Chapter 32: Disregarding Ethics

"Xiao San, come take a walk with me." At that moment, Yu Xiaogang noticed that Liu Erlong's gaze towards him was becoming increasingly peculiar. Not daring to meet Liu Erlong's intense stare, he pushed back his chair, called his disciple Tang San, and walked outside.

Liu Erlong seemed to ignore Yu Xiaogang's departure, elegantly picking up a napkin from the table to wipe her mouth. Flander looked at Liu Erlong, a hint of a smile on his face. "Aren't you afraid he might run away again?"

Liu Erlong returned his gaze, smiling as well, but with a hint of mischief. "Boss Fu, do you think there's any chance he could escape from me again? This time, even if I have to tie him up, I will keep him by my side."

Although she held the position of the principal of the Blue Tyrant Academy, Yu Xiaogang was now a teacher at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. But none of this mattered. To avoid prolonged uncertainty, she was determined to make a bold decision tonight to fully understand Yu Xiaogang's feelings.

Flander was aware of the situation between Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong and had been thinking about fostering their relationship, not wanting them to remain apart. Thus, he secretly made a decision that went against his conscience. "Xiao Gang, everything I do is for your own good. Please don't let my intentions go to waste."

Seeing Yu Xiaogang leave, Flander informed everyone that he had something to attend to and left the dining hall to retrieve an item. This item would help deepen the relationship between Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang tonight, eliminating the need for the previous distance between them.

"Teacher Qin, Principal Liu, Teacher Ah Yin, we also have some matters to attend to, so we will take our leave first," said Yu Tianheng and the other members of the Royal Fighting Team. Teacher Qin nodded, and they turned to leave. Then, Teacher Qin remembered something and stood up to look at Liu Erlong. "Principal Liu, I assume you will be staying at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy tonight. I will prepare a guest room for you."

Teacher Qin cleverly sensed Liu Erlong's intentions and hurriedly left to make preparations. Liu Erlong said nothing in response, as she indeed wished to stay.

With the departure of the others, only Tang Yin, A Yin, Zhao Wujie, and a few remaining members of Shrek were left in the dining hall. A Yin was quite interested in Xiao Wu, the younger sister of Yu Xiaogang, and struck up a conversation with her. Ning Rongrong was also interested in Tang Yin and occasionally spoke to him, which made Oscar, who had feelings for Ning Rongrong, feel a pang of jealousy. However, he could only endure it, knowing Tang Yin's formidable strength.

Dai Mubai glanced at his fiancée Zhu Zhuqing and noticed her gaze occasionally drifting towards Tang Yin, causing him to frown in displeasure, though he couldn't voice his feelings at that moment.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang walked directly towards the forest, as he had always loved plants, especially green ones, which allowed him to feel the tranquility of the woods. Tang San followed closely behind him, saying nothing, simply accompanying his teacher in silence, sensing the complexity of Yu Xiaogang's emotions.

Yu Xiaogang stopped and turned to Tang San, saying softly, "Xiao San, are you very curious about the relationship between me and Erlong? Why it has come to this, and why I have avoided her for twenty years?" Tang San nodded, "Yes."

The Master sighed, "Let me tell you a story."

"More than twenty years ago, a young man from a prestigious family was rejected by his clan due to a mutation in his martial soul, which prevented him from inheriting the family's martial soul legacy. To prove himself, he diligently studied the ways of soul masters, delving into deeper knowledge, hoping one day to gain recognition through his intellect."

"During his travels, he met a like-minded young soul master, and they decided to venture into the soul master world together. Later, he encountered Erlong..."

Yu Xiaogang recounted his initial encounters with Fran德 and Liu Erlong, ultimately revealing his love for Liu Erlong and how Flander chose to step aside to allow their relationship to flourish.

"Later, just as Erlong and I were about to get married, her father appeared."

"But Erlong's father was actually my uncle."

"When I called him 'uncle,' Erlong's face turned pale. When I incredulously asked her, seeing her nod, I felt as if struck by lightning. I never imagined that the woman I loved deeply was actually my cousin."

Tears streamed uncontrollably down Yu Xiaogang's face. Even after twenty years, those memories remained vivid in his mind.

"So this is the reason you've been avoiding it, Teacher?" Tang San asked. Yu Xiaogang nodded. The thought of marrying his cousin had left him in shock.

Tang San, forgetting his student status, looked at his teacher's somber expression and said, "Do you think avoiding it will make Aunt Erlong happy? If she were truly happy, she wouldn't be like this. Just now, she didn't even dare to test you with words for fear of upsetting you."

"Teacher, your heart is too fragile. What does the judgment of the world matter? Aunt Erlong is a strong woman; what are you afraid of? You should face this together with her, break through all obstacles, and prove to your family and everyone else that there is nothing wrong with your relationship."

"Though the blood relation between cousins is close, is it truly wrong to be together?"

"Teacher, you are not just afraid that Aunt Erlong will suffer with you; you are also afraid to accept this reality. You are feeling inferior!"

Tang San's words, advocating for the union of Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong, seemed so... "reasonable."

Yu Xiaogang stared blankly at his disciple Tang San, his lips moving but unable to articulate a response. Though he was proud like Fran德, deep down, he felt inferior due to his lower-tier martial soul.

Neither Flander nor Liu Erlong dared to mention the pain in his heart, but Tang San's impassioned words struck right at the core of it.

"Teacher, what does the world's view matter to us? As long as we are happy, why care about anything else?"

"Teacher, be bold! I believe that if you and Aunt Erlong are together, you will surely find happiness."

Tang San's encouragement touched a chord deep within Yu Xiaogang. Indeed, what did the world's views matter to him?

As Tang San continued to persuade him, Flander returned to his room to retrieve what he needed and then headed back to the student dining hall. Upon entering, he found Liu Erlong already engaged in conversation with Ah Yin. Both were powerful soul saints and seemed to connect well.

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