...
Upon hearing Xuan Hao's earnest reminder, Ning Rongrong's expression immediately became somewhat unnatural.
She bit her lip awkwardly and muttered, "This...this might be a bit difficult to handle."
"What?" Xuan Hao raised an eyebrow.
"Back in Soto City, I had already completely broken ties with Yu Xiaogang."
Ning Rongrong spread her hands, her face full of helplessness.
"Besides, you couldn't hold back and slapped him in front of so many people.
Tang San probably holds a grudge against you now."
"And that's our relationship..."
Ning Rongrong sighed, "If I could just suck up to Yu Xiaogang and close the deal for Tang San's hidden weapons, I wouldn't mind putting on a show and being disgusted.
But the problem is, we've already fallen out.
Even if I wanted to pretend to respect my teacher now, he wouldn't believe me."
Hearing this, Na'er, who had been sitting quietly to the side, gently put down her teacup, a rational to almost cold light flashing in her clear purple eyes.
"Since the facade has already been torn apart, there's no need for us to bother mending it.
Why don't we just find a way to completely sever the master-disciple relationship between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang?"
Ning Rongrong was taken aback and looked at her in surprise:
"You mean... you want Tang San to give up his obsession with Yu Xiaogang?
How is that possible?
Tang San is the kind of person who is fiercely protective of his own."
"The reason Tang San desperately protects Yu Xiaogang is simply because Yu Xiaogang is viewed through a lens of 'perfect teacher' and 'life guide' in his mind," Na'er analyzed methodically.
"As long as we shatter this lens, especially by crushing his sense of responsibility and character as an elder and a man, and let him see Yu Xiaogang's selfish and cowardly true colors, then Tang San's respect for him will naturally disappear."
At this point, Na'er turned her head slightly and looked at Liu Erlong sitting opposite her.
"And to do this…" Na'er looked at her, her tone resolute, "Dean Erlong is the best breakthrough point."
Suddenly called out, Liu Erlong froze, her face turning extremely unnatural, her eyes even darting away in a panic:
"Why...why are you looking at me like that? What do you want?"
"Sister Erlong, my brother mentioned some of the things that happened between you and Yu Xiaogang back then when we were chatting in the past."
Na'er's eyes were calm and gentle, yet they carried an inescapable sense of oppression:
"Yu Xiaogang appears outwardly virtuous, aloof, and arrogant, but in reality, he abandons his fiancée and flees when faced with worldly pressures, and has dared not show his face or take responsibility for decades.
If you are willing to cooperate with us a little and cleverly expose these old stories, I guarantee that we can shatter the filter that Tang San has for Yu Xiaogang."
Upon hearing Na'er's plan, Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, and she fanned the flames from the side, as if afraid the world wasn't chaotic enough:
"That's right! Dean Erlong, that good-for-nothing has been hiding from you for decades, wasting the best years of your youth!
Now that you've finally run into him, don't you want to take advantage of the situation and get some revenge on him?"
"I..."
Liu Erlong was surrounded by the two girls, her hands tightly clasped together.
She lowered her head and said in a dry voice, "Those are all things of the past.
Let bygones be bygones. I... don't want to mention him anymore."
Seeing Liu Erlong's evasive manner, Xuan Hao stroked his chin and then stood up, quite sensibly.
"You guys chat for a bit, I'll go to the kitchen and see if there's any dessert."
Xuan Hao stretched and stopped putting pressure on Liu Erlong.
Instead, he made up an excuse and turned around and slipped out of the cafeteria, leaving Liu Erlong alone with Ning Rongrong and Na'er.
He knew perfectly well that if he continued to interfere at this time, given Liu Erlong's proud and strong-willed nature, she might retaliate.
Entrusting this matter to Na'er and Rongrong is actually the best solution.
These two girls have been by his side for so long that they have long since mastered his skills.
Especially Na'er, whose ability to see through people's hearts and to seize every opportunity to "enlighten" and deceive them has now reached a level that is on par with his.
With the two of them encouraging him, it was only a matter of time before Liu Erlong's mental defenses were broken down, no matter how stubborn he was.
...
Meanwhile, in the student dormitory area of Blue Tyrant Academy.
With a muffled bang, Tang San's dormitory door was violently pushed open.
Despite having rested all night, Dai Mubai stormed in, his eyes bloodshot.
