Worried that Huo Feng hadn't fully grasped the situation, Yu Xiaogang continued, his tone carrying an unmistakable stiffness.
"After Tang San graduated from Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy, I recommended that he come to Shrek Academy to pursue more advanced studies. But when I arrived at the academy today, I discovered he wasn't here. You two were classmates and traveled along the same route to get here, so I thought I'd ask if you've seen him."
His voice was flat and devoid of warmth, sounding less like a person asking for help and more like a superior giving an order. He also described Tang San's situation vaguely, conveniently leaving out the fact that Tang San had failed the entrance exam. He only mentioned that Tang San might come to Shrek with his recommendation, which carried an air of inexplicable arrogance, as if his recommendation alone should have been enough.
Huo Feng had to suppress a sneer. What kind of act is this? he thought to himself. He genuinely had no idea where Yu Xiaogang found the confidence to behave this way. The man was completely oblivious to the fact that Huo Feng knew everything about Tang San's recent misfortunes.
Huo Feng clearly recalled Tang San's conflict with Dai Mubai at the Rose Hotel, where he was nearly beaten to death. He had also witnessed the entire embarrassing spectacle of Tang San being rejected during Shrek Academy's entrance examination. The memory of Tang San trying to get his registration fee refunded, only to be scared away by Dai Mubai's presence, was still fresh in his mind.
And their last encounter? That was in the Soto Great Spirit Arena. Tang San had faced Xiao Wu in his very first match and was thoroughly defeated. Yu Xiaogang's carefully worded questions sounded almost comical in light of the truth.
"Actually, I have seen him," Huo Feng said, pursing his lips. He thought for a moment and decided to tell the man everything. There was no reason for him to hide the truth about Tang San. He had only been a witness to the events, and besides, no one even knew if Tang San was dead or alive at this point.
"Oh?"
The mask of composure Yu Xiaogang had been wearing cracked. A gleam of anticipation appeared in his eyes, and he could no longer feign indifference. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his excited voice. "Could you please explain in more detail?"
"Of course," Huo Feng replied, the corners of his mouth lifting into a kind, gentle smile. He was about to recount the three most glorious moments of Tang San's time in Soto City. Yu Xiaogang probably had no idea that the precious disciple he treasured so much had been getting treated like a stray dog.
"Since arriving in Soto City, I've run into Tang San three times, each in a different place," Huo Feng began slowly, looking directly at Yu Xiaogang. "The first time was at the Rose Hotel. Tang San got into a conflict with someone and ended up getting seriously injured. I just happened to be passing by and decided to step in."
He paused for effect before adding, "After all, we were classmates from Notting. I couldn't just stand by and watch him get killed, could I?"
"What? Something like that happened?" Yu Xiaogang's expression changed instantly. A conflict? Seriously injured? Given Tang San's cautious personality, he wouldn't pick a fight with someone significantly stronger than him. And more importantly, if the person was strong enough to gravely injure Tang San, how did Huo Feng manage to deal with them so easily? In an instant, a dozen questions flooded Yu Xiaogang's mind.
"Haha, I know you're anxious, but don't be impatient. Let me explain it all slowly," Huo Feng said with a knowing smile. It was obvious Yu Xiaogang was getting flustered.
The Grandmaster quickly composed himself, smoothing his expression. He had nearly lost his cool in front of this boy, which would have ruined the superior image he was trying to project.
Just then, Huo Feng shifted his gaze from Yu Xiaogang to Flender, who was standing beside him. "You know the person Tang San had a conflict with, Dean Flender. In fact, you know him very well."
"Huh?" Flender was confused. What did any of this have to do with him?
"Who was it?" Yu Xiaogang pressed.
"It was Dai Mubai," Huo Feng stated plainly before Flender could even process the information. He then immediately moved on. "The second time I saw Tang San was right here, during the Shrek Academy entrance exam. He happened to be right in front of me in line, so I witnessed the entire process of his rejection."
Huo Feng's words were blunt, offering Yu Xiaogang no room to save face. The Grandmaster had just deliberately hidden the fact that Tang San failed, and now Huo Feng had exposed it without a shred of mercy. The so-called genius disciple, carefully trained by the 'Grandmaster,' couldn't even pass an entrance exam. How could he have the nerve to come to the academy and ask about him? If it weren't for his old friendship with Flender, a Level 29 Spirit Grandmaster like him would have been thrown out long ago.
"Oh? Is that so?" Yu Xiaogang asked, his tone laced with forced surprise as he tried to keep his expression neutral. "Well, every academy has different admission requirements and standards. Perhaps Tang San's specific strengths didn't align with the examination criteria. It's perfectly normal for him to be rejected under such circumstances."
Without anyone asking for an explanation, Yu Xiaogang launched into a long-winded defense of Tang San. The gist of it was that with Tang San's talent and strength, getting into Shrek Academy should have been a simple matter.
"Yes, yes, of course, Master. You're very knowledgeable," Huo Feng said with a pleasant smile, his tone perfectly normal. "You're absolutely right."
He had met shameless people before, but Yu Xiaogang was on another level. He was not only foolish but seemed completely unaware of his own foolishness. It was almost tragic.
Yu Xiaogang's face twitched. He wasn't a complete idiot. Although he couldn't pinpoint anything wrong with Huo Feng's tone, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being mocked. Even Flender, standing beside him, turned his head away, unable to watch. He hadn't seen his old friend in years. He never expected that while Yu Xiaogang's spirit power hadn't grown much, his skin had certainly become much thicker.
"After he was rejected, Tang San demanded that Teacher Li Yusong return his registration fee," Huo Feng continued, "but he was scared off the moment he saw Dai Mubai show up. He didn't even bother to say hello when he saw me. It's a shame, you know? I saved his life simply because we were classmates, but it seems he didn't appreciate it at all."
These words left Yu Xiaogang speechless. What Huo Feng said made perfect sense, and there was nothing he could say to defend it. On one hand, the act of demanding a refund for a registration fee was too embarrassing to discuss. On the other, even he found Tang San's behavior of running from a benefactor indefensible.
Seeing that his words had hit their mark, Huo Feng pressed his advantage. "That brings me to the third and last time I saw him. Dean Flender had taken us to the Soto Great Spirit Arena to participate in some spirit fights. And it was there, in the arena, that I saw Tang San again. By a strange coincidence, Xiao Wu's very first opponent was him."
As he spoke, he gestured toward Xiao Wu, who nodded with a small smile.
"The Soto Great Spirit Arena?" Yu Xiaogang's mind began to race again. Why would Tang San go to a place like that? With his current strength and martial spirit, he wasn't really suited for that kind of combat.
A sense of dread crept over him as he asked, "So… what was the result?" He didn't know much about Xiao Wu's strength, but in his mind, she and Tang San should have been relatively evenly matched.
Huo Feng shrugged calmly. "Tang San was defeated by Xiao Wu in less than three rounds. After that, he left in a hurry. I haven't seen him since."
He delivered the news casually, but inside, he was enjoying the moment immensely.
Lost? In less than three rounds?
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang could no longer maintain his pretense of calm. His face turned a sickly, ashen color, his expression souring as if he had just swallowed something foul.
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