Chapter 133: A Clown Performing Under Everyone's Gaze. Is He Stupid or What?
"You!"
Yu Xiaogang's face instantly turned livid when he realized Ning Rongrong actually knew his identity.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.
Again!
Those eyes again!
After all these years, people were still looking at him with that same gaze—the gaze used for trash!
Flender quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Xiaogang is truly outstanding in theory. His Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls have had a profound influence on the soul master world…"
"No matter how good the theory is, what's the point if your own strength is lacking?" Ning Rongrong muttered dismissively.
Zhu Zhuqing rarely agreed with others, yet this time she nodded in agreement.
In the world of soul masters, strength was everything. If you couldn't even cultivate yourself properly, how could you teach others?
Yu Xiaogang felt a surge of anger rush straight to his head.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
He couldn't get angry.
He couldn't lower himself to argue with a little girl.
He needed to prove himself. He needed to slap their faces with facts.
"You don't need to judge me through colored glasses just because of my soul power level. Tang San is a student I personally trained."
Yu Xiaogang spoke slowly, enunciating every word.
"A twelve-year-old Soul Elder whose third soul ring exceeds the theoretical limit. Doesn't that prove my ability?"
He spoke with great confidence, even a hint of pride.
But he didn't notice the strange expressions appearing on everyone's faces.
Dai Mubai's mouth twitched.
Ma Hongjun was trying so hard not to laugh that his face turned red.
Oscar turned his head away.
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes outright.
"Ahem…"
Even Flender coughed awkwardly.
Without Lin Qingmo, Tang San could indeed be considered a genius.
A twelve-year-old Soul Elder would be top-tier anywhere.
But now…
Everyone subconsciously turned to look at Lin Qingmo.
That guy was leaning casually against a tree, looking as though none of this concerned him.
Sensing everyone's gaze, he raised his head and lifted an eyebrow.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Yu Xiaogang followed their gazes.
Only now did he carefully observe Lin Qingmo.
He had felt earlier that the young man looked familiar. The more he looked, the more certain he became that he had seen him somewhere before.
Then Lin Qingmo straightened up and walked toward him.
"Long time no see."
Lin Qingmo grinned, speaking in a relaxed tone, as if greeting an old friend.
But his next sentence carried heavy sarcasm.
"The so-called Grandmaster who fishes for fame, Yu Xiao Gang."
"!!!"
The training ground fell deathly silent.
Flender opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately said nothing.
Everyone else looked like they were enjoying a good show.
The tension in the air was thick.
Yu Xiaogang's darkened face stared fixedly at Lin Qingmo while his mind searched frantically through his memories.
Finally, he remembered.
This was the boy from Nuoding Academy who had once dismissed his theories.
"It's you."
Yu Xiaogang squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.
Lin Qingmo shrugged.
"I'm surprised you still remember me. So tell me, after all these years, have your theories improved? Or are you still misleading students?"
"You—"
"What about me?"
Lin Qingmo cut him off.
Yu Xiaogang barely maintained his composure.
"Hmph. My teaching results are real. Tang San is the best proof of my ability."
"Proof of what?" Ning Rongrong interrupted.
"Proof that you got lucky and happened to meet a student with decent talent but terrible character?"
"True, hahaha."
Ma Hongjun couldn't hold it in this time and burst out laughing.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, who had remained silent the entire time, curved her lips slightly.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang being looked down upon like this, Tang San couldn't endure it any longer.
"You're not allowed to talk about my teacher like that!"
He stepped forward and stood before Yu Xiaogang, glaring at Lin Qingmo.
The anger in his eyes was completely undisguised.
Why was everyone always siding with Lin Qingmo?
His teacher was obviously very capable. Why couldn't they see it?
Lin Qingmo sighed.
"Tang San, I never said your teacher was bad. I'm just stating facts."
"It's normal for theories to have flaws. But refusing to admit it and insisting on acting like a Grandmaster… that's just embarrassing."
