"Zhu. Zhu. Qing!"
Dai Mubai's voice dripped with bitterness and venom as he slowly enunciated each syllable.
The resentment in his tone was so palpable that Xiao Wu and Oscar instinctively took a step back.
At the same time, Tang San's expression darkened. A faint pain flickered in his hands, even though his injuries had long since healed. His Mysterious Jade Hand...
He had imagined countless scenarios for their reunion, but he didn't expect to encounter Zhu Zhuqing again just six months later.
And from the looks of it, she seemed to be doing quite well—something he found utterly unacceptable.
How could this traitor be walking free? What did she take her former companions for? Could she justify the training and care she had received from the teachers and the dean? After all, it was Flender himself who had helped her hunt for her third soul ring.
The more Tang San thought about it, the more convinced he became that compared to Zhu Zhuqing, they were the righteous ones—the ones who had been betrayed. As Dai Mubai's fiancée, for her to have hurt him was unforgivable.
Of course, this matter didn't directly involve him, but Dai Mubai was his brother. How could he stand by and do nothing?
Zhu Zhuqing's departure had weakened their team's overall strength. It had also affected him, the team's core, by limiting his more powerful techniques.
She had already sealed her fate.
With that thought, Tang San glanced at Dai Mubai, only to find Dai Mubai looking back at him.
Just one look was enough to confirm that their thoughts were aligned, which bolstered their confidence.
"Let's go, Mubai. We're confronting her today. We need answers."
Tang San's voice was cold, and Dai Mubai nodded in agreement, ready to march over.
However, before they could move, a figure swiftly appeared in front of them, blocking their path.
"I know you two are angry, but calm down."
Flender's tone was stern, showing no intention of giving them any leeway.
"Dean…"
Dai Mubai had just opened his mouth when Flender cut him off again.
"If you want to make fools of yourselves, get punished by the academy, and be abandoned by the Crown Prince, go ahead. I won't stop you."
Flender stepped aside and gestured toward the entrance.
"Are you so blinded by anger that you've lost your ability to think? Tell me, what does her uniform represent?"
"Skywater Academy," Tang San blurted out without hesitation. Then his eyes widened slightly as realization dawned on him. A look of surprise crossed his face.
"That's right, Skywater Academy. You remember the intel the academy provided, don't you? Do I need to remind you what that means?"
The words Spirit Hall rose in everyone's minds the moment they heard Flender's question.
Or more specifically, Spirit Hall's Holy Son, Han Li.
Although Spirit Hall had never officially announced that Skywater Academy had become one of its affiliated academies, and Skywater Academy had never publicly admitted it either, the support Spirit Hall had provided in recent years and Skywater Academy's public stance made it clear enough.
Most importantly, the intelligence they had gathered indicated that the Skywater Academy's Shui Bing'er had been forcefully taken away by Han Li and his Titled Douluo teacher.
Even though Skywater Academy later tried to clarify the situation, no one believed them.
"So, that b*tch Zhu Zhuqing has pledged her loyalty to the Holy Son?"
Dai Mubai's bloodshot eyes glowed red as the venomous statement escaped his mouth.
"Mubai, don't make baseless accusations, especially not now."
Flender swiftly moved in front of him, placing his hands on Dai Mubai's shoulders and scanning the surroundings warily, afraid that he might say something even more reckless or act irrationally.
Seeing that everyone's attention was still focused on Skywater Academy's team, Flender finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"I know what you want to say, but do you want to get us all killed? Forget Han—the Holy Son. Even if Zhu Zhuqing went to Skywater Academy on her own, what could you do about it?"
Flender glanced around once more, then lowered his voice:
"Even if it was him, what can you do? Don't forget, you're still working under the Crown Prince. You've heard about his relationship with that man, right? Are you planning to throw away your last chance?"
"Although the substitute members didn't come with us due to the finalized roster, don't forget, their names were still on the list."
When Flender saw Zhu Zhuqing in the Skywater Academy team, he had already assumed Han Li's influence was involved.
But he would never publicly make such a statement. He knew his limits.
A mere Soul Sage like him was no different from a blade of grass in front of Spirit Hall. He didn't have a Titled Douluo father or an emperor for a parent.
And even if he did, it wouldn't help much. After all, wasn't Tang Hao still in hiding? Even Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince, treated Han Li with great respect. What chance did a disgraced prince like Dai Mubai have?
Hearing Flender's words, Dai Mubai lowered his head in defeat, his nails digging so deeply into his palms that they drew blood.
"Is there nothing we can do about that wretched woman?"
He let out a low growl, but Flender didn't respond.
"It's not like there's no way. The tournament rules may forbid causing severe injuries, but in the heat of battle, someone can lose control, isn't it?"
