After bidding farewell to Ye Miaoyun and her daughter, Lin Mu took Tang San back to Nuoding City by carriage.
[Main Quest: Accept Tang San as your disciple and reshape his values. The greater the contrast, the richer the reward. Completion: 9.5%.]
This trip to hunt for a Soul Ring for Tang San was definitely worthwhile.
As a disciple of the Tang Sect, Tang San's mindset was deeply ingrained. Changing his values could only be achieved through subtle influence and deliberate guidance over time.
After returning to the city, Lin Mu took Tang San to Nuoding Academy, where they unexpectedly encountered Yu Xiaogang near the entrance.
Compared to a few days ago, Yu Xiaogang was now noticeably more dispirited. He looked almost like a disheveled beggar, lacking any of his previous scholarly pretension.
After his potential "perfect disciple" was snatched away, Yu Xiaogang had fallen into a deep pit of self-doubt.
However, despite the scorn of countless people over the years, his heart had become somewhat unbreakable. Even though Tang San had already become someone else's disciple, Yu Xiaogang still did not intend to give up.
Seeing the two appear, Yu Xiaogang immediately perked up. He quickly approached them, his eyes burning with intensity as he stared at Tang San.
Tang San's eyes were filled with disgust as he watched Yu Xiaogang approach. The man was eyeing him like a lecher eyeing a beautiful woman.
'This old man is truly wicked.'
If he hadn't met his Master, he might have actually been deceived by this old bastard. Thinking of this, Tang San wished he could kill the old man with a hidden sleeve arrow right there and then.
"Gangzi, I admit what I said to you before was a bit cruel, but it was the truth. I couldn't help it. However... I really didn't expect this to affect you so much," Lin Mu said, feigning a sigh of pity.
If Bibi Dong and Liu Erlong saw Yu Xiaogang looking like this, one wonders what they would think.
It was laughable, really. It is hard to know where Yu Xiaogang's charm came from, that he could make two exceptional women so fixated on him. Which of the handsome men on the continent wasn't miles ahead of him?
Hearing Lin Mu's teasing, Yu Xiaogang almost spat out a mouthful of blood. This was practically calling him a piece of trash to his face!
And this guy even called him "Gangzi", unacceptable!
However, having learned his lesson from their last encounter, Yu Xiaogang noticeably toned down his behavior. He was no longer as arrogant as before, at least, he didn't dare to be cocky in front of Lin Mu.
"Tang San hasn't been to the academy these past few days. Did he go hunting for Soul Rings?"
As a theoretical master who claimed to have researched countless Martial Souls, Yu Xiaogang believed no one understood the Blue Silver Grass better than him.
If Lin Mu had attached the wrong Soul Ring to Tang San, resulting in a useless Soul Skill, Tang San would naturally realize who the 'real' master was.
"That's right, we went to the Star Dou Great Forest."
Hearing this, a strange light flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes. This guy actually dared to take Tang San to the Star Dou Great Forest?
While Soul Ancestors were powerful, in a dangerous place like the Star Dou Great Forest, they were barely able to protect themselves, let alone protect Tang San, who didn't even have a Soul Ring yet.
This guy's Martial Soul was nothing more than a piece of metal; besides using it to smash people, Yu Xiaogang couldn't think of any other way it could attack.
'I'm afraid even a thousand-year-old Soul Beast would be too much for him to handle,' Yu Xiaogang thought.
"Then what kind of Soul Ring did you add to Tang San?"
Seemingly worried about provoking Lin Mu's hostility, Yu Xiaogang quickly added, "Don't misunderstand. I just encountered a Blue Silver Grass Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power for the first time, and I wanted to study it."
"Gangzi, you can't hide your little schemes from me."
Seeing Yu Xiaogang's timid appearance, Lin Mu's lips curled into a slight smile, directly exposing him.
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly explained, "I really don't have any ulterior motives."
"Gangzi, why are you so nervous? Even if you have some ulterior motives, it's none of my business, right?"
Lin Mu's attitude shifted, becoming surprisingly understanding.
This left Yu Xiaogang completely bewildered. How could this guy suddenly become a different person, actually sounding considerate? Was he dreaming?
Could it be that Lin Mu felt guilty?
"Master."
Tang San really couldn't understand. This kind of old swindler should at least be taught a harsh lesson, even if they didn't kill him.
Seeing Tang San's confusion, Lin Mu felt somewhat helpless. No wonder the boy was so easily fooled by Yu Xiaogang in the original timeline.
"Gangzi, how about we make a bet? We'll bet on Xiao San's First Soul Skill."
"How do we bet?"
Yu Xiaogang vaguely guessed that this might be a trap, but a drowning man won't let go of any straw. Even if he suspected a trap, he had to try.
Anyway, he had nothing to lose; he only had his miserable life, so he might as well give it a shot.
Lin Mu's eyes flashed. Now that the prey had taken the bait, it was time to close the net. He continued:
"It's simple. If you can break free from Xiao San's First Soul Skill, I'll grant you one request. Otherwise, you grant me one."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang was immediately tempted.
As a Level 29 Great Soul Master, he didn't believe he couldn't withstand a newly ascended Soul Master's First Soul Skill, especially since a weak Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass could only obtain a simple binding skill at best.
Controlling a Level 29 Great Soul Master with the strength of mere Blue Silver Grass was utterly impossible.
"How do I know you won't go back on your word?"
Yu Xiaogang still had some rationality left. The difference in strength between them was too great. If Lin Mu lost and refused to admit it, there was nothing Yu Xiaogang could do.
"Besides trusting me, do you have any other choice?" Lin Mu countered.
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang was speechless. Although it was somewhat unreasonable, he truly had no power to negotiate.
This continent always respected strength. Even if Lin Mu went back on his word later, Yu Xiaogang had no one to complain to.
"If I win, you and Tang San will sever your master-disciple relationship."
After some consideration, Yu Xiaogang made this request. Having lived for decades in mediocrity, he now had only one obsession: to prove his Martial Soul theory.
And Tang San was his best experimental subject.
Hearing this request, Tang San frowned immediately. After spending these past few days together, he had accepted Lin Mu as his true teacher.
After all, even his father hadn't treated him as well as his Master had, not only helping him hunt for Soul Rings but also caring for his daily needs.
"Gangzi, this is my best disciple."
After a pause, Lin Mu stepped forward, looking directly at the clearly nervous Yu Xiaogang, and slowly said, "If you want me to bet something that valuable, you have to offer something that satisfies me in return."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang actually breathed a sigh of relief. As long as there was a price, there was a chance.
After some thought, Yu Xiaogang took out a very beautiful belt. This soul tool was the most valuable thing he owned. Besides this, he couldn't think of anything else that would satisfy a Soul Ancestor like Lin Mu.
Could he give away his Martial Soul theory? Forget it. With this guy's limited perspective, he definitely wouldn't see its greatness.
Seeing that his Master was treating him like a commodity for a bet, Tang San was immediately dissatisfied, but due to his respect for his Master's status, he kept his objection to himself.
"This is a storage soul tool. Each piece of jade can provide one cubic meter of storage space, totaling twenty-four cubic meters. Its value is immeasurable."
After Yu Xiaogang's explanation, Tang San's eyes lit up. If he had this soul tool, he would finally have a place to store his hidden weapons.