Douluo Continent: Simulating Douluo Dalu III to Screw Over Tang San

He turned his head, glanced at Yu Xiaogang, and called out, "Teacher."

Unfortunately, Yu Xiaogang didn't answer, so he called out twice more, but Yu Xiaogang still gave no response.

Tang San suddenly panicked. He could plainly see that something was wrong with Yu Xiaogang, but danger was already closing in, so he had no time to check what exactly had happened to him.

Just then, a Thunder Jiaolong appeared not far from Tang San.

Tang San held his breath and stayed perfectly still, trying to pass himself off as a piece of wood. Then he deftly flicked a pebble away, hoping to draw the Thunder Jiaolong's attention.

Unfortunately, Gong Yu saw everything. As Gong Yu's Soul Spirit, the Thunder Jiaolong was naturally linked to his thoughts, so it knew Tang San was up to tricks.

The Thunder Jiaolong immediately launched a fierce attack on Tang San.

Relying on Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Tang San dodged the Thunder Jiaolong's attacks again and again, but the battle spread over an ever-wider area. Terrified that his beloved teacher would get caught up in it, Tang San had no choice but to draw the Thunder Jiaolong away by himself.

Gong Yu emerged at that point. He came to the Mandala Snake's corpse and promptly destroyed its Soul Ring.

Just then, the Thunder Jiaolong returned. Although Tang San had tried to lure it away, it couldn't go very far, because it couldn't stray too far from Gong Yu, or it would dissipate.

So Tang San had merely been running around blindly on his own. He hadn't managed to lure the Thunder Jiaolong away at all.

The Thunder Jiaolong hadn't come back empty-handed, though. It held a slug as tall as an adult in its mouth. Because its thoughts were linked to Gong Yu's, it knew he wanted it to bring back a Hundred-Year Soul Beast.

On its way back, it had spotted a large slug and carried it back.

It was a slug Soul Beast as tall as an adult, with over two hundred years of cultivation.

"Quick, kill it," Gong Yu said to the Thunder Jiaolong, pointing at the slug.

Upon receiving the order, the Thunder Jiaolong fired a bolt of lightning from its mouth, electrocuting the slug. A Yellow Soul Ring then appeared.

Gong Yu intended to have Tang San absorb the slug's Soul Ring, but he didn't know whether Tang San would be able to, since Tang San hadn't killed it himself.

However, Gong Yu remembered that when the beast tide attacked Shrek City in Douluo II, many Soul Beasts had been killed and their Soul Rings stored for people who needed them to absorb. Those Soul Rings couldn't distinguish who had killed the beasts, yet they could still be left for others to absorb.

That also indirectly proved that a Soul Master could absorb a Soul Ring from a Soul Beast they hadn't killed themselves; it was just that no one had tried it.

But whether it worked or not, Gong Yu had prepared a slug Soul Ring for Tang San. As for whether he could absorb it, they would find out once Tang San tried. Waiting wouldn't cost Gong Yu anything, and after destroying the Mandala Snake's Soul Ring, he had already accomplished the purpose of his trip.

Once he saw the slug's Soul Ring take shape, Gong Yu had the Thunder Jiaolong carry its corpse away. Only the Mandala Snake's Soul Ring remained on the ground, while the ownerless slug Soul Ring continued to float there, making it easy for someone to mistake it for the Mandala Snake's.

Gong Yu then left and once again hid himself not far away.

About ten minutes later, Tang San came running back, gasping for breath. Since there was still plenty of time before the Soul Ring expired, he first examined Yu Xiaogang and found that he had been poisoned. He proceeded to treat his revered teacher for the poison.

He used the crudest method, cutting Yu Xiaogang's veins to bleed the poison out. After about ten minutes, most of the toxin had been cleared, and he bandaged Yu Xiaogang's wounds.

There was still time. A Soul Beast's Soul Ring would only dissipate after an hour without being absorbed, and everything that had happened so far had taken less than forty minutes at most.

Tang San then began drawing the Yellow Soul Ring over to absorb it. He didn't suspect anything wrong with it in the slightest.

Gong Yu had been watching from nearby. He had thought Tang San couldn't possibly absorb it, since Tang San hadn't killed the slug, but in the end he succeeded. Gong Yu couldn't help marveling at the son of destiny's incredible dogshit luck.

Seeing that Tang San had successfully absorbed the slug Soul Ring, Gong Yu slipped away. His business was finished, and there was no need to keep following the teacher and disciple.

