ATPnovel Chapter 37 Although you have lost your master, you still have me!
Chapter 37 Although you have lost your master, you still have me!
"Zhang Wei, stop!"
Just as that hammer-like fist was about to smash into Tang San's nose, Li Fulan's voice rang out lightly.
The sound wasn't loud, nor was it a desperate roar, but it acted like an invisible barrier, abruptly stopping Zhang Wei's furious action in mid-air.
Li Fulan had already strolled off the podium at some point, and lightly tapped Zhang Wei's thick arm with the pointer in her hand.
"Let's stop here, Zhang Wei."
Li Fulan wore a gentle smile that was impeccable, as if she were watching two mischievous children playing together.
"Tang San has received a sufficient education today, and I believe he has deeply realized the importance of scientific cultivation. You must win people over with virtue, not act like a barbarian who only knows how to resort to violence. Wouldn't that make our 'Alchemy Sect' look very uncivilized?"
Zhang Wei was panting heavily, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Tang San, the hot breath from his nostrils almost scalding him. But in the end, he resentfully withdrew his fist, and in front of Li Fulan, he was like a tamed bull, obediently retreating to the side.
"Yes, Teacher Li's reprimand is correct."
Tang San's tightly bound body did not loosen; he still stared at Li Fulan warily, his muscles taut like harp strings.
In that brief moment, he had even touched the mechanism of the hidden dart. His fingertips rested on the cold metal; with just a little more force, the poisoned arrowhead would have been launched.
If Li Fulan had spoken even a second later, it might have been a tragic scene with bloodshed.
"Tang San."
Li Fulan turned around and looked down at the stubborn boy. His eyes were full of heartbroken concern, an expression more convincing than any actor on stage.
"I know you've been feeling down lately. Master Yu Xiaogang was your teacher; he succumbed to his injuries from a relapse of an old wound and passed away at a young age. As his colleague, I'm deeply saddened. It's understandable that someone as promising as you would stray from the right path without a mentor."
Tang San's pupils contracted sharply at the mention of Yu Xiaogang.
That was the most painful place in his heart, and the source of his greatest helplessness. His master's death was like a thorn stuck in his heart, causing excruciating pain with every movement.
The person in front of you is spouting high-sounding nonsense like "colleague" and "sad," but has no idea who the real culprit is.
Or rather, he simply doesn't care.
"However..."
Li Fulan changed the subject, bent down slightly, and brought his handsome face closer to Tang San.
Tang San was so close that he could even smell the faint medicinal fragrance on him, as well as an indescribable aura that made him feel uneasy.
Li Fulan's deep black eyes stared at Tang San, as if she could see through the defenses in his heart.
"Although you've lost your master's guidance, you still have me!"
His tone suddenly became enthusiastic, like a pyramid scheme leader trying to persuade someone.
"As long as I'm at Notting Academy, I will never watch any genius be wasted because of stubbornness. I can completely replace the master and become your guide in life, can't I? Just like I trained Zhang Wei and the others, I can also train you into a true powerhouse!"
The students around nodded in agreement, thinking that Teacher Li was truly great.
"Teacher Li is truly kind-hearted!"
"Exactly, to be so lenient with such an ungrateful student."
"If Tang San still doesn't know what's good for him, then he's truly hopeless."
Tang San looked at Li Fulan's face so close to his own, and his stomach churned; he almost vomited on the spot.
Replacing the teacher?
This money-grubbing fraudster who only knows how to use drugs to create false power, does he even deserve to mention the teacher's name?
Who does he think he is?
"I……"
"What? You don't want to?"
Li Fulan squinted, her smile still on her face, but the temperature suddenly dropped, like ice shards in the dead of winter.
The surrounding air seemed to thicken, making it hard to breathe.
"Tang San, respecting teachers is a traditional virtue. Are you really going to refuse my good intentions in front of the whole class?"
That is an invisible force.
It wasn't the oppression of soul power, but a kind of spiritual torture inflicted on the inferior by the superior.
It's like a cat toying with a mouse under its paws, knowing it could kill it with one bite, but choosing to watch its prey struggle in despair.
Tang San gritted his teeth, his nails digging deep into his palms, so deep that the flesh was dented, causing him excruciating pain.
但他不敢动.
