Setting aside other aspects of the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, the service provided to its noble students is undoubtedly top-notch.
Even though it was already past the normal teaching hours, healing-type soul masters were still on duty at the campus's medical facilities.
Of course, they were the night shift staff, with some also serving as teachers. However, due to the relatively small number of healing-type soul masters, the number of teachers almost equaled the number of students at one point, making it one of the most leisurely positions.
In the central room, a soul master dressed in luxurious clothing leisurely removed his outermost layer and was about to rest on his bed when there was a knock at the door.
"My Lord, there's a heavily injured assistant teacher outside who probably needs your help."
The middle-aged soul master frowned slightly. How annoying.
His luck hadn't been great recently; in less than two months, he had to act for the second time. The worst part was that it interrupted his plan to sleep.
But thinking of the comfortable life he was leading now, he sighed and said toward the door, "Alright, I got it. Take them to the treatment room. I'll be there shortly."
Feeling a bit unhappy, he put his luxurious clothes back on and headed toward the treatment room.
Opening the door, the middle-aged soul master walked in and was momentarily taken aback. He recognized the student; it was someone from the group he had seen a month ago when he last acted.
Tang San recognized him too and greeted him proactively, "Grandmaster Gou, hello."
After speaking, he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. That title...
There was no choice; Senior Brother Qin Ming had addressed him that way last time. Although Tang San felt it was somewhat disrespectful to the teacher, treatment was more important, and he hoped the teacher would understand.
Behind him, Yu Xiaogang's face was flushed red, though it was unclear whether it was due to pain or humiliation.
"Why is it you guys again? You're way too careless during training. How did you even manage to injure the assistant teacher this time?"
Grandmaster Gou appreciated Tang San's politeness but still complained. Although treating others was part of his job, who likes to work when there's nothing to do?
"You're right, but this time it was an accident. Please be more lenient and treat the teacher first."
Tang San bowed slightly, embarrassed, and pointed to Yu Xiaogang, who he had already placed on a chair.
"Alright, let's get on with the treatment. Your students..."
Grandmaster Gou walked past Tang San and looked at the patient who needed treatment. Then, his words abruptly stopped.
The reason, of course, was Yu Xiaogang's face, which, after being severely beaten, was now quite unsightly and had caught Grandmaster Gou's attention.
Grandmaster Gou turned his head back toward Tang San with some doubt, "Are you sure this was an accident and not a fight?"
Who are you kidding? An accident could make someone's face look like this. Although the slap marks on his face had faded, it was obvious that he had been beaten.
"It was an accident."
It was Yu Xiaogang who spoke. He couldn't let Tang San know the truth; otherwise, his image as a wise and powerful teacher would collapse in the eyes of his disciple.
Before Grandmaster Gou could say anything more, Yu Xiaogang looked at Tang San and said, "Xiao San, I can handle the rest myself. You just came from the training ground, right? You probably haven't eaten yet. You're still growing, and Xiao Wu is waiting for you. You should go back first."
After a slight pause, he continued, "Besides, I have some things to attend to later, so it wouldn't be convenient for you to stay."
There were some things he couldn't say outright, but Yu Xiaogang believed that with Tang San's intelligence, he would understand his intentions.
Sure enough, he saw Tang San nod at him.
However, before he could feel relieved, he saw worry reappear on Tang San's face. "But, teacher, leaving you here alone... I..."
"It's fine. I'm not crippled. After the treatment, I'll still be able to walk just fine. Isn't that right, Grandmaster Gou?"
To maintain his image, he didn't hesitate to drag Grandmaster Gou into supporting him.
Although he felt uncomfortable addressing him at the end, he gritted his teeth and said it, even giving Grandmaster Gou a meaningful look.
Grandmaster Gou immediately understood. He got it—he didn't want his student to see him in such a sorry state.
As a fellow teacher, even though the other person was a low-level soul master and just an assistant teacher, Grandmaster Gou was willing to save face. Besides, being able to stay in the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy with such strength must mean that the person had a strong background, right?
Why not do a small favor?
So, even though he hadn't examined Yu Xiaogang's injuries, Grandmaster Gou patted his chest and said confidently, "Don't worry, there hasn't been a single person I couldn't heal here. Meeting me means the problem is already solved."
Sure enough, right after he spoke, Yu Xiaogang gave him a grateful look, and he secretly returned a thumbs-up, indicating that the matter was handled.
Tang San's spiritual power wasn't weak, and since it manifested through his eyes, there was no way the movements of the two in this small treatment room could escape his notice.
However, he didn't expose them. Yu Xiaogang's decision was more beneficial for him, as it completely cleared any remaining suspicion.
So, he pretended to be reluctant, glanced at the two of them, and after meeting Yu Xiaogang's resolute gaze, he reluctantly nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Grandmaster Gou. Teacher, I'll be heading back first. I hope to hear good news from you."
