Inside the Gymnasium
At this moment, Tang Long no longer had that arrogant manner from before, but rather, he was like an eggplant hit by frost, completely wilted.
He still remembered not long ago, his grandfather expended a great effort to send his elder brother into a Martial Arts Hall.
Everyone who could enter that Martial Arts Hall, without exception, was a gifted individual like his big brother.
Yesterday, while his brother was taking a bath, he sneaked a peek at his phone and discovered such a group. Initially, he wanted to take a detailed look at which young masters and young ladies were in it.
But before he could look, he was caught red-handed by his brother, who then scolded him harshly.
"Tang Long, I don't care what you've done before, remember to handle yourself well now; North Sea is not what it used to be. If you cause trouble for the family out of nowhere, I don't mind breaking your legs and leaving you in the family for the rest of your life, serving as a tool for passing on the family line, at least it would contribute to the family!"
His brother's icy voice still echoed in his ears.
He actually always knew his position in the Tang Family, and everyone thought of him as the second young master of the Tang Family, but only he knew that in the eyes of his grandfather and his brother, he was just a waste. From a young age to now, they had never looked at him directly.
Initially, Tang Long studied hard, but no one paid attention. Later, he became the way he was now, yet no one cared; his brother, who was a year older than him, didn't care what he did at all.
But yesterday, the brother who never cared about him warned Tang Long not to offend people he shouldn't offend. Tang Long's first thought was that group his brother had just joined, that Martial Arts Hall's group.
He was ready to live life with his tail between his legs, but how was he so unlucky to run into this trouble.
At this moment, his phone kept buzzing; it was his brother's call. Normally, he might have eagerly picked it up, but now he didn't dare to answer.
"I always believed in keeping a low profile at school and just wanted to study well, we shouldn't have any connections, why are you looking for trouble with me?"
"Could it be that your brother doesn't like me?"
Su Tu looked down at Tang Long.
He had never seen Tang Long before and was so focused on his studies that he hadn't even heard of Tang Long's bad reputation. Their only connection was that Tang Long's brother, Tang Yangwu, like himself, was a student of Zhou Wuliang.
But yesterday he had interacted with Tang Yangwu, who was quite a personable guy and spoke kindly to him. If he remembered correctly, Tang Yangwu was the first to add him from the group.
"No! It's not, it has nothing to do with my brother!" Tang Long hurriedly explained.
He no longer had the superior attitude he had earlier; instead, he seemed like a child who had done something wrong, flustered and desperately explaining.
"It's, it's because of Wang Nuannuan!"
"Wang Nuannuan??"
Upon hearing this, the image of that cute, baby-faced girl floated into Su Tu's mind.
"What's it got to do with her?"
"I've liked Wang Nuannuan for six years, ever since middle school, so I came to Green Vine Academy to study..."
"If you like her, then go pursue her... why involve me..."
Indeed, among students, it's always these trivial matters: you like him, he likes her, she likes 'her'—all a mess.
"Because, because after Wang Nuannuan confessed to you, she kept her student status and took a long leave from school..."
"So, you think this is my fault?" Su Tu looked speechlessly at Tang Long in front of him, clearly, they were about the same age, but the other seemed like a spoiled little brat to him, causing such trouble just because of this.
"Hmm..." Tang Long's voice was as faint as a mosquito at this point.
"You're quite ambitious, aren't you!! Do you even know who Wang Nuannuan is!!" Suddenly, an angry shout came from the doorway, as Tang Yangwu strode in.
The surrounding second-generation rich kids didn't even dare to lift their heads when they saw this scene. They finally understood what it meant to kick a steel plate—they couldn't win a fight, couldn't outsmart him, and it seemed they couldn't match status either.
These people were all 'discarded sons' of their families, rarely having the chance to connect with the true successors, and Tang Yangwu was the future true successor of the Tang Family; his status was on a different level.
"Big brother..." Upon seeing Tang Yangwu, Tang Long trembled all over like a mouse seeing a cat.
Slap!!!
Tang Yangwu appeared in front of his brother almost instantaneously and mercilessly gave him a slap.
This slap wasn't light; half of Tang Long's face immediately swelled up, and there was a trace of red at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm sorry, Su Tu, I didn't know he would cause trouble for you. This matter has nothing to do with me, please don't think too much."
"We are under the same master; hurting you does no good and would only make our teacher have opinions on me."
Tang Yangwu cleanly explained to Su Tu.
Actually, Su Tu had already figured it out before he arrived; this matter was probably just a misunderstanding, but with such things, it's always better for everyone to acknowledge it. Words exist to communicate, and though this seemed small, left unaddressed, it's unpredictable what it might develop into in the future.
