At the gates of Nuoding Academy, Tang San and Xiao Wu happened to run into someone familiar.
It was Yu Xiaogang—better known on campus as the so-called "Master."
He looked significantly different from the first time Tang San had seen him.
Gone were the greasy robes and slouched demeanor. His clothes were clean, his hair trimmed, and his stubble shaved—though he kept a bit on his chin for style. His eyes were sharp now, bright, and alive with some long-lost ambition.
"Hello, teacher," Tang San greeted politely.
Yu Xiaogang's smile widened. "I just watched your match on the playground. Very exciting. You both have talent—but talent alone isn't enough. You'll need a qualified teacher to guide you forward."
He got straight to the point.
He wanted to take them as disciples.
Tang San returned his smile calmly. "Most people do need a guide. But I'm… not most people."
He added with a faint chuckle, "Teacher, your name is quite well-known around the school."
Yu Xiaogang gave a soft sigh. "It's just empty fame."
Tang San's mouth twitched.
That level of shamelessness... was almost impressive.
If Tang San didn't know the truth, he might have thought Yu Xiaogang was a genuine master of soul theory.
"Little San," Xiao Wu leaned in to whisper, "Who's this?"
Tang San gave her a sidelong glance. "Yu Xiaogang. Didn't Wang Sheng tell you about him?"
"Ohhh—that waste." Xiao Wu blinked, then remembered. She'd seen him in the cafeteria once or twice, but hadn't paid him much attention.
But now, it seemed this "Master" wanted to recruit her and Tang San?
Not happening.
Tang San resisted the urge to sigh.
This girl still had a lot to learn about human society. Calling someone a "waste" to their face—especially one connected to a noble clan—wasn't exactly wise.
Yu Xiaogang's smile wavered for a moment when he heard the word "waste," but he managed to keep up appearances.
His ambitions depended on these two. He couldn't afford to get petty.
"Those are just misunderstandings," Yu Xiaogang said. "Have you read the Ten Theories of Soul Cultivation? I wrote that."
Tang San nodded. "Yes. It was published fifteen years ago. I was amazed the first time I read it."
Yu Xiaogang brightened. "Oh? So you've studied it?"
"I have," Tang San replied lightly. "The correct parts are almost common sense now. And the flawed parts…" He tilted his head. "Some of the flaws are, well, quite severe. A few even seem outright foolish."
Yu Xiaogang's face paled.
Tang San quickly softened his tone—just a little.
"But of course, that was fifteen years ago. In fifteen years, a child is born, grows up, marries, and starts a family. It's normal for knowledge to fall behind."
Even though he tried to give the man a way out, Yu Xiaogang's expression didn't recover.
And in that moment, Tang San quietly dismissed the last shred of his curiosity.
Even if the man once had potential, the present-day Yu Xiaogang was… narrow, defensive, and brittle.
A true theorist needed thick skin, not a paper heart.
"You make a fair point," Yu Xiaogang finally said, exhaling. "It's true that knowledge must evolve."
Tang San gave a faint smile and nodded. "If there's nothing else, Teacher, Xiao Wu and I will be on our way."
"Wait." Yu Xiaogang's tone shifted. "Would you… consider taking me as your teacher?"
There it was.
Xiao Wu opened her mouth to say something, but Tang San raised a hand to stop her. He looked Yu Xiaogang directly in the eyes.
"My martial soul may just be a mutated Blue Silver Grass, but with innate level six soul power, I'll at least become a Soul Emperor in the future," he said calmly. "And you, Master, are only a Great Soul Master."
"I don't judge people solely by soul power level. But… if you wish to guide us, especially someone like Xiao Wu—who has innate full soul power and a hundred-year soul ring—you'll need to offer something more."
"Because let's be honest," Tang San said flatly, "her path to Titled Douluo is nearly guaranteed. Even if she makes mistakes in choosing soul beasts, as long as she doesn't die, she'll get there eventually."
"What we need now is protection. The world is dangerous, and unless we have someone strong watching our backs, the likelihood of dying early is too high."
"By strong, I mean Soul Saint level at least."
Yu Xiaogang's face darkened.
He knew Tang San was right.
He was too weak. He couldn't even break through rank thirty. He didn't dare return to his clan, even though he was the son of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan leader.
He had no support.
No status.
No capital… except his theory and his pride.
"I have a friend," Yu Xiaogang offered suddenly, "a Soul Saint. He opened a school—Shrek Academy. We keep in touch."
"Oh?" Tang San smiled. "Could you introduce me? I'd like to take your friend as my teacher."
Yu Xiaogang fell silent.
Tang San didn't say, 'Your friendship must not be that strong then.'
He didn't need to.
He simply turned to Xiao Wu, took her hand, and started walking away.
Xiao Wu wanted to make a face at Yu Xiaogang, but Tang San whispered, "Don't. His pride is fragile. No idea how he'd react."
"Tch. You're so timid."
"This isn't timidity—it's avoiding unnecessary problems," Tang San replied. "Besides, what did he actually do to us? Aside from wasting some breath?"
Xiao Wu thought about it. "…I guess not much."
"Being a decent person is also a kind of cultivation," Tang San said quietly. "If your first thought is to anger someone and solve everything with violence, you're just making your brain stupider."
He glanced at her pointedly.
"You're already stupid enough. Any dumber, and I won't know how to teach you."
—
Tang San wasn't worried about Xiao Wu betraying him.
He'd told her about the idea of cloning. About resurrection.
But she wasn't foolish enough to tell others that he might be able to resurrect her mother.
Or start spreading theories about recreating the dead.
At least… he hoped she wasn't that stupid.
Not yet.