...
After leaving behind this weighty warning, Qin Ming turned and blended into the crowd, returning to the Royal Fighting Team's rest area.
In the corner, Flander stood alone in the shadows for a long time, his expression shifting.
Finally, he gritted his teeth, turned, and strode towards the other end of the rest area.
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang was holding a tactical board, making final arrangements for Tang San and the others for tonight's team battle.
"Xiaogang, stop for a moment and come with me."
Without a word, Flander grabbed Yu Xiaogang's arm and practically dragged him to the secluded corner.
"Flander, what are you doing?
The tactics haven't been arranged yet."
Yu Xiaogang was pulled and staggered a bit, rubbing his wrist, his face full of confusion and a hint of anger.
Flander ignored his complaints and instead placed his hands on Yu Xiaogang's shoulders, his sharp and anxious gaze behind his glasses fixed on him:
"Xiaogang, tell me the truth!
Think carefully, before you met Xuan Hao, did you ever unintentionally offend him anywhere?
Or... offend any of the forces behind him?"
"Offend him?"
Yu Xiaogang frowned, finding Flander's question utterly absurd.
He straightened his hunched back and said with a touch of arrogance, "For years, I've lived in seclusion in the remote city of Notting, devoting myself to the study of martial spirit theory.
Xuan Hao, on the other hand, is a genius from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, hailing from the bustling Heaven Dou City. Before this, I'd never even heard of him.
Our life trajectories are practically worlds apart; how could we possibly have any connection?
Let alone offend him!"
Upon hearing this answer, Flander's expression didn't soften; instead, it became even more unnatural.
He remained silent for a long while, his lips moved a few times, and finally, with difficulty, he uttered a sentence:
"What if... you didn't offend him in Notting City?
Xiao Gang, Xuan Hao has been staying in Tian Dou City.
Think carefully, is there anyone in Tian Dou City... you've been hiding from?"
Flander's gaze was extremely complicated as he tentatively asked, "Could it be... that Xuanhao's great hostility towards you is because of Erlong?"
The name "Liu Erlong" struck Yu Xiaogang's mind like a thunderbolt.
His previously aloof facade crumbled instantly, and his face turned deathly pale.
At the same time, an extremely painful memory uncontrollably surged up from the depths of his mind.
That was the scene when Xuan Hao first attacked him in that small town on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
He clearly remembered the extremely humiliating time he spent questioning Xuan Hao about why he was being targeted, and the reason Xuan Hao gave:
"There's no reason, I just don't like you and want to vent my anger for someone else."
At the time, Yu Xiaogang thought it was just a clumsy excuse that Xuan Hao made up to cover up his bullying and troublemaking.
But now, with Flander's words pointing it out, all the seemingly illogical clues instantly came together!
Heaven Dou City… to avenge someone… who else could it be but that woman he abandoned on their wedding night, who has waited alone in Heaven Dou City for twenty years?!
Upon realizing this, Yu Xiaogang felt an intense surge of frustration and anger.
He has been hiding in this remote corner of the continent like a coward for twenty years!
Why? Why does even this matter have to haunt him like a persistent ghost?!
"If it really is because of Erlong..."
Flander looked at Yu Xiaogang, whose expression was uncertain, and cruelly shattered his illusions, "Xiaogang, the only one who can save you is Erlong."
Flander took a deep breath, his tone grave:
"The one who tied the knot must untie it.
If Xuan Hao is truly standing up for Erlong, then unless Erlong personally intervenes, otherwise... given Xuan Hao's ruthless nature, his revenge against you will only intensify, and he will never stop!"
"Think about what will happen to Mu Bai..."
"Mu Bai..."
Upon hearing Dai Mubai's name, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but shudder.
Although he is already quite old and halfway to the grave, if one day he were walking down the street at night and Xuan Hao used those underhanded methods to completely strip him of his last bit of dignity as a man... he would probably hang himself on the spot and have no face to live in this world anymore!
But...
