Upon hearing Tang Hao's words—
Faced with his idol, a man bold enough to even hammer the Pope to death, Yu Xiaogang immediately swallowed his pride and offered his respect, saying reverently:
> "Your Grace, please speak. I, Yu Xiaogang, will answer everything I know!"
Tang Hao gave a slight nod. His murky eyes, dull like stagnant water, slowly opened as he spoke:
> "Why has that brat Ye Qiu's cultivation suddenly improved so drastically?"
"..."
Yu Xiaogang froze for a moment, then quickly reacted and recounted Ye Qiu's entire explanation word for word.
> "Is that so?"
Tang Hao's eyes flashed with surprise. He turned his body slightly, looking down at Yu Xiaogang.
> "As a master, what's your take on it?"
> "Most likely—it's the truth."
Yu Xiaogang didn't dare delay and shared his and Tang San's assessment honestly.
Tang Hao frowned slightly and nodded. When he spoke again, his tone grew even colder.
> "One more question."
Yu Xiaogang's body trembled.
He instantly felt immense pressure as Tang Hao's voice came down like a judge:
> "Why, under your guidance, has Tang San's cultivation been overtaken by that brat? The boy has already broken through to Soul Elder, while Tang San is lagging far behind."
Yu Xiaogang's expression turned flustered. He understood that Tang Hao was doubting his qualifications as a teacher. He quickly explained:
> "Your Grace, Tang San mentioned before, it's all because Ye Qiu's Martial Soul is quite special—"
"..."
---
A few days passed.
During this time, Ye Qiu had been thoroughly enjoying his life: teasing his little bunny every day, being warmed by his lovely wife at night, using a beautiful girl as a pillow...
He trained diligently each day, occasionally sparring with Tang San—or rather, crushing him would be more accurate. With Ye Qiu's current combat strength, even if Tang San pulled out his Godly Zhuge Crossbow, it wouldn't help him at all. Ever since Ye Qiu learned Tang San had feelings for Xiao Wu, during every sparring session, he'd "accidentally" target Tang San's waist over and over again.
---
At Nuoding Academy.
It was currently class time.
Ye Qiu, however, was wandering alone through the academy's garden.
Having Xiao Wu cling to him every day, Ye Qiu had no choice but to skip some boring theory lessons and come out to walk and relax. Actually, this time he had been messing around with Xiao Wu during class, and the single, frustrated teacher couldn't take it anymore and kicked Ye Qiu out.
> "Yooo-hooo!"
Ye Qiu ran, jumped, and shouted to vent his boredom, kicking at some stones on the ground.
> "You really can't mess with menopausal single teachers!"
Suddenly—
Ye Qiu's hairs stood on end. He immediately became alert.
> "Ye Qiu!"
Out of nowhere, a raspy voice entered Ye Qiu's ears, so clear it felt as though it had crossed space and landed right beside him.
> "W-Who's calling me?! And with such an awful tone?!"
Ye Qiu shook his head and looked around, but saw no one. Yet Tang Hao's overwhelming soul power appeared before his eyes, shining abnormally bright!
> "Ye Qiu…"
The voice rang out again, this time carrying a stronger sense of authority.
> "Damn it! Who's out there, huh? If you're human, stop pretending to be a dog! And if you're a dog, bark twice!"
Ye Qiu stayed calm but cursed loudly in frustration. His eyes seemed lazy on the surface, but deep inside, a flicker of light shone through.
The voice called again, pointing him in a direction. This time, it clearly sounded more irritable.
> "I'm behind you!"
Behind?!
Ye Qiu quickly turned his head as if just realizing. Under a lush green tree stood a man—his pupils shrank sharply.
A black, tattered robe, messy and filthy hair and beard. Sunlight shone on Tang Hao's face, revealing only exhaustion, with barely any spirit in his eyes.
Who else could it be, if not Tang Hao?
> "Uncle Rat?!"
Ye Qiu froze, his whole body stiffening, looking at Tang Hao with a weird expression. He had no time to think, and quickly reacted—his surprised face turning into one of curiosity as he jogged over.
Only up close did he feel sure, and his face lit up with joy.
> "Uncle Rat, it really is you! What are you doing here? Did you come to see San? Ever since you left, he's missed you terribly. He even swore in a godfather—I mean, teacher! He took a teacher to replace you."
Ye Qiu chattered non-stop after getting close, but felt more and more uncomfortable. He couldn't breathe.
> "Damn, why is Uncle Rat so smelly?!"
The stink of alcohol and sweat was unbearable. Ye Qiu's cheerful face stiffened under the foul stench.
What a pungent man!
Even Ye Qiu, full of smiles, couldn't help but grimace once he got near.
Tang Hao looked down at Ye Qiu, his murky gaze scrutinizing him. He noticed that Ye Qiu's smile was starting to falter.
> "Uncle Rat?"
Ye Qiu tilted his head like a lamb waiting for slaughter, looking at him curiously.
Tang Hao nodded slightly, then shook his head. His thick lips parted, and his raspy voice pierced the air:
> "I did come to see him. But… I'm not ready to meet San yet."
> "Huh? Why not?"
Ye Qiu looked at him, confused. Then he became anxious, like a child trying to fix a broken relationship:
> "You're not mad because San called someone else 'godfather,' are you? He really misses you! You have no idea—he was so lonely in Saint Spirit Village. Luckily, I was there for him."
> "Yeah… lucky him."
Tang Hao nodded, and with that, he grabbed the back of Ye Qiu's neck and lifted him into the air.
> "Huh? Wait, Uncle Rat, what are you doing? Don't mess with me—I'm a noble soul master now! Be careful or I'll beat you up!"
Ye Qiu's legs kicked in the air, but he didn't activate any soul power. He yelled:
> "Don't be fooled—I'm going easy on you!"
Seeing Ye Qiu's ridiculous and clueless behavior, Tang Hao's expression finally relaxed a bit. He sneered:
> "It's nothing. Just wanted to ask you how San has been these years."
Ye Qiu stared at him with grievance:
> "Seriously, Uncle Rat, even if that's the case, you didn't have to lift me up like this! Can't we talk normally?"
> "This place isn't convenient."
Tang Hao chuckled lightly, then—with Ye Qiu in hand—shot out of Nuoding Academy in a flash.
> "Whoa! Uncle Rat, you can fly?!"
Looking at the buildings below, Ye Qiu's face was filled with shock.
> "Wait—you're a soul master too?!"
> "Shut it!"
Tang Hao barked, and with that, he sped up sharply. Like a beam of light, they streaked across the skies above Nuoding City.
> "Holy crap! Flying Rat, slow down!"
> "Too fast! My little body can't take this! Ahh—!"
Ye Qiu kept talking nonstop, the wind slamming into his face, forcing cries from his mouth.
He couldn't help but whimper.
But deep down, Ye Qiu had already understood Tang Hao's true purpose—
> "Want to check on Tang San's well-being?"
Nah—he obviously came for the immortal herbs.