Just as the three were about to say something, suddenly, a faint singing voice drifted from ahead.
The singing was melodious and beautiful, plaintive and lingering, like a lament, making one's heart ache. The melody swirled and repeated, incredibly gentle:
"Unable to sleep at night, what can numb the pain?
Too many emotions, how can I face them?
It's not that I don't want you by my side, there are some things you can't understand.
I've let down my guard, loneliness follows me.
I want my own space.
"
The zuzong, familiar with the original story, naturally knew it was Liu Erlong singing, and it seemed Yu Xiaogang had written it for her. However, she was puzzled. Hadn't Yu Xiaogang already come to Blue Tyrant Academy? Why was Liu Erlong singing so sorrowfully? Could it be because she discovered Yu Xiaogang was pregnant?
The zuzong feigned ignorance and asked, "What's this?" "
Shh, that's Teacher Liu Erlong singing. She was the dean of the former Blue Tyrant Academy, the predecessor of this academy. I only overheard Dean Flander mentioning her the day before yesterday. When Teacher Erlong was young, before meeting Dean Flander and the master, she had a crush on a man, but he suddenly disappeared. Twenty years ago, to force him to reappear, Teacher Erlong accepted the master's marriage proposal. However, the man never showed up until their wedding ceremony. Instead, Teacher Erlong's biological father appeared and revealed the truth: the master and she were cousins. The wedding ended badly.
Humph! Teacher Erlong really loved the wrong person. She waited for that scumbag for so many years in vain."
It was Ning Rongrong who spoke. When she said "scumbag," her tone became noticeably stronger, and her eyes glanced intentionally or unintentionally at the clan leader, showing a gritted-teeth expression, as if the clan leader were that scumbag.
"Uh." The zu zong's mind was completely in turmoil. How did this mysterious man suddenly appear, and it seemed he'd stolen Liu Erlong's heart?
Could it be that some transmigrator predecessor had transmigrated decades before him and seduced Liu Erlong? Then, after being a jerk, he ran off to another world, or became a god? Thinking about it, it wasn't impossible, after all, he himself was a transmigrator.
The zuzong said, "Hmm, it seems that guy is indeed quite a jerk."
"Teacher Erlong has it so hard." Zhu Zhuqing also sighed. As a woman herself, she knew how painful it was to be abandoned by the man she loved. Even she herself was heartbroken for days after learning that the zuzong had been captured by Dugu Bo. Not to mention Liu Erlong's decades of unrequited love.
The song ended, and the melodious female voice slowly drifted over, "This song is still for me, Xiao Zong. Do you know? My heart is in turmoil. Where are you?"
"Xiao—Xiao Zong?" The zuzong was dumbfounded. How could that transmigrator predecessor's name sound so similar to his own!
Hearing Liu Erlong's sorrowful cries, Ning Rongrong's eyes also reddened. She looked at Zhu Zhuqing and the clan leader, "Zhuqing, ZuZong, let's go visit Teacher Erlong! She's suffered so much these past years."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, and without waiting for the clan leader's agreement, pulled him away. Although she and Ning Rongrong had only been at the academy for a few days, because they were Shrek students, Liu Erlong treated them exceptionally well, even to the point of being closer to them than to her own daughters. As for the zuzong? Consider it a rehearsal for meeting his future mother-in-law.
The zuzong gave a helpless bitter smile, but he also wanted to see the female tyrant from the original story.
Continuing forward for several hundred meters, the three saw a small lake.
Beside the lake was a simple thatched hut, surrounded by a fence. Inside the fence grew all sorts of flowers, blooming in vibrant colors, quite beautiful.
Among the flowers, a woman stood, holding a watering can, watering the plants. It was none other than Liu Erlong.
Liu Erlong appeared to be in her thirties, dressed in a simple blue cloth dress, yet her allure was undeniable. A cloth headscarf held up her blue hair, revealing a pale face with exquisitely beautiful features. Her eyebrows were like paintings, and although her large black eyes were now glazed over, they still held a remarkable sparkle. Beneath the cloth robe lay an undeniable, voluptuous figure, her mature and full-bodied figure far beyond the reach of ordinary young girls.
The zuzong nodded; she was indeed quite beautiful, mature to the core. "It's just a bit too boring, coming out to water the flowers so late at night."
Noticing the footsteps of the zuzong and his companions, Liu Erlong frowned slightly. "Didn't I tell you not to bother me unless it's absolutely necessary?"
However, when her gaze swept past Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong and landed on the clan elder behind them, her entire body instantly stiffened, her hand loosened, and the water jug fell to the ground with a thud. She completely forgot about the spilled water.
With a flash, Liu Erlong was already outside the fence. The clan elder was secretly startled; as expected of a Soul Saint, even without his Sharingan, he hadn't fully seen her movements.
"Little...Little Elder, is it really you? Am I dreaming?" The soft voice asked twice, her beautiful voice now trembling violently, tears streaming uncontrollably down her slightly pale face, her entire being consumed by extreme excitement.
"Uh..." If the zuzong had been puzzled after hearing Ning Rongrong's account of Liu Erlong's experiences, now he was completely bewildered.
Zu Zong said, "Teacher Liu Erlong, it seems this is our first meeting! Although my name is Zu Zong, I'm not the Xiao Zong you know."
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were completely baffled. If it were anyone else, they might believe it, but Zu Zong was clearly only twelve or thirteen years old, not even born decades ago!
"Teacher Erlong, are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?" the two girls said in unison.
Liu Erlong's unfocused pupils finally focused, and his gaze turned to Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong. "No, there's no mistake. Even if he were reduced to ashes, I would still recognize him. He is my Xiao Zong."
His gaze returned to Zu Zong, and he grabbed his hand, saying, "Xiao Zong, aren't you blaming me for accepting Yu Xiaogang's marriage proposal and hiding from me? You've misunderstood. I made the bet with him to force you to show yourself. I searched for you for many years without success. I missed you so much that I resorted to this tactic."
Feeling the strength in his hand, Zu Zong smiled bitterly. What was all this about?! Could it be that someone with this handsome face was picking up girls decades ago?
He knew that no matter how he denied it now, she wouldn't believe him, so he raised his other hand and said loudly, "Teacher Liu Erlong, I know you won't believe anything I say now, but I'm only thirteen years old today. It's impossible for me to be your boyfriend from decades ago. If you don't believe me, feel my bone age."
Liu Erlong clearly didn't believe him, but she still reached out and touched the clan leader's right hand. After touching it for a long time, she still couldn't find anything.
The zuzong was a little embarrassed, forgetting that he had practiced the Xuan Yu Hand, which doesn't allow you to feel bone age on your hand. He then said seriously, "Um, sorry, I've cultivated a soul skill on my hand. You should touch my calf instead!"
Liu Erlong didn't suspect anything. She wanted to see how the other party would avoid her after she exposed him.