Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted as he watched Yu Xiaogang collapse, coughing up blood.
He lunged forward, pinching the spot above Yu Xiaogang's upper lip while placing his other, free hand on Yu Xiaogang's pulse.
"Was this caused by emotional agitation, swinging from great joy to great sorrow?"
Well versed in pharmacology, Tang San recognized Yu Xiaogang's symptoms at a glance and soon breathed a sigh of relief.
"Teacher is a Soul Grandmaster, after all. He only needs some sleep and a little rest to recover."
Reassured, Tang San turned an icy gaze toward where Ye Wuhen had been, a hidden weapon in his hand poised to strike.
"You dare insult my teacher? So young, yet so disrespectful toward your elders and teachers. Even with a god's protection, you've still given yourself a reason to die!"
But he found no one there.
Ye Wuhen had long since vanished without a trace. It seemed he had slipped away during the earlier confusion.
"So ill-behaved, daring to act but not to face the consequences. Who knows what that god saw in him?"
We both have Blue Silver Grass. Where exactly did I lose to him?
Unconsciously, that question flashed through Tang San's mind once again.
"Since we can no longer become fellow disciples, then... you've chosen to be my enemy!"
Tang San narrowed his eyes, and the plan he had already considered resurfaced in his mind.
"I originally intended to get acquainted with him, obtain the seeds in Teacher's name, then seize the chance to steal them."
"Now it seems there's no need for all that trouble!"
Indeed, ever since Ye Wuhen mentioned the seeds bestowed by a god, Tang San had set his sights on those seven seeds.
His was also a plant Martial Soul. Perhaps those seven seeds could make his Blue Silver Grass evolve as well, just like Ye Wuhen's.
He had merely hesitated because he had expected Ye Wuhen to become his fellow disciple.
He had planned to wait until Teacher requested them for research before finding an opportunity to act.
But now, Ye Wuhen was so obstinately incorrigible that he had even angered Tang San's teacher, who was as dear to him as a father, into fainting. Tang San no longer had any scruples!
Now was the best time to take the seeds.
The Celestial Screen had just ended. Following their usual routines, the other work-study students of Dorm Seven would be doing their assigned work now, and Ye Wuhen had most likely burrowed into the woods to dream again.
After settling Yu Xiaogang comfortably and pouring him a cup of tea, Tang San headed straight for Dorm Seven.
Along the way, Tang San even thought that if anyone stumbled upon him in the act, he was already prepared to silence them for good.
No one would know about this. The Tang Sect's honor had to be defended!
If everything went smoothly, then, as a show of respect for the god behind Ye Wuhen, he would treat those seven seeds as sacred relics of the Tang Sect!
Of course, that was assuming he successfully reestablished the Tang Sect in this world.
At the seventh bed in Dorm Seven, Tang San stared at the clean, tidy bedding before him, a trace of melancholy flashing through his eyes.
Just a few days ago, he could never have imagined that Ye Wuhen would have ties to a god.
Still less could he have imagined that the seven seeds Ye Wuhen had casually tossed onto his bed were gifts from a god.
"Heh, with Ye Wuhen's unruly disposition, he'll lose or waste these seven seeds sooner or later."
"By taking them today, I'm making sure that god's good intentions don't go to waste."
"If I remember correctly..."
Recalling the first time he had seen the seven seeds, Tang San began searching through Ye Wuhen's bedding, trying to find them.
At first, Tang San tried to keep the bed tidy. After all, if Ye Wuhen grew suspicious, he could easily be exposed.
Gradually, however, Tang San's movements grew rougher, and he stopped caring about keeping the bed tidy.
The longer he searched, the paler Tang San's face became, and a sheen of cold sweat even seeped onto his forehead.
"How can they not be here? Ye Wuhen hasn't come back at all!"
By the end, Tang San simply dumped everything on Ye Wuhen's bed onto the floor, leaving only the bare bed boards,
and even dragged out Ye Wuhen's luggage to search through it.
Clothes, dry rations, socks, and everything else were all rummaged out by Tang San, but...
