Chapter 117: Tang San's Gravity
From afar, Zu Zong shouted loudly, "Xiao San, Xiao San, I'm over here!"
Look at that expression, that tone!
As affectionate as could be, as expressive as could be (it's friendship, not bromance). Anyone who didn't know better would genuinely think they were "deep brothers" who could down drinks in one go!
Even Meng Yiran felt happy for Tang San having such a friend. "Xiao San, just forget about the first soul ring matter."
Tang San gave a perfunctory nod. His disgust for the other man wasn't solely because of the first soul ring; it had started back when he was six.
Tracing it back, it began a month before his martial spirit awakened. For some unknown reason, while practicing Xuan Tian Gong perfectly fine, he suddenly lost all strength in his limbs and collapsed. He vaguely felt he had lost something important but couldn't identify what. Ever since then, nothing good ever happened when he encountered Zu Zong.
A moment later, Tang San and Meng Yiran met up with Flender and Zu Zong.
Tang San first greeted Flender. Then he glanced at Zu Zong, and his expression immediately turned extremely grave. From a distance earlier, he hadn't noticed, but now up close, the hairs on his body almost stood on end.
If over three months ago, Zu Zong had merely seemed very strong to his senses—stronger than anyone in the Shrek Seven Monsters—then now he could only be described as dangerous. The other man's aura was restrained yet deep as the ocean.
Drawing on the experience of two lifetimes, his intuition told him Zu Zong was extremely dangerous to him. Right now, he was absolutely no match.
"Damn it, how could he have progressed so fast. No, if this continues, I'll be left completely behind." Tang San clenched his fist hidden in his sleeve, grinding his teeth inwardly.
At the same time, Tang San was filled with deep regret. Three months ago, after losing to the Imperial Combat Team, he had been despondent for a long while. Although Yu Xiaogang came to comfort him every few days, he still couldn't emerge from the shadow of defeat. Looking back now, it was simply a waste of precious cultivation time. If not for that, he might already be at the thirty-fourth level. Why had he only just broken through to the thirty-third level yesterday?
Zu Zong naturally saw the change in Tang San's expression. He had expected Tang San to put on his usual "shout and beat" demeanor, but没想到 this guy actually held back. Had he not pulled enough aggro?
Zu Zong put on a show of enthusiasm: "Oh my, Xiao San, long time no see!"
"Oh, and sister-in-law, long time no see too." Zu Zong looked at Meng Yiran.
Honestly, while Tang San disliked Zu Zong, in Meng Yiran's eyes, Zu Zong was at least far better than that fraud of a master. And the other man directly called her sister-in-law—wasn't that implying she was Tang San's wife?
Thinking this, Meng Yiran's previously sour mood due to Yu Xiaogang instantly improved significantly.
Meng Yiran smiled faintly: "Oh, hello Zu Zong. Last time I heard Teacher Qin Ming say you were captured by Dugu Bo, it worried everyone for quite a while!"
As Zu Zong and Meng Yiran chatted and laughed, Tang San grew displeased. While he was wary of Zu Zong, he wouldn't be polite to him. To him, Zu Zong had already stolen his Xiao Wu. Meng Yiran was someone he absolutely had to hold onto.
Without even a greeting, he grabbed Meng Yiran and ran towards Yu Xiaogang's residence, causing her to stumble and nearly fall.
"Xiao San, what are you doing! You're hurting me." Meng Yiran said.
"Sorry, Yiran, I was just too worried about the teacher." Tang San said softly.
Watching Tang San's jealous appearance, Zu Zong found it secretly amusing. He seemed to have absolutely nothing going on with Meng Yiran.
After Flender left, just as Zu Zong was about to take Zhu Zhuqing inside to "visit" Yu Xiaogang.
A rough voice sounded from behind, "Hey, blue-haired kid, stop right there."
Zu Zong turned around. Before his eyes were Tai Long, whom he had brutally beaten yesterday, and a burly middle-aged man.
This was a middle-aged man even larger than Tai Long, glaring angrily at Zu Zong. This person's appearance was at least eighty percent similar to Tai Long's, though he looked older. His outer clothes couldn't hide his bulging muscles at all. His face radiated fierceness.
Zu Zong thought inwardly: "Looks like this even bigger iron block is Tai Long's Soul King father, Tai Nuo."
As Zu Zong assessed the other man, Tai Nuo was also assessing Zu Zong. He might be muscular, but that didn't mean his brain was simple. He was inwardly astonished that Zu Zong was so young yet could defeat his son.
Appreciation was appreciation, but face still needed to be recovered. His son Tai Long had been kicked in the anus, leaving him bleeding even during bowel movements. This grudge, Hercules Tai Nuo absolutely had to avenge.
"Blue-haired kid, were you the one who beat my precious son?" Tai Nuo asked abruptly.
Zu Zong released Zhu Zhuqing's hand and said coolly, "What if I was?"
"Good, so it was you little bastard who beat my son like this. Making it so he can't even relieve himself in peace." Tai Nuo had been searching here for nearly a whole day. Finally finding his target, rage surged through him instantly. He extended his large hand, grabbing directly toward Zu Zong's shoulder.
Zu Zong was already prepared. Attaching soul power to his feet, he vanished in a flash, easily dodging Tai Nuo's attack. "So you must be that iron simpleton's father."
Tai Nuo declared proudly, "Correct, I am Hercules Tai Nuo. You beat my son like this—shouldn't you give me an explanation?"
Zhu Zhuqing cast a cold glance at Tai Long. "It seems you were the one who started the trouble yesterday."
Tai Long froze, touching his still faintly aching buttocks. Shame immediately filled his eyes. "Zhuqing, don't misunderstand. My dad saw me constantly clutching my backside, so... But if Grandpa really comes, that'll be troublesome."
"So he pulled down my pants to look." This sentence Tai Long felt too ashamed to say aloud—it was simply too humiliating.
"Address me as Zhu Zhuqing," Zhu Qing said, her tone slightly icy.
Tai Nuo shot Zhu Qing a fierce look. "Little girl, you're probably involved in this too. If you hadn't seduced my son, would he have been beaten so badly? Truly a femme fatale. So young and already learning to sed—"
Before the four words "seduce men" could leave his mouth, a fist-sized stone flew directly toward his face. It hit dead center. As the stone fell to the ground, Tai Nuo's front tooth flew out with it.
This was Zu Zong employing a throwing dagger technique he hadn't used in a long time.
Zu Zong said coldly, "Old man, watch your mouth."
With his tooth shattered, Tai Nuo spat out bloody saliva and roared furiously, "Boy, you're courting death."
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