Over the next three days...
Following Bibi Dong's orders, Yue Guan and Gui Mei immediately rushed to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Every Spirit Hall Branch within the Heaven Dou Empire mobilized all the manpower it could spare, solely to spread one piece of news through covert channels: Yu Xiaogang had plagiarized theories from Spirit Hall's ancient texts, including the core theory of Martial Soul Fusion, and had publicly claimed they were all his own research.
This news seemed to shake the entire Heaven Dou Empire. From the residences of countless high-ranking figures in the imperial capital to the streets and alleys of numerous cities, countless people were discussing it.
At that moment, inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's council hall.
Ning Fengzhi sat upright in the seat of honor, with the many core members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect below him.
"Sect Master, please reconsider your earlier invitation for Yu Xiaogang to become our sect's guest elder."
"In just three days, this matter has spread throughout the Heaven Dou Empire. If we insist on inviting Yu Xiaogang as our guest and asking him for the core theory of Martial Soul Fusion Skills, I fear we will offend Spirit Hall."
"Exactly. Besides, inviting him might not even get us the core theory of Martial Soul Fusion Skills. Therefore, I suggest we immediately announce that Yu Xiaogang is a man of poor character, that our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will not accept such a Soul Master as a guest elder, and that we are permanently blacklisting him and barring him from all businesses owned by the sect."
Ning Fengzhi pondered this, sensing that things were not so simple.
Although Ning Fengzhi had not worked out the true cause of the matter, the physical evidence that had been released showed that Yu Xiaogang had indeed plagiarized theories from Spirit Hall's ancient texts, then shamelessly claimed them as his own research.
With that in mind, Ning Fengzhi hesitated no longer and immediately issued his instructions.
"Pass on my command. Withdraw the invitation and blacklist Yu Xiaogang."
"Yes, Sect Master."
Meanwhile, in the streets and alleys of Suotuo City.
"I fucking knew it! How could that trash Yu Xiaogang come up with theories that tens of thousands of genius Soul Masters in Spirit Hall couldn't? Turns out he plagiarized all of it. Hmph, what a despicable, shameless scumbag."
"That bastard Yu Xiaogang's recently rising Golden Iron Triangle must be so powerful because they used Spirit Hall's core theories. Otherwise, how could those three possibly manage it?"
"Exactly. People who can perform a two-person Martial Soul Fusion Skill are already as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns. Even those who actually manage it are, at the very least, genius-level Soul Masters. How could a piece of trash like him do it? He must have succeeded by secretly learning Spirit Hall's core theories."
Before anyone knew it, Yu Xiaogang's plagiarism had become a topic Soul Masters discussed over tea and after meals.
"Fucking hell, you dog! So you copied it all."
"If I could get my hands on Spirit Hall's ancient texts, maybe I could figure it out too."
In a certain corner, a sleazy middle-aged man viciously smashed his wine cup onto the ground, then stamped on it several times in frustration, his face full of jealousy and anger.
This man was none other than Bu Le, that "paragon of men" from Douluo. His goal was to give every pretty girl in the world a warm home. If possible, he hoped to open up new frontiers and diligently plow the fields for those innocent girls, letting them understand just how wonderful it was.
Meanwhile, in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant council hall.
Clan Master Yu Yuanzhen sat in the seat of honor with a dark expression. Below him were numerous elders wearing mocking, derisive expressions.
"Clan Master, I hope you will reconsider your earlier proposal to restore Yu Xiaogang's clan membership."
The first elder stepped forward. He understood very well that Yu Yuanzhen probably intended to use the "Martial Soul Fusion Skill theory" to win the clan elders' approval for restoring Yu Xiaogang's membership, then appoint him as the young clan master. Naturally, he could not accept that.
"The first elder is right. Clan Master, you should rescind the order. I suggest issuing an immediate command for Yu Xiaogang to go to Spirit Hall himself, bearing thorn branches on his back to beg forgiveness. Only then can we quell Spirit Hall's wrath. We cannot let this trash implicate our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
The speaker was the second elder, who stood on the same side as the first elder. His words were harsh, but they won considerable agreement. None of them wanted that trash Yu Xiaogang to drag them down.
More voices of agreement soon rose in the hall. Sure enough, when interests were at stake, the little reputation Yu Xiaogang had just recovered instantly turned rotten, as though he had become the clan's most heinous sinner.
"Guards, pass on my command. Bring that unfilial son back at once!"
Under pressure, Yu Yuanzhen finally spoke in fury. At that moment, he was utterly enraged that his unfilial son had done something so disgraceful to the clan.
"Yes, Clan Master."
The first and second elders accepted the order and soon left the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan with several capable subordinates.
"Big Brother, are we really going to bring Yu Xiaogang back?" The second elder revealed a sinister smile.
"Hmph, he even dared to plagiarize theories from Spirit Hall's ancient texts. We mustn't let him drag us down."
The corners of the first elder's mouth lifted slightly as he, too, smiled sinisterly. "It seems... we can't let this trash live."
Suotuo City, in some godforsaken mountain gully.
Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Liu Erlong sat around a fire, roasting fish that had become somewhat charred. Yet no one turned them over, letting the burnt smell drift around them.
"Xiaogang, we've been brothers all this time. I hope you'll tell us honestly: did you plagiarize theories from Spirit Hall's ancient texts or not?" Flender could not help asking.
In truth, the evidence Spirit Hall had covertly released was already enough to prove Yu Xiaogang's guilt. But as his brother of many years, Flender felt that Yu Xiaogang was not that sort of person.
"You don't believe me either?"
Yu Xiaogang looked at Flender, his expression desolate, as though he had suffered the greatest injustice in the world. "Of course. The evidence is conclusive. I really have nothing to refute it with, and you have no reason to keep believing me."
"You two should leave. A man should bear the consequences of his own actions. I'll shoulder this charge alone. At least then, you won't have to hide here and there like me, enduring all those rumors and slander."
Yu Xiaogang looked weighed down by worries, as though he were the greatest victim in this entire affair.
The sight made Liu Erlong's heart ache terribly, and she immediately made her position clear. "Xiaogang, I believe you. You would never do something like this. I'll stay by your side from now on. Let's face this together, all right?"
"This has nothing to do with you. You should stay away from me."
"Xiaogang!!"
"I'm not leaving. I'm staying here with you."
Hearing Liu Erlong plead with him, Yu Xiaogang fell silent. His fists clenched, and his expression shifted again into a look of "I dragged you both into this, and I feel so fucking guilty." In the end, he did not even dare look Liu Erlong and Flender in the eye.
But in truth, inside Yu Xiaogang's mind.
Heh, what a stupid woman, just as I thought. All it took was a little acting, and she was moved.
Good. Very good. You are my woman, Yu Xiaogang's woman, and you are also my tool for revenge. Even if everyone in the world thinks I plagiarized it, you must believe me. You must stand on my side.
Otherwise, I'll completely lose control of the Golden Iron Triangle. I might even never have another chance to turn things around.
So I absolutely cannot admit it.
As Yu Xiaogang secretly calculated, the performance on his face grew even more convincing. He looked utterly dispirited, as though "the whole world was against him, and even his brother was giving him the cold shoulder."
(End of chapter)
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