Dao Ge sneered, fetching the contract Ning Tian had signed. "You must be that so-called Master. Your darling disciple borrowed 100,000 gold soul coins in high-interest loans from me, all to bribe you into taking him as a student."
The crowd gasped. No one had imagined the fraudulent Master had not only tricked Tang San into discipleship but also coerced him into borrowing high-interest loans to feed his greed, a textbook case of ruining a student.
"There's got to be a misunderstanding!" Yu Xiaogang exclaimed, nearly fainting as he saw the contract. It bore Tang San's signature and handprints. If Tang San had truly borrowed that much, even selling him wouldn't cover it, especially with high interest. Unless Yu Xiaogang returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family for funds. He'd rather die than doing that.
Under the God-Level Side Effect System's influence, Dao Ge and his crew were convinced Tang San was the debtor; even the contract had morphed to bear his name. Ignoring Yu Xiaogang, Dao Ge turned to Dean Jeno. "Heh, Dean Jeno, you know how I work. If no one pays for him, I'll sell him to settle the debt."
"Master, did your disciple borrow the money or not?" Dean Jeno asked helplessly. With the contract in hand and the casino's ties to the Heaven Dou Empire's nobility, even he was powerless.
"No, absolutely not! Knowing Little San, he would have told me if he borrowed money. Besides, he's been with me almost constantly since enrolling, and we were hunting his soul ring recently. When would he have borrowed it? What would he even need it for?" Yu Xiaogang denied fiercely.
Dean Jeno took a deep breath. "Fine, I believe you. Director Su, fetch Tang San. We'll compare the handwriting and handprints. If it's proven Tang San borrowed the money, Nuoding Academy will step aside." The last part was for Dao Ge.
"I'm not worried about you backing out," Dao Ge replied.
Soon, Director Su returned with Tang San. "Master! Dean!"
"Little San, are you sure?" Yu Xiaogang asked, anxious.
"Don't worry, Master. The truth will come out," Tang San said, already marking Dao Ge and his gang as dead in his mind. They slandered him and caused a scene.
"Enough talk, kid. Sign and stamp your handprint here. And let me tell you, you can fake a signature, but not a handprint unless you're ready to lose both hands," Dao Ge sneered, signaling his men to bring a blank sheet and red ink. Seasoned as they were, they always made debtors stamp both hands to prevent denials.
Tang San wrote his name and pressed his handprint without tricks, he knew he'd never borrowed from them.
Dao Ge glanced at the paper and compared it to the contract Ning Tian had signed. Predictably, the signature and handprints matched perfectly.
It was real, Tang San had borrowed the high-interest loan!
Everyone was stunned, Tang San included.
Then rage erupted. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he roared, "It's fake! This is a setup! You're framing me! I'll kill you all!"
He fired a silent sleeve arrow at Dao Ge.
Caught off guard, Dao Ge twisted his head to dodge, but the goon behind him took the arrow through the skull.
"You little brat! When I catch you, I'll skin you alive!" Dao Ge bellowed, swinging his blade at Tang San.
Tang San evaded the first strike, knowing he couldn't match a Soul Ancestor. He tried to flee with the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, but surrounded by Dao Ge, a Soul Ancestor, and over a hundred thugs including several soul masters, he was trapped.
He dodged two slashes narrowly, but the third was unavoidable. Two Great Soul Masters pinned him down.
In that moment, Tang San felt like he was back at Ghost Sorrow Cliff, reliving the despair of being forced to jump.
As the blade descended, Yu Xiaogang's voice boomed: "Enough!"
"What, old man? Sticking up for your disciple?" Dao Ge paused, resting the blade on Tang San's neck.
"Yes," Yu Xiaogang said. "I'll repay the debt for him."
He'd decided. He couldn't return to his family, but he could go to Martial Soul City and find Bibi Dong. Though he'd sworn never to see her again, for Tang San, he'd swallow his pride and maybe ask about overcoming twin martial soul challenges.
"On what grounds?" Dao Ge challenged.
"On this," Yu Xiaogang replied, hesitantly pulling a dusty blue token from his storage soul tool. Engraved with a blue lightning dragon, it was a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family disciple's token. Though expelled, they hadn't reclaimed it.
Dao Ge's eyes narrowed, wary. "So, you're from 'that' family. Fine, I'll give you face. Let's go."
To everyone's surprise, Dao Ge lowered the blade and led his men away in a grand exit.
"Master!" Tang San's eyes welled up, overwhelmed by gratitude and injustice.
"Don't say anything, Little San. I believe you," Yu Xiaogang said, patting his head.
"What a touching master-disciple bond," Ning Tian amused. He had done a good deed, pitting Tang San against Dao Ge's gang, an infection on Nuoding City's underworld. With Tang Hao backing Tang San, those thugs wouldn't escape threatening his son.
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