He found a relatively safe place and cultivated cross-legged for the night. At the first hint of dawn, Gong Yu set off toward the edge of the Soul Hunting Forest. By the time he reached the gate, the sky was fully bright.

After leaving the Soul Hunting Forest, Gong Yu hired a carriage and set off for Nuoding City.

Another day and night passed, and the carriage drove into Nuoding City the following morning.

Gong Yu found a small food stall, had it to himself, and ate breakfast. Once he was sixty percent full, he headed to the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City for his Martial Soul assessment.

At the Spirit Hall Branch, he ran into Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo. After briefly explaining why he had come, Gong Yu was led straight to his Martial Soul assessment by Ma Xiunuo.

Because of the assessment, the fact that his First Soul Ring was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring was no longer a secret. But Gong Yu didn't care. There would be plenty more shocking things like this in the future; what they had seen now was merely the tip of the iceberg.

After the assessment, Gong Yu learned that his Soul Power had reached level fifteen. He wasn't particularly surprised, since it was what he had expected. He had originally estimated that his Soul Power would be around level fifteen or sixteen.

Gong Yu left the Spirit Hall Branch holding an iron badge bearing the date, place, and registration of his Martial Soul assessment.

He then returned straight to the academy.

He first reported his return from leave to his homeroom teacher, who initially asked him many questions. But after he showed the iron badge issued by the Spirit Hall, his teacher had nothing more to ask.

Gong Yu's ears were finally spared the noise. He said goodbye to his homeroom teacher and returned to his dorm.

Only one classmate was in the dorm, so Gong Yu asked him what was going on.

The classmate told Gong Yu that everyone else had gone out. The city lord's son, Xiao Chenyu, had asked every dorm to send representatives to discuss the afternoon's contest with the working students. Xiao Chenyu wanted to take a girl with a Rabbit Martial Soul as his pet.

Gong Yu couldn't help offering a moment of silent mourning for Xiao Chenyu, because he was Tang San's first stepping stone.

With nothing else to do, Gong Yu thought he might as well join the fun that afternoon. In any case, he couldn't let Tang San steal the show.

Apart from the one free Simulation he received each month, he had to obtain more from Tang San or people especially close to him. So wherever Tang San was, Gong Yu had to find a way to make him eat dirt.

Chapter 11: Exposing Tang San's Underhanded Attack

Just after lunch, Xiao Chenyu led a group of senior students and several junior students to the hill behind the academy.

Xiao Wu did the same, though she led only the people from Dorm Seven.

The working students from the other dorms didn't want to follow Xiao Wu into trouble. Not everyone was as ignorant as she was. Many working students disliked causing trouble, and they were even less willing to provoke nobles for fear of bringing trouble down on themselves. Xiao Chenyu counted as one of Nuoding City's nobles.

After quickly finishing his meal, Gong Yu hurried to the hill as well, but he was a little late. Both sides had already sent someone out to fight.

Gong Yu quietly entered the crowd and blended in at the back of Xiao Chenyu's group.

He watched the fight closely. Xiao Chenyu's subordinate Liu Long was driving the working student Wang Sheng back step by step and was on the verge of victory.

At that moment, Gong Yu noticed Tang San sneak over to Xiao Wu, the public-bus rabbit, and say something about her not waiting for him to return. Xiao Wu naturally shot back.

Soon afterward, as Wang Sheng was about to lose, Tang San reached for his "Whose Jade Flute Hears the Falling Plum Blossoms"-ah, no, he reached for the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges-and quickly retrieved a pebble, shooting it at Liu Long with a Hidden Weapon technique.

The pain made Liu Long expose an opening, which Wang Sheng quickly seized, taking advantage of it to defeat him in one stroke.

After beating Liu Long, Wang Sheng didn't forget to insult him as a "withered flower and ruined willow."

Time for me to step in. You like throwing pebbles, Tang San? Watch how I expose you. Gong Yu chuckled inwardly and walked forward. Seeing Xiao Chenyu about to send out the next fighter, he immediately called, "Wait! Liu Long didn't lose just now. A rat on the other side ambushed him."

At the word "rat," Tang San frowned. Someone actually saw through my Hidden Weapon technique?

But when he saw the speaker walk over and realized it was Gong Yu, his teeth itched with anger.

Still, since it was Gong Yu who had stepped forward, Tang San no longer doubted that someone could tell he had launched a sneak attack.

But Tang San laughed inwardly. Hmph... so what if you saw my Hidden Weapon technique? You don't have any proof anyway. Let's see how you expose me.

