...
Since Shrek Academy had also been invited to the Soto Arena for a team battle tonight, and Qin Ming had come with Flander and the others, he quickly found Flander, who was frowning, in another ordinary rest area.
"Dean Flander, may I speak with you in private?" Qin Ming stepped forward and led Flander to a quiet corner.
After stopping, Qin Ming did not hide anything and recounted to Flander what he had just heard from Xuan Hao.
Then, looking into Flander's eyes, he asked, "Dean, is what Xuan Hao said true?"
Flander pushed up his crystal glasses, his face turning pale and then flushed.
Although he felt extremely embarrassed, he was an honest man, and in the end, he could only sigh deeply without denying it.
"What he said... is basically true.
Zhao Wuji did indeed strike first, and Mu Bai did indeed... speak without thinking."
Flander shook his head with a bitter smile, but his tone still revealed an undisguised sorrow and indignation:
"But, Qin Ming! I can understand young people fighting over a girl, getting into a fight, or even a serious one.
But Dai Mubai... he was completely crippled!"
Flander lowered his voice, his eyes filled with heartache:
"His dignity as a man has been completely stripped away! Isn't this too much for a proud young man?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Ming remained silent for a moment.
Although he sympathized with Dai Mubai's tragic fate, rationally, he couldn't help but remind his former mentor.
"Dean, you may not know Xuanhao well enough."
Qin Ming looked directly at Flander and said in a serious tone, "Although Xuan Hao is domineering, he rarely deliberately torments people.
If someone provokes him, he usually just beats them up on the spot to vent his anger and that's it.
Only if someone truly disgusts him to the core and touches his sore spot will he hold on to them relentlessly."
"As for someone like Dai Mubai, whose dignity was stripped away by him in a ruthless manner..."
Qin Ming took a deep breath. "
Then what you should be considering is no longer whether Dai Mubai still has any dignity, but how much longer he can live!"
Seeing Flander's shocked look, Qin Ming continued, "Don't forget Xuan Hao's way of doing things.
Even if Dai Mubai is a prince of the Star Luo Empire, to Xuan Hao, he is no different from those hooligans who harass respectable women on the street."
"Don't even mention that this is the Kingdom of Barak.
Even in the Star Luo Empire, or even in the Star Luo Imperial City, if Dai Mubai dares to cross his bottom line, Xuan Hao would absolutely dare to kill him!"
"Xuan Hao has always acted with discretion, but once he loses his composure and uses such extreme methods, it means that what Dai Mubai did has gone far beyond the limit, to the point that Xuan Hao can no longer suppress his killing intent!"
Qin Mingyue found it increasingly strange, his brows furrowing:
"But I really can't understand it.
Since Dai Mubai had already witnessed Xuan Hao's terrifying strength at the academy gate, if he had a shred of common sense, why would he still actively provoke Xuan Hao afterward?"
Upon hearing this question, Flander's expression became increasingly hesitant. After hesitating for a long time, he finally sighed and briefly explained that Zhu Zhuqing was actually Dai Mubai's fiancée, and the complicated fate of their arranged marriage.
"I see, my fiancée..."
However, to Flander's surprise, Qin Ming's attitude did not change after learning about this extremely sensitive relationship.
He shook his head, his eyes still clear:
"Dean, Xuan Hao is indeed strong and domineering, but he is by no means the kind of unreasonable, bullying, and tyrannical scoundrel.
He has no shortage of excellent girls around him, and he would never stoop so low as to forcibly interfere in other people's relationships."
"There must have been an irreconcilable conflict between Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing long ago.
Xuan Hao was at most a catalyst, or rather, he gave Zhu Zhuqing a choice to get out of the quagmire."
Qin Ming glanced at Yu Xiaogang, who was giving Tang San tactical instructions at the other end of the rest area, his eyes darkening, and his tone carrying a serious warning:
"Dean, as your student, for your safety and the safety of Shrek Academy, I still have to give you a piece of advice—in the days to come, you'd better keep your distance from that master."
Flander was taken aback: "What do you mean? Xiao Gang, he..."
"Xuan Hao has already made his stance extremely clear."
Qin Ming interrupted Flander, his voice low but chilling, "He will absolutely not back down from Yu Xiaogang."
"He said he would beat me every time he saw me. He would take action at any time if he was in a bad mood."
Seeing Flander's astonished expression, Qin Ming added bitterly, "Dean, Xuan Hao is usually reasonable.
But when he's clearly being unreasonable and just venting his personal grudges, he won't listen to a word."
"When the time comes, if anyone dares to try to break up the fight or stand up for Yu Xiaogang, he will definitely beat that person up along with him, without any mercy!"
Upon hearing this, Flander's face turned extremely ugly, and his brows furrowed into a tight knot.
He sighed bitterly, pushed up his slipping glasses, and shook his head without hesitation, rejecting the suggestion:
"Qin Ming, I appreciate your kindness.
But I absolutely cannot sever ties with Xiao Gang at this time."
"You don't know, Xiao Gang, Er Long, and I were sworn brothers back then.
The bond of the Golden Iron Triangle can't be broken so easily.
Now that he's down on his luck and has come to my Shrek Academy, if I, as the eldest brother, were to abandon him to protect myself, what kind of person would I, Flander, be?"
Seeing Flander's stubborn and helpless expression, Qin Ming sighed inwardly.
He had long expected this outcome; Dean Flander was too sentimental, which was why Shrek Academy was in such a predicament.
Since he couldn't persuade him otherwise, Qin Ming had no choice but to settle for second best and offered a reasonable suggestion:
"Dean, since you've decided to protect him, you'd better go and have a private talk with the master as soon as possible.
In any case, make him think carefully and see if he can figure out the root cause of Xuan Hao's targeting of him."
Qin Ming looked directly at Flander, his tone very serious:
"Xuan Hao always has a reason for doing things.
Since he's so persistent in pursuing the Master, it can't be unintentional. If we can find the source of this hostility and address it accordingly, there might still be a glimmer of hope to resolve it."
"But if we can't find the reason, or if this grudge can't be resolved at all..."
A hint of reluctance flashed in Qin Ming's eyes, but he still decided to lay out the harshest reality:
"Then you'd better prepare yourself mentally in advance.
If it really comes to that, and the master suddenly loses an arm or a leg while walking on a dark road, or... ends up with the exact same fate as Dai Mubai, don't be surprised."
When Flander heard "the same fate as Dai Mubai," he was jolted awake, his eyes filled with horror.
"Don't think I'm exaggerating." Qin Ming took a deep breath.
"Xuan Hao usually looks like a noble young master, but once he gets emotional and is determined to mess with someone, he never hesitates to use some underhanded methods."
"It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Think about it carefully."
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