Chapter 147: The Honeymoon Period Ends, a Crisis of Trust Emerges
Chapter 147: The Honeymoon Period Ends, a Crisis of Trust Emerges
As Lin Qingmo looked at Yu Xiaogang’s despondent state, the last trace of warmth in his eyes faded away.
He knew.
For someone like Yu Xiaogang, having his beliefs collapse was more painful than being killed.
But this path was one Yu Xiaogang had chosen for himself.
"Yu Xiaogang."
Lin Qingmo spoke.
His voice carried a distinct coldness.
It was no longer a debate, but a statement of fact.
"Armchair strategist, a frog at the bottom of a well."
"True theory is never just dogmas summarized from old, dusty piles of paper."
"It should originate from the real earth beneath one’s feet, from the thousands of living beings seen with one’s own eyes and touched with one’s own hands."
"One who only has borrowed theories is no true Grandmaster."
Having finished, he stopped looking at the figure that seemed to have aged significantly in an instant.
He turned his gaze to the side.
Xiao Wu had been standing there quietly, his reflection mirrored in her pink eyes.
Lin Qingmo’s gaze softened instantly, his tone becoming relaxed and natural.
"Xiao Wu, let’s go. We’ll continue today’s training."
"Mhm!"
Xiao Wu nodded immediately and stepped forward without hesitation to tightly link her arm with his, leaning part of her body weight onto him in a gesture of total reliance and companionship.
Before leaving, she turned back toward Yu Xiaogang, wrinkled her nose, and let out a huff, clearly expressing her attitude.
The two turned and walked away.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance and followed them.
Flender watched this scene and let out a long sigh.
That sigh was wrapped in many things.
There was helplessness toward his old friend’s stubbornness.
There was a faint worry about the academy’s future.
And there was also exhaustion regarding the powerful variable that was Lin Qingmo.
He rubbed his throbbing temples forcefully and waved his hand, his voice carrying a rare heaviness as he said:
"Everyone, disperse."
"Today’s matter... ends here."
The last sentence was spoken sharply.
Oscar, Dai Mubai, and the others felt a chill in their hearts and hurriedly nodded in agreement.
No one said anything more, turning to leave with their own thoughts.
The open space that had just experienced a fierce debate quickly grew quiet, leaving only two people behind.
Yu Xiaogang remained frozen in place, like a weathered stone statue.
And.
Tang San, who was now completely awake and leaning against a tree trunk as he slowly sat up.
Tang San’s face was still pale, his lips were parched, and there were charred marks left by lightning burns at the corners of his mouth.
But his eyes were surging with intense emotional fluctuations.
He had actually been fully awake for a while.
Or rather, at the most critical moment of the argument between Yu Xiaogang and Lin Qingmo, he had already completely regained consciousness.
Those words about overlapping spirit abilities and the Thunderous Hell Vine—he hadn’t missed a single sentence, hearing them all and carving them into his heart.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze falling on Yu Xiaogang’s despondent back.
His throat felt tight; he swallowed before he could make a sound.
"Teacher..."
The voice was low and raspy, as if he hadn’t spoken for a long time, carrying a tremor he hadn’t even realized was there.
"Teacher."
He called out again.
Yu Xiaogang’s whole body jolted violently as if startled awake, and he spun around abruptly.
When he saw Tang San’s awake and complex gaze, panic and a trace of urgency flashed across his face.
"Little San! How are you feeling!"
He rushed to Tang San’s side in a few steps.
"Listen to me, those words Lin Qingmo said earlier were just him confusing concepts!"
He squatted down, speaking quickly and urgently, his voice tinged with the flavor of an excuse.
"My theory is not wrong, it’s just... just that the Spirit Beast he mentioned is too special; it’s an extremely rare exception and cannot represent a universal law!"
"Your development path is still correct, it’s the most suitable for you..."
"..."
Tang San listened quietly.
There was no expression on his face.
