A few days later, in the early morning.
Qian Jue arrived at the academy's training grounds for his archery practice. Dai Mubai was beside him, moving his body cautiously. After eating Green Sweet Beans for several days, Dai Mubai could finally move around a little. Oscar, meanwhile, was jogging laps around the field, building his stamina. As a food-type auxiliary spirit master, his techniques didn't require much physical training. Instead, he only needed to practice running, dodging, and teamwork coordination.
As for what happened after the battle with the Evil Spirit Masters, Qian Jue himself wasn't too clear. All he knew was that when Flender returned, he spent a long time discussing matters with Zhao Wuji. The very next morning, Flender had flown out again—and this time, he had been gone for many days without a trace.
Speaking of Flender, the past half a month had been rough on him. First, he received a letter from the Grandmaster and spent two days flying to Nuoding City to help Qian Jue obtain a spirit ring. Then, he brought Qian Jue back without resting even a day before engaging in battle with a Spirit Saint–level Evil Spirit Master. Now, he was flying out again to handle the aftermath of that incident. Truly, it was enough to make one's heart ache for him.
Having wings was like owning a carriage—it meant he could never escape the fate of running errands.
Bored, Dai Mubai sat watching Qian Jue loose arrow after arrow, while Oscar sweated profusely as he ran circles around the field. The habits formed over years of training made Mubai's body itch with the urge to move, but he couldn't train recklessly for fear of aggravating his injuries. With a sigh, he groaned:
"How much longer do I have to wait? How much longer before I can finally train again? I feel like my body's about to rot away!"
Just then, Oscar happened to jog past him, panting heavily:
"Soon… teacher said… in another two days… you can start training… a little bit again!"
"Two more days…?" Dai Mubai howled toward the sky in despair.
*Whoosh—!*
*Boom!*
Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air split the morning calm. A figure dropped from the sky and landed hard on the training ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Xiao Gang! Xiao Gang, where are you? I'm here!!"
It wasn't Flender. Instead, it was a beautiful woman in plain robes. Her face was pale and anxious, her elegant features at odds with the bold and dramatic way she had just descended.
"You're Shrek Academy's students, aren't you? Xiao Gang—the Grandmaster you call teacher—where is he? Take me to him at once!"
Qian Jue looked at the woman and instantly understood. This must be the last corner of the Golden Iron Triangle—the Corner of Slaughter, Liu Erlong. He hadn't expected Flender to bring her here.
The reason the Golden Iron Triangle had faded from memory over the years was precisely because of the unresolved relationship between the Grandmaster and Liu Erlong. The three had parted ways because of it. For Flender to call her now, clearly it had been discussed with the Grandmaster. It showed that the Grandmaster valued Qian Jue's safety above even his own personal burdens.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Liu Erlong was "only" a Spirit Saint. In Death Soul City, even one of the Protectors could hold that level of strength. The reason the Golden Iron Triangle had once stood so tall in the spirit master world and earned their fame was their nearly perfect martial soul fusion skill—'Golden Sacred Dragon'.
A two-person fusion skill was already rare, a chance that appeared maybe once in tens of thousands. But a three-person fusion skill? That was unheard of. Outside of these three, no one else had ever achieved it—let alone one with a fusion rate as high as 99%.
Many believed it was tied to the Grandmaster's research, and this was also part of why he earned the title of "Grandmaster" in the first place—at the end of the day, it was because of strength.
Back then, when Flender and Liu Erlong were still Spirit Emperors, their Golden Sacred Dragon was already enough to contend evenly with many Titled Douluo. Now that the two of them had become Spirit Saints, unless the City Lord of Death Soul City himself—an Super Douluo—stepped in, few could defeat the three of them quickly.
"Uh… Liu… um… Mistress," Qian Jue finally spoke. "Teacher isn't here yet."
Recognizing her as Liu Erlong, Qian Jue immediately decided to get on her good side. Back when he first read the original story, he had always admired this bold woman who dared to love. Even after twenty years of separation, her affection for the Grandmaster never wavered. How many people could claim to hold onto such feelings?
But just calling out to her was a struggle. Should he call her "Senior Liu"? "Dean Liu"? Neither felt right. After much hesitation, he settled on "Mistress." After all, the two of them would end up together anyway.
"You… what did you call me? Mistress? You're Xiao Gang's disciple? He… he spoke of me to you?"
Liu Erlong looked at Qian Jue with growing surprise.
"Yes, Mistress. Come with me, I'll explain everything."
Qian Jue withdrew his martial spirit without hesitation, not fearing her judgment, and took her hand as he led her aside—leaving a dumbfounded Dai Mubai and Oscar staring after them.
"Are you really Xiao Gang's disciple? How has he been all these years? Did he truly speak of me?" Liu Erlong asked anxiously as soon as they were alone.
"Mistress, I'm so glad to finally meet you. Let me tell you—teacher has not had it easy. He hasn't dared think of love again, pouring everything into his research instead. His life has been bitter."
Qian Jue's voice grew heavy. "Once, when teacher was drunk, he spoke of you. He cried as he did. He said he wronged you… but he didn't dare face you again. Mistress, you must seize this chance. Don't let teacher escape your grasp this time!"
Liu Erlong's eyes glistened as she listened.
"Xiao Gang… he really said that? That he wronged me? I don't blame him. I understood even back then. Anyone facing such circumstances would have been at a loss."
"Yes, but Mistress… in truth, it's not as grave as it seems. If the concern is about children, then don't have children! You two being together isn't about lineage. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan is already vast; one branch won't matter. You're strong enough—after every time, you could just purge what Teacher leaves behind with soul power. With strength, you can love freely! As for what the world says, why care? If family objects, don't go back. If outsiders object, beat them until even their own mothers wouldn't recognize them."
Qian Jue clenched his fists as he said this. This wasn't his old world—there were no sheltered "keyboard warriors" here. If anyone dared spread rumors, they'd end up dead without knowing why.
"Pfft! You little rascal. How do you know so much about these things at your age? Not learning anything proper. And Xiao Gang, so proper and rigid, yet he'd accept such a mischievous disciple?" Liu Erlong blushed, biting her lip. But when she saw Qian Jue swinging his fists dramatically, she laughed and reached down to pinch his cheek. Her words scolded him, but her gestures were full of affection.
"Ow, ow! Mistress, that hurts! And Teacher isn't 'proper'—he's just too stiff. If I had a beauty like you admiring me, I'd have flown off with her long ago! Why bother with all that restraint? Mistress, you were too hesitant back then—that's why you both suffered needlessly all these years. You know the saying, 'Once the rice is cooked, it can't be uncooked'? If you had just sealed the deal with Teacher, would he really have denied you as his wife? If he dared, I'd deny him as my teacher! Mistress, I'll always be on your side."
At some point, his "you" had grown intimate, the respectful "you" turning casual, closing the distance between them.
Liu Erlong stared at him, her mind turning over his words again and again until tears welled in her eyes. With a sob, she pulled Qian Jue into her arms and cried openly. In all these years, no one—not even Flender—had spoken such words to her. Only Qian Jue had pierced straight to her heart.
Over twenty years of pent-up grievance burst forth, and she wept bitterly, soaking Qian Jue's robes.
Qian Jue held her back, his hand soothingly rubbing her spine. Her body was soft, her chest generous, but he harbored no impure thoughts. All he felt was deep sympathy and understanding for Liu Erlong.
…