Watching Yu Xiaogang's repulsive expression, Flender's eyes filled with disbelief.
Back then, Liu Erlong had handed over the Blue Tyrant Academy to him with open arms. Yet now, just to squeeze out more money, Yu Xiaogang was willing to weaponize that history, he truly had no shame.
According to Yu Xiaogang's logic, was the original Golden Iron Triangle just a superfluous footnote?
Back then, to allow Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong to be together, Flender had voluntarily stepped aside. Yu Xiaogang didn't seem to care about that sacrifice at all.
But even if Flender regretted it now, what could he do? Erlong was devoted to Yu Xiaogang; he stood no chance.
"Sigh—"
Flender let out a heavy sigh. For Erlong's sake, he pulled out all the savings he had accumulated. "This is all of it, about 100,000 Gold Soul Coins."
"Only this much?"
Yu Xiaogang accepted the money cards with a look of slight disappointment. He then looked up at Flender and gave a solemn promise: "Boss Flender, when we return in triumph, I will repay you a hundredfold."
Hearing this, Flender didn't believe a word of it. He was actually speechless. Yu Xiaogang hadn't even bothered to repay a single coin when he held a position as an Elder of the Spirit Hall, let alone now.
He finally realized that this man was someone who could only share in hardship, never in wealth. Rather than relying on Xiaogang, he might as well push himself. Breaking through to become a Soul Douluo as soon as possible might be the only way to actually impress Erlong.
After a moment, Flender turned to Dai Mubai and Oscar. "Mubai, Oscar, are you staying at the academy or leaving Heaven Dou City?"
"Dean Flender, I want to stay, but you know my identity. My presence here will only bring disaster to the academy," Dai Mubai said, his voice heavy.
He still respected Dean Flender. Even if the man wasn't a powerhouse, he was at least far more reliable than the hypocritical Yu Xiaogang. Flender didn't protest. He was just an ordinary Soul Saint; without Lin Mu's monstrous strength, he couldn't possibly hope to shield someone from the Star Luo Imperial Family.
"Dean, I'm going out to train on my own for a while," Oscar added. "I'll return once I've improved my strength." Oscar had considered staying for a quiet life, but for Ning Rongrong's sake, he had to fight for a future.
Seeing Oscar leave as well, Flender's worry deepened. Only three of the Little Monsters remained under the academy's roof. If they were all led astray or harmed by Yu Xiaogang, Shrek Academy would become nothing but an empty shell.
He looked at Yu Xiaogang and said sternly, "Xiaogang, whatever you plan to do, think twice. Ensure their safety above all else."
"Boss Flender, with me personally accompanying them, do you still lack trust?" Yu Xiaogang asked, sounding offended.
Flender held his tongue, but his mind was full of complaints: 'It's precisely because you're there that I'm worried.'
Meanwhile, Lin Mu had led Tang San into a small, nondescript town.
The town wasn't large, but it exuded a sinister, eerie atmosphere. The passersby watched them with strange, hollow gazes.
"Master, these people... they feel wrong," Tang San noted, staying alert. He could tell these weren't ordinary citizens.
Lin Mu walked ahead without looking back. "They aren't true Fallen Ones yet. Ignore them."
Although the concept of Evil Soul Masters hadn't become a widespread term in this era, the Fallen Ones of Slaughter City were indistinguishable from them. Dealing with such people required total eradication, but these residents were just the fringe, there was no need to waste energy on them yet.
"Understood." Tang San followed his master into a nearby tavern.
The air inside was stifling. The decorations were entirely black, giving the room a cold, oppressive feel despite the daylight outside. They took a seat in a corner.
A waiter dressed in black approached them, his voice indifferent. "What would you like to order?"
"No need for an order," Lin Mu replied calmly. "We are going to Slaughter City."
Lin Mu didn't ask for a Bloody Mary. If inheriting the Asura God's position required drinking such a vile concoction, it would be a joke. Besides, he had no interest in the Asura Godhood and didn't need the Deathgod Domain, so he saw no reason to partake in the "tradition."
The tavern fell into a deathly silence. Every pair of eyes in the room fixed on the duo.
"Two brats think they can enter Slaughter City? What a joke!"
"They think they're worthy? I could crush their skulls with one hand."
The room erupted in mocking laughter. Although everyone here was a criminal seeking the city, Lin Mu and Tang San exuded no visible murderous intent, making them look like easy prey.
In response, Lin Mu casually picked up a chopstick. With a flick of his wrist, it became a blur of motion.
"Thwack!" The chopstick pierced the skull of the first man who had spoken, splattering blood across the wall behind him before embedding itself deep into the wood.
"Little San," Lin Mu said calmly. "You handle the rest."
Tang San didn't waste words. He acted. Dozens of Blue Silver Emperor vines erupted from the floor like sharpened spears, instantly piercing the chests of everyone in the tavern. While the Blue Silver Emperor didn't have the raw crushing power of the Clear Sky Hammer, it was more than enough to slaughter these small fry.
Looking at the carnage, Tang San's expression remained stoic. These people were dregs who deserved their fate. He had learned the rules of this place from his master: the only way to deal with the Fallen was total elimination.
Slaughter City was a prison for the wicked, but that didn't mean they deserved to live. Luring villains there only to periodically cull them was a strategy that aligned perfectly with the Asura God's principles of "killing to stop killing."
Even amidst the bloodbath, the waiter remained unmoved. "You think killing these fools qualifies you?" he asked coldly. "Unless you drink a Bloody Mary, you aren't worthy of entry."
"Are you feeling particularly arrogant today?" Lin Mu's eyes turned icy.
An incomparably terrifying pressure swept out from Lin Mu like a tidal wave. The tavern groaned under the force, and the sturdy bar counter began to crack and crumble. Under the sheer weight of the aura alone, the waiter coughed up a lungful of blood and collapsed, dead before he hit the floor.
"So strong! As expected of Master!" Tang San marveled. To kill with pure pressure without even summoning a martial soul, it was no wonder Lin Mu had gained the attention of multiple gods.
BOOM!
The bar counter finally shattered completely, revealing a dark opening in the floor that led to the depths below. Lin Mu promptly withdrew his aura; any more, and the entire building would have collapsed into the tunnel.