After bowing respectfully to the two again, Tang San slowly exited the treatment room and headed back the way he came.
"Is that your student? Didn't expect him to be so good, and he seems to care a lot about you. It's rare to see students so concerned about assistant teachers in our academy."
Grandmaster Gou couldn't help but add, watching Tang San's figure disappear before turning to look at Yu Xiaogang.
Then he saw Yu Xiaogang's face darken as he replied in a muffled voice, "He's my disciple."
"Uh..."
Upon hearing his response, Grandmaster Gou was visibly stunned.
A disciple?
If he wasn't mistaken, the soul power fluctuations from that student just now seemed stronger than those of the assistant teacher in front of him. Since when did students at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy start acknowledging masters with lower levels than themselves? Especially when the teacher in question was quite old.
However, having been around the academy for so many years, Grandmaster Gou was no fool. He gave an awkward smile and changed the topic, "Is that so? Hehe, alright then, let's take a look at your injuries first."
Yu Xiaogang groaned in response and shifted his attention back to his injuries. To be honest, he was in so much pain that he was almost numb.
Grandmaster Gou didn't mind his attitude—after all, he was a patient, and that was understandable.
"Let me see... Where else are you hurt?"
As he spoke, Grandmaster Gou activated his martial soul, and his first soul ring lit up, sending a beam of white light toward Yu Xiaogang.
This was his diagnostic ability, which, when paired with his martial soul, allowed him to easily perceive the condition of the injured.
It was precisely with this skill that, despite not having a particular advantage in healing, he managed to become a highly regarded healer at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy after his level increased.
Compared to other healing-type soul masters, his precision in treatment was extraordinarily effective.
But as soon as he completed the scan, Grandmaster Gou was dumbfounded. The facial injuries were nothing serious and could be easily healed.
However, the injury on the left leg left Grandmaster Gou puzzled. How did the injury to this calf come about? Was it hit by a large soul beast?
But that didn't seem right either. The bone fragments were too neat, and who could explain how a whole inch of bone just disappeared without a trace?
Seeing Grandmaster Gou freeze in place after using a soul skill on him, Yu Xiaogang's heart skipped a beat. Could it be really serious? Was Tang Hao really that ruthless?
"Grandmaster Gou? Is there a problem?"
Despite feeling extremely uncomfortable, Yu Xiaogang knew this was the time to flatter him, so he could only ask respectfully.
"There's good news and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?"
Grandmaster Gou thought for a moment before speaking to Yu Xiaogang.
"The good news."
Without hesitation, Yu Xiaogang blurted out his choice.
Master Gou nodded and said directly, "The good news is that it's still treatable, though it will be expensive and take a long time."
Yu Xiaogang let out a sigh of relief and then asked, "What's the bad news?"
"The bad news is that simply using soul skills won't be enough to heal you. I'll have to cut open your calf, realign the bones, and then proceed with the healing."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Oh, and I should mention that a segment of your calf bone has inexplicably disappeared."
"If you don't want it to affect your future mobility, we'll need to fill it with something else. You'll have to choose from that."
"Oh, and by the way, this is considered additional treatment, so you'll need to pay for it. The academy doesn't cover this."
"A segment of my bone is missing? And I have to pay extra?"
Yu Xiaogang was dumbfounded. He never expected Tang Hao to be so ruthless—not only breaking his leg but also somehow causing a piece of his bone to disappear.
The worst part was that Tang Hao didn't even leave him any money for treatment.
Although he had a salary as an assistant teacher at the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, he hadn't been there long enough to save much. Additionally, after falling out with Flender, he had nowhere to borrow money from, and Tang San had just left.
Thinking of this, he took out his remaining thirty-eight gold soul coins from his soul guide device and nervously looked at Grandmaster Gou, "Is this... enough?"
GrandmasterGou glanced at the coins and, after a brief pause, said, "It's enough, but the recovery period will likely be long, and the strength of your bones might not be sufficient for combat in the future. I need to make that clear to you."
"As long as it's enough, as long as it's enough. I don't need to worry about combat."
Yu Xiaogang quickly responded. After all, he never participated in battles, so that wasn't an issue for him.
"Alright, then pay up first."
Grandmaster Gou considerately treated Yu Xiaogang's facial injuries first and then smiled at him.
"All of it?"
Yu Xiaogang looked at the money pouch in his hand with some reluctance.
"Yes, all of it."
Grandmaster Gou reached out, took the money pouch, poured out the gold soul coins, and then handed the pouch back to Yu Xiaogang before turning to leave the room.
"You wait here. I'll go get the necessary materials."
After leaving the room, Grandmaster Gou thought for a moment and headed towards his room.
If he remembered correctly, he had a specimen of a dog-type soul beast that had been damaged and discarded earlier. Since he only needed a little bit, using this shouldn't be a problem, right?
Honestly, he was being quite considerate—this would be even better than regular materials.