Yu Xiaogang's dismissive action made it clear that he had no respect for Zhao Wuji. Tossing the key onto the desk was a gesture filled with contempt. Though Zhao Wuji managed to control his anger, his expression turned ugly.
His brows furrowed instantly, and his eyes widened as he stared at Yu Xiaogang. "Why? Is there a problem, 'Master'?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. He had to force himself to keep his hands on the table, suppressing the urge to clench them into fists. It had been many years since anyone had dared to speak to him, the Immovable Bright King, with such arrogance—let alone a mere level 29 Spirit Grandmaster.
However, Yu Xiaogang had a special connection to the dean, Flender. Zhao Wuji didn't want to start a conflict with him the moment he arrived at the academy, so he tried to calm himself down. If it had been anyone else, a slap across the face would have been his immediate response.
"What's the problem?" Yu Xiaogang retorted, his own unhappiness growing. "Do I really need to spell it out for you? With your inability to handle simple matters, how did you even become the vice president?" He felt his words were completely justified. "Is this how Shrek Academy treats its guests? You gave me and my disciple a single room, and it wasn't even cleaned. Do you think that's acceptable?" From the broken and dirty key, he could already imagine that the room itself was in even worse shape.
Guests?
Zhao Wuji was so furious he almost laughed. Is this guy a complete idiot? he thought, his temper flaring. Does he have any self-awareness at all? Shrek Academy had never invited this so-called 'Master'. Yu Xiaogang had shown up on his own, insisting that they enroll his disciple, Tang San. The academy was already being generous by taking him in and giving him a place to stay, and now this man had the audacity to complain.
It became clear to Zhao Wuji that Yu Xiaogang had no sense of propriety. He figured the dean had given this man too much credit, so much so that Yu Xiaogang had started to believe his own hype. He had lost the most basic understanding of his own situation.
Zhao Wuji's lips curled into a sneer, his expression one you would give to a fool. "These are the conditions at Shrek Academy. You can stay if you want, or you can leave if you don't. No one is stopping you," he said flatly. "I have other things to do. If you have nothing else to say, Master, please get out of my office!"
With that, Zhao Wuji stood up, walked around his desk, and came face to face with Yu Xiaogang. He placed a firm hand on the smaller man's shoulder and forcefully pushed him toward the exit. Having someone so delusional standing in his office was infuriating, and it was ruining his entire morning. Zhao Wuji felt incredibly unlucky. His good mood had vanished the moment he saw Yu Xiaogang.
Bang!
Before Yu Xiaogang could even form a rebuttal, he found himself outside the office. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving him standing in the hallway.
His face turned green with humiliation. This Zhao Wuji… he shows me no respect at all! Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth in anger. He, the great Master, had been treated like common trash. He considered going to Flender, but then he remembered the unpleasant argument they had just had. Suddenly, he felt lost, unsure of what to do.
Leaving Shrek Academy was not an option. If he left now, he truly had nowhere else to go. At least here, he could get free food and lodging. Besides, the faculty at Shrek Academy was excellent, which would be a great benefit for Tang San's training.
When you live under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head, he thought bitterly. Yu Xiaogang secretly vowed to himself that he would pour all his effort into training Tang San. He would make him surpass every other student at Shrek Academy. He would prove that his theories and his judgment were correct. When that day comes, he imagined, let's see if you all come crying to me for help!
After indulging in this fantasy, Yu Xiaogang's spirit began to recover. His bruised ego, which had just been trampled into the dust, was slowly pieced back together by his own delusions of grandeur.
Tang San, who had been standing not far away, had witnessed the entire scene. He had remained silent the whole time, not daring to say a word. He had seen the look on his teacher's face when he was pushed out of the office—it was as if he had eaten something foul. Approaching him now would only be asking for trouble.
Just then, Yu Xiaogang straightened his back, swung his empty left sleeve with an air of importance, and walked over to Tang San.
"I've finished my discussion with Vice President Zhao Wuji, and we've resolved the matter," he announced, pretending to be calm and in control. He wanted to maintain his image in front of his disciple, acting as if he had just had a productive meeting with Zhao Wuji. "The conditions here at Shrek Academy are a bit rough, so you and I will have to share a room for now. We'll get another room once one becomes available. Let's go."
Little did he know, Tang San had clearly seen him being shoved out of the office. But out of respect for his teacher's pride, he didn't mention it. Tang San knew his teacher was a man who cared deeply about his reputation. So, he decided not to ask any questions.
"I know where the room is, Teacher. Let's go," Tang San said, already rolling up his sleeves. He knew that his teacher would never dirty his own hands with cleaning the room. That task would undoubtedly fall to him. Their destination was not far, so he was already preparing himself for the work ahead.
When they arrived, they found a small, isolated wooden house. It was strange because it stood alone, unlike the other dormitories, which were arranged in rows. Tang San walked around the structure. It was about thirty to forty square meters, which was more than enough space for two people. On the door, a rusty, broken lock hung precariously, looking like it could fall off at any moment.
"Hiss…"
Yu Xiaogang suddenly froze. He realized something was terribly wrong as he checked his empty pockets. In his anger, he had thrown the key onto Zhao Wuji's desk and had forgotten to take it back.
This is bad, he thought. He definitely couldn't go back to get it now. That would be far too humiliating. But sending Tang San would be just as embarrassing. Looking at the pathetic lock, he figured it could probably be opened without a key anyway.
"Ahem," Yu Xiaogang coughed twice to get Tang San's attention, then said in an authoritative tone, "This lock is clearly broken and useless. Just smash it. We'll replace it with a new one later."
After giving the order, he walked over to a nearby tree and sat down in the shade as if nothing had happened. The job of cleaning the room now officially belonged to Tang San.
"Okay, Teacher," Tang San nodded and replied. He looked at the flimsy lock. Did it even need to be smashed? It looked like a hard touch would make it fall apart. He activated his Mysterious Jade Hand, and with a light slap, the lock clattered to the ground.
Crack!
As he pushed the door open, a thick cloud of dust billowed out, choking him and forcing him to step back. He waited for the dust to settle before entering. Inside, the room was bare except for the most basic furniture. There were only a few broken tables and stools, along with some cracked pots and jars. If this was all a beggar owned, he would be considered well-equipped.
Just then, as Yu Xiaogang sat under the tree, he noticed a familiar figure walking toward him. He frowned slightly.
It was Flender. What was he doing here?
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse