This couldn't help but leave Zhao Laosi feeling a little confused. Why did those two suddenly leave in such a hurry? Could it be something urgent? He nodded to himself; that must be it.
Seeing that no one else was around, Zhao Laosi turned and shouted in the direction that Yu Xiaogang and Tang San had fled.
"Hey, bosses! If you enjoy the spirit duel tomorrow, remember to recommend me to others and give me a good review! My name is Zhao Laosi, and I usually operate around here. If you need anything, just come find me!"
After he finished speaking, he saw that Yu Xiaogang and Tang San gave no reaction, disappearing into the distance. Zhao Laosi shook his head in confusion before turning to look for new customers. In his line of work, it was all about choosing the right targets. If you found the right person, selling tickets was twice as effective with half the effort.
"Otherwise, I, Zhao Laosi, wouldn't have been in this business for so many years with zero bad reviews and a one hundred percent positive rating!" he muttered to himself proudly.
Humming a little tune, Zhao Laosi walked away. He never would have imagined that his perfect one hundred percent positive rating was about to be broken. If there were a place to leave a review, Yu Xiaogang and Tang San would have probably given him the worst rating possible, and then filed a complaint on top of it.
Tang San, in particular, looked absolutely livid. Hearing such a ridiculous rumor about himself, and one so absurdly humiliating, made his composure completely shatter.
What in the world was this? His martial soul was poop? His spirit ability was spraying poop? Did that make him, Tang San, a warrior who sprayed poop? These rumor-mongers had no shame! They would do anything for a bit of attention!
Tang San was trembling with uncontrollable rage. If Yu Xiaogang hadn't forcefully pulled him away just now, he would have stormed back to deal with that Zhao Laosi.
Yu Xiaogang was equally furious, but the reason he held Tang San back was entirely for his disciple's own good. Just a moment ago, he had briefly sensed a fluctuation of spirit power coming from Zhao Laosi. This spirit power was considerably stronger than his own, which indicated that the man who had been joking and laughing with them was very likely a Spirit Elder with over thirty ranks of spirit power, or perhaps even higher.
People who operated in this kind of business, especially ticket scalpers, couldn't survive without some real strength. If Tang San had lost his temper and attacked, not only would his identity as "Shrek Eight" be exposed, but he would also likely get a severe beating.
As for Yu Xiaogang himself, ever since his arm had been severed, his true strength wasn't much greater than Tang San's. The two of them, master and disciple, probably couldn't even defeat a Spirit Elder in a two-on-one fight.
Yu Xiaogang's chest was filled with a rage that had no outlet. Was this the "publicity" that the arena's manager had promised him? To spread rumors that Tang San's martial soul was "poop"? And his spirit ability was even more outrageous, described as "spraying poop"?
If this had happened in the past, he would have definitely dragged Flender to confront the person in charge and demand an explanation. After all, Flender was a genuine seventy-eighth-rank Spirit Saint. His presence alone was far more effective than Yu Xiaogang, a mere Spirit Grandmaster, could ever be.
But now, Flender was the one demanding an explanation from him. Yu Xiaogang didn't dare ask for anything more. He felt it was already a miracle that Flender hadn't kicked him and Tang San out of Shrek Academy.
"Xiao San, just focus on your match tomorrow night," Yu Xiaogang said, putting his arm around Tang San's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "Get a good rest tonight and let your injuries heal. I'll handle these other matters, so you don't need to worry."
Right now, verbal comfort was all he could offer. He could only hope that Tang San could turn the situation around in the coming days. If he could create a stark contrast with his performance on the first day, the effect could be quite good. Then, today's embarrassing farce would eventually be forgotten by everyone.
Yu Xiaogang's hopeful thinking, however, failed to account for how persistent such stories could be. Tang San's current situation was not easily fixed. He was "Shrek Eight," and that number, combined with this story, was likely to stick.
Back at the Soto Great Spirit Arena, in the Thirteenth Sub-Arena, the stage had been completely restored. The spectator stands that had been damaged earlier had also been thoroughly cleaned. The audience members who had fled to the back of the arena slowly returned to their seats. By now, forty minutes had passed since Tang San had left. The originally scheduled fifteen-minute cleanup had been extended twice, taking a full forty minutes to complete, a testament to the extent of the damage Tang San had caused.
However, because the arena had promised everyone a half-price ticket refund, most of the audience had stayed. Aside from a few who left, no one was complaining.
At this moment, all eyes were focused on the figure preparing to enter the ring. This person wore the same mask as "Shrek Eight" from before. Everyone guessed that these masked individuals must be spirit masters from the same group.
It was Huo Feng. He paid no attention to the mocking and taunting sounds coming from the crowd. He knew that very soon, the audience would realize that he and the "Shrek Eight" from earlier were two completely different kinds of fighters.
"Welcome back, everyone!" Just then, the familiar voice of the host echoed through the arena. "I'm truly sorry for the delay. Now, the spirit duels will continue! Let's give a warm round of applause for our next participant, the spirit master code-named 'Shrek One'!"
As soon as the host's voice fell, the audience erupted.
"See, I told you! They're definitely a group."
"I hope this one isn't here to cause trouble too."
"Don't even mention it. I bet they wear masks because they're afraid of making a mess in the arena and being recognized outside."
"You're not wrong! If anyone recognized them after a stunt like that, they'd lose all face!"
"If you ask me, this might be a gimmick the arena set up for a show. As long as it gets people talking and watching, right?"
The discussions below exploded instantly, the spectators' faces filled with undisguised amusement. Ninety percent of the people were commenting on Huo Feng with mockery and teasing in their voices. They clearly believed that he wouldn't be much different from Tang San.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Huo Feng slowly walked onto the stage. He glanced around. They really had done a thorough job cleaning; not a single trace of Tang San's previous match remained. This relieved some of his psychological burden. After all, participating in a spirit duel often involved rolling on the ground. If the stage wasn't cleaned properly and he got some of that filth on himself, it would truly affect his mindset.
Seeing the audience's high level of enthusiasm, the host also smiled.
"And next, let's welcome his opponent! The spirit master code-named 'Sky-Piercing Rat'!" the host announced. "Both of these competitors are Spirit Elders with over thirty ranks of spirit power! What will the outcome be? Let us wait and see!"
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