"What do you know?!"
Tang San roared.
"What my teacher taught me is something someone like you will never understand!"
"Is that so?"
Lin Qingmo looked at him calmly.
"Then did he ever tell you what happens when you interrupt someone while they're absorbing a soul ring? Did he teach you how reckless behavior in the Soul Beast Forest can endanger your teammates?"
"I…"
Tang San was speechless.
Regarding Oscar's situation, he truly had been in the wrong.
At the time, he had been too eager to prove himself and hadn't thought things through.
Now that he thought about it, if Oscar's future development had been affected because of an unsuitable soul ring, then he…
"And there's also Dragon Duke and Serpent Lady."
Lin Qingmo continued.
"Do you know how much trouble offending them could bring? The next time we enter the Star Dou Forest, have you considered everyone's safety?"
One question after another left Tang San completely unable to respond.
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned ashen.
Flender hadn't told him about any of these incidents.
But hearing that Tang San had interrupted someone's soul ring absorption still made his heart tighten.
If he had known his student had been so reckless, he definitely would have criticized him.
But now was not the time to discuss that.
"Enough."
Yu Xiaogang said in a deep voice.
"I was invited here by Flender to be a teacher. If you have objections, you can speak with him."
"But right now, I am the teacher, and you are the students. Students should listen to their teacher."
He tried to suppress them with authority.
Lin Qingmo simply laughed and mocked him openly.
"Sure. Then, teacher, what exactly are you going to teach us? How to remain stuck at Rank 29 your entire life without breaking through?"
"You!!!"
Hearing Lin Qingmo repeatedly expose his weakness and rub salt into his wounds, Yu Xiaogang finally snapped.
He abruptly turned to Flender.
"Flender, if I remember correctly, Shrek Academy only admits monsters."
Flender awkwardly pushed up his glasses.
"That's right, Xiaogang. These children are all rare monster-level talents."
"Then what about him?"
Yu Xiaogang pointed directly at Lin Qingmo. His tone carried obvious doubt and a faint trace of contempt.
"If I remember correctly, his name is Lin Qingmo. He comes from Nuoding Academy, with innate soul power rank 4, and his martial soul is Blue Silver Grass."
"A Blue Silver Grass soul master with only innate Rank 4 soul power. A standard waste martial soul."
Yu Xiaogang pronounced each word slowly, like someone announcing a verdict.
"How did someone like him sneak into this so-called 'monster academy'?"
"Flender, since when have your standards dropped so low that even trash like this can be admitted?"
Silence fell momentarily.
Then—
"Pfft… HAHAHA!"
Ma Hongjun was the first to lose control. He clutched his stomach and laughed so hard his fat shook.
"Oh my god, Oscar, did you hear that? He said Lin Qingmo is trash! Where did this weirdo come from? I'm dying from laughter!"
Oscar couldn't hold it in any longer. His shoulders trembled as he winked at Ma Hongjun.
"Fatty, keep your voice down. He's a 'Grandmaster,' after all. His theories are invincible. Maybe in his theory, someone like Lin Qingmo really counts as trash."
He deliberately emphasized the word "Grandmaster," the sarcasm obvious.
Dai Mubai folded his arms, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
He didn't particularly like Lin Qingmo.
But watching this so-called Grandmaster suddenly appear and start acting like he ruled the world, especially knowing he was Tang San's teacher, irritated him even more.
He snorted coldly.
Dai Mubai didn't speak.
But the look he gave Tang San clearly said, "Watch how you embarrass yourself."
Even the usually cold Zhu Zhuqing slightly turned her head and covered the corner of her lips with the back of her hand.
Apparently, she also found the situation ridiculously amusing.
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened even more.
She looked at Yu Xiaogang, then at Lin Qingmo.
Her face was filled with pure astonishment, as if thinking:
Is this guy… stupid or something?
—
End of Chapter