"You… you! You actually dare! How dare Yo—"
Yu Xiaogang's lips trembled.
Anger!
Humiliation!
His inner thoughts had been laid bare—he could no longer maintain his composure. But the arrival of the principal of Nuoding Academy brought him back to his senses somewhat.
"What's going on here? Xiaogang, was all this noise your doing?"
The principal of Nuoding looked at the fifty-meter-long scorch mark on the ground and twitched at the corner of his eye. He knew right away it couldn't have been caused by Yu Xiaogang—his two soul skills didn't have that kind of effect.
But the idea that it was caused by Zhou Qing or Romantina didn't quite sit right with him either, so he could only assume that Yu Xiaogang had used some kind of special technique.
Coming from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, having one or two rare large-scale offensive soul tools or weapons unknown to the academy wouldn't be all that surprising.
"It wasn't me."
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath. Though he hadn't fully calmed down, he pointed at Romantina and said, "It was this random outsider who caused it."
Romantina: "..."
"You?" Unlike Yu Xiaogang, who was clueless and "only read the books of sages," the principal actually knew Romantina's identity.
Nuoding Academy wasn't that large. While the principal couldn't remember every student's name, he had a sharp memory for those who stood out or showed promise.
Let alone the fact that Romantina was the daughter of Nuoding City's Deputy City Lord.
"It was me," Zhou Qing raised his hand and said. "I'll pay for the damages."
"You?"
The principal didn't believe him for a second. Still, sensing that the atmosphere was off, he chose not to ask further. "Two gold soul coins will cover it."
"And, Tina." The principal turned his attention to Romantina. "Been busy lately—haven't had a chance to share a cup of tea with your father. Give my regards to the Deputy City Lord for me."
"I'll tell my father, Uncle Principal." Romantina smiled.
"Good."
The principal nodded.
"…What?"
Only then did Yu Xiaogang realize Romantina's identity—
The Deputy City Lord's daughter!
[So Zhou Qing's actually clinging to power now?]
Thinking back to his previous conversation with Zhou Qing, Yu Xiaogang now saw him as opportunistic and hypocritical. Having found himself a powerful backer, Zhou Qing no longer even pretended to show respect—he was now a classic example of a petty man gaining power.
"Zhou Qing, maturing too early isn't necessarily a good thing. If you act like this, you'll never become a great person," Yu Xiaogang said coldly.
"I'm already just a small person."
Zhou Qing didn't bother replying further. Instead, he turned to the principal and said, "Principal, I'd like to consult Senior Romantina about something. Is that okay?"
"You two should head out now," the principal said, having finally understood where the tension was coming from and deciding to hurry them away.
"Huh? What are you doing?!"
Zhou Qing was suddenly scooped up by Romantina and carried at her side as she dashed out.
"Didn't you say you had questions for me? I think this is the only question worth answering! You'll be my training equipment—it's horseback practice!" Romantina grinned mischievously.
"When I learn to fly, I won't need to ride a horse," Zhou Qing muttered through clenched teeth.
But Romantina didn't care—she kept running with Zhou Qing in tow...
Once the two had gone far out of sight, the principal sighed and turned to Yu Xiaogang.
"You really shouldn't argue with children. They say things without thinking. Even if it sounds bad, don't take it to heart. What do they know?"
"It's nothing," Yu Xiaogang said with a low voice. "I just think that kid Zhou Qing is a bit too materialistic."
"Kids from the countryside usually grow up early and lead hard lives. Naturally, they might seem petty," the principal said thoughtfully. Then he asked, "You're not someone who often leaves the academy… did you take a liking to that kid's talent? Innate full soul power is impressive, yes, but you know that our Nuoding teachers are only guides—we're not their real instructors. If the student doesn't want to acknowledge you as a master, don't force it. That puts me in a difficult spot."
Yu Xiaogang being his friend was true—but the principal wouldn't go so far as to make things hard for a student just for his sake.
That would be childish!
Unworthy of a senior!
And besides, whether noble, commoner, or work-study student, all students at Nuoding Academy held official Martial Soul Certificates issued by the local branch hall.
The branch hall might not care about student quarrels, but if a teacher or adult soul master deliberately targeted a student under twelve, it became a matter of professional ethics!
If word got out, it would be a serious blow to their reputation.
Yu Xiaogang's public image across the continent wasn't great to begin with. A scandal like that would only make it worse. But more importantly, it would also implicate Nuoding Academy.
There had already been resistance from teachers when Yu Xiaogang was first taken in. The principal had to push through those objections himself...
To say he had no selfish motives would be a lie.
The principal knew Yu Xiaogang had recorded a lot of knowledge on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Martial Soul Hall, soul beasts, and so on.
He didn't dare hope Yu Xiaogang would share everything—but at least the more basic stuff, the foundational materials that intermediate academies already had, could be shared a little. That would help Nuoding's growth.
He thought of it as "rent" for Yu Xiaogang's stay at the academy.
He genuinely wanted the academy to grow into a mid-tier soul master school. Faculty was key—it couldn't be fixed immediately, but could be developed over time. However, a solid teaching plan was essential.
Unfortunately, Yu Xiaogang had done nothing but freeload. All these years, he hadn't even taught a single class.
Naturally, the principal had built up some resentment—but out of old friendship, he had kept it to himself.
All he wanted now was for Yu Xiaogang to remain low-key, live out his days peacefully, and when the time came, he'd take care of his burial. That would be enough to honor their friendship.
"Sigh… Principal, I've decided to leave." Yu Xiaogang might lack social skills, but he wasn't blind to social cues. He just pretended to be aloof.
The principal's attitude had made it clear—he had fallen out of favor.
And with Zhou Qing, Tang San, and Xiao Wu—all innately full soul power—refusing to become his disciples, staying here was pointless.
"Where will you go?" the principal asked, shocked. But seeing that Yu Xiaogang now called him "Principal" instead of by name, he understood:
Their friendship was over.
Still, a strange sense of relief washed over him:
[Maybe it's for the best. Being friends with people from big clans is exhausting.]
"I'll go seek out an old friend of mine," Yu Xiaogang said, completely lacking in tact.
The principal: "..."