Flender brewed a pot of tea, retrieving two teacups he had treasured for years from a cabinet. He poured a cup for Yu Xiaogang, thoughtfully placing it on his left-hand side. After drinking the hot tea, Yu Xiaogang's spirits lifted slightly, but his mind was still troubled. He was genuinely worried about Tang San's safety, but his concerns ran deeper than that.
If he couldn't find Tang San, where would he find another suitable "experimental subject"? How could he prove the invincible theory he had spent more than a decade perfecting? Without his disciple's success, what would he use to show off his genius to others?
As he pondered this, another name surfaced in his mind: Huo Feng.
A wave of regret washed over him. If only he had paid more attention to Huo Feng back when they first entered Notting Academy. Would the boy have been willing to become his disciple then? If so, he would now have some real capital to boast about. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. It was useless to think about it now. Yu Xiaogang knew there was no chance of Huo Feng accepting him as a master anymore. What a pity.
His current situation was humiliating. Just an hour ago, he had walked into Flender's room brimming with confidence, ready to show off his brilliant student. It turned out to be nothing but empty talk, as Tang San wasn't even at the academy. How could he save face now? If Huo Feng had also been his disciple, things would have been completely different.
Seeing the renewed wave of depression wash over his friend, Flender decided to strike up a conversation. They talked about their lives over the past few years and reminisced about events from more than a decade ago. An hour passed quickly. Looking out the window, Flender saw that the sun had fully risen, burning away the last wisps of morning mist. He glanced at the time; it was getting late. The teachers and students should all be awake by now.
He stood up and walked to the door, turning back to Yu Xiaogang. "I'll go get Vice-Dean Zhao Wuji. He was in charge of the entrance exam this year. You can ask him yourself."
Yu Xiaogang simply nodded, saying nothing.
With that, Flender opened the door and left, heading straight for Zhao Wuji's room. Less than a minute later, two figures could be seen returning in the distance. Hearing their approaching footsteps, Yu Xiaogang looked up. The backlight made it difficult to see their faces, but their silhouettes were clear. One was Flender, with his well-proportioned build. The other man walking beside him was a different story.
He was burly and imposing. Though he was about the same height as Flender, his shoulders were three times as broad. Even from a distance, Yu Xiaogang could make out the powerful muscles bulging on his upper body.
"This must be the Vice-Dean Zhao Wuji that Flender mentioned," Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself. He quickly turned away, pretending to be cool and detached, and casually lowered his eyes to his teacup as if he hadn't noticed them. In truth, he had heard of the famous 'Immovable Bright King', Zhao Wuji, but he didn't know much about him.
Soon, Flender and Zhao Wuji pushed the door open and walked in. Hearing the sound, Yu Xiaogang stood up with a contrived air of importance, turning to face them with his signature stiff, ugly smile. Zhao Wuji forced a polite smile in return.
Sensing the awkward tension, Flender quickly stepped between them to make introductions. "Wuji, come, let me introduce you. This is my old friend. You've probably never met him. Just call him Master; almost everyone in the Spirit Master world does."
As Flender spoke, Zhao Wuji looked Yu Xiaogang up and down. He saw a very ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a rigid face and a ramrod-straight back, which made him seem a bit dull. Worse, the look in the man's eyes was a mixture of arrogance, indifference, and impatience.
Zhao Wuji was immediately displeased. What kind of master is this? Does he have any shame, looking at people like that?
However, out of respect for Flender, he kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he put on a surprised expression and said with a hint of sarcasm, "So you're the Master. I've heard your name for a long time! Who in the Spirit Master world doesn't know about the man with the invincible theory? Seeing you today, it's clear you're truly extraordinary! It's an honor to finally meet you. Hello, I'm Zhao Wuji!"
He finished his speech with a wide, friendly smile. The atmosphere in the room felt off to Flender. He had never heard Zhao Wuji speak with such elaborate politeness before. While he was trying to figure out what was going on, the situation grew even more explosive.
After his greeting, Zhao Wuji politely extended his right hand toward Yu Xiaogang for a handshake, even leaning forward slightly as a sign of respect. But after several seconds, Yu Xiaogang didn't react at all.
Zhao Wuji's smile faltered, replaced by irritation. Damn it, I've never met anyone so rude.
Just then, Flender tugged on his arm from behind and subtly tilted his chin down, directing his gaze toward Yu Xiaogang's empty right sleeve. Zhao Wuji's eyes widened in realization. The Master was missing an arm? Why didn't anyone say so earlier? He looked up and saw that Yu Xiaogang's face had grown pale. He quickly switched hands and extended his left. Yu Xiaogang's tense expression finally relaxed a fraction. The simple, polite greeting was finally, and awkwardly, complete.
With the tension eased, Flender smiled. "Xiaogang, this is the vice-dean of Shrek Academy, Zhao Wuji."
Yu Xiaogang nodded, forcing another smile onto his stiff face. "So you're the famous Immovable Bright King," he said in an unusually calm tone. "I've heard of you."
Zhao Wuji just waved his hand and laughed it off. "I heard from the dean that you had something you wanted to ask me? We're all friends here, so just say what's on your mind." He decided to get straight to the point to avoid any more awkwardness.
"Yes, there is something," Yu Xiaogang replied simply. He then unceremoniously pulled the only chair in the room toward himself, sat down, and continued. "I have a disciple who graduated from Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy. He came to Soto City a few days ago to take the entrance exam for Shrek Academy. But after speaking with Dean Flender today, I learned that he isn't here. I was told you were in charge of the exam this year, so I just want to ask if you saw my disciple during the admissions test."
Zhao Wuji listened patiently as Yu Xiaogang talked on, but he noticed one missing detail. You talked all that time but never told me his name. How am I supposed to answer that?
Still, he kept his tone polite. "Excuse me, Master, but what is your disciple's name?"
"Tang San," Yu Xiaogang replied.
"Tang San?" Zhao Wuji's face was a mask of confusion. He answered bluntly.
"Never seen him."
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