Both Yu Xiaogang and Flander arrived near Tang San's dormitory, but before they could enter, they were stopped by members of the Strength Clan.
"Stop! No one is allowed to go inside."
Yu Xiaogang, who was about to rush in anxiously, froze and looked at the man with a puzzled expression. he did not think much and enquired
"Who are you? What are you doing in front of my disciple's room?"
"What? You're that vicious guy's teacher?" The Strength Clan members were excited to find a clue regarding Tang San.
One of them quickly ran to call the others while shouting, "We found Tang San's teacher! Come here quickly!"
Flander cursed Yu Xiaogang for being stupid, glaring at him with irritation. Feeling his gaze, Yu Xiaogang grew embarrassed and avoided looking back. Both of them understood they were in trouble. Fighting now would only make things worse, so Flander decided not to act and waited for the clan leader or another high-ranking member to arrive and explain the situation.
Soon, more Strength Clan members gathered.
"Where is that vicious brat's teacher?" An angry roar echoed as the Strength Clan leader, Tai Tan, arrived with his son Tai Nuo and several elders.
"Clan leader, he's here!" the members guided Tai Tan toward Yu Xiaogang and Flander. Tai Tan stopped in front of them and, without saying anything, released his Soul Douluo aura in their direction.
Seeing this, Flander's pupils shrank. He instantly moved in beside Yu Xiaogang, pushing him toward a nearby Strength Clan member while taking the full pressure alone. The overwhelming aura pressed down on him, even he with soul saint power level, struggled to stand properly. His body bent under the crushing force almost touching the ground, and he could barely speak. He had underestimated the might of a Soul Douluo's pressure.
Tai Tan noticed Yu Xiaogang was pushed out of the pressure's range. He wanted to suppress him as well, but since Yu Xiaogang was standing near a clan member, he couldn't unleash his aura fully. Instead, he asked coldly, "Where is Tang San?"
"Senior, there must be a misunderstanding. My disciple would never do such a thing," since Flander couldn't even open his mouth under the pressure, Yu Xiaogang could only grit his teeth and speak nervously.
"What misunderstanding? When my grandson was poisoned, he was fighting Tang San! After my grandson got poisoned, Tang San disappeared!" Tai Tan roared with fury.
"Senior, please listen to me. No one saw what happened. Someone must have framed Tang San," Yu Xiaogang tried to reason.
"Enough with this nonsense! Quickly tell me where Tang San is!" Tai Tan and Tai Nuo were losing patience. Tai Nuo stepped forward, grabbed Yu Xiaogang by the neck, and lifted him up like a chicken.
Yu Xiaogang struggled desperately, hitting Tai Nuo's arm, but the man ignored his resistance and shouted again, "You bastard! Tell me where Tang San is!"
"Se… Senior, I… I don't know…" Yu Xiaogang choked out with difficulty. He was still alive only because Tai Nuo didn't want to kill him before learning about Tang San's whereabouts. Feeling the grip tighten, Yu Xiaogang sensed real danger. Desperate to survive, he abandoned Tang San without hesitation and stammered out, "Senior, please give me a chance! I can find Tang San!"
Hearing this, Tai Nuo loosened his grip and said coldly, "Only one chance. If you can't find Tang San, then you die."
Released, Yu Xiaogang gasped for air, breathing greedily. "Yes, Senior, I will definitely find him!"
Seeing this, Tai Tan withdrew his aura. Flander immediately collapsed to the ground, still trembling under the lingering pressure. He didn't relax, though, instead, he looked at Yu Xiaogang with disappointment and disbelief. He had never expected Yu Xiaogang to betray his own student just to save his life.
"Xiaogang… you…" Flander muttered in disbelief.
Yu Xiaogang wanted to explain, but Tai Tan and Tai Nuo, still worried about Tai Long's condition, didn't give him a chance. Tai Tan ordered coldly, "Hurry up and find Tang San."
"Yes, Senior," Yu Xiaogang replied quickly. He walked into Tang San's room, picked up a used piece of clothing, and sniffed it carefully.
The nearby clan members stared in confusion and disgust. Watching Yu Xiaogang sniffing a man's clothes, they unconsciously stepped back, a hint of fear flashing in their eyes. In their minds, they already imagined Yu Xiaogang as an old pervert with a twisted smile.
Even Tai Tan and Tai Nuo were visibly disgusted by his actions, but they endured it for Tai Long's sake.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang ignored their expressions. He was fully focused, sniffing Tang San's clothes and searching the surroundings for his scent.
After a long while, he caught a faint smell coming from a distant direction. Excited, Yu Xiaogang didn't even notice the strange looks from those around him.
"Found it!"
"Then quickly lead the way!" Tai Tan and Tai Nuo both shouted eagerly.
Yu Xiaogang led the way forward, but every few steps, he stopped to sniff Tang San's clothing again and check the air for traces of his scent.
Meanwhile, Tang San, hiding inside a secluded cave, had no idea that his teacher had sold him out to save his own life.
After poisoning Tai Long, Tang San had escaped and taken refuge in the area. While hiding inside the cave, he could hear the voices of many people searching for him outside. Holding his breath, he remained silent and began cultivating to avoid detection while waiting for his teacher to rescue him. The cave was well hidden, so the searchers didn't find him, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Just as his guard lowered, a familiar voice suddenly rang out nearby.
"He's here!"
Instantly he felt sense of relief hearing that voice.