Chapter 33: Master's confusion

"Yeah, the teacher is right, but Brother Feng saved you," Tang San explained earnestly.

The master's expression became extremely complex, as if he had heard someone speaking nonsense. Qin Feng saving him? With black mandala snake venom coursing through his veins, even the dean of Notting College wouldn't be able to help, let alone Qin Feng. The moment he closed his eyes, he had resigned himself to his fate. If anyone else had made such a claim, the master wouldn't have entertained it. But coming from Tang San, who seemed sincere and trustworthy, it gave him pause.

"Although it's hard to believe, I'll temporarily trust you, Xiaosan. But I want to know how Xiaofeng managed to remove the snake venom," the master said, addressing both Qin Feng and Tang San.

"Teacher, don't you know..." Tang San started, his voice tinged with desperation.

"How could I know? You've forgotten what I've always taught you. You must seek out the truth. Since you claim I was saved from death, show me the evidence," the master replied, his tone resolute.

"Prove that my father is my father?" Qin Feng suddenly caught a phrase from the master's words.

It seemed that the master had been sleeping too much, his brain slightly hypoxic, and he needed a metaphorical "wake-up call."

"Master, do you truly wish to know how I accomplished it?" Qin Feng approached with a different demeanor.

"Xiaofeng, you must understand that the spirit of seeking knowledge is fundamental to our scholars," the master responded.

"Alright, the spirit of seeking knowledge," Qin Feng said, displaying the Tiangang hammer.

"Xiaofeng, what are you doing?!" the master exclaimed in horror, taking a couple of steps back.

"Master, you mentioned that scholars are seekers of knowledge. So, I'll show you how I cured you," Qin Feng replied, approaching with the hammer.

"Brother Feng, please don't harm the teacher," Tang San intervened, patting Qin Feng's shoulder.

After several minutes of intense activity, echoing screams filled the forest.

...

"Ridiculous! It's utterly ridiculous!"

"How is this possible? It's simply unbelievable!"

Beside a fire, the master slapped his thigh in amazement.

Qin Feng's hammer was indeed capable of healing wounds. Ignoring the pain, one could say that the more one was hammered, the more spirited they became. And with Qin Feng having integrated with the Millennium Soul Ring, it was even more astonishing than him curing the snake venom.

"Teacher, let's have some broth first," Tang San suggested, taking out a bowl of soup for master.

The master took a sip, rejuvenated by the warmth and flavor of the soup.

"Of course, he understands why the master is so excited. After dedicating most of his life to studying the top ten core competitiveness theories, encountering such a profound force must be exhilarating," Tang San observed.

"Xiaofeng, can you display the Millennium Soul Ring again to show me?" the master asked incredulously.

Qin Feng's soul power surged, and a purple soul ring appeared.

"Oh, Xiaosan embodies the principles of my top ten core competencies, while Xiaofeng has become the epitome of trampling over them. I don't know whether to laugh or cry," the master remarked, looking at Qin Feng with a bitter smile.

In the realm of Wuhun, the first of the top ten core competencies is the age of the Soul Ring, with a maximum of 423 years. The master's ability to accurately determine this age to single digits stemmed from his unwavering confidence in his research.

However, he never anticipated that Qin Feng would directly manifest a thousand-year-old soul ring, shattering all expectations. To be honest, he was now feeling a bit bewildered.

"It seems I've been sitting on the ground in recent years, not conducting comprehensive investigations," the master reflected.

"The Thunder tiger has just been promoted to the millennium, and I also got fortunate," Qin Feng said to the master, hoping to ease the tension.

He was wary of causing any harm to the master, knowing that once he did, there would be no turning back. Qin Feng understood that feeling all too well; it was akin to diligently crafting a lengthy manuscript only to discover glaring errors in the simplest of data. He had experienced this sensation during his graduation, feeling so overwhelmed that he had contemplated jumping from the eighth floor of the Building.

Now, the master's lifelong research, once regarded as immutable truth, had been challenged by Qin Feng, leaving him feeling uncomfortable.

"A scholar seeks knowledge and must be open to criticism. Xiaofeng, you've opened up a new chapter for me," the master said, patting Qin Feng's shoulder with relief.

The next morning arrived swiftly. Since the master's body had not fully recovered, Qin Feng and Tang San assisted him out of the soul hunting forest. Once outside, they made their way to the market and rented a carriage, making their journey much easier.

After a bumpy journey, they finally arrived back at Notting College. Qin Feng and Tang San together helped the master to the attic. The master's quarters were located above the attic, with his study in the front and his sleeping quarters behind it.

"Okay, you two have been through a lot," the master said, taking a seat on a stool and looking at them with relief. As a mere guest teacher at Notting Junior Soul Division College, he had no relatives or reasons to be there, aside from his friendship with the dean. These two children had made him feel like he had a family for the first time here.

"Xiaofeng, Xiaosan, you can go to the Wuhun Palace to test your soul power. Once you become Soul Masters, you'll receive a gold coin every month, so you won't need to do any work-study," the master informed them.

"Teacher, I'll get you some lunch," Tang San offered, feeling hungry after the long journey back from the Hunting Forest.

"Don't worry about me. I'm hungry, but I won't die. Plus, I have some dry food reserves here. You go ahead and take care of yourselves," the master waved dismissively.

Tang San hesitated, but ultimately decided not to push the matter further.

"I'm not in good health, and though my duties are suspended, you mustn't suspend your cultivation, or you'll feel guilty," the master said, understanding what Tang San was thinking. While Tang San's initial instinct was to take care of him, the master believed that the cultivation of the two was more important. He couldn't allow Tang San to halt his training for his sake. Besides, his own health had been improved by the Nine-Hearted Begonia, and as a 29th-level Soul Master, he didn't need the two children to take care of him.

"Alright, just make sure to eat, teacher," Qin Feng and Tang San both said as they descended the building.

"Tang San, why do you seem so distracted?" Qin Feng asked, noticing Tang San's absent-minded demeanor.

And at that moment, a slender figure rushed towards them.