Douluo Continent: On Becoming a God Through Science

Chapter 73 "No Yu Xiaogang or Dogs Allowed"

"What's wrong?"

Tang San frowned slightly: "Is there some problem?"

Their initially friendly attitude towards Su Yuntao turned into dissatisfaction.

Just like in the original story, when Tang San met with teachers from Notting City Academy at the Academic Affairs Office, he heard their disdainful and contemptuous comments about Yu Xiaogang, both from the front and behind her back.

Adding to that the harsh criticism from You Chen's alternate account, You Xing, Tang San has heard several negative comments about his teacher.

In particular, the fact that Yu Xiaogang could not directly refute You Xing's doubts and could only bow her head and endure it made Tang San in this timeline far more sensitive to his teacher's reputation than in the original work.

When Su Yuntao mentioned Yu Xiaogang, Tang San instinctively felt an angry thought: "Is this guy here to criticize my teacher too?"

Their attitude naturally wouldn't be very good.

Su Yuntao either didn't notice the change in Tang San's attitude, or he didn't care about the change in a child's attitude.

His expression remained unchanged; he simply smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No, no, no, a Soul Master's cultivation is a private matter. I wouldn't presume to comment on your choice."

After hearing this, Tang San's expression softened considerably.

However, his expression soon became even more gloomy than before.

Su Yuntao continued, "It's just that a high-ranking figure from the Spirit Hall asked me to convey a message to your teacher. That person's exact words were..."

He seemed to be deliberately mimicking someone's tone, coughed, straightened his neck, adopted an air of superiority, and said indifferently, "Yu Xiaogang, don't you know that the subsidies issued by the Spirit Hall are meant to help young people smoothly navigate their formative years? You, an old man in your forties, a traitor who betrayed the Spirit Hall, where do you get the nerve to keep coming to collect these 10 gold spirit coins?! I've already instructed the white-robed deacons and guards of the Spirit Hall in Notting City to forbid you from stepping into the Spirit Hall again! If I find out there's a next time, hehe, I've already prepared a sign to put up at the gate, hmm, it'll read—【Yu Xiaogang and dogs are not allowed!】!"

……

Tang San's anger was understandable.

Even after arguing with Su Yuntao, Su Yuntao could only helplessly say that he was just a messenger.

Even when Tang San asked who had given the order, Su Yuntao simply turned serious and remained silent.

As for Su Yuntao's inner thoughts...

Of course it's awesome!

In the entire Spirit Hall of Notting City, there wasn't a single person who liked Yu Xiaogang.

He's clearly a good-for-nothing, yet he looks down on everyone all day, acting like some important figure with an air of superiority. It's absolutely disgusting.

No one likes that condescending attitude.

In the past, we turned a blind eye to Yu Xiaogang because the Palace Master was oblivious to her plight.

Now that they were able to thoroughly humiliate Yu Xiaogang, the commoner-born soul masters of the Spirit Hall were able to vent their pent-up anger.

In a sense, this is also why everyone in the Spirit Hall was willing to cooperate with You Chen.

To be precise, while the original project documentation did state that the subsidy was intended to support young, unconnected, and ordinary Soul Masters, helping them through the most difficult initial stages (just like any normal project proposal would specify the purpose of the funds), it's not the only aspect of the project.

However, the Spirit Hall has not explicitly stipulated that Spirit Masters older than a certain age are prohibited from receiving subsidies.

Soul Masters are quite capable of making money. Take Tang San as an example. Even without the skill of a blacksmith, his income would far exceed that of an ordinary person simply because of the strength boosted by his soul power.

Before he displayed his hammer technique, he did not reveal his identity as a Soul Master. In the eyes of the blacksmith uncle, he was probably just an ordinary Soul Warrior.

They still paid him one silver coin a day.

Even if it was because the blacksmith was kind, the three gold soul coins a month, even if cut in half, still exceeded the Spirit Hall's monthly subsidy.

If a Soul Master is willing to work, their income will definitely be good.

The subsidies provided by the Spirit Hall are primarily intended to save cultivation time for ordinary Soul Masters who are in their rapid development phase, allowing them to spend as much time as possible on cultivation during their youth, rather than going out to work.

While cursing the Spirit Hall, Yu Xiaogang was also receiving the subsidies that the Spirit Hall had secured for commoner spirit masters, which was somewhat disrespectful to him.

When You Chen first read the original novel, he really wanted to complain: "If you're so awesome, why don't you go get a job? Don't you have hands? Why are you just collecting subsidies and coasting along?"

In truth, no one could hide Yu Xiaogang's true intentions. A master, after all, is meant to stand high and command respect; how could he possibly do such filthy and lowly work?

As a yellow-robed deacon, You Chen theoretically still has the authority to order around white-robed deacons and servants of the Spirit Hall.

Of course, he didn't care how the palace master, who was actually Bibi Dong's person, would help him retract his decision afterward, or whether he would deduct several months' salary from him.

Moreover, given that Yu Xiaogang is clearly a traitor to the Spirit Hall and a reputation-seeking opportunist with a terrible reputation, forcibly taking in such a person would be a huge blow to the reputation of that hall master.

The same applies to Bibi Dong. If someone were to punish Yu Xiaogang, even Bibi Dong would face considerable criticism.

At that time, You Chen will naturally have more freedom.

At least one task can be completed.

No matter how you calculate it, he's not at a loss.

What can Tang San, all alone, do in this situation?

He had no choice but to return to Yu Xiaogang's residence and relay the humiliating content to his teacher in the most tactful way possible.

Upon hearing Tang San's suggestion to "take the initiative to reason with them," Yu Xiaogang's face darkened, and she shook her head, saying, "Xiao San, have you ever thought about why, after all these years here, the Spirit Hall has never deliberately made things difficult for me with their gold spirit coin subsidies, but now they've suddenly done this?"

Tang San hadn't known this information before, but after hearing Yu Xiaogang say it, he immediately understood: "Teacher, you've already figured out who's making things difficult for you?"

Yu Xiaogang nodded: "To be called a 'big shot' by a white-robed deacon, one must naturally be at least a yellow-robed deacon, or even a bishop of a higher rank. In this period of time, the only possible 'big shot' to have come to Notting City... isn't there only that one?"

Tang San's expression immediately changed, his pupils contracted, and he said softly, "You Xing's teacher... the theoretical master, You Chen?"

Tang San's eyes flashed with doubt and confusion, which then turned into a raging fire of anger.

He clenched his fists and questioned, word by word, "Why, why would he treat you like this, when you're both theoretical scholars?! It was like this more than twenty years ago, and it's still the same more than twenty years later?!"

(End of this chapter)