Douluo Continent: Twin Golden and Silver Dragons Shock Bibi Dong

Upon hearing this question, Dugu Yan rolled her eyes resentfully and couldn't help but complain, "Isn't it all because of that stupid rule you set up back in the Royal Academy with that 'Heavenly Struggle Self-Improvement Association'?"

"You wrote in black and white in your oath when you joined: 'All who join the Self-Strengthening Society are brothers in arms. If anyone dares to bully our own brothers, we absolutely cannot stand idly by! Because if he gets beaten up today, you might be the one getting beaten up tomorrow! When faced with provocations from external enemies, we must unite as one, fight them to the death!'"

Dugu Yan shrugged: "In the past few years, ever since your Tiandou Self-Improvement Association was established and you, Young Master Xuan, made a name for yourself as a troublemaker in Tiandou City, who in the entire academy doesn't know how protective and domineering our Self-Improvement Association is? For many years, no outsider has dared to bully our people on the territory of Tiandou Royal Academy."

"And now look what's happened! Not only did these outsiders from Shrek beat up people on our turf, but they beat up a direct descendant of the royal family, the fourth prince of the Heavenly Dou Clan, Xue Beng!"

"Just think about how egregious this is! It's not just trampling on the face of the Heaven Dou royal family, it's a direct slap in the face to you, Young Master Xuan, and the entire Heaven Dou Self-Improvement Association!"

"Back then, Xue Beng was beaten up like a pig's head, his face bruised and swollen, and he ran back to the Self-Reliance Association's office crying and complaining. Good heavens, the hundreds of Self-Reliance Association members in the entire academy instantly became agitated and went wild! Whether it was to uphold the 'brotherly loyalty' you set, or simply to show off in front of the prince and join in the fun, hundreds of Soul Master students surrounded Shrek Academy's group in layers!"

Dugu Yan patted her chest with lingering fear: "You didn't even see the tense scene back then! Hundreds of martial spirits possessed each other at the same time. It was like a small war was about to break out! If Meng Shenji and the other two education committee members hadn't arrived in time with a group of senior instructors and forcibly calmed the situation, a school-wide brawl would have definitely broken out that day!"

After hearing Dugu Yan's vivid description, Xuan Hao was also dumbfounded. "That's not right! At that time, hundreds of people surrounded Shrek Academy, and it looked like a brawl was about to break out... You, the 'top dog' of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy whom I personally appointed, and the 'double red stick' of the Heaven Dou Self-Improvement Association, were right there at the time, and you just stood by and did nothing?!"

"You and Yu Tianheng are the strongest fighters in the Self-Improvement Association besides me. If you two just stood up and shouted, which student would dare to disobey? How did it escalate to the point that even the Education Commission was alerted?"

"Me, in charge?! How am I supposed to manage this?!"

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan rolled her eyes in exasperation and retorted confidently, "The one who got beaten up was that annoying piece of trash Xue Beng! I can't even stand looking at him, let alone risk my life for him."

"Besides, those Shrek academy students, especially that sarcastic Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun whose head is full of lewd nonsense, disgust me. I have absolutely no good impression of them. What does it have to do with me if they fight like dogs? Am I supposed to righteously rush in to act as a peacemaker and stop them from fighting?"

"In that chaotic and thankless scene, of course I chose to drag Lingling behind the crowd and quietly watch the show from the shadows!"

Xuan Hao was speechless for a moment after being choked by Dugu Yan's self-righteous "idling and eating melons" remarks. This was truly a typical case of "better to die than to die for one's friend."

He shook his head, too lazy to bother with these troublesome guys, and continued to ask, "So what's the situation now? Where did those Shrek students go after they were kicked out of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

Chapter 260 Superficially Obedient, But Secretly Troublesome

……

"They went to Blue Tyrant Academy, I suppose."

Dugu Yan shrugged and casually replied, "Although Blue Tyrant Academy is nominally your territory now, and you even almost changed its name, everyone knows that you're just a figurehead and have never interfered with its internal management. Students of Blue Tyrant Academy usually only selectively join our Heavenly Fighting Self-Improvement Association after graduating or meeting certain requirements."

