Chapter 156: Don't Lower Your Head, the Hat Will Fall Off! Master-Disciple Trust Crisis
Ma Hongjun: "Boss Dai, Lin Qingmo is stealing your girl!"
Dai Mubai's body, which had been leaning back, instantly tensed up.
The room was dimly lit.
But Ma Hongjun clearly saw that the moment Dai Mubai heard those two names, his eyes suddenly widened.
Immediately after, a surge of fury, almost tangible, exploded in the depths of his eyes, burning fiercely.
Within that fire was shock and disbelief, and then it was quickly devoured by deeper humiliation and fury.
The hand resting on the blanket clenched tightly, his knuckles cracking with a grating "creak" sound.
The veins on the back of his hand bulged one by one, clearly visible even in the dim light.
Lin Qingmo… Zhu Zhuqing… alone together at night…
These words were like red-hot branding irons, searing into his nerves.
All negative emotions were completely ignited at this moment, mixed with the sting of "betrayal," violently crashing against his sanity.
He recalled how Zhu Zhuqing had occasionally shown a trace of unusual attention when looking at Lin Qingmo during the day.
He recalled Lin Qingmo's annoying, nonchalant attitude, as if everything was under his control.
The anger burned so fiercely that his entire body trembled, his blood rushing to his head.
'Adulterous couple!!!'
He almost jumped up on the spot, ready to rush out, smash open that door, and tear apart that bastard who dared touch his woman!
But…
What did he have now to fight against Lin Qingmo, who could knock him down with a single punch?
Charging over would only bring him another round of humiliation.
The raging flames in his eyes churned violently, struggled, and in the end, were forcibly suppressed by something colder, deeper.
The flames didn't extinguish but sank beneath a deeper layer of ice, transforming into a thick, bone-eroding venom.
Dai Mubai's body slowly relaxed.
He lowered his head, the loose hair over his forehead covering his eyes, hiding the surging resentment and killing intent within.
"…I understand."
He spoke, his voice hoarse and terrifying, like sand grinding against metal—dry and cold, devoid of any emotion.
Ma Hongjun was stunned.
That's it?
Shouldn't Boss Dai be furious and immediately rush out to settle things with Lin Qingmo?
He had even prepared himself to pull them apart, or rather, watch the chaos unfold.
Boss Dai's reaction… was too calm!
So calm that it made Ma Hongjun's scalp tingle!
"B-Boss Dai?"
Ma Hongjun stammered a little.
"You… What's wrong? That's Zhu Zhuqing, your fiancée! Lin Qingmo is clearly stepping on your head. Can you tolerate this?"
"..."
Dai Mubai didn't answer.
He simply slowly raised his tightly clenched fist before his eyes.
Under the faint moonlight, one could see the dark, wet patch in his palm.
Blood!
That was his own blood.
He stared at the bloodstain, the corner of his mouth slowly pulling upward.
That wasn't a smile.
It was a twisted expression.
Lin Qingmo, Zhu Zhuqing… very well.
He loosened his fist, letting the blood slowly trickle down.
'Today's humiliation, the hatred of having my "wife" stolen... I, Dai Mubai, will remember every single bit of it.'
A voice roared within his heart, howling and raging.
'Just wait.'
'I will make you understand what regret means.'
'Even if I, Dai Mubai, have become useless now, even if I can no longer truly possess anything… I will never let you have your way!'
'This humiliation, this betrayal—I will make you pay it back a hundredfold, a thousandfold!'
He closed his eyes, locking all the surging darkness deep within.
…
At the same time.
The night wind passed through the forest, bringing a rustling sound.
The plane tree grove outside Shrek Academy looked quite pleasant during the day.
But at night, the shadows of the branches seemed clawing and twisted, giving off a somewhat eerie feeling.
Yu Xiaogang stood beneath the thickest plane tree.
His gray robe was lifted by the wind from time to time, but he didn't bother to fix it.
His brows were furrowed so tightly they could crush a fly, and in his hand, he tightly gripped a thick notebook with frayed edges.
That was his life's work, the essence of his research on Soul Master theory.
But now, looking at that notebook, he felt waves of unease in his heart.
Lin Qingmo's words, along with that very real thousand-year first soul ring, were like a needle that had pierced the balloon of theory he had built for years.
Losing face was a small matter.
The key was Tang San.
His most prized and most hopeful disciple.
If even Tang San began to doubt his theory…
Yu Xiaogang didn't dare continue that thought.
He took a deep breath of the cold night air, trying to steady himself.
He had to ask clearly and had to restore his image in Xiao San's heart!
Soon.
Footsteps came from the direction of the dormitory.
Tang San had arrived!
Dressed in simple blue cloth, his steps were unhurried.
Under the moonlight, he stopped a few steps in front of Yu Xiaogang and bowed respectfully.
"Teacher."
His voice was still respectful.
But Yu Xiaogang sensitively noticed that beneath that respect, there was a bit less of the unreserved trust from before.
Now it felt more like habitual courtesy.
Yu Xiaogang's heart sank slightly.
He turned around, his gaze locking onto Tang San's face like hooks.
He didn't bother with any polite opening.
He directly asked, "Xiao San, tell me honestly, those things Lin Qingmo said about Blue Silver Grass Soul Ring absorption types, attributes, age limits… Did you believe them?"
There was urgency and unease in his tone that even he himself didn't notice.
Yu Xiaogang stared into Tang San's eyes.
His fist clenched tightly, his nails digging into the hard cover of the notebook.
He had to know the answer.
This wasn't just about his title as "Grandmaster."
It was about the master-disciple bond between him and Tang San—something he had to maintain.
He couldn't lose this disciple, absolutely not!
"..."
Tang San didn't answer immediately.
He lowered his gaze to the ground, his heart far from calm.
The way Lin Qingmo had casually spoken those "common sense" truths, along with those completely abnormal soul rings, and that strength far beyond what he himself possessed.
Each and every piece pointed to one fact: Lin Qingmo's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was far stronger than his own!
Common sense?
If that was common sense, then what about everything his teacher had taught him?
These theories he had treated as guiding principles… What were they?
This thought slithered out like a venomous snake, biting into his heart and leaving him both panicked and confused.
His throat moved as he tried to say, "No, Teacher, I only believe in you."
But when the words reached his lips, he couldn't speak them.
"..."
Silence.
This silence was like a dull blade, slowly carving marks into Yu Xiaogang's heart.
He looked at Tang San's lowered head and at his tightly pursed lips, and his heart sank bit by bit to the bottom.
His knuckles turned pale from the force of his grip.
It's over!
The thing he feared most was happening.
A massive sense of loss and panic seized him.
If even Tang San no longer firmly believed in his theory, then what meaning did all his years of persistence have?
What did he, as a "teacher," amount to in his disciple's heart?
How could he continue to train Tang San according to his theory? How could he make him prove it for him?!
He absolutely could not let this happen!
—
End of Chapter