Chapter 330: The Talk and the Hidden Bunny Ears

Liu Erlong hadn't expected Su Ming to bring up Yu Xiaogang. She hesitated for a moment before expressing her anger, "I must have been blind back then! Believe it or not, I recently realized Yu Xiaogang is far from what I thought he was—a classic scumbag, and a cowardly one at that!"

Su Ming coughed, a bit surprised by her strong reaction. It was obvious her feelings were genuine. Her "recent realization" likely came from the system's notebook, which had shown her the truth.

Liu Erlong hadn't realized Su Ming was testing her. She poured her heart out, venting all her feelings before realizing it, which fortunately didn't give Su Ming any reason to doubt her.

"So, you've come to see Yu Xiaogang for who he really is," Su Ming said, smiling. "Is that why you threw him and Flender out when they came to Blue Tyrant Academy looking for refuge?"

Liu Erlong felt a pang of alarm but feigned surprise. "How did you know they came to the academy and that I kicked them out?"

Su Ming replied casually, "People talk, you know. I hear the scene was quite something; you sent them packing. I'm curious though, I thought Flender was stronger than you. How did you manage to kick them all out? After all, Shrek Academy's teachers aren't weak. Even if you're the main attacker in the Golden Iron Triangle, Flender should still be stronger, right?"

Slightly embarrassed, Liu Erlong explained, "After I realized Yu Xiaogang's true nature, I didn't know where he was, so I threw myself into training. I figured if he ever came looking for me, he'd come with Flender. I had to be ready."

"Without any distractions, my strength has improved a lot; I'm an eighty-one-ranked Spirit Douluo now!"

Su Ming was surprised. In the original story, Liu Erlong was only at seventy-sixth rank by this point. But it was a good thing she'd seen through Yu Xiaogang's nature and had moved on.

Then, Su Ming asked a final, crucial question, "One last thing: you and your father, Yu Luomian, have decided to show goodwill toward me. But what if I end up clashing with Yu Yuanzhen? What will you do then?"

Without hesitation, Liu Erlong replied, "My father and I have thought about that. Since we've chosen to support you, we'll stand by your side."

Su Ming hadn't expected such a firm response from Liu Erlong, given that Yu Yuanzhen was still her kin. But the fact that Yu Yuanzhen acted independently without informing Yu Luomian showed that the two weren't as close as they appeared.

After a moment's thought, Liu Erlong brought out a box from her soul tool and handed it to Su Ming. "This is a gesture of my father's sincerity. I hope you'll accept it. As for additional resources, I'll provide some from the academy's stock. How does that sound?"

Su Ming had an idea of what was in the box. If it was indeed a spirit bone, Yu Luomian was willing to take a real gamble!

Opening the box, a sealed spirit bone glowed brilliantly before Su Ming's eyes. As he suspected, it was a spirit bone with a high age limit!

Seeing his surprise, Liu Erlong explained, "This is a thirty-thousand-year-old Golden Armor Dragon left arm bone, which should grant a defensive spirit bone skill when absorbed. It's my father's prized possession, our greatest token of goodwill. We both knew ordinary resources wouldn't interest you, especially with the backing of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Of course, being a dragon-type spirit bone, it may not suit you perfectly, and we didn't have the time to find something more tailored. So whether you choose to give it to someone else or use it to trade for something more fitting is up to you."

Coming back to himself, Su Ming admired Yu Luomian's boldness and investment, feeling a bit of admiration for the man. Yu Luomian's eye for value was sharp.

With Liu Erlong watching him intently, Su Ming accepted the spirit bone, feeling that it would be especially beneficial for Dugu Bo, who lacked defensive skills and was thus a bit fragile. The old man had nearly all poison-related skills but didn't seem to realize that his own life was the most important factor in battle.

Su Ming stored the spirit bone in his soul tool as Liu Erlong watched reluctantly. Although it suited her offensive style, they had only just met, and it wasn't in his nature to decline such a precious gift.

"I'll accept it, then. But as for resources from Blue Tyrant Academy, there's no need. Your academy is focused on educating commoners, and the resources must be hard-earned. I wouldn't take them from you," he said. "And don't worry about your side of the family; as they say, grudges belong to those directly involved."

Liu Erlong finally exhaled in relief. She had felt confident but was truly at ease only now.

"To be honest, since your family branch wasn't involved in my conflict, I shouldn't accept this costly spirit bone. But since I have someone in mind who could use it, I'll accept it shamelessly," Su Ming said with a smile. "In return, I'll give you ten secondary-grade spatial talismans. Each one can teleport you ten meters with just a little spirit power."

Though Liu Erlong was familiar with the spatial talismans, she feigned doubt. "Are they really that magical?"

"Feel free to test one," Su Ming offered. "But keep in mind they're limited in number and difficult to make, so once they're gone, they're gone. I'm only giving you ten."

Liu Erlong carefully put away the ten talismans, understanding their value and unwilling to waste even one.

"Thank you," she said. "Does that mean we're friends now?"

Su Ming paused, then nodded. "Of course. We're friends from now on."

Becoming friends with Liu Erlong was no loss. She was straightforward, loyal, and, having seen through Yu Xiaogang's nature, had a character he respected. With Yu Luomian's family supporting him and Yu Yuanzhen's family as his enemy, Su Ming even considered backing Yu Luomian to take over the clan in the future.

With a small plan forming in his mind, Su Ming smiled. "It's getting late. I'll be off now. If you're ever free, feel free to visit us at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."

To make it easier for Liu Erlong to visit, Su Ming handed her a token given to him by Qian Renxue, representing the Crown Prince's authority. Though it had no special privileges, the academy guards would recognize it and allow entry.

Qian Renxue:

The nerve of this guy—she'd given him the token so he could visit her easily, and he just handed it over!

"This is the Crown Prince's token. With it, you should have easy access to the academy," Su Ming explained.

Liu Erlong nodded gratefully, admiring Su Ming's thoughtfulness. Without it, entering another academy, especially one with strong security, could be tricky.

Upon leaving the academy grounds, Su Ming sensed something with his passive awareness—a rabbit hiding nearby. He smirked, feeling a warm sensation in his heart, and decided to tease her a bit.

In an instant, he picked up speed, disappearing into the crowd.

The hidden rabbit stepped out, a bit bewildered. She'd sneaked out just to see her Su Ming-ge, and now it seemed like her effort was wasted.

Feeling disheartened, Xiao Wu began to convince herself that he was simply in a rush to eat or train. But just as she turned to head back, a hand tapped her shoulder, and a familiar voice whispered by her ear, "Xiao Wu, what are you doing out here?"

Startled, Xiao Wu yelped and spun around, her face flushing red as Su Ming laughed and swept her into his arms, escaping from the curious glances of bystanders. She buried her face in his chest, basking in the warmth and comfort of his presence.

Reaching a secluded spot, Su Ming finally set her down and asked, with a knowing smile, "Xiao Wu, what are you doing out here at this hour?"

Xiao Wu pouted, realizing Su Ming must have noticed her as soon as he left Blue Tyrant Academy. "Su Ming-ge, you're so mean! I came all the way here to wait for you, hoping I could have dinner with you. And you went and hid from me!"

But before she could continue, Su Ming leaned down, silencing her with a kiss. Xiao Wu's eyes widened in surprise, but gradually, she melted into the moment.

When Su Ming finally pulled back, he chuckled, "Xiao Wu, after all this time, you still haven't mastered the art of breathing while kissing? That's not good; holding your breath is uncomfortable."

With her cheeks flushed, Xiao Wu answered playfully, "That's fine! I'm sure I'll get the hang of it if I practice enough. Su Ming-ge, won't you teach me?"

Entranced by her allure, Su Ming was about to go further when two unexpected sounds interrupted them:

"Gurgle… gurgle…"

The spell of the moment was broken as their stomachs growled in unison, leading them both to laugh.

"Alright, let's grab a bite first, then continue this lesson when we get back," Su Ming teased.

Holding hands, they wandered through the lively night market of Heaven Dou City. But it was clear that both their minds were elsewhere. After a quick snack, they hurried back to the academy, looking forward to what would surely be a sleepless night ahead.

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