Su Ming was more concerned about something else—when had Bone Douluo started eavesdropping on their conversation? Had he overheard everything? If so, that could be tricky to handle. After all, Gu Rong wasn't as easy to deal with as Ning Rongrong.
Considering Gu Rong's doting nature toward Rongrong, if he learned that Su Ming wasn't just interested in her, he might not approve of their relationship.
Su Ming had initially planned to keep things under wraps for as long as possible, waiting until his relationship with Rongrong was firmly established and his strength had grown enough to have more influence. At that point, he would confess everything to Ning Fengzhi, Gu Rong, and Chen Xin. By then, they would have no choice but to accept it. However, now...
Well, Su Ming thought, it's best to take things one step at a time. Ultimately, the most important factor was Rongrong. As long as she didn't mind, given how much Ning Fengzhi and the two elders adored her, Rongrong could likely smooth things over with some sweet talk. After all, Su Ming was certainly no Oscar.
Still feeling a bit guilty, Su Ming glanced cautiously toward the spot where Gu Rong was hiding.
Gu Rong: …
Gu Rong silently acknowledged Su Ming's sharp instincts—it was impressive that he had sensed his presence. Still, Gu Rong felt he had to demand justice for Rongrong. His frustration was rising, and he figured a good beating would relieve his anger.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing, who had just dodged Dai Mubai's attack, coldly scolded him, "Dai Mubai, you've become even worse. You claim you've changed, but we're still in a public place—a restaurant. What if your reckless attacks hurt innocent people?"
Without giving Dai Mubai a chance to respond, Zhu Zhuqing unleashed her speed again, instantly closing the distance and activating her second spirit ability, Nether Hundred Claws.
Dai Mubai, unable to dodge in time, instinctively raised his arms to defend himself, but it was useless.
Zhu Zhuqing followed up with a powerful kick to Dai Mubai's stomach, sending him flying.
To prevent Dai Mubai from crashing through the walls of the private room, Su Ming quickly raised a wooden wall in the path of his flight.
Boom!
Dai Mubai slammed into the wooden wall hard, fell to the ground, and coughed up a mouthful of blood. His body felt weak and dizzy.
But more than his physical pain, Dai Mubai was tormented by the fact that he had been defeated by Zhu Zhuqing. This shouldn't have happened! In the history of the Star Luo Empire, the Hell Civet had always been the weaker of the two. Otherwise, the imperial family wouldn't have forced arranged marriages with the Zhu family.
Every generation, a prince of the Star Luo Empire was required to marry a woman from the Zhu family—this was a mandatory royal marriage.
So it was easy to imagine how difficult this defeat was for Dai Mubai to accept, especially since he was three years older than Zhu Zhuqing.
During the attack, Zhu Zhuqing had also infused a bit of icy energy into Dai Mubai's body. While she hadn't yet mastered the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, she was skilled enough to use a bit of icy energy.
Even after Dai Mubai's physical wounds were healed, unless the healer was highly skilled, the lingering cold energy would continue to torment him, leaving him weak for a while.
The private room fell into a heavy silence. Qin Ming noticed something unusual—Dai Mubai's arm wounds were slowly expanding. Was this the result of a special spirit ability? He realized he had underestimated Zhu Zhuqing.
Qin Ming quickly turned to Ye Lingling and said, "Lingling, release your spirit and heal Dai Mubai."
To his surprise, Ye Lingling's typically cold expression tightened, and she shook her head. "Teacher Qin, I must refuse. Dai Mubai disgusts me. His character is so vile—why should I heal him?"
As a fellow woman, Ye Lingling understood Zhu Zhuqing's frustration. What woman would want to live under someone else's control?
And Dai Mubai's earlier behavior had certainly left a bad impression.
Dugu Yan chimed in, "Teacher Qin, I can't believe you. Can't you see who's in the right and who's in the wrong here? Are you helping Dai Mubai just because he's your teacher's student? You've really disappointed us!"
Qin Ming felt the weight of Dugu Yan's words—she was right. He had been biased, not wanting his teacher's students to look bad.
Seeing Dai Mubai defeated, Oscar hurriedly made a recovery sausage. Although his sausage's healing effect was the weakest in the room, it was better than nothing. After all, neither Ye Lingling nor Su Ming would help heal Dai Mubai, leaving Oscar as his only option.
Su Ming was also impressed by Zhu Zhuqing's strength—she was truly formidable!
As for Qin Ming, Su Ming merely glanced at him. Was Shrek really worth all this? Even after learning so much, Qin Ming still defended them! It seemed he was of the same ilk as the rest of them—if not, then he wasn't far off.
Su Ming spoke up, "Let's leave it at that. Dean Flender, you'd better find a good healer for Dai Mubai soon. Oscar's recovery sausages won't be enough."
Then, turning to Qin Ming, Su Ming asked, "Teacher Qin, are you still planning to recommend Tang San and the others to Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Qin Ming hesitated for a moment, glancing at Dean Flender before making up his mind. Despite the tension between Su Ming and Tang San, he couldn't turn his back on his teacher, and Tang San's talent was undeniable. He couldn't let it slip away.
