...
Meanwhile, at Blue Tyrant Academy.
After a full day of intensive planning, Ning Rongrong and Na'er's "Filter Shattering Plan" against Yu Xiaogang finally officially kicked off after nightfall.
As planned, Liu Erlong, as the host, held a banquet in the academy's highest-standard teachers' canteen, inviting everyone from Shrek Academy and all the core teachers from Blue Tyrant Academy.
Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Na'er, and others, as Liu Erlong's "distinguished guests," were also present, sitting in seats very close to the main table.
As the banquet began, Liu Erlong raised his glass and spoke first.
She stated that the meal was primarily to formally welcome the teachers from Shrek Academy.
Secondly, she took this opportunity to make a major decision—she decided to give Blue Tyrant Academy directly to Flander.
Upon hearing this news, Flander, who had just taken a sip of wine, nearly choked to death, completely stunned:
"Give...give it to me? Erlong, you must be joking!"
"I'm not joking." Liu Erlong put down his wine glass and looked at him calmly. "Brother Fu, to be honest, you helped me build this academy back then.
Over the years, this place has been nothing more than a haven for me to keep doing something and not to dwell on the pain of the past."
She chuckled self-deprecatingly: "As you've all seen, I haven't really paid much attention to the management of the academy. I spend most of my time hiding in the woods and rarely seen.
The academy's success today is basically thanks to the hard work of all the teachers. I... am hardly a qualified dean."
"Now that you've brought Shrek's people here, I'm returning the position to its rightful owner and stepping down to a more capable person."
Flander stood up in a hurry, about to refuse, but Liu Erlong raised her hand to interrupt him.
"Brother Fu, Blue Tyrant Academy isn't that important to me, and I don't have much of an obsession with it," Liu Erlong said sincerely.
"But you're different. I've known you for decades, and I know you've always had a dream of creating a top-tier academy.
It's perfect that you're the dean; it's both continuing your Shrek dream and helping me shoulder the responsibility of managing the academy.
After all, it would be too irresponsible of me to just walk away and abandon these teachers and students."
Seeing Liu Erlong's unwavering gaze, Flander opened his mouth, his eyes reddening slightly, but in the end he could only smile bitterly and agree.
Immediately afterwards, Liu Erlong announced to the public:
"From today onwards, Flander is the official dean of Blue Tyrant Academy. As for me, I will be the nominal vice dean.
After all, in Heaven Dou City, there are some troublesome matters involving background and connections that still require my intervention."
After explaining this important matter, Liu Erlong sat down.
"Alright, that's all the business. Now, everyone, please relax. Since we'll be working under the same roof from now on, let's all introduce ourselves and get to know each other formally."
The teachers from Blue Tyrant Academy were the first to stand up and introduce themselves one by one.
After that, it was Shrek's teachers' turn.
Flander led the way, followed by Zhao Wuji, Qin Ming, Li Yusong, and several others.
Finally, it was Yu Xiaogang's turn to sit in the corner, remaining silent the whole time.
Yu Xiaogang stood up, put his hands behind his back, raised his chin slightly, and showed a habitual arrogance in his expression:
"Everyone can just call me Master.
As for the daily teaching work of the academy, I will participate, but I will not interfere too much.
After all, my energy is limited, and my main focus should be on teaching my direct disciple, Tang San."
Hearing this somewhat arrogant and even contemptuous remark about other students, the teachers of Blue Tyrant Academy were displeased, but out of respect for Liu Erlong and Flander, none of them came out to refute it.
However, Ning Rongrong, sitting next to Liu Erlong, seemed to have found an interesting topic and deliberately leaned close to Xiao Wu's ear, whispering something in a volume that everyone could hear:
"Xiao Wu, what kind of things does this master usually teach Tang San?"
Xiao Wu, being a cooperative actress, immediately replied, "There's nothing special about it. It's mainly some martial soul theory, as well as knowledge about identifying the age and weaknesses of soul beasts."
"Oh? That's all?" Ning Rongrong feigned surprise, widening her eyes.
"Then those powerful martial arts techniques Tang San usually uses, and those hidden weapons that can turn the tide of battle... weren't they taught by this master?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's originally arrogant expression instantly became somewhat unnatural, and his hands behind his back unconsciously clenched.
Xiao Wu shook her head, her face full of "innocence": "It doesn't seem so.
Xiao San and I spent six years together at Notting Academy. Xiao San has many magical things about him that even Master doesn't know.
Like Xiao San's strange footwork, Xuan Yu Hand, and those exquisite hidden weapons, Master doesn't understand them at all."
Upon hearing this, Tang San, who was sitting at another table, also began to look stiff and unnatural.
The Tang Clan's unique martial arts and hidden weapons are his greatest trump cards and secrets.
Back in Nottingham, people were ignorant and no one ever investigated the origins of these things.
Later, when they went to Shrek Academy, with Yu Xiaogang, a learned teacher known as "unrivaled in martial soul theory," everyone subconsciously attributed Tang San's abilities to the master's careful guidance.
But now, if someone were to publicly investigate the origins of these things...
Tang San's heart tightened, and he immediately spoke up to defuse the situation, trying to smooth things over:
"Rongrong, you've misunderstood.
The moves and hidden weapons I used weren't taught by my teacher, but rather I learned them by chance from a tattered ancient book when I was a child."
"Oh—so it's an ancient book!" Ning Rongrong feigned sudden realization, then stared at Tang San with shining eyes.
"But what kind of divine ancient book is it that records so many lost and powerful things?
I wonder... could you lend it to me to take a look?
Or, you can name your price and sell it to our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!"
A hint of wariness flashed in Tang San's eyes, and he refused decisively, "That's probably not convenient. I accidentally lost that ancient book a few years ago. I only barely remember the contents of it."
"Oh, that's such a pity." Ning Rongrong pouted, making a regretful expression.
However, this was just a prelude; the real show is only just beginning.
Ning Rongrong turned her gaze to Liu Erlong, who was sitting in the main seat, her eyes flashing with a cunning light, and asked in a clear voice, "By the way, Dean Erlong, I once heard Brother Xuanhao mention in casual conversation that when you were young, you, along with Dean Flander and this master, created a renowned golden trio."
Ning Rongrong blinked. "I'm just curious, why did the Golden Trio suddenly disappear?
I heard rumors that the three of you had some irreconcilable conflict, which is why you went your separate ways."
She pointed at Flander: "But I see that you and Dean Flander have a very good relationship, don't you?
You even gave away the academy you painstakingly built. Since it wasn't because of Dean Flander... then I wonder, what exactly caused the three of you to break up back then?"
This soul-searching question instantly brought the atmosphere in the entire cafeteria to a freezing point.
Liu Erlong, Flander, and Yu Xiaogang all looked uneasy at almost the same time.
Especially Yu Xiaogang, a hint of panic had already surfaced in his eyes.
Xiao Wu, who had been watching Tang San's reaction closely, immediately looked at him and asked with curiosity, "Little San, did Master ever tell you why they broke up back then?"
Tang San frowned and shook his head: "Teacher has never mentioned the past."
However, seeing Yu Xiaogang's unpleasant expression, Tang San couldn't help but feel a strong sense of curiosity.
The three of them had such a good relationship when they were young, and they could even perform a rare trinity martial soul fusion technique.
How could they suddenly go their separate ways and be separated for decades?
While in Nottingham, the teachers at Nottingham Academy had privately discussed that the master had been living aimlessly in that remote little town for over ten years.
Tang San never understood what his teacher, with his amazing theoretical talent and proud spirit, had gone through to be willing to live like a hermit, wasting his years in a remote and impoverished place like Notting City.
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