Ganzi's Devious Scheme

Lin Nuo hurriedly took the gems from Yu Xiaogang, afraid he might change his mind.

Seeing Lin Nuo's frantic haste, Yu Xiaogang said disdainfully:

"Each of these four gems holds one cubic meter, for four cubic meters in total. They're far better than that storage bracelet!"

Lin Nuo was utterly speechless. He had never imagined Yu Xiaogang would be so stingy as to hold back four gems from such a fine treasure.

Seeing Yu Xiaogang's pained expression as he pretended to be generous made him want to laugh. He had already paid the fee anyway, so these four gems now belonged to him alone.

As for the storage bracelet supposedly given to him by Nuoding City's lord, Lin Nuo had simply made that up. It was an ordinary bracelet inlaid with gems and had no other functions.

Lin Nuo did not know whether to laugh at Yu Xiaogang for knowing nothing of life's hardships. Did he really think some minor city lord could own a Space Soul Tool, much less give one away?

Although Lin Nuo lusted after Su Ya, using a treasure like this to win her favor was absolutely out of the question.

Forget one Su Ya-even for ten Su Yas, Lin Nuo would not hesitate for a second. Even if she had diamonds embedded down there, he would not trade it!

Having handed over the treasure while his scars remained, Yu Xiaogang felt rather aggrieved and prepared to leave.

As for finding a Nine Heart Begonia to remove his scars, there was nothing he could do now. He would have to return and ask his "father" for help later.

However, fearing criticism from the sect, Yu Xiaogang intended to make some progress with Li Mingzhu before returning. The Nine Heart Begonia was somewhere on the Douluo Continent anyway. With his father's strength as a "Titled Douluo," treating his face would be a trivial matter.

"Lin Nuo, the treatment just now was terribly painful. I'll head back and rest."

With that, Yu Xiaogang left.

Watching Yu Xiaogang leave, Lin Nuo finally breathed a sigh of relief. The treasure truly belonged to him now.

As for the pain Yu Xiaogang had mentioned, he knew about that too.

When Su Ya had treated Yu Xiaogang earlier, she had only used her first and third Soul Skills. He did not know why Su Ya disliked Yu Xiaogang enough to deny him her second Soul Skill, Pain-Relief Light.

But he was quite happy to watch Yu Xiaogang suffer a little.

At that moment, Li Mingzhu was diligently cultivating in his room, unaware that Ganzi had already become Scarface.

After returning, Yu Xiaogang thought it over and decided that his current appearance was unfit to be seen. He therefore found a mask and put it on.

It had to be said that Yu Xiaogang had an excellent mindset. A moment ago, he had been threatening to kill himself; now he was full of vigor.

Sitting in his room, Yu Xiaogang looked up at the ceiling, feeling utterly lost.

He kept muttering Li Mingzhu's name!

He needed Li Mingzhu, but Li Mingzhu refused to cooperate. The problem was that he had no way to force him.

He lacked strength now, and his background was of no use either. Li Mingzhu would yield to neither the carrot nor the stick, leaving him helpless.

The more Yu Xiaogang thought about it, the angrier he became, yet he could not come up with a solution anytime soon.

"Can I, Yu Xiaogang, really not handle a mud-legged peasant?" Yu Xiaogang mocked himself.

With that, he angrily kicked everything off the bedside table.

With a clatter, the objects scattered across the floor.

Yu Xiaogang craned his neck to look and discovered an information sheet on the floor. It was none other than Li Mingzhu's Information Sheet.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yu Xiaogang caught sight of Li Mingzhu's background details, so he picked the sheet up and examined it carefully.

The information on the sheet seemed to spark an idea in Yu Xiaogang's mind, making the hands holding it tremble slightly.

"Li Mingzhu, oh, Li Mingzhu. I've finally found a way to deal with you," Yu Xiaogang said excitedly.

"But this method is too extreme. It could easily make Li Mingzhu hate me, and Lin Nuo isn't a lamp that burns little oil either. It seems I'll need another method to go along with it," Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself.

"Achoo! Achoo!"

In the middle of cultivating, Li Mingzhu sneezed several times in succession. He raised a hand to rub the tip of his nose, feeling a faint chill down his back.

"What's going on? Even my meditation got interrupted by sneezing. I have a bad feeling about this." Li Mingzhu rolled his neck and shrugged.

Li Mingzhu found it strange too. In theory, once someone became a Soul Master, they should no longer suffer from illnesses.

Li Mingzhu tentatively touched his chin with his left hand.

He pondered that he had been away for quite a while now, but had not provoked any enemies.

Elsewhere.

"Xiaogang, I told you-as long as you can make him obey, I won't interfere with anything!"

"Remember what you said. Once this is done, I can ask Flender in Suotuo City to help hunt down your fifth Soul Ring."

"You mean... that Four-Eyed Cat Owl?"

Early the next morning, Yu Xiaogang had pestered Lin Nuo with threats and inducements, demanding a definite answer.

Lin Nuo had already set a price on Li Mingzhu in his mind. As long as he did not act personally or make the other party hold a grudge against him, that was enough.

Besides, he was neither family nor friend to Li Mingzhu. Why should he offend Yu Xiaogang for him? He had already made all the investments he ought to make!

Learning of the change in Lin Nuo's attitude, Yu Xiaogang was quite satisfied.

After all, now he only needed to target Li Mingzhu.

"Heh heh!"

Ganzi's mood immediately brightened, as though he could already see the moment his plan succeeded.

Over the past few days, he had also figured out Li Mingzhu's schedule: the Library in the morning, cultivation at his residence in the afternoon.

Guessing that Li Mingzhu was at the Library now, Yu Xiaogang did not hesitate and headed straight there at a brisk pace.

"Keh, keh!" Ganzi seemed to see Li Mingzhu's yielding expression already, and laughed as he walked.

At that moment, Li Mingzhu really was in the Library, examining various Soul Beast illustrated guides.

He gently closed the last book and let out a soft sigh.

"Ah! Most of the Soul Beasts recorded at Nuoding Academy are simply too ordinary. Never mind super Soul Beasts like the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear and Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff-why aren't there even high-grade Soul Beasts like the Diamond Bear?" (The earlier Sun Man-Eating Flower account was more like a legend.)

"It seems I won't need to come to the Library anymore." Li Mingzhu shook his head and murmured to himself.

He had just returned the books and was preparing to head back when he encountered Yu Xiaogang coming toward him.

Li Mingzhu's brows furrowed slightly. Just seeing Yu Xiaogang annoyed him now.

He could not even be bothered to care about his strange getup.

He therefore shifted to the side, intending to walk straight past him.

How could Yu Xiaogang, still some distance away, let Li Mingzhu leave so easily? He ran a few steps and planted himself directly in front of Li Mingzhu.

With the mask in the way, Li Mingzhu did not see Yu Xiaogang's stiff, zombie-like smile.

"Student Mingzhu, we meet again! What tremendous fate has brought us together!"

Yu Xiaogang's voice carried a trace of excitement and disdain.

Li Mingzhu replied bluntly, "Ganzi, there's no fate between you and me."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Yu Xiaogang frozen in place.

Yu Xiaogang was dumbfounded. Why wasn't Li Mingzhu playing by the script? Wasn't he supposed to exchange a few more words with him?

Yu Xiaogang hurried after him and launched into his first ploy, regardless of whether Li Mingzhu was listening.

"Student Mingzhu, Nuoding Academy is so small. You'll have to leave eventually. The very best academies have restrictions on Martial Souls and status."

"Would you like me to recommend a top academy to you?"