"What a big house..."
Yu Xiaogang muttered, observing that the door frame alone was the size of an entire wall of his own residence.
The emotion in his voice was more reminiscent than envious, as if he had once lived in such a grand estate himself.
Regardless of his musings, they had a task to accomplish.
Standing at the entrance, Yu Xiaogang looked slightly puzzled.
For a property this large, one would expect a few guards or caretakers, yet there was no one at the main entrance, giving the impression of an uninhabited mansion.
'Could we have the wrong place?'
Shaking his head, Yu Xiaogang knocked on the door using the handle, producing a hollow sound.
After waiting for a while without any response, the teacher and student exchanged glances, puzzled.
Tang San frowned, "Teacher, could it be that we came at a bad time and they are not home?"
Yu Xiaogang thought for a moment and said, "When I knocked, I noticed the door wasn't fully shut. Perhaps this isn't the main entrance but just an outer facade. After all, from the looks of it, You Chen seems to be the only one living here, and he might have rented the entire estate but only lives in one part of it. In any case... waiting here isn't going to get us anywhere. Let's call out inside, and if there's no response, we can leave later."
With that decision, Yu Xiaogang pushed open the door and stepped over the threshold.
With keen eyes, Tang San noticed something was off as soon as the door was opened. He quickly shouted, "Wait, Teacher, something's not right!"
But it was too late.
"Hmm?"
Yu Xiaogang turned his head in confusion, his foot already inside the courtyard.
In the next instant, a trap was triggered, and he was hoisted upside down by a thin rope tied around his ankle.
"Ahhhhh!"
Yu Xiaogang let out a scream similar to someone on a roller coaster, quickly finding himself hanging from a large willow tree near the entrance, with one end of the rope tied to the tree and the other to his foot. His slender body swayed with the wind as he struggled.
Tang San: "..."
He remained silent for a moment, not rushing to rescue his teacher, instead observing the surroundings with a wary eye.
At the moment Yu Xiaogang pushed open the door, Tang San's instincts as a disciple of the Tang Sect had immediately alerted him to something amiss.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear: the entire estate, from the perimeter to visible interior areas, was filled with deeply hidden traps!
It was a veritable web!
Even with his extraordinary eyesight as a Tang Sect prodigy, stepping in without caution could easily ensnare him!
A drop of cold sweat trickled down Tang San's forehead.
"Xiao San, Xiao San! Help me!"
Yu Xiaogang's cries for help interrupted Tang San's mental calculations of a safe rescue route.
Unlike the soul master system, Tang San's experiences in the Tang Sect were his true faith. He reveled in the process of analyzing and disarming traps and hidden weapons, so he felt a rare flicker of irritation towards Yu Xiaogang.
However, prioritizing his teacher's rescue, Tang San took a deep breath and replied, "Teacher, don't worry. There are a lot of traps here. Let me observe a bit more, and I'll get you down soon!"
With that, he continued his focused calculations.
Yet again, his thoughts were interrupted by a gentle voice.
"I wondered what kind of clueless thief it was, turns out it's you, Yu Xiaogang."
Tang San looked up, following the voice to see a man in a white robe, wearing thick black-rimmed glasses, exuding an ethereal and refined aura, walking out from the house facing the main gate.
Behind him stood a young boy whose appearance had subtly changed.
For children, facial features aren't fully developed, so the difference between a 7 and 8 in looks isn't that significant, both appearing charmingly intelligent. This subtle shift wasn't enough to cause surprise.
Though the appearance had slightly changed, Tang San recognized at once that this was the opponent who had effortlessly defeated him the day before.
The identity of the man he was following was thus clear.
Tang San narrowed his eyes slightly.
Even with a preconceived notion of You Chen due to Yu Xiaogang, seeing the man in person, Tang San couldn't help but feel eased by his amiable demeanor.
It was as if in front of this person, there was no need to be overly cautious.
Even Tang San had to admit, the man's presentation was impeccable.
Not in the sense of attractiveness to the opposite sex, but his attire and demeanor collectively projected a gentle, restrained, and harmless image.
Much like encountering a village teacher in the countryside, someone naturally trustworthy.
"Sir, my teacher and I didn't mean to intrude. After knocking several times without response, we suspected something might be amiss inside, prompting our entry."
Tang San stepped forward, hands clasped in greeting, speaking earnestly, "Could you perhaps let my teacher down?"
From You Chen's deliberate message via Su Yuntao, Tang San knew this Master You Chen was not entirely ignorant of him.
Given Yu Xiaogang's apparent targeting, it seemed more appropriate for him to make the request.
He was well aware of the advantage his 6-year-old face presented.
Tang San watched You Chen, noting the lack of verbal response, only a casual glance before a flick of the wrist.
With a thud, Yu Xiaogang fell from the tree, emitting another pained yelp.
Tang San quickly noticed that with You Chen's flick, most of the traps vanished. He hurried to Yu Xiaogang's side, helping him up and offering words of comfort.
"Now that it's done, you should leave."
You Chen spoke casually, turning to leave.
"Wait!"
Tang San hadn't forgotten his purpose for coming and called out to You Chen.
"Is there something else?"
You Chen's tone remained calm, even cold, but perhaps in contrast to Yu Xiaogang, Tang San found his attitude seemed reasonable, at least open to communication.
He quickly said, "Master You Chen, I've heard of you from my teacher! Being fellow theoretical scholars, both pioneers in soul master cultivation research, why do you pressure and humiliate my teacher like this? Do you hold some grudge against him? I've come today to seek an explanation!"
You Chen slowly turned, his eyes' coldness piercing through his glasses, chilling Tang San to the core and instinctively making him take a step back.
Fortunately, You Chen didn't act aggressively; instead, he displayed an amused expression, saying, "With academic failures like Yu Xiaogang, what if there's no grudge? Even if I humiliate and pressure him a thousand times, it's not enough!"
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