Chapter 3: Ruining Yu Xiaogang
Yu Xiaogang fell to the floor, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Behind him, "Zhang Lang's" body twisted and transformed back into Luo Ling's true form.
Controlled by the dark threads, the Raven Shadow Puppet had mimicked human behavior flawlessly. Even standing before Yu Xiaogang, it hadn't revealed a single flaw.
The office door creaked open. The real Luo Ling walked in, step by step, until he reached Yu Xiaogang's side. He crouched down beside him.
"Yu Xiaogang… did you ever think I might still be alive?"
"I only overheard you admitting your theories were stolen from the Spirit Hall's archives, and you tried to kill me to silence it. How fragile is that pride of yours?"
Luo Ling spoke softly, almost tenderly. But Yu Xiaogang lay motionless on the floor, still unconscious.
Luo Ling looked down at the comatose man, suppressing the urge to kill him right there. Death would be too easy—a release. He wanted Yu Xiaogang to live a life worse than death.
Standing up, Luo Ling went outside, dragged Zhang Lang's corpse into the office, and laid it beside Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang cared most about his reputation. That much was clear from the way he'd stolen Spirit Hall's research and claimed it as his own.
A worthless man with no true research, propped up only by plagiarized theories—hiding his humiliation behind a mask of pride.
Luo Ling's smile turned wicked. He quickly stripped the clothes from both Zhang Lang and Yu Xiaogang, arranging them together into a scene so indecent it would destroy reputations.
But that still wasn't enough.
Luo Ling's gaze darkened as he looked at Yu Xiaogang's lower body.
With a cruel twist of his lips, he raised his foot and stomped down hard. A sickening crunch echoed, followed by a faint, wet sound as flesh turned to pulp.
Yu Xiaogang screamed awake from the agony, but before he could react, the Raven Shadow Puppet struck again—knocking him unconscious with a violent blow.
"Consider that interest." Luo Ling smirked coldly at the unconscious man, then began looting the office for anything valuable.
From above came the faint echo of footsteps—drawn by Yu Xiaogang's earlier scream. Without hesitation, Luo Ling turned and left the office.
"This is only the beginning, Yu Xiaogang…"
"By now, Tang San should be arriving at Notting Academy. You wanted to prove yourself by training a genius disciple? Then I'll make sure Tang San's ruined too."
Luo Ling's whisper carried through the darkness.
The saying goes—to destroy a man, destroy what he values most.
Even if Tang San hadn't yet become Yu Xiaogang's apprentice, Luo Ling had already set his sights on him.
…
Ten minutes later, shouts rang outside the office.
"Master, are you alright?"
The door slowly opened, and a female instructor stepped inside. Upon seeing the scene before her, she let out a piercing scream.
…
Dawn broke. The night had passed.
The next morning, walking through the streets of Notting City, Luo Ling overheard bits of gossip about "the Grandmaster."
It had taken only one night for Yu Xiaogang's name to spread across the city—more famous than ever, though for all the wrong reasons.
"Did you hear? Yesterday, the Grandmaster from Notting Academy was found naked with a man in his office!"
"Of course! My cousin studies there—everyone saw it! They say the Grandmaster's been crippled!"
"That's nothing! I heard he's been practicing some evil dual cultivation method. The man in his office was found dead—completely drained of life force!"
Listening to the chatter around him, Luo Ling wore a look of calm indifference. He leisurely walked toward the city gates.
He had stripped Zhang Lang's corpse and placed it beside Yu Xiaogang specifically to tarnish the Grandmaster's reputation.
A supposed theory expert, unable to advance his rank for years, descending into dark arts—it was a perfectly believable story.
Thus, the seed was planted for Yu Xiaogang's future infamy as an evil soul master.
A malicious smile tugged at Luo Ling's lips. He then boarded a carriage heading toward Emperor Soul Village.
As the scenery passed outside the window, Luo Ling contemplated his next moves.
Ruining Yu Xiaogang would not happen overnight. Notting City was far too small for that.
"If I can act during the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament…"
"I'll expose Tang San and Yu Xiaogang as evil soul masters right there!"