"Besides, isn't that old miser Flander an old acquaintance of Liu Erlong, the dean of Blue Tyrant Academy? I heard that when they were young, together with that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang, they formed some kind of famous 'Golden Iron Triangle' combination that shook the continent. Shrek Academy brought their whole families all the way from Soto City to seek refuge, but now that they've been kicked out, they can't very well slink back to that godforsaken village, can they? Naturally, they can only go and seek refuge with their old flame."

"I see." Xuan Hao nodded slightly. "What about Qin Ming?"

"Teacher Qin Ming also felt too ashamed to stay any longer, so he went to Blue Tyrant Academy with Shrek Academy."

Dugu Yan sighed, her tone tinged with regret: "After all, the impact of this incident was too terrible. He had personally guaranteed that the Shrek students would be recruited, but on their very first day at the school, they caused such a huge riot that almost resulted in bloodshed. Even though everyone with eyes could see that Xue Beng started the trouble by being foul-mouthed, things still escalated, and even Prince Xue Xing, who was known for protecting his own, personally stepped in to put pressure on them."

"Something like this, which involves the royal family's reputation and a student riot, always has to be taken the blame to quell public anger. Teacher Qin Ming is straightforward and didn't want to cause trouble for the three education committee members, Meng Shenji, so he had no choice but to resign and leave on his own initiative."

After hearing this convoluted story, Xuan Hao frowned slightly, tapping his fingers lightly on the sofa armrest as if he were pondering something, and his expression did not look very happy.

Seeing his expression, Dugu Yan tilted her head in confusion: "What's wrong? You seem a little unhappy? Didn't you dislike the Shrek academy students when you were in Soto City? Now that they've been kicked out of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, shouldn't you be happy?"

"That's easy."

Before Xuan Hao could speak, Ning Rongrong, sitting to the side, chimed in, rolling her eyes and saying, "If Shrek Academy obediently stays at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, then they're right under his nose, in his completely controlled territory. At that point, whether he molds them or not is entirely up to him. That's called 'closing the door to beat the dog'!"

Ning Rongrong curled her lip: "But now, those Shrek alumni have actually been taken away because of this trivial matter, and are out of his direct control. He's lost a whole bunch of toys he could use to amuse himself and scheme against others, how could he possibly be happy?"

"..."

Xuan Hao stared at Ning Rongrong speechlessly, his lips twitching wildly: "What kind of image do you have of me? Do you think of me as some kind of mentally ill, controlling psychopath?"

"Tch, do you think I don't know what kind of person you are?" Ning Rongrong retorted mercilessly. "You're a typical petty, vengeful troublemaker! If I upset you, you'll chase me to the ends of the earth to get revenge."

Ning Rongrong leaned forward, lowered her voice, and patted her chest to assure them, "But don't worry, even if those Shrek academy guys have gone to Blue Tyrant Academy now, I still have ways to help you continue to take revenge on them. I'll definitely make sure they're dealt with clearly!"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Hao became even more puzzled: "You? What method do you have?"

"Are you forgetful because you're so important?"

Ning Rongrong raised her delicate chin, showing off with a smug look, "Ever since you went and wrecked Blue Tyrant Academy and gave Liu Erlong a good beating, my father saw the potential in the commoner soul master students there. In order to help the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School expand its influence, he directly invested in Blue Tyrant Academy. Now, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is the largest board member of Blue Tyrant Academy!"

"But you were so focused on collecting your 'protection money' back then that you didn't care about the specifics of these business operations at all, so it's normal that you didn't know anything about it," Ning Rongrong said with a mischievous smile. "So, as the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, I can actually legitimately interfere in the daily management of Blue Tyrant Academy. As long as I tell my dad, or if all else fails, I can just go and beg Grandpa Bone and Grandpa Sword, and they'll definitely help me!"

"That sounds tempting, but..."

Xuan Hao helplessly reached out and ruffled Ning Rongrong's eager head, interrupting her grand plan: "Stop thinking about those things. Put away your little scheme to stir up trouble. Blue Tyrant Academy is, after all, Liu Erlong's territory now, and that woman has a terrible temper. We've reached a certain understanding; we don't need to go to someone else's territory and cause trouble for those Shrek Academy punks, creating unnecessary problems."

Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong obediently nodded, instead of her usual unreasonable behavior: "Alright then, since you've said so, I'll listen to you and won't cause any trouble."

Seeing Ning Rongrong agree so readily, Xuan Hao was slightly surprised. But then he thought, this girl has experienced quite a few big events and knows what's important; she's probably really grown up and become sensible.

Therefore, he did not delve too deeply into the matter.

"Alright, it's getting late. So much has happened today, everyone must be tired. Those who need to rest should go back to their rooms and get some rest."

Xuan Hao stood up and stretched. "I have some things to take care of tonight. The nascent soul core I just condensed is still not very stable. I need to go to Sunset Forest outside the city tonight and use the extreme environment of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well to stabilize my cultivation. I probably won't be back until tomorrow afternoon."

Then, Xuan Hao stepped forward and gently hugged each of Na'er, Xiao Wu, Dugu Yan, and Zhu Zhuqing. When it was Ning Rongrong's turn, he even pinched her cheek, which made the little girl pout and act coquettishly.

After giving his instructions, Xuan Hao didn't linger. He turned and walked to the balcony, his figure flashing as he transformed into a golden streak of light, soaring into the sky and quickly disappearing into the vast night of Tian Dou City, flying at full speed towards the Sunset Forest.

……

On the balcony of the penthouse suite.

A gentle evening breeze ruffled the girls' hair.

Xiao Wu leaned on the railing, watching Xuan Hao disappear completely into the horizon. She suddenly turned her head, staring at Ning Rongrong beside her with a mischievous smile on her lips, and asked suspiciously, "Rongrong, you... agreed too readily just now, didn't you?"

"If you, Miss Ning, could be so obedient and not join in the fun and cause trouble... then the sun would probably rise in the west tomorrow! Tell me honestly, what exactly are you plotting with all that wickedness in your head?"

"Hehe, Xiao Wu understands me best!"

Seeing that Xuan Hao had already walked far away, Ning Rongrong's previous obedient and docile facade vanished instantly. She turned around, plopped down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and her eyes gleamed with excitement and cunning.

"Xuan Hao rejected me just now simply because Lanba Academy is Liu Erlong's territory. Don't you know what kind of person he is? He seems powerful and domineering, but in reality, he's the kind of guy who 'punches outsiders hard but is subservient to his own people.' Since he has already regarded Liu Erlong as a potential ally in his camp, he will naturally consider her feelings and doesn't want to personally get involved and continue to engage in those petty acts of bullying."

Ning Rongrong snorted coldly and slammed her hand on the table domineeringly: "But just because he can't do it doesn't mean we can't!"

"The rest of Shrek Academy are one thing, we'll have plenty of opportunities to deal with them later. But..."

Ning Rongrong's eyes sharpened. "That good-for-nothing master Yu Xiaogang made Xuan Hao so unhappy back in Soto City!"

"This shameless hypocrite dares to brazenly show up on our turf and get in our way? Hmph, if I don't find an opportunity to go to Blue Tyrant Academy and give him a good 'care,' and completely destroy that good-for-nothing master's mentality and ruin his reputation..."

"Then I won't be called Ning Rongrong anymore!"

Chapter 261 Rather than be alone, it's better to take a gamble.

……

On the other side, in Tiandou City, at Blue Tyrant Academy.

Several days have passed since Shrek Academy and his group were kicked out of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and arrived at Blue Tyrant Academy in a sorry state.

Liu Erlong was genuinely delighted by the arrival of her former mentor, Flander.

After all, the Golden Trio had been separated for many years, and she truly regarded Flander as a close older brother she could confide in. With a wave of her hand, she not only arranged the best food and lodging for all the teachers and students of Shrek Academy, but also opened up all the academy's resources to them.

However, Liu Erlong's feelings about Yu Xiaogang's arrival were extremely complicated.

She originally thought that if the man who had run away from her for most of her life were to reappear in front of her, she would be so excited that she would burst into tears and throw herself into his arms without a care in the world.

However, when Yu Xiaogang actually stood in front of her, Liu Erlong was surprised to find that she did not feel the surprise and excitement she had imagined at all!

On the contrary, looking at Yu Xiaogang's perpetually stiff, dead-fish face, as if the whole world owed him money, she even felt a faint sense of rejection.