Hearing Gong Yu say that Liu Long had lost because he was ambushed, Xiao Chenyu wanted to find out what had happened. "Is what you said true?" he asked.

"Of course it is." Gong Yu nodded. "Didn't you notice that Liu Long was about to win? Then things suddenly changed. There's clearly something wrong here. Just let me ask Liu Long two questions."

"All right, go ahead," Xiao Chenyu agreed. He looked at Liu Long and said, "Liu Long, come here and let him ask you two questions."

Liu Long obediently came over, and Gong Yu asked, "Did something hit you just now, and did the pain make you expose an opening?"

"Yes." Liu Long nodded.

"Good." Gong Yu smiled. "Where were you hit? Show everyone, so no one can say you refused to admit defeat and joined me in making up an excuse to fob everyone off."

"I was hit here." Liu Long pulled aside his clothes and pointed out the spot to everyone. There was still a bruise.

After getting a clear look, Xiao Chenyu pointed at Xiao Wu and the others. "You're despicable, shameless, and downright filthy! This was a fair fight, yet you had someone shoot a hidden arrow from the sidelines. Do you have any martial virtue at all? Working students really are a bunch of rats. You can't plaster a wall with mud!"

Xiao Wu immediately bristled at Xiao Chenyu's harsh insults. Somewhat angrily, she said, "Who are you calling rats? Who shot anyone with a hidden arrow? You don't have to make up an excuse like that just because you can't admit you lost!"

Afterward, she also remembered Gong Yu: he was the person who had snapped back at her when she asked for directions that day. He grew even angrier, pointed at Gong Yu, and said, "Since you say we ambushed him, tell us which of us did it. Show us your proof."

"You want proof? Very well!" Gong Yu smiled faintly, then pointed at Tang San. "The one who ambushed Liu Long was that rat surnamed Tang beside you. As for proof, everyone, come with me and see."

Gong Yu led people from both sides to the area where Liu Long and Wang Sheng had fought. He searched the ground and found the pebble Tang San had thrown.

"Everyone, look. What's this?" Gong Yu held up the pebble for them to see.

No one understood what he meant, but Xiao Wu found it very familiar. A few days ago, when she had challenged Tang San to a fight, he had kept throwing pebbles like this at her.

Xiao Wu glanced at Tang San, who guiltily avoided her gaze.

Xiao Wu already knew Tang San had made the move, but she couldn't admit it now even if beaten to death. So she stubbornly retorted, "Hmph, an ordinary pebble doesn't prove anything."

Gong Yu snorted. "Still refusing to admit it? Fine, I'll show you more proof."

Gong Yu then took out a packet of powder and said to everyone, "You all recognize this powder, right?"

Xiao Chenyu was the first to speak. "That's trace-revealing powder. Officials often use it to investigate cases. Just sprinkle it somewhere and it reveals traces of the culprit's Soul Power.

"Everyone's Soul Power trace is unique in this world. Sprinkle the powder on this pebble and compare it with Tang San's Soul Power trace, and we'll know whether he ambushed Liu Long."

Tang San began arguing, "I might have thrown that pebble several days ago, or someone might have picked up a pebble I threw and put it here. That doesn't prove I ambushed Liu Long."

At those words, everyone gave him strange looks, staring at him as though he were an idiot.

Gong Yu then cursed him. "Idiot, unless officials use special tools to preserve a record, everyone's Soul Power and Soul Skills remain in the air for half an hour at most. Why don't you show us a Soul Power trace you left several days ago? Illiterate and ignorant-no wonder all you know how to do is shoot hidden arrows at people."

Tang San came from a martial arts world, and people there didn't understand this sort of thing, so it was normal that he didn't know Soul Power left traces. He hadn't had much education to begin with.

Gong Yu then sprinkled the trace-revealing powder on the pebble. In the blink of an eye, a wisp of Soul Power appeared on it.

Then Gong Yu said to Tang San, "Come on, use your Soul Power. We'll know once we compare the traces. If you want to prove you're innocent, do as you're told. Of course, to prove our innocence, we'll do the same. I'll go first."

Gong Yu touched another pebble with his Soul Power, then used the trace-revealing powder to reveal the trace, proving his innocence.

The others were just about to follow suit when Tang San said, "There's no need. I admit I ambushed Liu Long."

He had no choice but to admit it, unless he refused to let Gong Yu check his Soul Power trace. But refusing would show he had a guilty conscience, which would likewise prove he had ambushed Liu Long. He might as well admit it honestly; admitting it wouldn't cost him a piece of flesh anyway.