Right now, he lacks both strength and connections. His father, who was supposed to protect him, has disappeared after taking him on a soul-hunting adventure.
Openly defying the "special teaching assistant" here would not only put oneself in a desperate situation, but might even implicate Xiao Wu.
People have to bow their heads under the roof.
"……yes."
That word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, and it tasted bloody.
"What?"
Li Fulan tilted her ear, exaggeratedly frowned, and gave a "I didn't hear you" look.
"I didn't hear you, speak louder. Didn't you eat enough breakfast? Or did Zhang Wei beat you senseless?"
A few snickers came from the classroom.
Those laughs were like tiny needles pricking Tang San's back, making his whole body stiff.
Tang San closed his eyes.
His chest heaved violently, as if he was accumulating something, or suppressing something.
Then he suddenly opened his eyes, his voice hoarse but clear:
"yes!"
"That's right."
Li Fulan smiled with satisfaction, reached out and patted Tang San's shoulder, as if brushing off dust, or as if asserting some kind of ownership.
"Sit down, let's continue the lesson. I hope you remember today's lesson; it's all for your own good."
Tang San stiffly sat back down, head down, and no one could see his expression.
His hands were on the table, his knuckles white from the force.
Those eyes were hidden behind the drooping bangs; no one knew what light shone within them.
Sitting not far away, Xiao Wu blinked her big eyes, watching the scene just now, her little head spinning.
In her naive worldview, this is what happened: Third Brother was beaten by that strange person with a pointed head, Teacher Li came out to stop it, and even offered to teach Third Brother.
Although his words sounded a bit strange, he was genuinely trying to help his third brother out of a difficult situation.
If Teacher Li hadn't spoken up, Zhang Wei might have really beaten Third Brother badly.
"This Teacher Li... is actually quite nice."
Xiao Wu muttered to herself, tilted her head and thought for a moment, feeling that she should do something to help her third brother.
The bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class.
Li Fulan left the classroom amidst a chorus of cheers. The students followed him like fans of a celebrity, their faces filled with fervent adoration.
The people in the classroom slowly dispersed, leaving only a few scattered individuals still packing up their belongings.
Xiao Wu seized the opportunity and tiptoed closer to Tang San.
She mysteriously pulled a porcelain bottle out of her pink handbag, as if by magic.
The porcelain vase was blue and white, and the mouth of the vase was plugged with red cloth; the workmanship was exquisite.
She had asked that guy named Wang Sheng to buy these carrots for her while things were in chaos, and it used up all her allowance for the week.
Ten gold soul coins!
That was money she had saved up for a very, very long time!
I originally wanted to buy a basket of top-quality carrots, the kind that are crisp and sweet; just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
But the third brother is more important.
"Third Brother, don't be angry."
Xiao Wu handed the porcelain bottle to Tang San, and the refreshing medicinal fragrance instantly filled his nostrils; it did smell quite nice.
"Actually, I think... what Teacher Li said isn't entirely wrong."
She blinked her big, watery eyes and said earnestly.
"That pill smells really good! I can even feel my soul energy moving just from the smell. Why don't you... try one? Maybe it really works? It won't hurt to take one, and who knows, it might even make you stronger!"
Tang San looked at the exquisite porcelain bottle in his hand.
That was Li Fulan's "masterpiece," and it is also the root of his humiliation today.
Zhang Wei's ferocious face flashed through my mind, along with the surrounding laughter and jeers, and Li Fulan's hypocritical face.
That medicinal scent might be refreshing and pleasant to others.
But to Tang San, it smelled even more pungent than the most potent poison.
"Xiao Wu!"
Tang San slammed the porcelain bottle back onto the table with such force that it nearly shattered. The tabletop shook and made a dull thud.
Xiao Wu was startled and shrank back, her eyes filled with confusion and grievance.
Tang San raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, like two burning flames. His voice carried an unprecedented resolve and chill, as if it were coming from an ice cellar.
"Take it!"
He spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Don't mention this person's name in front of me again, and don't let me see this kind of thing!"
Xiao Wu opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Tang San's next words shut her up.
"I am Tang San!"
He suddenly stood up, the chair sliding backward with a screeching sound.
"Even if I die! Even if I jump off this cliff! I will never take a single pill from Li Fulan!"