Gu Chen truly hadn't expected Tang San to be brainwashed by Yu Xiaogang in such a short time.
When he had angrily confronted Yu Xiaogang earlier, Tang San had stood silently to one side. Of course, that might have been because Tang San didn't understand, but Gu Chen had also been watching him then, and the look he gave Yu Xiaogang had been skeptical.
And yet.
In the blink of an eye, Tang San seemed to have been brainwashed. He even wanted Gu Chen to apologize to Yu Xiaogang?
Absurdity's mother had opened the door for absurdity-this was absurdity come home!
"Yu Xiaogang's brainwashing skills are truly terrifying!"
At this point, Gu Chen couldn't help but admire Yu Xiaogang. Though the man was a good-for-nothing without a shred of talent who only knew how to plagiarize, when it came to brainwashing, Gu Chen really had to hand it to him. No wonder he had made Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong unable to forget him for decades.
But Tang San was the one who had been brainwashed. What the hell did that have to do with Gu Chen?
"Tang San, I never thought you were this kind of person. We both came from Holy Soul Village, after all. We're from the same village, yet you want me, your fellow villager, to kowtow and admit my mistake to an outsider?"
With that damning accusation, Tang San was instantly struck speechless.
"I..."
The shut-in who had only known how to play with Hidden Weapons since childhood still needed practice when it came to verbal sparring. Tang San wanted to argue back, but Gu Chen gave him no chance, choosing instead to press his advantage.
"Tang San, you've truly disappointed me. Have you forgotten what Grandpa Jack said when he brought us here? He told us to support and help each other at Nuoding Academy, but what about you? What are you doing now?"
"You're helping an outsider bully one of your own. If you can make me kowtow and admit my mistake to Yu Xiaogang today over some minor disagreement, then if our fellow students in Dorm Seven have a minor disagreement with you tomorrow, will everyone have to kowtow and admit their mistakes to you too?"
"Tang San, are you in your right mind?"
Gu Chen slapped several damning labels on him in an instant, while also subtly poisoning the minds of the students in Dorm Seven against him. Such conduct, siding with outsiders against his own, was beneath contempt!
Sure enough.
Everyone in Dorm Seven cast Tang San looks of contempt. Leaving everything else aside, the mere fact that he wanted a fellow villager to kowtow to an outsider was enough to make them despise him. No matter how bad someone's character was, surely they wouldn't go that far?
Yet Tang San had gone and pulled off a spectacular feat for them: sorry, my character is beyond your imagination.
Of course.
More importantly, when Gu Chen had been labeling Tang San just now, he had "accidentally on purpose" mentioned the name of Tang San's teacher. In that case, sorry, but while they didn't know what kind of people the two newcomers, Gu Chen and Tang San, were, that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang was famous throughout Nuoding Academy.
A good-for-nothing who freeloaded, drew pay for doing nothing, and often belittled and berated students-no one would have a favorable impression of someone like that.
It was no exaggeration to call Yu Xiaogang notorious.
So...
If Tang San could keep company with Yu Xiaogang, they had to be birds of a feather, both lumps of dog shit.
Character?
Conduct?
Good or bad?
Did they even need to look?
Brothers, the treacherous minister has shown himself. Everyone knows what to do, right?
And so.
"Tang San, we hate to say it, but what you're doing is really too unscrupulous!"
"We don't know how Gu Chen offended your teacher, but it must have been your teacher's fault."
"That's right! Who in all of Nuoding Academy doesn't know what kind of person Yu Xiaogang is? How can you bully someone from your own village for a person like that?"
"..."
Everyone in Dorm Seven immediately united on the same front and began pointing fingers at Tang San.
Off to the side.
Xiao Wu was stunned too, but she had also grown curious. She couldn't help pulling Wang Sheng over and asking him in a low voice.
"Wang Sheng, who is this Yu Xiaogang? Why is he so hated?"
"Sister Xiao Wu, you have no idea how hateful that guy Yu Xiaogang is. He freeloads at Nuoding Academy, drawing a salary from the academy without teaching a single class. And he carries his eyes on top of his head, looking down his nose at everyone. He's always spouting grand principles too, things like 'There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters.' He insults himself twice in one sentence."
"The thing is, sometimes he throws his weight around because he's a Soul Grandmaster. He likes to grab students and belittle them from head to toe, leaving them angry but afraid to speak out!"
"At Nuoding Academy, he's a lump of dog shit. Anyone who sees him has to walk around him."
Wang Sheng gave a simple, clear explanation.
His concise words gave Xiao Wu an impression of Yu Xiaogang too, though it was a bad one. As for a good side? Yu Xiaogang didn't seem to have one.
"Shut up! All of you, shut up!!!"
The others' words left Tang San's eyes scarlet and made him pant like an ox.
"How could ignorant children like you possibly understand Teacher's talent? Teacher is broad-minded, so he doesn't lower himself to arguing with petty people like you, but I absolutely won't allow you to insult my teacher like this! Apologize! Every one of you must apologize to my teacher, or don't blame me for showing no mercy!!!"
As soon as the words left his mouth.
Gu Chen, who was standing nearby, spoke up.
"Tang San, what are you doing? Has that guy Yu Xiaogang really brainwashed you? Everyone only spoke a few words of truth, and you already want them to apologize. After a little more time, are you going to make everyone kneel and kowtow too?"
"What on earth has happened to you? Back in Holy Soul Village, you were always polite. Grandpa Jack praised you for being sensible and taking care of your father at such a young age! You were a good child! But why can't you tell right from wrong now?"
"If I'd known that guy Yu Xiaogang was no good, even if I had to throw away my life, I would never have let you get close to you!"
He also put on a look of deep remorse.
Seeing him like this, Xiao Wu and the others felt that Gu Chen was a person of very good character, someone worth befriending.
However.
"Gu Chen, stop putting on an act here. Today, you must kowtow and apologize to my teacher, or don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
By pouring oil on the fire, Gu Chen had placed Tang San directly in opposition to everyone in Dorm Seven. Now Tang San was riding a tiger and couldn't get off. If he bowed his head just like that, wouldn't he always be a head below everyone else in Dorm Seven from then on? So Tang San stiffened his neck and forcefully stated his position.
His words also stirred everyone's anger.
Tang San dared to force Gu Chen to kowtow and admit his mistake today!
Tomorrow he would dare force them to kowtow and admit their mistakes to Yu Xiaogang. How could they stand for that?
"Tang San, stop bullying Gu Chen. Yu Xiaogang is nothing but a good-for-nothing who deceives the world and steals fame. Everyone knows it. Forcing someone who did nothing wrong to admit fault like this is simply intolerable under heaven's laws!"
"Right! We don't care that you're Yu Xiaogang's disciple, and we don't care what he told you, but we absolutely won't agree to you forcing Gu Chen to apologize to Yu Xiaogang. If you insist, then get the hell out of Dorm Seven!"
"That's right, get out! Dorm Seven doesn't need an ungrateful wolf who sides with outsiders against his own!"
"..."
The crowd grew even more incensed, while belittling Yu Xiaogang one sentence after another. All of this sent the anger in Tang San's heart surging higher and higher. His eyes blazed, his composure shattered, his face flushed, and he flew into a thunderous rage!!!
"You're courting death!!!"
Unable to contain his fury any longer, Tang San finally lashed out at Wang Sheng and the others.