"It was indeed a misunderstanding, I've already clarified it, so don't worry." Su Tu waved his hand nonchalantly.
Upon hearing this, Tang Yangwu finally relaxed, realizing Su Tu wasn't a petty person. For a moment, his regard for Su Tu increased significantly.
Then, he looked at the group of second-generation kids: "Do I have to ask you to leave?"
Instantly, those people scattered like birds and beasts, not once glancing at Tang Long.
"Are these your good buddies?" Tang Yangwu said angrily at their lack of ambition.
"Do you know that the Wang Family, like ours, has a Martial Arts legacy? Wang Nuannuan is your age, endowed with martial arts talent. Her heart and spirit are immaculate; she doesn't need to learn but to hone her physical form, thus she doesn't attend school."
"In others' eyes, what are you, even daring to stand up for someone?"
Upon hearing Tang Yangwu's words, Tang Long wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, feeling a bitter sorrow inside. It turned out he was laughable, and they weren't from the same world at all.
"That Kong Lun also said..." he instinctively started, but halfway through, he swallowed his words.
No matter what anyone said, none of it mattered anymore. Everything was willingly decided by him.
"Kong Lun, what did he say!" However, upon hearing this name, Tang Yangwu frowned.
Tang Long finally spoke.
Tang Long had always harbored a crush on Wang Nuannuan, which wasn't a secret; many in the circle knew.
Recently, Wang Nuannuan handed Su Tu a love letter at the school gate, which greatly infuriated Tang Long, but he merely investigated Su Tu and didn't take any rash actions.
But afterward, Kong Lun, a second-generation kid who usually hung around with him, brought news that, due to Su Tu, Wang Nuannuan preserved her school enrollment and would leave for New Star far away.
Upon hearing this, Tang Long couldn't suppress the fire in his heart, leading to the scene just now.
Upon hearing the cause and effect of the situation, Tang Yangwu's face showed a hint of coldness: "The Kong Family...."
Then, he looked apologetically at Su Tu: "I'm sorry, my brother was used as a tool."
"What do you mean?" Su Tu furrowed his brow slightly, realizing there might be more to this matter.
Tang Yangwu sighed, glanced at his pitiful younger brother, and said: "You should have noticed there were many peers waiting outside when you came to the Martial Arts Hall, right?"
Su Tu remembered the scene and nodded.
"Kong Qiu was also outside then, and if the Red Seal did not appear, he had a chance to apprentice under Old Zhou, but you showed up, and Old Zhou only accepts seven apprentices, so he lost his chance."
"From what I understand of him, he wouldn't react outwardly, might even mimic others' envy and regret, but inwardly he would've long harbored resentment."
"And this Kong Lun is his brother; the other party probably investigated your identity and found you attend the same school as my brother, leading to this current situation."
Tang Yangwu analyzed calmly, the status of the Kong Family and Tang Family is about the same. Perhaps in terms of wealth, the Tang Family is stronger, but the Kong Family has a longer legacy, purely on martial arts, the Tang Family cannot compare to the Kong Family.
"Does he want to use such means to ruin me and then replace my position?"
Upon hearing this, Su Tu raised his eyebrows, his tone stern.
"Unlikely, Kong Qiu has already apprenticed at another Dao Field, his teacher's strength is not weak."
"Then what for?"
"Because he can't stand others doing well, he puts on a facade of reasonableness, but if you touch his interests, he'll find ways to make trouble for you and present those so-called reasons."
Tang Yangwu didn't finish his words, but Su Tu could already imagine that wayward justification might not be very friendly.
"Su Tu, our family owes you for this matter. Regardless, Xiaolong offended you. If you wish, you can come and stay at our Tang Family for a while."
Tang Yangwu's mind turned quickly; isn't this the chance to befriend Su Tu!
"No need for trouble, I'm used to sleeping in my own bed and have trouble sleeping in different places." Su Tu politely declined Tang Yangwu's goodwill.
One might evade for a moment, but cannot forever. Whatever comes will come; Su Tu isn't one to escape, he opens roads through mountains, builds bridges over waters, if no road exists, he creates another—that's his style.
"Alright, take this."
"Consider it an apology from my brother."
Tang Yangwu took out a particularly exquisite little box from his pocket and handed it over.
The box was covered with mechanical gears that constantly rotated.
"What is this?"
"A compound nutrition supplement, roughly equivalent to the nutritional protein provided by ten cows. You're just forging your Martial Arts Dao foundation and in need of replenishing your body's deficit."