Chapter 200: 219. The Master and Disciple's Telepathic Bond
The Shrek trio each placed a hand on Tang San's shoulders, forcing him back into his seat.
"Tang San, calm down—just calm down!"
"Calm down?" Tang San's eyes burned red, his breath ragged. "Er Ming's already holding Xiao Wu in his arms—how am I supposed to calm down?!"
Dai Mubai squeezed his shoulder. "Tang San, what are you planning? To rush onto the stage and fight Er Ming in front of everyone? Don't forget, he's Xiao Wu's brother. If you kill him in front of her, how do you think she'll see you? She'd hate you for life."
At that, the fire in Tang San's eyes dimmed a little. His breathing slowed; reason began to return.
"That's right," Oscar added. "Losing control like that will only make Xiao Wu think less of you. You can't be so impulsive."
"But Er Ming hugged her—how do you expect me to bear that?" Tang San's anger flared again, his chest heaving.
Ma Hongjun sighed and said, "Tang San, did you forget who they are? Xiao Wu and Er Ming are siblings. What's wrong with a brother hugging his sister?"
Tang San fell silent for a moment. Deep down, he had long since claimed Xiao Wu as his own—his forbidden treasure. The thought of another man touching her, even her so‑called brother, drove him mad. Yet… even he couldn't deny the obvious. They were twelve-year-old siblings; she was injured, and he comforted her. By any logic, there was nothing improper about that.
"Fatty's right," Dai Mubai said. "Xiao Wu and Er Ming are just siblings. You can't stop her brother from comforting her, can you?"
"Exactly," Ma Hongjun nodded. "You're the one turning it into something dirty, not them."
Tang San rubbed his temples. "Then… then what should I do?"
"Learn to endure," Ma Hongjun said, patting his shoulder. "You have to tolerate what others can't. If you lash out now, you'll only push Xiao Wu away. She's known Er Ming her whole life—from childhood, ten thousand years of shared history in that forest. You can't compete with that kind of bond. Be patient, Tang San."
"Learn to accept it," Oscar chimed in, also clapping him on the shoulder. "Er Ming and Xiao Wu aren't lovers. They're siblings. Sure, they're close—but so what? You're overreacting. Xiao Wu's a free soul; she's allowed to have other people in her life besides you. If you keep acting possessive, you'll only disgust her. Accept that she can care for others too."
"Learn to be tolerant," Dai Mubai finished. "If you love someone, you have to accept everything about them. And honestly, Tang San, are you really this petty? Er Ming's technically your brother-in-law. You can't even tolerate a little affection between them? A man's heart should be wide enough to carry a boat!"
Tang San fell silent. Their reasoning made sense, every word of it—but no amount of logic could smother the fire clawing at his chest.
A month passed.
The prison door creaked open, and a foul odor of rust and sweat filled the air. A guard peered inside; on the bed sat a weak, hollow-eyed man with a cropped head and a broken spirit.
"Yu Xiaogang," the guard grunted, "you're free."
At the words, Yu Xiaogang's glazed eyes regained a faint spark. "I… I can leave?" he croaked.
"Yes. Get lost." The guard motioned for others to drag him out. They hauled him up like garbage, carrying his limp body past the iron bars and tossing him into the dirt outside like refuse. Flies gathered immediately.
Outside Spirit City's gates, Yu Xiaogang's frail figure twitched and crawled like a wounded worm. Yet when he thought of Tang San—his "precious disciple"—a fragile gleam of hope flickered within him. The agony, the humiliation, the endless nightmares of the past month—all would be washed clean when he returned to Shrek and basked once more in his student's gratitude.
Turning his head toward the looming spires of Spirit City, Yu Xiaogang's expression hardened with hatred. Bibi Dong. You heartless woman. You and your Hall will pay. Once my brilliant disciple rises, Spirit Hall will burn. Everyone who ever mocked Yu Xiaogang will kneel trembling before me.
He dragged himself faster, muttering feverishly,
"Tang San… my child… my hope… only through you can I rise again."
From high above, his crawling form looked like an inchworm writhing pitifully across the ground.
Back at Shrek Academy, Tang San's patience was running thin. Day after day, he watched Xiao Wu and Er Ming cling to each other, training together, laughing together, all under the pretext of "bonded cultivation." Though his friends kept preaching tolerance, the sight gnawed at him like acid.
It should've been him by her side—Tang San, not that overgrown beast.
So he devoted himself to battle. The Great Spirit Arena would be his stage. Through victory after victory, he would show Xiao Wu his strength—remind her who truly deserved her admiration.
Tang San's greatest talent was his mastery of hidden weapons. In one match, he single-handedly felled his opponent with precision strikes, barely breaking a sweat. Chest puffed with pride, he sought out Xiao Wu afterward, hoping for praise.
Instead, she frowned. "Brother San, must you always rely on such petty tricks? Can't you fight openly and honorably, like Dai Mubai or little brother Er Ming?"
Tang San: "@#%￥%%!"
Fine. No more hidden weapons, then. But even fighting fair didn't earn him her approval—the audience's cheers always went to those whose soul skills shone brightest: Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Er Ming. Tang San's victories were efficient, but dull, lacking spectacle. The frustration built until he thought of his Eight Spider Spears—his long-lost symbol of power, stolen from him. If he had them now, he could easily steal back her attention.
And so his mind turned back to the one responsible—his so‑called teacher. The mere thought of that cropped-haired fool sent another wave of anger coursing through him.
Damn you, Yu Xiaogang. You'd better hurry back with that external bone. Do you have any idea how long you've robbed me of my glory?
What Tang San didn't know was that far away, crawling through mud and filth, Yu Xiaogang was thinking the very same thing.
(END CHAPTER)
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