Chapter 227: 246. The Golden Triangle Reunites
Qin Ming lowered his head in silence. Meng Shenji suddenly released his power, and waves of soul force surged out, pressing down on Qin Ming like a tide.
Instinctively, Qin Ming resisted. His Fiery Cang Wolf spirit erupted forth, and six spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black—encircled his body.
Meng Shenji walked step by step toward Qin Ming, watching him closely. Qin Ming was straining under the pressure, but his eyes held firm, showing not a hint of retreat.
"On this continent," Meng Shenji said, "it's easy to join a faction—but leaving one? That's another story."
"Chair Meng Shenji, don't do this!" Flender said urgently. He already guessed what Meng Shenji intended to do and quickly pleaded.
"Dean Flender, this matter has nothing to do with Shrek Academy. It is an internal issue of our Royal Academy. Please refrain from interfering," Bai Baoshan said coldly.
Meng Shenji ignored Flender. He looked at Qin Ming and said, "If you want to leave, then return everything you've taken. The first four spirit rings weren't granted by the Royal Academy, so I'll only take back the last two."
He immediately thrust his palm toward Qin Ming's abdomen. Qin Ming's breath halted, his Fiery Cang Wolf howled in agony, and the two outermost spirit rings around him shattered violently. His aura instantly plunged from that of a Soul Emperor down to a Soul Sect.
Qin Ming spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at Meng Shenji with hatred. Flender, standing beside him, could only shake his head regretfully.
"Oh, I nearly forgot—there's still a spirit bone." Meng Shenji seized Qin Ming's left arm and stripped away a thousand-year spirit bone.
Qin Ming vomited blood again and fainted on the spot. Due to the forcible removal of the spirit bone, his spirit power fell further from level 49 to level 39.
Holding the blood-stained spirit bone, Meng Shenji said coldly to Qin Ming, "Now, I permit you to withdraw from the Royal Academy."
The Shrek group left the Royal Academy with grim faces.
Flender looked at Qin Ming. The man was ruined. According to Flender's usual shrewd-business logic, Qin Ming might as well be discarded. But now that Shrek Academy was on the brink of rising again, reputation mattered more than profit.
Flender walked to Qin Ming's side, patted his right hand gently, and said softly, "Qin Ming, don't worry. No matter what happens to you, you will always be Shrek Academy's pride. Shrek will always be your home."
"Thank you, teacher," Qin Ming said weakly.
The Shrek group then arrived at an academy outside the city—Blue Tyrant Academy. They registered and joined it.
Upon stepping onto the grounds, Flender felt a pang of nostalgia. It had been over twenty years since he last saw Erlong. Though they exchanged letters from time to time, he had no idea how she was doing these days.
Yu Xiaogang, upon seeing the name "Blue Tyrant," immediately recognized the place as Liu Erlong's school. After all, Yu Xiaogang—just like Dai Mubai—although claiming to have severed ties with his clan, still occasionally relied on family resources. He knew that Liu Erlong had used Uncle Yu Luomian's backing to establish this academy.
He recalled the humiliation from more than twenty years ago—how a trial had caused Flender's martial spirit to evolve, robbing him of his prideful Golden Holy Dragon Fusion Skill. Thinking of it filled Yu Xiaogang with resentment—resentment toward fate for treating him so cruelly.
Still, knowing that Flender had remained cautious and never dared cross any line over the years pleased Yu Xiaogang greatly.
Liu Erlong was his cousin. Though they no longer shared a Martial Spirit Fusion Skill, she had once held a marriage ceremony with him. They never consummated it, but nominally, she was still his wife. Yu Xiaogang had long viewed her as his property. Even if he didn't touch her, he would never allow a commoner like Flender to get involved with her. If Liu Erlong and Flender had something between them, wouldn't that mean he, Yu Xiaogang, wore a crown of lush green?
Although he knew this was Liu Erlong's domain, and that Flender had always kept a gentleman's distance and tried to mend his relationship with her, Yu Xiaogang pretended otherwise.
Finally, they reached a bamboo grove. Within the grove, the faint sound of a woman singing a love song drifted in the air.
Yu Xiaogang's lips curled into a smug smile. "This song… she's thinking of me. To think that even without our Martial Spirit Fusion Skill, Erlong still can't forget me. Alas, Erlong—though you yearn for me, we're siblings. It's impossible between us."
The deeper they walked, the louder the song became. Yu Xiaogang was already thinking how to handle the awkward moment that was sure to come.
Though Liu Erlong's obsession might help him appear more impressive before his disciple Tang San, he hadn't seen her for twenty years. If she was still crazily devoted to him, how could he reject her without hurting her? Ah, what a difficult position for me, Yu Xiaogang thought smugly.
Behind him, Tang San and the other members of the Reincarnation Quartet looked at Yu Xiaogang's feigned struggle, his self-satisfied air, and instantly gave him contemptuous, dead-fish eyes.
So the "Grandmaster" really knows this is Liu Erlong's place, and yet he's pretending to be aloof. Hah, act all you want, you conceited failure. You called it a "spiritual marriage," but in your past life, you couldn't resist her charm either—you two had a child, didn't you? Otherwise, how else would Mu En and Bei Bei exist thousands of years later?
In the bamboo grove, a woman was watering flowers with a sprinkler while softly singing. When she heard footsteps approaching, she froze and turned her head. The watering can slipped from her hand.
Yu Xiaogang saw Liu Erlong. Years of practiced acting skill immediately came into play—his face took on a pained, conflicted look, and he turned to leave at once.
Meanwhile, the Reincarnation Quartet stood aside, expecting a good show.
Liu Erlong indeed walked toward them. Her steps quickened and quickened—until she suddenly threw herself into someone's arms.
The four reincarnators were stunned.
Yu Xiaogang took a few steps forward, surprised that Liu Erlong hadn't tried to stop him. He turned his head—and what he saw nearly split his mind apart.
Liu Erlong was in Flender's embrace. Flender's face was filled with shock—and happiness.
"Erlong, what's wrong? Don't you love Xiaogang?" Flender asked, startled, almost fearing she was acting for Yu Xiaogang's sake.
Liu Erlong cupped Flender's face and said, "Decades have taught me something—that instead of clinging to the one I love, I should cherish the one who loves me." Then she kissed him.
That scene fell right into Yu Xiaogang's eyes.
(END CHAPTER)
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