Tang San's cold voice came from behind Flender, catching him off guard.
"Tang San, are you trying to get everyone killed along with you?"
Flender was both shocked and furious. He spun around sharply, looking at Tang San, who was watching them closely.
To be honest, those words sent a chill down his spine. From what he knew, Zhu Zhuqing had only exchanged a few mocking words with Tang San and engaged in a brief skirmish, leaving him with minor injuries that healed in about a week. So where was all this murderous intent coming from?
After all, Zhu Zhuqing had once been their teammate. Aside from Xiao Wu, she had arguably been Tang San's most reliable partner during training.
So why? Why was Tang San fueling the fire now, encouraging Mubai to do something so reckless?
Didn't he realize that if something like this happened, no one present—except maybe Ning Rongrong—would be exempt from punishment? Their futures could be ruined, and they might get dragged into something far worse.
Or had Tang San already discovered his true background? Did he believe that because of who he was—or who Xiao Wu was—they could escape unscathed?
Just as Flender was about to speak again, Tang San's voice interrupted his thoughts:
"I'm sorry, Dean. I didn't think it through. I apologize. I only wanted to help Mubai and misspoke in the heat of the moment."
A look of genuine shame appeared on Tang San's face as he bowed slightly as if he had truly just let something slip unintentionally.
"Ah, there's no need for that. Dean, Xiao San didn't mean it. Please don't blame him, right, Oscar?"
Ma Hongjun, standing closest to Tang San, hurriedly helped him up, casting a glance at Oscar, signaling for his support.
Having seen Tang San's strength after his recent breakthrough, they all knew he was now as powerful as a strong Battle Soul Master. Their success in the tournament depended on him.
Oscar hesitated briefly, glanced at Tang San and Flender, and then let out a soft "Mm."
He didn't want to get involved in this.
Damn that fatso for dragging him into this mess. But in this situation, he couldn't just stand there and do nothing.
Flender glanced at his troublesome disciples, then shot a deep look at Tang San. He had seen Tang san of Zhao Wuji's in action before—he knew better than to take things at face value.
"This time, I'll let it go. But don't ever say such things again."
Flender waved his hand dismissively. He couldn't speak too harshly to Tang San, for fear of ending up like Zhao Wuji.
"Alright, let's not think about anything else for now. The most important thing right now is the opening match. We'll deal with Zhu Zhuqing's situation later."
Flender decisively redirected the conversation back to the matter at hand.
As for bringing it up later? If he mentioned it again, he might as well call himself Yu Xiaogang's grandson.
Honestly, he felt like running away right then and there. He deeply regretted not pleading with Yu Xiaogang to stay on as the team leader.
Now, the pressure was overwhelming, and he was terrified that the whole situation might explode and drag him down.
And as if that wasn't bad enough, their first match was against Blue Tyrant Academy. Yet another piece of bad news for him. Just recently, Tai Long had left Blue Tyrant Academy to join their team, and he had only just managed to calm down Liu Erlong. Now, he had to face her students in the opening match and hand them their first defeat. What kind of situation was this?
As for the secret glances exchanged between Tang San and Dai Mubai, Flender chose to ignore them.
There was no reasoning behind those two. He'd just have to warn the others, reminding them of the seriousness of the situation and to be extra cautious when facing Skywater Academy to make sure those two didn't cause any trouble.
Sighing deeply in his heart, Flender couldn't help but wonder how things had gotten so out of hand.
And why were his disciples so short-sighted? They'd already suffered once, and yet they still trusted Tang San? Were they in that much of a hurry to die?
"Alright, let's head back to the rest area. Rongrong is still waiting for us."
Exhausted, Flender called for the group to leave. All he wanted now was to avoid Skywater Academy as much as possible to prevent any unexpected incidents.
But, as the saying goes, speak of the devil, and the devil appears. Just as Flender finished speaking, he saw Ning Rongrong, looking impatient, walking toward them from the rest area.
Crap!
The Young Miss Rongrong was arriving—everyone, clear the way!
Flender's heart skipped a beat. He had underestimated her temperament and hadn't considered that she might grow restless after waiting too long. Now, the situation seemed like it was slipping out of his control.
"Why are you all so slow? Did that guy not listen to me earlier?"
Ning Rongrong's slightly displeased voice rang out.
Then, almost immediately, she spoke again:
"Huh? What's going on over there? Which team is entering? They seem pretty popular. I wondered why everyone was running that way and why it's so noisy."
Ning Rongrong took a few steps forward and glanced casually toward the entrance.
By now, Flender had no time to stop her from seeing, and there was no point in trying. Skywater Academy's team was already making its way over.
Flender closed his eyes in despair and began to pray.