Chapter 12: Demanding Compensation from Tang San

When Tang San admitted it, everyone sighed and began whispering among themselves.

Wang Sheng, standing nearby, looked deeply ashamed. He turned to Tang San and said angrily, "I thought I'd finally beaten Liu Long once through my own ability. I never expected you were pulling strings behind my back. Thanks a fucking lot. Thanks for making me unable to hold my head up in front of our classmates."

"A match in the arena is between Liu Long and me. The rules have always forbidden outsiders from interfering. What the fuck did I ever do to you, that you couldn't even let me lose fair and square? Tang San, you're a petty man. I'm ashamed to be associated with you."

With that, Wang Sheng stormed off the hill alone.

After Wang Sheng had cursed him out, the hatred in Tang San's eyes grew even stronger when he looked at Gong Yu.

Xiao Wu noticed Tang San's condition, and she also wanted to teach Gong Yu a lesson, so she stepped forward. "Fine, Boss Xiao, we working students concede the last round. Now, who are you sending out next?"

Before Xiao Chenyu could speak, Gong Yu stepped forward and said, "Oh? You think you can sweep what happened under the rug just by conceding? What do you take us for?

"Let's set compensation aside for now. You working students are poor and can't pay much anyway, but shouldn't you at least kowtow and apologize? Is Liu Long supposed to just let your man hit him for nothing?"

Ling Yun laughed inwardly. Tang San, don't you like kowtowing and calling people father? Let's see whether you kowtow this time.

"Well..." Xiao Wu was somewhat embarrassed. Gong Yu did have a point. Tang San had hit Liu Long with a pebble, and while it would have been fine if he hadn't been caught, he had. Now they were completely in the wrong.

But when she looked at Tang San and saw how troubled he was, she couldn't bring herself to demand that he actually kowtow. After all, kowtowing might not do much damage, but it was extremely humiliating.

So Xiao Wu said, "Kowtowing is out of the question. Would compensation do instead?"

"Compensation? Sure, but you working students can barely put food on the table. What can you pay with?" Gong Yu glanced at Liu Long, and when he saw him nod, he had nothing more to say. The only pity was that he wouldn't get to see Tang San kowtow and call someone father.

"Comp... compensation in money?" Xiao Wu looked at Gong Yu, then at Tang San, who nodded.

"Money, is it? Fine, let's work it out." Gong Yu counted on his fingers. "First, Tang San injured Liu Long, so he has to pay for medicine. Second, Liu Long has to pay to see a doctor, so the consultation fee has to be included.

"Then there's compensation for emotional distress. Tang San injured Liu Long, so his spirits are bound to suffer these next few days. You have to compensate him for that too.

"Next is lost time. With Liu Long distressed, his studies are bound to fall behind, so that counts as lost time.

"Lastly, this one's serious. Liu Long has suffered aftereffects from the beating and even coughed up blood. You have to pay for that, right?"

After hearing Gong Yu's list, Xiao Wu was practically bursting with anger. "You! Why don't you just rob us? I'll grudgingly let the first few points pass, but what's that last one? When did Liu Long cough up blood?"

"Who says Liu Long didn't cough up blood?" Gong Yu smiled at Liu Long. "Hurry up and cough up blood... oh, you're so dumb. Bite the tip of your tongue or squeeze your gums. Just get some blood out somehow!"

Xiao Chenyu and the others looked at Gong Yu as though he were a monster and couldn't help shuddering. He could do that too? He was blatantly screwing people over. Xiao Chenyu was already thinking that he could provoke anyone in the future except Gong Yu, or he would surely be screwed over badly.

Liu Long then did as Gong Yu said, gently biting the tip of his tongue and spitting out some blood-mixed saliva.

Gong Yu said to Xiao Wu, "See? The aftereffects have kicked in. Liu Long coughed up blood, and you still don't want to compensate him?"

"You, you, you..." Xiao Wu was furious and wanted to keep arguing, but Tang San tugged at her clothes, signaling her to stop. He knew she was no match for Gong Yu in an argument.

So Tang San accepted the so-called compensation.

"Fine, we'll pay. Tell us how much," Xiao Wu said angrily, pointing at Gong Yu.

Gong Yu glanced at Liu Long. After all, Tang San was paying the money to Liu Long. Under Gong Yu's gaze, Liu Long couldn't help shivering all over and cautiously said, "How about ten Silver Soul Coins?"

Gong Yu couldn't help covering his eyes. Tang San was willing to pay, and even if Liu Long didn't open his mouth as wide as a lion, he didn't have to ask for so little. He was thinking far too small.