The wind outside the window died down as quickly as it had arrived. Everything had happened so fast that Yu Xiaogang, with his Spirit Elder rank of only level 29, had no time to react. His mind was completely blank. Flanders' spirit power was close to level 80, and his rare flying-type spirit made him much faster than the average Spirit Saint.
"Why are you here?" Yu Xiaogang asked, his voice thick with confusion as he pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the bed. He had mentioned to Flanders that he would be staying here for a few days, but his friend had never visited. To suddenly show up in the middle of the night could only mean something important had happened.
"I found Tang San," Flanders said simply, finding a chair and sitting down as if he had just dropped by for a casual chat.
Those four simple words hit Yu Xiaogang with the force of an explosion. His already confused mind was overwhelmed, and he couldn't process what he had just heard. He just sat on the bed, stunned, for three long seconds. The room was utterly silent.
"I found Tang San," Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself, repeating Flanders' words. His blank face suddenly broke, and his expression shifted to one of pure elation. In an instant, he leaped from the bed, rushed over to Flanders, and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Are you serious?!" he demanded. "Where is he? Where is Tang San now?"
Flanders was speechless. He had expected Yu Xiaogang to be excited, but he hadn't expected him to get physical.
"I know you're anxious, but try to calm down," Flanders said, gently pushing Yu Xiaogang's hands away. He stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes. "Of course it's true. Tang San is at Liu's Blacksmith Shop in the south of the city, diagonally across from the Yixiang Tower."
When Ma Hongjun had told him the news, he had provided the exact location.
"A blacksmith shop!" Yu Xiaogang exclaimed, slapping his thigh in a moment of sudden realization. Back in Notting City, Tang San had often worked in a smithy to earn money. Why hadn't he thought to look there? He instantly accepted what Flanders said as the truth. A stiff smile spread across his face as he began to throw on his clothes, ready to rush out the door.
"It's the middle of the night," Flanders' voice came from behind him. "The shop will be closed. You should go tomorrow."
It was just a simple reminder. Whether Yu Xiaogang listened or not was none of his concern. If he insisted on banging on a blacksmith's door at this hour, Flanders wasn't going to stop him.
Whoosh!
Another gust of wind swept through the room. Yu Xiaogang turned around to find that Flanders was gone. All he saw was a streak of light flying away into the night sky, disappearing in moments. After thinking for a moment, he realized Flanders' advice made sense. He turned and lay back down on the bed, but he knew this was going to be a sleepless night.
Miles away, Flanders stood on a large tree just outside Soto City, his hands clasped behind his back. He stared out at the twinkling city lights with a melancholy expression. His decision to visit Yu Xiaogang and tell him about Tang San had been one he had deliberated over. When he first heard the news from Ma Hongjun, his feelings were complicated.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, a part of him didn't want Yu Xiaogang to find Tang San. He had seen for himself that the boy's talent and strength were not particularly outstanding. The academy's teachers had already rejected him once, and they had been following the rules. But Yu Xiaogang, in his typical fashion, constantly praised Tang San as if he were a peerless genius. Knowing his old friend, Flanders was almost certain that after finding Tang San, he would bring him to Shrek Academy. This would put him, the dean, in an incredibly difficult position.
"Ah..." Shaking his head gently, Flanders pushed the thoughts away. His spirit power surged, and a pair of broad, owl-like wings sprouted from his back. With a gentle flap that made the leaves on the tree rustle, his figure vanished in a flash of light.
The next morning, Yu Xiaogang was out the door before the sun had even risen. As expected, he hadn't slept a wink. His entire being was buzzing with an excited energy. The sky was just beginning to turn a pale gray, and the air was filled with the damp smell of morning dew. The streets of Soto City were still mostly empty, but the blacksmith shops, which started their business early, were already open.
Liu's Blacksmith Shop was no exception.
Tang San hadn't slept well either, tossing and turning all night. The image of his teacher kept appearing in his mind. The moment he saw the first light of dawn, he was up and hammering iron. His unusually energetic behavior puzzled the shop owner. Was the kid that upset yesterday? he wondered. But he didn't say anything. If the boy wanted to work himself to the bone, it was no skin off his back.
The Soto Soul Fighting Arena was in the north of the city, while Liu's Blacksmith Shop was in the south. Though they were in the same city, the distance was nearly ten miles. Following Flanders' directions, Yu Xiaogang finally reached the correct street half an hour later. From a distance, he spotted the conspicuous Yixiang Tower and quickened his pace. The blacksmith shop was right across from it.
As he got closer, the shop came into view. It wasn't very large, but the doors were already open. The crisp, rhythmic sound of a hammer striking metal echoed from within.
Yu Xiaogang slowed his steps, approaching the entrance cautiously. He peered into the shop, his heart pounding with nervousness, and then his expression froze. Inside, he saw a thin figure, stripped to the waist, holding a heavy hammer and bringing it down again and again on a piece of red-hot iron. Though the person was disheveled and covered in soot, Yu Xiaogang recognized him in an instant.
It was Tang San.
"Little San," Yu Xiaogang called out, his voice trembling slightly.
Tang San, who was in the middle of forging, suddenly went rigid. He almost lost his grip on the heavy hammer poised above his head. Stiffly, he turned his neck and looked toward the entrance of the shop. A familiar figure stood there, silhouetted against the morning light.
"T-Teacher!"
Clang!
In that instant, Tang San's mind went blank. He hadn't expected his teacher to find him so soon. He threw the hammer aside, ignoring the half-finished piece of iron on the anvil, and ran straight toward Yu Xiaogang. The latter was also overcome with emotion. Though Tang San looked worse for wear, he had finally found him.
When they were still about ten feet apart, Tang San's knees gave out, and he dropped to the ground, kneeling directly before Yu Xiaogang. The movement was swift, decisive, and filled with a raw, desperate emotion.
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