After sending away the messenger from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Liu Erlong couldn't help rubbing her temples.
Her temper had always been fiery, but she was someone who distinguished clearly between gratitude and resentment—never an unreasonable person.
Yet after Flender recounted the grudge between Yu Xiaogang and Qi Lin, she could hardly believe the man she once loved had become like this.
He was jealous of a thirteen-year-old boy's talent and wisdom. Worse, he even wanted to forcefully seize the soul power training method that the boy had created.
Had time really changed him so drastically—or had he simply fallen?
Then there was her father's summons, instructing her to persuade Qi Lin to hand over the training method. How was she supposed to ask that?
Between Yu Xiaogang and Qi Lin, the fault clearly didn't lie with Qi Lin.
If she were in Qi Lin's shoes, she thought she might have retaliated even more harshly.
At that thought, Liu Erlong sighed deeply.
She wasn't like those stubborn old men of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Her martial soul wasn't the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, either, so she never felt much pride in the sect.
In her eyes, right was right, and wrong was wrong. This time, she didn't intend to follow her father's orders.
After sorting out her thoughts, she decided that only the one who tied the knot could untie it. It would be better to confront Xiaogang directly.
If she could get him to resolve his grudge with Qi Lin, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would have no reason to demand the training method.
With that in mind, Liu Erlong immediately went to find Yu Xiaogang.
Seeing her come visit, a faint smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang's lips.
During their days at Blue Tyrant Academy, Erlong had been enthusiastic toward him, but he had still sensed a shift in her demeanor.
Only after asking did he find out that Flender had revealed his past grievances with Qi Lin.
Yu Xiaogang knew Erlong well. She was hot-tempered and intolerant of injustice.
Even though he believed he had done nothing wrong, he understood that someone like Erlong would definitely disapprove of his actions.
Still, he was confident.
Given the place he held in Erlong's heart, even if she couldn't accept it at first, time would surely bring her around.
And now, she had come to him on her own.
But the next moment, her words made the smile on Yu Xiaogang's face stiffen instantly.
"Xiaogang, my father sent word today. He asked me to speak to Qi Lin and request that he hand over his soul power training method."
"He said if Qi Lin does that, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would consider all grievances resolved."
"But I don't think this is Qi Lin's fault."
"Flender told me about the grudge between you and Qi Lin. Honestly, I think you handled it poorly."
"If you ask me, you should take a gift and go to Heaven Dou Academy to apologize and make peace."
Yu Xiaogang's expression froze, shifting from joy to grim coldness under her hopeful gaze.
"You want me to take a gift and apologize to Qi Lin?"
"Impossible. I will never apologize to him!"
"If he had agreed to be my disciple back then, or corrected the flaws in my training method while we were at Shrek Academy, would I be in this position today?"
His eyes turned bloodshot, his breath ragged, voice sharp.
"Erlong, do you know? Because Qi Lin didn't correct my training method, the children at the academy suffered damage to their meridians."
"Even Mubai's arms were crippled, and he missed the best window for treatment."
"Though we barely healed his meridians with your help and sought doctors everywhere, the lingering damage remains severe."
"And do you know that now, apart from Xiaosan, nearly all the children have lost faith in me?"
"I've even overheard them complaining in private, calling me a useless teacher!"
"He ruined me, brought me so much shame—yet now you ask me to bow my head and apologize to him?"
"I'm telling you, that's never going to happen!"
What Yu Xiaogang failed to notice was that with every sentence he uttered, the disappointment in Liu Erlong's eyes deepened.
She could see it now. He had changed. He was no longer the man she once loved.
Or perhaps... she had never truly seen him for who he was.
"…Sigh."
"I understand. Take care of yourself."
With a sigh, Liu Erlong turned to leave.
"Erlong…"
Yu Xiaogang reached out instinctively, but stopped midway.
He could only hope that she would come to understand him one day.
Just as Liu Erlong stepped out of Yu Xiaogang's residence, Flender happened to be walking toward her. He greeted her with a smile.
But Liu Erlong, full of disappointment, only nodded faintly and walked past him without turning back.
Flender stopped in his tracks. Reflecting on her expression and glancing at Yu Xiaogang's room, a flicker of delight lit his eyes.
Was the rift between Xiaogang and Erlong growing wider?
Did this mean... he finally had a chance?
His eyes sparkled with excitement, though a pang of guilt soon surfaced in his heart.
He stepped into the room, seeing Yu Xiaogang's face clouded with frustration.
"Xiaogang, what happened just now? Erlong didn't look right."
Yu Xiaogang, already fuming, snapped the moment he saw Flender.
"Flender, do you realize this is all your fault?"
Meanwhile, Liu Erlong returned to her small courtyard, thoroughly disheartened.
She had played out countless scenarios in her mind of reuniting with Yu Xiaogang. Dreamed of countless beautiful futures.
But now, all those dreams were shattered.
She had wasted the best years of her life—only to wait for a man like this.
The disappointment was too crushing, the gap between fantasy and reality too great. It shattered her illusions completely.
Still, though her love for Yu Xiaogang had faded, the friendship of the Golden Iron Triangle remained.
She didn't want him and a genius like Qi Lin to become enemies.
And there was still her father's command.
Liu Erlong would never try to rob Qi Lin by force, but she had some savings built up over the years. Perhaps she could buy the soul master training method from him.
If that worked, she could satisfy both sides—
Fulfilling her father's order and avoiding unnecessary conflict, while also creating an opportunity to ease the tension between Qi Lin and Yu Xiaogang.
So that very day, Liu Erlong had her valuables exchanged into Gold Soul Coins.
And on the third day, she personally set off for Heaven Dou Academy.
Even though she already suspected she would likely return empty-handed…
She still wanted to try.
Even if it failed, at least she could meet this extraordinary boy with her own eyes.
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TRANSLATOR'S NOTE:
Hello guys, I want to share with you that later, I will be dropping a new story, and yes it's also a translation.
The story premise is a man woke up in parallel world in Korea in a game based on being a President of a Entertainment Company in Korea so yeah that's it.
I can't explain it clearly but if your interested, check it out later that's all, peace!!