"Why aren't they here?!"
Tang San stared in bewilderment at the mess before him, rapidly recalling the events of the past few days.
"The others in Dorm Seven wouldn't be so bored that they'd fiddle with a few seeds. Besides, those are Ye Wuhen's seeds!"
Although Ye Wuhen had barely returned to the dormitory, he still carried some authority. After all, he was a genius with innate full soul power who had defeated Wang Sheng.
Almost none of the work-study students dared touch Ye Wuhen's belongings.
Over the past few days, Tang San had also been keeping track of Ye Wuhen's movements at Yu Xiaogang's request, and he was quite certain that Ye Wuhen had never returned to the dormitory.
But...
"Why have the seeds disappeared?!"
"Damn it! A thief! There must be a thief!!"
"Someone must have stolen them first! That damned thief! You bastard!"
"You dare steal my things! You really have given yourself a reason to die!"
Tang San panted like an ox, his face crimson, so furious that even the dialect from his previous life slipped out.
"You damned thief!! Don't let me find you! Otherwise, I'll show you what the Tang Sect's supreme techniques are!!"
"Ah Yin... these seeds will surely be able to save you, won't they?"
At that moment, outside Nuoding Academy, a black-robed man gazed tenderly at the seven seeds in his palm, his voice gentle.
Had Tang San been there, he would surely have recognized this man as the very "bastard" he had cursed-and his own father.
Tang Hao.
Throughout Tang San's time at Nuoding Academy, the former Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao, had been secretly protecting him, and had naturally noticed the anomaly that was Ye Wuhen.
Tang Hao understood Ye Wuhen's Martial Soul more clearly.
Even with a god's blessing, it was not ordinary Blue Silver Grass at all, but the existence within the Blue Silver Grass Clan second only to the Blue Silver Emperor... the Blue Silver King!
Upon realizing this, Tang Hao had immediately felt the urge to kill, because even a Blue Silver King could potentially evolve into a Blue Silver Emperor.
And there could only be one Blue Silver Emperor!
If Ye Wuhen awakened, what would his son Tang San awaken?
Tang Hao had originally intended to wait until Tang San cultivated to a suitable level before taking him to awaken.
But clearly, Ye Wuhen, whose Martial Soul was already a Blue Silver King, could very well evolve into a Blue Silver Emperor sooner.
Although Tang Hao was uncertain whether Ye Wuhen could awaken without the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline and the help of the Blue Silver Grass in Sunset Forest.
Still, to guard against any possibility, Tang Hao had intended to act. After all, it was merely a matter of killing a commoner Soul Master in passing.
However, once Ye Wuhen slipped into the woods, even he could not find any trace of him, so he could only abandon the attempt.
Today, Tang Hao had heard Yu Xiaogang's conjectures in full, and he believed even more strongly than Yu Xiaogang that Ye Wuhen was someone under a god's gaze.
After all, Ye Wuhen's Concealment Technique alone could prevent even him, a rank-95 Titled Douluo, from finding him.
Thus, Tang Hao had realized the value of Ye Wuhen's seven seeds sooner and taken them first.
After all, the waters here ran deep, beyond what Xiao San could touch.
"If the god metes out punishment afterward, let him punish me alone!"
"For Ah Yin, I willingly accept any punishment..."
Only...
Beneath his black robe, Tang Hao's somewhat dispirited eyes shifted. An idea suddenly came to him.
Since he was already prepared to face divine punishment, why not...
A flicker of killing intent crossed his stubbled face.
Why not simply find an opportunity to kill Ye Wuhen? After all, the god behind Ye Wuhen was clearly connected to plants and life.
And his son Tang San also had a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, was even more likely to evolve into a Blue Silver Emperor, and possessed twin Martial Souls besides!
No matter how one looked at it, he was more outstanding than that commoner-born child.
Perhaps, once Ye Wuhen died, Tang San would have a chance...
"If this succeeds... then our Clear Sky Sect, our Tang family, will produce a god!"
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