Heart Begonia. They say it can bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on bare bones. Perhaps it could heal the scars on Mr. Yu's face," Su Ya said offhandedly.
The person most excited by this news was not Yu Xiaogang, but Lin Nuo.
"Xiaogang, did you hear that? There's still a way to restore your face. How can you give in to despair now!" Lin Nuo said excitedly.
Those words brought a little light back into Yu Xiaogang's vacant eyes!
"Ha ha! I knew it! I, Yu Xiaogang, am blessed with deep fortune. No matter what difficulty comes my way, I can rise to meet it and overcome it!" Yu Xiaogang laughed wildly. (In the original story, Yu Xiaogang did not know about Nine Heart Begonia until Ning Rongrong told him.)
Watching the two of them sing the same tune, Su Ya was utterly speechless. She distinctly remembered saying it was only possible, so why were they acting as though it was already nailed down?
She had no other thoughts now. She only wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Then she said, "Dean Lin, since everything is settled, I'll take my leave."
Lin Nuo came to his senses and smiled ingratiatingly. "Ms. Su, let me see you out!"
Lin Nuo stopped after escorting Su Ya out of Nuoding Academy. Watching her retreating figure, he secretly swallowed.
Su Ya was a woman every man in Nuoding City wanted.
Only after Su Ya's figure vanished from sight did Lin Nuo slowly collect himself.
His expression gradually darkened. The trouble Yu Xiaogang had stirred up this time had cost him dearly. He had to find an opportunity to squeeze a hefty sum out of Yu Xiaogang.
Having known Yu Xiaogang for so many years, Lin Nuo knew exactly what treasures he possessed.
After pondering for a long time, inspiration flashed through Lin Nuo's mind, and an idea suddenly sprang up.
"Heh heh," Lin Nuo chuckled. He already knew what he was going to do.
He then returned to the office.
Yu Xiaogang was still in the office, congratulating himself on his good fortune.
Lin Nuo walked up beside Yu Xiaogang and asked tentatively, "Xiaogang, Ms. Su healed your injuries. What do you think would make a suitable payment?"
Yu Xiaogang, who had been in high spirits, immediately grew displeased upon hearing this.
Treating someone as noble as me is an opportunity I'm giving her. What more payment could she possibly want? Yu Xiaogang grumbled inwardly.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes shifted with ill intent. He had never planned to pay her.
One look at Yu Xiaogang's expression told Lin Nuo that he intended to dodge the debt.
But he already had a way to deal with that!
"Xiaogang, you don't understand! This Ms. Su isn't someone to trifle with. If you don't pay her, you'll be inviting trouble," Lin Nuo said, feigning panic.
Seeing Lin Nuo's flustered appearance only deepened Yu Xiaogang's contempt for him.
"What trouble is there to fear? Given my status, even if I offered her payment, she wouldn't dare accept it," Yu Xiaogang said coldly.
"Xiaogang, of course I know your status is noble, but Ms. Su is extremely popular in Nuoding City. If she spreads word of this, it won't do your reputation as the continent's foremost theoretical Grandmaster any good," Lin Nuo hurriedly explained.
Lin Nuo's opening words flattered Yu Xiaogang to the skies.
Delighted, he hurriedly said, "Exactly! Exactly!"
But the rest of Lin Nuo's words made Yu Xiaogang's expression change.
Lin Nuo had anticipated that change. He had long known that Yu Xiaogang placed great importance on his reputation and loved being flattered.
Lin Nuo had guessed correctly. In Yu Xiaogang's heart, his reputation stood above everything, above his sect and even his life!
Yu Xiaogang fell silent for a while, seemingly torn.
After a long moment, Yu Xiaogang asked carefully, "Then tell me, what sort of payment should I give?"
Seeing Yu Xiaogang like this, Lin Nuo knew he had a chance.
So he continued to flatter him toward his downfall.
"Xiaogang, not to criticize you, but isn't the payment entirely up to you?"
"But if you give too little, what will people think of you? You should know that the last time Ms. Su cured the lord of Nuoding City's persistent illness, he gave her a storage bracelet with three cubic meters of space."
"As the dignified foremost theoretical Grandmaster of the Douluo Continent, surely what you give won't fall short of a mere city lord's gift?"
Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Lin Nuo's words left him unable to argue. He could hardly admit that he was inferior to the lord of Nuoding City.
Although Lin Nuo's combination of flattery and pressure was thoroughly clichéd, it worked astonishingly well on Yu Xiaogang.
In the end, his reputation outweighed Yu Xiaogang's petty calculations.
Yu Xiaogang took out what would one day be the Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moon Night, making Lin Nuo's eyes light up.
Could Yu Xiaogang be planning to give this to me? Lin Nuo wondered inwardly.
Before Lin Nuo could think any further, Yu Xiaogang pried four gemstones off the Twenty-Four Bridges Bright Moon Night.
He then handed the four removed gemstones to Lin Nuo.
(I changed the setting a little: each gemstone is a Space Soul Tool with one cubic meter of space.)
Before you continue