"Tang San's external soul bone, the Eight Spider Lances, can absorb life force and soul power—it's the perfect excuse."
Tapping his finger against the carriage window, Luo Ling's mind raced with ideas.
"I can seize the immortal herbs beforehand. Without them, maybe Tang San will rely on those Eight Spider Lances for power."
"Oh, and the Blue Silver Emperor seed and spirit bone near Holy Soul Village—I'll need to take those too."
"Tang San… don't blame me for being ruthless. Blame Yu Xiaogang." Luo Ling murmured, turning his gaze toward the distant direction of Holy Soul Village.
…
An hour later, the carriage arrived at Emperor Soul Village.
Luo Ling had returned to the place where he'd grown up.
He had been adopted by the village chief, but the old man had passed away a month ago—just after Luo Ling had obtained his first soul ring.
The old chief's health had always been poor. Perhaps his dying wish to see a soul master born in his village had kept him alive until that moment.
Standing at the village entrance, Luo Ling looked toward the chief's grave. After one final glance, he prepared to leave for Heaven Dou City—to seek the immortal herbs.
But just as he turned to head deeper into the village, a shout rang out ahead.
"Catch the thief! Someone's stealing!"
A figure dressed in black burst from a house clutching a bundle.
Luo Ling's expression darkened slightly. Though he wasn't close to the villagers, this was the place he had grown up.
He planned to intervene when a black crow appeared on his shoulder.
But before he could act, a sudden breeze flew past him—a girl darted forward.
"You thief! Stop right there!"
With a graceful leap like a rabbit, the girl's long legs coiled around the thief's torso, kicking him to the ground with startling force.
The surrounding villagers froze. None had expected such strength from the small, delicately beautiful girl.
Even Luo Ling was surprised by what he saw.
She was stunning—adorable, with long pink eyes and a long, braided ponytail shaped like a scorpion tail.
He recognized her in an instant—Xiao Wu!
To think he'd encounter Xiao Wu here… Luo Ling's eyes gleamed.
Xiao Wu would one day be Tang San's greatest emotional bond—the sheath to his Shura Sword. Since Luo Ling planned to destroy Tang San, he couldn't possibly let her fall into his hands.
Not that Tang San would live long enough to become a god anyway.
Smiling faintly, Luo Ling strode forward, speaking casually. "That move you used—was it some kind of technique?"
Xiao Wu turned to look at him, a trace of curiosity flashing in her eyes.
It had to be said—after his second awakening, Luo Ling's appearance was flawless. His silver hair and calm demeanor gave him an ethereal charm.
"I call it Soft Skill. It's a technique that relies on flexibility and resilience." Xiao Wu answered after a pause.
"Soft Skill? Sounds impressive. My name's Luo Ling—can we be friends?" Luo Ling kept his tone gentle, his smile easy.
"I'm Xiao Wu. The 'Wu' from dancing." She replied instinctively, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of warmth toward him.
"Little girl! Thank you for catching that thief. Are you a soul master?" The village chief and a group of villagers approached in excitement.
"I… I'm not a soul master yet." Xiao Wu glanced nervously at Luo Ling before turning to answer the chief.
"Then you must be one of this year's new students going to Notting Academy?" the chief asked again.
"Notting Academy?" Xiao Wu frowned, unfamiliar with the name.
She had only recently left the Star Dou Forest and didn't know much about the human world.
"It's in Notting City," Luo Ling explained. "Every year, children with innate soul power go there to study. You just need a Spirit Hall certificate—and, well, usually some money."
"Money?" Xiao Wu's frown deepened.
"Yeah." Luo Ling chuckled softly, stepping closer until he was right beside her. Leaning down, he whispered, "You wanted to experience the human world and cultivate faster, didn't you? That's a good place to start."
But to Xiao Wu, those words carried another meaning entirely. The phrase human world made her hair stand on end.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, instinctively backing away, alarmed.
"What do you think I'm talking about… little rabbit?" Luo Ling remained where he was, smiling calmly. But to Xiao Wu, that smile felt colder than ice.
(END CHAPTER)
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