Chapter 147: The Grandmaster's Advice, Zhu Zhuqing's Guilty Pleasure
Yu Xiaogang lay on the ground, unconscious.
Tang San checked him over and discovered that Yu Xiaogang was extremely weak—his physical condition was worse than that of ordinary non-soul masters.
'Why is the teacher so frail? My Bone Piercing Needle shouldn't have this kind of effect,' Tang San frowned.
Clearly, Yu Xiaogang's fainting had little to do with Tang San's hidden weapon.
The Grandmaster's body was already on the verge of collapse; Tang San's attack had merely been the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Tang San pulled the hidden weapon out of Yu Xiaogang's body.
The Bone Piercing Needle had blood grooves carved into it and barbs at the tip. As it was yanked out, tearing through flesh and skin, blood immediately poured from Yu Xiaogang's wound.
"Ah—!"
That single motion was enough to wake Yu Xiaogang from his stupor.
"Xiao San? Is that you?"
Turning his head and seeing Tang San behind him, Yu Xiaogang felt so wronged that he almost wanted to cry.
Even during the time he was expelled from his family, he had never suffered such misery!
Tang San gently tapped his finger, helping him stop the bleeding, then applied some wound medicine.
"Someone attacked me from behind before I passed out. It's thanks to you that I was saved—otherwise, I might have died on the streets!"
Yu Xiaogang endured the pain in his backside and sighed, lamenting how ill-fated his life had been.
Born into a prestigious clan, he had been cast out due to defects in his martial soul. Now, he didn't even have a martial soul anymore and had fallen to wandering the streets.
Tang San felt awkward—after all, the person who had attacked the Grandmaster from behind had been him.
To prevent Yu Xiaogang from realizing the truth, Tang San quickly changed the subject.
"Teacher, weren't you heading to Shrek Academy? Why are you still in Heaven Dou City? And why does your voice sound like this now?"
Tang San noticed that Yu Xiaogang's voice had taken on a somewhat hoarse, duck-like tone.
Yu Xiaogang touched his sorrow-worn face and realized that even his beard stubble and pores were disappearing, his chin becoming unnaturally smooth.
It was all Liu Erlong's fault—she had actually ruined his precious 'second brother.'
Naturally, he was too embarrassed to mention this and instead deflected the topic.
"I was injured by a villain. My soul power was crippled, so I couldn't travel such a long distance."
"Xiao San, didn't you already acknowledge your ancestry and return to your clan? I heard the Clear Sky Sect sealed itself off—why are you here?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
With no choice, Tang San explained everything he had been through. After listening, Yu Xiaogang let out another sigh.
His disciple's experiences reminded him of his own. Sure enough, every great sect was full of intrigue and internal strife.
"Teacher, do you have any way to help me make money?" Tang San asked.
Yu Xiaogang thought of Flender, who was running an academy. Back then, even after Yu Xiaogang had treated him that way, Flender still admired him deeply.
Perhaps he could borrow Flender's strength to help Tang San. Since the Clear Sky Sect had been so heartless and sent his disciple back to him, he wouldn't hold back anymore.
"Xiao San, do you know about the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
Tang San shook his head. He had never attended an advanced soul master academy—how would he know?
Yu Xiaogang finally regained a shred of his dignity as a teacher and began explaining the tournament's format and rules.
"Xiao San, the champion of the Soul Master Tournament, can receive a reward of several hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."
"A battle team must have at least seven members. Each person can receive at least tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins."
"And all the major powers across the continent pay close attention to this tournament, searching for talented soul masters."
Tang San's eyes lit up. Participating in the Soul Master Tournament wouldn't affect his cultivation or the forging and selling of hidden weapons—he could pursue multiple paths at once.
Only by earning enough money could he quickly learn the Clear Sky Hammer martial soul's cultivation methods and rescue Xiao Wu.
Moreover, through this tournament, he would be able to encounter members of various major factions—perhaps he could even recruit a few for his own use.
However, to avoid being recognized by people from the Spirit Hall, he would need to change his name and disguise himself.