He needs to completely abandon the pathetic pride he values most in this life, run back to Tiandou City, stand before the woman he has wronged for half his life, and bow his head to beg for her help.
For Yu Xiaogang, whose self-esteem is extremely fragile and pathological, this is tantamount to taking his life!
Seeing Yu Xiaogang's pale face and his struggle with an intense internal conflict, Flander sighed inwardly.
He knew that with Yu Xiaogang's stubborn pride, pushing him too hard would only backfire.
To further confirm his suspicions, Flander patted Yu Xiaogang on the shoulder to calm him down, then turned and left the corner, his eyes searching the lounge before finally finding Qin Ming, who hadn't gone far.
"Qin Ming, wait a moment." Flander quickly caught up and solemnly pulled Qin Ming back into the deserted passage.
"Dean, is there anything else?" Qin Ming asked, somewhat puzzled.
Flander rubbed his hands together, carefully choosing his words before asking, "You teach at the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, so you're well-informed.
Do you know... what kind of relationship exists between Xuan Hao and Liu Erlong, the dean of Blue Tyrant Academy?"
"Senior Liu Erlong?"
Qin Ming was taken aback, clearly not expecting Flander to suddenly ask this.
He recalled the rumors circulating in Heaven Dou City and answered truthfully:
"The relationship between Xuan Hao and Dean Liu is actually quite dramatic.
A few years ago, Xuan Hao led the students of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to fight against Blue Tyrant Academy.
At that time, Xuan Hao was only a Soul Master. In the end... the hot-tempered Dean Liu was beaten up by Xuan Hao."
Upon hearing this, Flander's lips twitched violently.
A Soul Master beat up Erlong?! Just what kind of freak is Xuanhao?!
Qin Ming, oblivious to Flander's shock, continued, "However, after that, as the saying goes, 'no discord, no concord,' Xuan Hao and Dean Liu's relationship actually became quite good.
In recent years, Dean Liu has occasionally come to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to see Xuan Hao in person.
What's wrong, Dean? Why are you suddenly asking about this?
Is there a problem?"
Flander's face instantly turned very unnatural, as if he had swallowed a dead fly.
He took a deep breath and said in a dry voice, "Xuanhao keeps pressing Xiaogang, and I suspect... it's most likely because of Erlong."
"Because of Dean Liu?"
Qin Ming looked puzzled.
"Master and Dean Liu are thousands of miles apart, what could be the connection between them?"
Flander hesitated for a moment, looking at his former most prized student, and finally put aside his pride as an elder.
He lowered his voice and briefly recounted the entanglements of the Golden Triangle, the love between Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, their decision to leave without saying goodbye on their wedding night due to societal ethics, and Liu Erlong's twenty-year wait.
Upon hearing this incredibly melodramatic old story, Qin Ming's expression froze instantly, and he looked extremely unnatural.
He opened his mouth, and it took him a long time to digest this massive amount of information.
"No wonder..."
Qin Ming exhaled a long breath, his eyes no longer filled with doubt, but instead with a clear understanding.
"Dean, if that's the case, then Xuanhao's beating of the master makes perfect sense."
Qin Ming looked at Flander, his tone even carrying a hint of matter-of-fact:
"You may not know, but although Xuan Hao is known in Tiandou City for being domineering and protective of his own, he is also famous for 'helping those in need.'
If a friend he considers wronged is wronged, he will definitely stand up for them without hesitation."
"Since Dean Liu wasted twenty years of his youth on the master, and Xuan Hao is a friend of Dean Liu..."
Qin Ming shook his head. "For Xuan Hao to seek revenge on a man who left without saying goodbye years ago and broke his friend's heart for the sake of his friend... In his code of conduct, this is perfectly reasonable and justifiable!"
"If this is the kind of grudge, Dean, I advise you not to get involved.
This is no longer a normal academic dispute; it's about settling a personal score.
Xuan Hao is in the right, and if he starts hitting someone, he'll only be more ruthless."
"If you dare to try to stop him, he'll definitely beat you up too!"
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