"In my opinion, today's physical punishment probably has something to do with what Rongrong said yesterday!"
Shangguan Hong's tone sounded like nothing more than a mild complaint, yet it drew everyone's attention, including Tang San's. Ning Rongrong froze beside him, then recalled how she had complained at the Great Soul Arena that Yu Xiaogang's tactics were bullshit! Could that one little complaint have displeased Yu Xiaogang enough for him to punish them physically?
"Brother Shangguan, what do you mean by that?"
Tang San frowned slightly. Shangguan Hong's words carried some disparagement of Yu Xiaogang. If he could not give a proper account of himself, his relationship with Tang San would probably take a step backward.
"Well, Little San, you don't know this, but yesterday, after we left the arena..."
Somewhat hesitantly, Shangguan Hong recounted what had happened after they left the arena yesterday. The displeasure on Tang San's face instantly vanished, and he turned his gaze toward Ning Rongrong.
That look could hardly be called friendly, and it instantly riled up the young miss!
"What? Was I wrong? In terms of raw strength, the Mad Battle Team was no match for us! If Shangguan had been allowed to use his Second Soul Skill, we could absolutely have steamrolled them!"
Ning Rongrong held her neck stiffly. She did not think anything she had said was wrong, and that was indeed the truth. Although no one voiced agreement, Tang San could tell from Dai Mubai's and the others' faces that they thought the same! What surprised Tang San even more was that Xiao Wu wore the same expression.
"Brother, um, there really were some problems with Grandmaster's tactics yesterday. If Brother Shangguan had been allowed to use his full strength, no one would have been hurt..."
Xiao Wu spoke haltingly. She knew how much Tang San respected Yu Xiaogang, but how could Nuoding Academy's little tyrant be someone without a temper of her own? The vast majority of Xiao Wu's respect for Yu Xiaogang came from Tang San; she showed it for Tang San's sake! Yet yesterday, under Yu Xiaogang's flawed tactical arrangements, Tang San had only won by giving everything he had. He had also been injured in the process. Naturally, Xiao Wu's heart ached for him, and she could not help feeling somewhat dissatisfied with Yu Xiaogang.
Tang San fell silent. He ran with the stones on his back, his thoughts tangled like hemp.
Although he was very reluctant to admit it, Tang San also could not understand what exactly Yu Xiaogang had hoped to achieve by forbidding Shangguan Hong's Second Soul Skill. It seemed to have been nothing but wasted effort...
Never in his dreams would Yu Xiaogang have imagined that the physical punishment intended to bring the Shrek Seven Devils to their senses would, thanks to a single remark from Shangguan Hong, become a meeting for airing grievances against him, the Grandmaster! More importantly, Shangguan Hong had only said two things from beginning to end. He had merely told Tang San the facts of what had happened yesterday, without directly denouncing him as Ning Rongrong had.
It was only human nature for team members to voice a complaint or two over their supervising teacher's tactical mistakes.
"Little San, don't take this too much to heart! Grandmaster is an ordinary person too, after all. He can't make every arrangement perfect. Still, I think his intentions were probably good. Perhaps he wanted to give us better training!"
Strangely enough, Shangguan Hong actually spoke up for Yu Xiaogang! This was pure green tea behavior! Sure enough, his words gave Tang San a straw to clutch at, and he nodded repeatedly, while the others' dissatisfaction also eased a little.
Indeed, even the finest theoretical grandmaster in the Soul Master World was only a Soul Grandmaster, only an ordinary person!
The change in atmosphere made Tang San sigh in relief. He truly did not want a rift to develop between his companions and his teacher, and Shangguan Hong, who had changed all of this, even received a grateful look from him. Yet Tang San still had not realized that, with just one remark, Shangguan Hong had shattered the image in his heart of Grandmaster as an all-capable sage! In the future, Tang San could never again blindly trust Yu Xiaogang's judgment, because Yu Xiaogang was not perfect. He was merely a Soul Grandmaster.
Running 100 laps around the village was nothing much to the Shrek Seven Devils. After all, they had run the Devil's Road before. They completed this physical punishment in just two hours, and with the help of Oscar's sausages, they had not even used up much stamina.
Standing in the square, Yu Xiaogang had imagined countless times how the Shrek Seven Devils would bow their heads and apologize upon returning. He had also imagined countless times how he would sternly berate Shangguan Hong until the latter was too ashamed to show his face! However, when Yu Xiaogang saw the seven Shrek members standing before him again without a single one speaking, this Grandmaster could no longer keep his composure.
"Do you... have nothing to say?"
Veins bulged on Yu Xiaogang's forehead. This was not right. According to his expectations, things should not have developed this way! Had something unexpected happened?
Seeing that the atmosphere was somewhat awkward, Yu Xiaogang's considerate, beloved disciple Tang San stepped forward. Looking thoroughly ashamed, he bowed his head to Yu Xiaogang and spoke with some self-reproach:
"Teacher, we've realized our mistakes. I was at fault in yesterday's match. As a Control System Soul Master, I failed to take the whole situation into account, putting my teammates in danger several times..."
Yu Xiaogang was utterly dumbfounded!
His defenses were about to crack!
Had Tang San performed poorly yesterday? There had been some flaws, but they did not obscure his merits. For a child of his age to reach that level was already quite outstanding!
So why was Tang San the only one stepping forward to admit his mistakes?
Shouldn't Dai Mubai have admitted he had been too impulsive, Ning Rongrong have apologized for yesterday's words, and Shangguan Hong have bowed his head for failing to disclose his own information?
"You..."
Yu Xiaogang nearly failed to catch his breath and almost breathed his last right there. But Grandmaster was Grandmaster, after all. The salt Yu Xiaogang had eaten was saltier than all the roads Tang San and the others had walked! He quickly adjusted his state of mind, set the matter of admitting mistakes aside for the moment, and turned his gaze toward Shangguan Hong.
The others might have had extenuating circumstances, but in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, Shangguan Hong was absolutely unforgivable!
"Shangguan Hong, let me ask you: why didn't you explain your Soul Skills before the Soul Fighting began? Do you know how much trouble that caused the team?"
Yu Xiaogang wore a stern expression, hoping to see Shangguan Hong admit his mistake.
"Mm, Grandmaster is right. It was my fault!"
His attitude could not have been more perfunctory. He had put no sincerity into it whatsoever! Yu Xiaogang's fist had struck cotton, nearly stifling him to death with frustration!
Yu Xiaogang had wanted to say more, but just then, Ning Rongrong spoke up as Shangguan Hong's finest mouthpiece!
In yesterday's Soul Fighting, Ning Rongrong would definitely have been injured if Shangguan Hong had not intervened. Not to mention that she also had thoughts of recruiting him into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Now that Yu Xiaogang was bullying him so outrageously, wasn't this precisely her chance to farm some favorability with Shangguan Hong?
"Isn't knowing the Soul Skills of the students under your charge something a qualified supervising teacher should do?"
"Besides, although Shangguan didn't tell you, you didn't ask either, Grandmaster..."