He glared at Tang San, who was meditating on the bed, and demanded through gritted teeth,
"Tang San! What did you mean yesterday?!
For a bunch of outsiders who were riding roughshod over us, you actually betrayed your own brothers from the academy?!"
Tang San slowly opened his eyes, a hint of helplessness flashing in his deep gaze.
Looking at Dai Mubai's completely irrational state, like a mad dog biting wildly, he suppressed his temper and advised again, "Mubai, calm down.
Everyone sympathizes with your situation, but that's no reason for you to go and die.
You'd better not be too impulsive when facing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."
"Calm down? What do you expect me to do to calm down?!"
Dai Mubai seemed to have been hit where it hurt, pointing at Tang San's nose and laughing angrily,
"I think you're not afraid of causing trouble at all, you just want to take this opportunity to get involved with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and climb up Ning Rongrong's high branch, that's why you refuse to help me!"
Hearing these unreasonable accusations, Tang San frowned and his voice turned cold:
"I'll say it again, there is no irreconcilable conflict between Ning Rongrong and me, and I have never intended to curry favor with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."
Tang San possessed an inherent pride. He was well aware of the ambiguous and special relationship between Xuan Hao and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
He disliked Xuan Hao, so how could he possibly be willing to lower himself to become his underling?
"Don't pretend to be high and mighty in front of me!"
Dai Mubai sneered repeatedly, his face full of confidence as he mocked,
"Don't think I don't know that Ning Rongrong talked to you alone for so long last night, was it about your business with those hidden weapons?
What, how much money did the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School give you that made you disregard the lives of your brothers?"
Dai Mubai suddenly stepped forward, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Tang San, throwing out his last bargaining chip:
"Tang San, if it's about money, I can give it to you! I am a prince of the Star Luo Empire.
As long as you are willing to take out all the hidden weapons you have and equip them for my loyal followers, and help me seize the throne of Star Luo, I can give you anything you want! Money, status, titles, you can choose!"
Seeing Dai Mubai's almost manic state, Tang San shook his head without hesitation and refused outright:
"Sorry, I don't plan to discuss the business of hidden weapons for the time being.
Neither the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School nor you."
To Dai Mubai, who was already blinded by his obsession, this straightforward refusal sounded like nothing more than a blatant dismissal.
He was furious. In his view, Tang San must have already reached some kind of shady cooperation with Ning Rongrong, which was why he refused even the Star Luo Empire's promise of the throne without hesitation!
"Tang San, you're not even a man!"
Dai Mubai completely abandoned all pretense of civility, unleashing a torrent of curses, aiming straight for Tang San's core:
"You even had your childhood sweetheart stolen away by that bastard Xuan Hao, and you didn't dare utter a single word!
Now, you can actually run off to be Xuan Hao's lackey and underling without batting an eye?! Do you have no shame at all?!"
The moment he heard those words, Tang San's eyes turned icy cold, and an undisguised, chilling killing intent burst forth from his eyes.
He didn't even release his martial spirit before his figure suddenly shot up, turning into a blur.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Dai Mubai didn't even have time to react; all he saw was a blur.
Tang San's grappling techniques were incredibly sharp.
In just a few short exchanges, he precisely neutralized Dai Mubai's resistance.
Then, with a heavy blow, he knocked the completely out-of-control Dai Mubai to the ground and pressed his throat firmly against him.
A chilling killing intent enveloped Dai Mubai, instantly clearing his previously frenzied mind and causing a layer of cold sweat to seep from his back.
"Considering we are both students of Shrek Academy, and out of respect for Dean Flander, I will let you off this time."
Tang San looked down at him and said coldly, "If you keep talking so rudely, don't blame me for being ruthless next time."
After saying that, Tang San released his hand, stood up, and looked down at his slightly disheveled sleeves.
"As for the 'brothers' you just mentioned."
Tang San looked at Dai Mubai, who was lying on the ground in a disheveled state, and said in a cold and resolute tone:
"Sorry, we are not brothers. Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and I have been working hard and sweating together for several months, so we can indeed be called brothers."
"But as for you..." Tang San's eyes revealed undisguised disappointment and contempt, "For the past few months, you've spent most of your time wallowing in self-pity and wasting your days, either drinking or causing trouble.
There's no brotherhood to be had with a good-for-nothing like you who has no ambition whatsoever.
You'd better watch yourself."
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