đź’– If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
Flender leaned against a wall outside the Great Spirit Arena, his face filled with dejection as he stared into the distance. "Why is my luck so bad today?" he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed in frustration. "I bet on the wrong team twice in a row, and then Mu Bai and Zhu Qing lost their match as well. Now all the money is gone. How will I pay for the students' living expenses next month?"
He let out a sigh, his expression weary. "It looks like I'll have to make them participate in more matches to earn some gold Soul coins."
Suddenly, Flender's ears twitched, and he raised his head, a look of confusion on his face. "Huh?" he mumbled, peering back inside the arena. "Did I just hear Xiaogang's voice? Nothing bad happened, did it?"
His expression tensed instantly. Without a second thought, he pushed himself off the wall and hurried towards the spectator area. But as soon as he opened the door, his steps stopped dead.
He stared at the scene in front of him, his mind reeling. Yu Xiaogang lay on the ground, barely conscious, his face swollen and covered in blood. His breathing was shallow, and he looked as if he could die at any moment.
"Xiaogang! Are you okay?!" Flender's face went pale, and his pupils constricted in shock. He stood frozen for a half-second before rushing forward and falling to his knees. His hands trembled as he carefully helped Yu Xiaogang up from the pool of blood.
"Xiaogang! Open your eyes! It's me, Flender, I'm here!" he cried out, his voice choked with panic. "Who did this to you?!"
Flender lifted his head, his eyes blazing with fury. Veins bulged on his face, and his gaze was like a wild wolf, ready to tear someone apart.
Yu Xiaogang struggled to open one swollen eye. His lips trembled, but he couldn't form a single word. With a slow, shaky hand, he pointed forward.
Following the direction of Yu Xiaogang's finger, Flender saw a young man in a blue robe wearing a ghost mask. The man was standing not far away, looking at them with a completely indifferent expression.
"You're dead!" Flender roared, his rage erupting completely.
He shot to his feet, and seven spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, and black—spiraled up from his feet as his Spirit Power surged. A giant owl phantom condensed behind him, and a terrifying pressure erupted like a collapsing mountain.
The entire Fighting Soul Arena went quiet.
At the same time, the pressure made Tang Chuan catch his breath and furrow his brow. His body was forced to retreat a few steps, and a hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes.
Just then, a figure swiftly blocked the space between them. "Stop!" Manager Ao's face was grim. He stomped his foot, and similarly, seven spirit rings spiraled up, his Spirit Power roaring as it clashed with Flender's.
"Dean Flender, this is the Great Spirit Arena!" Manager Ao shouted. "You can't have private duels here! If you want to fight, please take it outside!"
Flender's body paused slightly. His anger eased for a moment, and it was clear that he did not dare to act rashly. He then turned to look at Tang San and asked in a low voice, "Tang San, what happened? Why did this person attack Xiaogang?"
Tang San awkwardly scratched his head but recounted everything that had just happened. He also told Flender that the young man in the blue robe was his biological older brother.
"What?!" Flender's eyes widened, and his face filled with disbelief. His eye twitched slightly, and his voice trembled a little. "You said he's your biological older brother?"
Tang San nodded.
"Tang San's older brother?" Flender's mind raced. "Then doesn't that mean... he's also Tang Hao's son?!"
The terrifying image of Tang Hao effortlessly swatting Zhao Wuji away flashed in Flender's mind. His face instantly changed color. "Damn it," he thought. "This is not someone I can afford to offend."
In the next second, Flender reined in his Aura completely, his attitude doing a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn. He waved his hand and smiled at Manager Ao and Tang Chuan. "Misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding. A big flood washed away the Dragon King Temple."
"Heh heh," he continued. "We're all family here, why resort to fighting? Everyone, let's just talk this out properly."
Manager Ao was momentarily stunned. He watched as Flender, who had just been ready to fight, suddenly became so polite. He frowned, completely bewildered. "Alright," Manager Ao said in a deep voice. "Since you two know each other, I'll consider this matter settled. But I'll say this upfront: if you still want to fight, please go outside. Don't cause any more trouble in my Great Spirit Arena."
"Good, good, good!" Flender nodded repeatedly, a stiff smile on his face. "You're right. We guarantee we won't fight in here. We definitely won't fight again."
Manager Ao gave him a suspicious look, then nodded slightly and waved his hand, turning to leave with the other Great Spirit Arena staff.
The air finally quieted down.
But just then, Yu Xiaogang seemed to have been angered back to his senses. His face was livid, and he panted like an ox, his teeth clenched. "Flender! You scoundrel, aren't I your brother?!" he cursed angrily. "That brat beat me up, and you're not going to help me get revenge?!"
Flender's body stiffened slightly. He glanced at Yu Xiaogang, his expression a bit awkward. "Xiaogang, this is a misunderstanding," he said, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Today was just a misunderstanding."
Although Flender had a smile on his face, a look of helplessness flashed in his eyes. "Xiaogang, you idiot," he thought to himself. "Do you know that he's Tang Hao's son, and you still want me to get revenge? Do you have any idea how protective Tang Hao is of his children? Last time, Zhao Wuji just gave Tang San a little trouble and got beaten into a pig's head. Now you've been beaten up by his son, and you want to drag me down with you? So that I can get beaten up too? I'm not that stupid."
Thinking of this, Flender gave Tang San a subtle look and helped Yu Xiaogang up from the ground. "Tang San, hurry," he said. "Let's quickly take your teacher to find a healing Spirit Master!"
Tang San's expression tightened. He quickly stepped forward and bent down to help Yu Xiaogang up. "Teacher, I'll take you for treatment right away."
But as soon as he reached out, Yu Xiaogang violently struggled, his face full of anger and unwillingness. "Don't touch me!" he shouted, his eyes fixed on Tang San. "If you don't help me get revenge, I won't go for treatment! I'd rather just lie here! If you don't help me get revenge, what's the point of me being alive?!"
"If you don't help me get revenge today, I'll bash my head against something and die right here!" As he spoke, Yu Xiaogang forced himself to prop up his upper body, flailing wildly with his hands and kicking his legs. He struggled more than a wild pig, impossible to hold down.