"Teacher, thank you. When does the Soul Master Tournament begin?" Tang San asked.
Yu Xiaogang said, "There's still a little over two years left."
Tang San frowned slightly. Two years wasn't long—but he didn't know whether Xiao Wu could endure for that long.
A girl as beautiful as Xiao Wu—who knew how much suffering she would have to endure over the course of two years?
That amount of time was already enough for her to bear children twice over.
Tang San didn't dare think any further.
'Ah… I just hope Xiao Wu can hold on.'
"Teacher, I have something I don't quite understand. Could you help me take a look?" Tang San asked.
Yu Xiaogang naturally didn't refuse. The two of them walked to a secluded corner.
"Xiao San, what is it you want to show me?" Yu Xiaogang asked curiously.
He had already passed all of his martial soul theories to Tang San. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be anything Tang San couldn't understand.
Tang San took off his clothes, revealing a body that didn't look particularly bulky, yet was filled with a sense of restrained power.
Yu Xiaogang's old face flushed red—he was momentarily distracted by Tang San's physique.
"Teacher, look at my back," Tang San said.
Only then did Yu Xiaogang come back to his senses. Reluctantly tearing his gaze away from Tang San's abdominal muscles, he turned his attention to his back.
That was when he noticed several neat, symmetrical bulges protruding from Tang San's spine—eight in total.
Yu Xiaogang couldn't help reaching out to touch them, only to discover that they were actually bones.
If Tang San weren't a soul master, he might have mistaken these for abnormal bone growth.
"Xiao San, can these bone protrusions be released?" Yu Xiaogang asked. He already had a guess—they were likely external soul bones.
Tang San shuddered at Yu Xiaogang's touch, goosebumps rising all over his body. After not seeing him for some time, he felt that his teacher's gaze and movements were somewhat… off.
"Yes, Teacher. Please step back a little—I'm afraid I might hurt you," Tang San said.
This was something he had obtained while acquiring a soul ring in the Sunset Forest. He didn't trust the people of the Clear Sky Sect, so he had no choice but to consult the Grandmaster.
...
Qi Tian had no idea that Tang San had managed to obtain an external soul bone without even going to the Star Dou Great Forest.
If he had known, he would have definitely taken advantage of the moment before Tang San fully fused with it, stripped the soul bone off him, and given it to one of his own people.
At this moment, he had already returned to Zhu Zhuqing's residence in Star Luo City.
It was getting late, yet Zhu Zhuyun still hadn't left. The moment Qi Tian returned, she stared straight at him.
"Sister, what's wrong? Is there something on me?" Qi Tian asked.
Earlier, to deal with Tang San, he hadn't had the leisure to pay attention to Zhu Zhuqing's side.
Zhu Zhuqing had gone out to bring Qi Tian back. Before returning to her room, she shot Zhu Zhuyun an encouraging look, deliberately leaving the two of them alone.
"What's going on?" Qi Tian felt that Zhu Zhuqing was acting a little strange as well.
With Zhu Zhuqing gone, Zhu Zhuyun grew nervous.
Unlike Zhu Zhuqing, who was cold on the outside but warm within, Zhu Zhuyun appeared strong and sophisticated on the surface, yet was actually rather timid inside.
"Well… could I see your real appearance?" Zhu Zhuyun asked.
"Huh? Sister, what are you joking about? Isn't this my real appearance?" Qi Tian replied.
He glanced in the direction Zhu Zhuqing had left. Could it be that Zhu Zhuqing had already told Zhu Zhuyun about him impersonating Dai Mubai?
Wasn't this way too fast? If Zhu Zhuyun turned against them, their entire plan would be ruined.
Zhu Zhuyun's face flushed red. Gathering her courage, she said, "Zhuqing has already told me everything about you."
"She said you can change your appearance… and that you even once impersonate her."
As she said this, Zhu Zhuyun's face turned even redder. She looked completely different from her usual domineering self—yet carried a unique kind of charm.
—
End of Chapter