Countless question marks swirled above Li Mingzhu's head.
He desperately wanted to crack Yu Xiaogang's skull open and see what sort of paste filled it.
"Grandmaster Ganzi, I believe I told you we aren't close. You don't need to concern yourself with my affairs."
Li Mingzhu's voice was icy, carrying a chill that kept others a thousand miles away.
Yu Xiaogang ignored those words and continued introducing Shrek Academy.
"Shrek Academy was founded by an old friend of mine. It has countless high-ranking Soul Masters, and its teaching standards far surpass those of comparable academies."
Ganzi's incessant chatter grated on the ears.
Li Mingzhu couldn't stand it anymore. He waved a hand to interrupt. "Ganzi, don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. I've heard of Shrek Academy too, and it's nothing like what you're describing."
At those words, Yu Xiaogang bristled like a hedgehog and retorted, "What do you know? Shrek Academy only accepts geniuses, not trash."
"I thought you had some potential, so I was going to have that academy give you proper training."
After this performance, Li Mingzhu had figured out what Yu Xiaogang was thinking.
He merely wanted to trick Li Mingzhu into Shrek Academy, then take advantage of his isolation to twist him around his little finger.
Li Mingzhu shook his head helplessly. Ganzi really wouldn't give up until he reached the Yellow River.
Looks like I'll have to tear into him!
"Ganzi, I'll ask you a few questions. If you have good answers, why shouldn't I go?"
Li Mingzhu's words carried ill intent.
But Ganzi couldn't care less about that. He only felt that this might work.
He rubbed his hands together, his eyes lighting up. "Go ahead and ask!"
Looking at Ganzi's expression, Li Mingzhu asked sharply, "Yu Xiaogang, if Shrek Academy is as impressive as you say, does it have a Titled Douluo overseeing it, or is it located in a major city?"
"Well...?"
Yu Xiaogang was struck speechless. The sight of his flustered fury delighted Li Mingzhu.
"Yu Xiaogang, that ridiculous look on your face makes me so happy. Actually, I already know all about Shrek Academy without you telling me. I'm just toying with you!" Li Mingzhu chuckled.
"But that academy not only harbors criminals wanted by Spirit Hall, it also deceives its students. Quite a few students have died because of it."
"What exactly are you plotting by tricking me into going there, Yu Xiaogang?"
Li Mingzhu's smile faded. His words became a fierce interrogation, and the look he directed at Yu Xiaogang gradually turned vicious.
Li Mingzhu's gaze suddenly chilled, a dangerous frost surging in his eyes that sent a tremor through Yu Xiaogang's heart. Frightened, Yu Xiaogang backed away several steps, unable to meet his gaze.
Li Mingzhu advanced toward Yu Xiaogang step by step, scaring him into retreating several more paces.
Whether Li Mingzhu's presence was too overwhelming or Yu Xiaogang was simply too weak, he was so frightened that his knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.
Soul Masters with dragon-type martial souls naturally possessed an intimidating presence. Yu Xiaogang, slumped on his knees before him, had been so frightened by Li Mingzhu's aura that he had wet his pants.
"Huh?"
As Li Mingzhu slowly approached, he saw drops of liquid dripping from Yu Xiaogang's trousers.
Am I really that scary?
Li Mingzhu was rather baffled. He distinctly remembered that he hadn't even exerted any pressure, so how had Yu Xiaogang been frightened into this state?
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" Ganzi pleaded, his legs trembling.
The sight of Yu Xiaogang's face filled Li Mingzhu with amusement.
He crouched down and mocked him beside his ear. "Well, well, well. Grandmaster Ganzi, you're all grown up, so why are you still wetting your pants?"
"Did someone scare you?" With that, he burst out laughing, the very picture of someone reveling in another's misfortune.
The mocking laughter left Yu Xiaogang furious and wishing he could crawl into a hole. He refused to believe-much less accept-that a child had frightened him.
"Enough!"
Yu Xiaogang roared, his face twisted hideously.
"Li Mingzhu, don't get too smug. Don't forget that you still have family," Yu Xiaogang said, out of his senses.
Yu Xiaogang's words struck like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the relative calm.
The corners of Li Mingzhu's mouth, which had just lifted, slowly flattened. His previously relaxed expression abruptly tightened, replaced by a face full of vicious anger.
Yu Xiaogang's place in Li Mingzhu's eyes had now changed. As Tang San would put it, he had already "courted his own death."
He clenched both fists, his fingertips leaving white marks on his palms.
At that moment, the space around them seemed terrifyingly silent. Li Mingzhu remained cold and wordless, but the soul power throughout his body began circulating, as though it would erupt in the next instant.
Two thoughts collided in his mind! If he struck now, at this distance, he was confident he could kill Yu Xiaogang with a single punch. But afterward, disposing of the body and erasing the evidence would be a problem.
Yu Xiaogang ordinarily never stepped beyond his own door. Recently, however, he had frequently been moving around the academy because of Li Mingzhu. If he died, Li Mingzhu wouldn't escape suspicion. Pursuit by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Spirit Hall would be inevitable.
Especially Spirit Hall! Thinking of Bibi Dong's twisted obsession sent a chill down Li Mingzhu's back. He had no doubt that Bibi Dong would send a Titled Douluo to hunt him down over Yu Xiaogang's death.
After killing him!
If he were alone, there would be nothing to fear. At worst, he could hide deep in the mountains and forests. After all, Spirit Hall's reach didn't extend across every inch of the Douluo Continent.
But Li Mu was his vulnerable point. With him in tow, one careless mistake would mean death!
There was no way around it. In the end, Li Mingzhu couldn't bring himself to put Li Mu at risk.
Li Mingzhu then calmed his soul power, and his taut body slowly relaxed.
He drew a deep breath and ruthlessly suppressed the killing intent in his heart, though the chill in his eyes never faded.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang still seemed trapped in fear and shame, but he had recovered some of his senses. At least he was no longer as frenzied as before.
His feelings were also incredibly complicated. Resorting to threats had been his worst-case plan.
Li Mingzhu's expression changed, and he addressed Yu Xiaogang disdainfully. "Ha! Sorry to disappoint you, Yu Xiaogang, but threats are the most useless tactic you could try on me. I'm just an orphan, and my current grandpa isn't even related to me. We aren't nearly as close as you think!"
"Now that I'm a Soul Master, do you really think I'd still care about an ordinary person?"
Li Mingzhu's cold-blooded words left Yu Xiaogang dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Li Mingzhu to be so heartless and disloyal.
In truth, Li Mingzhu said all this because he hoped to disguise himself as someone utterly devoid of feeling or loyalty. The less he seemed to care, the safer Li Mu would be. Surely Yu Xiaogang wouldn't personally travel to Greenleaf Village to investigate the relationship between the grandfather and grandson.
Yu Xiaogang, who had still been somewhat conflicted, now stood frozen in place. He didn't doubt Li Mingzhu's selfish, ungrateful words; deep down, he even vaguely agreed with them.
Ultimately, Yu Xiaogang himself was a selfish, heartless man. Li Mingzhu's words struck a deep chord with him!
Before you continue