What she's more worried about now is whether this guy's arrival will disrupt her peaceful life, which, despite being infuriated by some jerk every day, is fulfilling and vibrant.

All these subtle reactions were keenly observed by Flander's sharp owl eyes.

Back in Soto City, Flander had already suspected, because of Xuan Hao's hostile attitude towards Yu Xiaogang, whether Liu Erlong had some kind of secret relationship with Xuan Hao.

Therefore, after bringing Shrek to Blue Tyrant Academy, Flander didn't act like a mother hen, rushing to reunite Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang. He didn't even take any action, simply observing Liu Erlong's true reaction from the sidelines.

As a result of this observation, Flanders had a clear idea of ​​what was going on.

Several days have passed, and Liu Erlong has not shown any joy at the long-awaited reunion. She has not even taken the initiative to go to Yu Xiaogang to confide in him. The two of them have not even exchanged a single unnecessary polite word!

When Liu Erlong faced Yu Xiaogang, her unnatural avoidance and indifference were as if she were avoiding a plague.

That evening, Flander couldn't hold back any longer. He took two jugs of strong liquor and went to find Liu Erlong, who was standing alone in the courtyard lost in thought, intending to get to the bottom of the matter.

"Second Sister, would you like to have a drink with your brother?" Flander handed her the wine jug and sat down on the stone bench opposite her.

Liu Erlong did not refuse. She took the wine pot, tilted her head back, and took a big gulp. The spicy wine flowed down her throat, but it could not quell the restlessness in her heart.

"Boss Fu, you've come to see me so late at night, just get to the point." Liu Erlong wiped his mouth, his eyes darting around.

Flander sighed, pushed up his crystal glasses, and said with a touch of emotion, "Erlong, the reason I made up my mind to bring these Shrek kids to Heaven Dou City this time, even though it was to improve their training environment, was also... largely because of you."

"Although I've been holed up in that poor, remote place called Soto City for the past ten years, while you've been in Tiandou City, I've been secretly keeping an eye on things here. I know you've had a tough time all these years, searching the world for Xiaogang's whereabouts, but without any news. For so many years, you've kept your heart closed off, showing no sign of starting a new relationship."

Flander gave a bitter smile: "I know you only see me as an older brother, and you know that it's destined that we can never be together. That's why I thought of bringing Xiaogang over to you, hoping it might help you resolve your inner conflict and make you a little happier."

“But now it seems… I was just being presumptuous and made a mistake.” Flander stared into Liu Erlong’s eyes. “You weren’t happy about Xiaogang’s arrival. On the contrary, you seemed upset, even… running away.”

Liu Erlong's hand gripping the wine pot tightened suddenly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"Erlong, tell me something from the bottom of your heart," Flander took a deep breath, "Do you... still think about Xiaogang at all?"

Faced with this question, Liu Erlong fell into a long silence.

Should I read it?

To say she'd completely forgotten him was, after all, the man she loved recklessly in her youth, even against societal norms; she simply couldn't bring herself to say it.

But... to say that she still expects this guy to bring her any so-called happiness and support.

The image of Yu Xiaogang's cowardly figure fleeing in panic at the wedding flashed through Liu Erlong's mind, along with his ridiculous pretentious aloofness at the academy these past few days. She felt a surge of disgust and couldn't bring herself to say anything!

Seeing Liu Erlong's conflicted expression, Flander understood completely. He took a sip of his drink, then suddenly changed the subject, throwing out that fatal test:

"Since it's not because of Xiao Gang, then... do you already have someone else you like in Heaven Dou City?"

"Bullshit! How could I possibly like that brat who talks nonsense?!"

Almost as a reflex, Liu Erlong sprang up from the stone bench like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her face flushed as she loudly retorted.

However, as soon as these words left his mouth, Liu Erlong froze completely.

A deathly silence fell.

Flander's hand, holding the wine jug, froze in mid-air, his expression turning extremely unnatural. He looked at Liu Erlong, whose face was flushed red and who seemed to want to bite off her own tongue, with a half-smile, and added sarcastically, "Erlong, what's all the fuss about? I didn't even say anything about her name, or whether she's male or female, old or young. Why are you taking it personally?"