It wasn’t until Yu Xiaogang stopped, slightly breathless from his urgency, and looked at him with an expectant yet fearful gaze.
Only then did Tang San speak softly again, interrupting him.
"Teacher."
It was still those same two words.
But the tone was already somewhat different.
"Lin Qingmo..."
Tang San stared at him intently: "Was everything he said true?"
He didn’t ask about the theory, nor about his own path; he only asked this one simplest, most concrete fact.
"..."
The urgency on Yu Xiaogang’s face froze instantly.
His mouth hung open as he looked at Tang San’s overly calm eyes.
The confusion and inquiry within them were like a fine needle, pricking his heart until it ached.
All the long-winded speeches he had prepared regarding the correctness of his theories, and about specificity versus universality, were all choked up in his throat.
A simple question of right or wrong.
Yet he found himself unable to give a straightforward ’yes’ or ’no’.
Because... he didn’t know.
He, the Grandmaster of theory Yu Xiaogang, truly did not know if Lin Qingmo’s theory was correct!
Seeing the panic and evasion flashing in his teacher’s eyes, along with that sense of authority that was being forced up yet was already riddled with holes.
Tang San suddenly felt a bit tired.
It wasn’t physical exhaustion.
It was a sense of collapse in his heart, as if something that had always been a pillar of support had quietly loosened.
He didn’t press further.
He just clenched his fists and gave Yu Xiaogang a deep look.
In that glance, there was lingering filial devotion, deep confusion, and a wavering after being hit by the facts.
There was also a quietly growing... sense of distance, one that even he himself didn’t fully understand.
Then, he used his hands to push off the ground and, gritting his teeth, stood up with some difficulty.
His body was still somewhat numb from being caught in the lightning, causing him to stagger slightly as he rose.
But he steadied himself, not taking the hand Yu Xiaogang had instinctively reached out.
"Teacher."
Tang San looked away toward the dormitory, his voice very faint.
"I’m a little tired, I want to go back and rest."
After speaking, he didn’t linger, turning around to walk slowly toward the dormitory with a limp.
His steps weren’t fast, even somewhat halting.
The setting sun dragged his shadow out very long, making it look exceptionally heavy on the empty ground.
In that retreating figure, it seemed something was slowly changing.
"Little San..."
Yu Xiaogang’s extended hand remained frozen in mid-air.
He watched blankly as Tang San walked further away step by step.
That back, which used to be full of trust and reliance on him, didn’t even turn around once this time.
The evening wind blew by, flipping the pages of the dust-covered theory manual lying open on the ground, making a rustling sound.
Yu Xiaogang stood in place, motionless.
The last bit of color drained from his face.
Shame burned his face like fire, and anger churned in his chest with nowhere to be released.
And deepest of all was the boundless loss and emptiness left behind after the collapse of a theoretical World built on sand dunes.
He didn’t know what to do next.
He didn’t know how to face Tang San.
Even more, he didn’t know what kind of face he should use to continue his life as a ’Grandmaster of theory’ in the future... "Qingmo, what’s wrong with Tang San and that Yu Xiaogang?"
Xiao Wu, who had begun her training in the distance, asked with her head tilted.
Seeing this scene from afar, Lin Qingmo grinned: "Presumably, the honeymoon period for that master and disciple is over."
Tsk tsk, it seems Tang San really believed his words.
Others might not know, but Lin Qingmo himself knew very well that his theories were all built upon a series of great opportunities.
For example, the 100,000-year blue silver emperor right leg bone, Whale Glue, and Immortal Herbs.
Without these, those theories wouldn’t be worth a damn.
But others didn’t know he had used these things.
They only knew the fact that his Blue Silver Grass was more powerful than Tang San’s Blue Silver Grass.
And it was precisely this fact that would create an invisible rift between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang.
This is called a crisis of trust!
This was exactly what Lin Qingmo wanted to see.
(End of Chapter)
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