"Yes, despite your differences with Tang San, I'll still recommend them to Heaven Dou Royal Academy! Without Dean Flender, I wouldn't be who I am today."
Su Ming nodded indifferently. This Qin Ming was really stubborn. Fine, if he loved Shrek so much, let him stick with them. Once Su Ming made contact with Dugu Bo, he would make sure Qin Ming was removed.
Unexpectedly, Dugu Yan stepped forward and said, "Teacher Qin, after what you've done tonight, I don't think you're fit to be our teacher anymore. You should resign on your own, or things will get ugly when my grandfather steps in."
Her statement shocked everyone in the Emperor Team, except for Ye Lingling. Was Dugu Yan really going to make Teacher Qin quit over this?
Yu Tianheng, puzzled by Dugu Yan's unusual behavior, asked, "Yan, what are you doing?"
Ignoring him, Dugu Yan turned to the rest of the Emperor Team and asked, "What do you all think of my decision?"
Realizing that Dugu Yan wasn't asking for their input but informing them of her decision, the team nodded in agreement, albeit reluctantly. They knew it wasn't worth offending Dugu Yan over a teacher—her grandfather was a titled Douluo, after all.
Su Ming was a bit surprised by Dugu Yan's sudden decision. In the original story, Dugu Yan was a rather proud individual.
Despite losing to Shrek in the Great Soul Arena, when she encountered Tang San's group again during the Soul Master Tournament, she behaved just as confidently as before, unlike Yu Tianheng, who felt inferior after their defeat.
Dugu Yan's reason for asking Qin Ming to leave the academy was simple: he had shown favoritism toward Shrek. She had already learned the nature of Shrek's members through Su Ming's diary and what had just unfolded.
She was also trying to show goodwill to Su Ming, as she needed his help.
Qin Ming's expression froze, disbelief written on his face. "Yan, what are you saying? I'm your teacher!"
Dugu Yan replied indifferently, "You know you're our teacher, yet you chose to side with outsiders? Didn't Su Ming explain things clearly enough? Can't you distinguish right from wrong? Well, you're no longer our teacher now."
She turned to the group behind her and said, "Alright, everyone, stop standing around here. Let's head back to the hotel. We'll leave for the academy early tomorrow."
Yu Feng spoke up in a low voice, "Captain, if Qin Ming is no longer our teacher, are we going to return on our own tomorrow? Our strength isn't weak, but we could still encounter danger."
Dugu Yan glanced at Su Ming discreetly and said casually, "Don't worry about that. I'll handle it."
"Yu Tianheng, can you lead the team back to the hotel? Lingling and I have something to take care of, and we'll return later."
Yu Tianheng was taken aback by Dugu Yan's decisive actions. Normally, given their relationship, he would have asked why she was staying behind, but his mind was preoccupied with how to obtain Su Ming's cultivation technique.
The best course of action, he thought, was to return quickly, write a letter, and have someone deliver it to the clan as fast as possible. Given the value of this cultivation technique, it would be ideal for his grandfather to personally handle the matter.
Judging by its description, Su Ming's technique was no less valuable than the clan's Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. Entrusting someone else with such a task wouldn't be reliable—what if they took the technique and fled?
His mind racing, Yu Tianheng left with the rest of the Emperor Team.
The private room now contained only Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the remaining members of Shrek. Oh, and the eavesdropping Bone Douluo.
Su Ming, of course, knew why Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had stayed behind. With everything that had happened inside the room, it was time to wrap things up. "Alright, I've said what I needed to say. Tang San, here's my final advice—don't try any tricks. Let's go, Xiao Wu, Rongrong, Zhuqing."
Flender, knowing the outcome was already decided, sighed heavily and carried the unconscious Dai Mubai out of the room.
Tang San, meanwhile, stood in place, staring blankly at Xiao Wu's departing figure. His emotions were a tangled mess—was his first love over before it had even begun?
Yu Xiaogang tried to comfort him. "Xiao San, don't dwell on this. I can assure you, your future achievements will surpass Su Ming's. This is only a temporary setback! Once you cultivate your Blue Silver Grass to the rank of Soul Sage, you'll be able to add spirit rings to your Clear Sky Hammer. And think about it—when your Clear Sky Hammer is enhanced with ten-thousand-year spirit rings, your power will undoubtedly surpass Su Ming's!"
Tang San nodded slightly, though his heart was still filled with frustration. Even if he surpassed Su Ming in strength, how would that change the fact that the woman he loved...
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, his resentment grew. He was determined to speed up the production of his high-level hidden weapons and deliver a fatal blow to Su Ming!
Unbeknownst to him, a faint, invisible black aura was emanating from him, absorbed by his Blue Silver Grass, which darkened in color.
After leaving the restaurant, Su Ming turned to Xiao Wu and the others, saying, "I have some matters to discuss with Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling. You three head back first."
Dugu Yan's expression was a bit ambiguous as she looked at Xiao Wu and the others. "I do have something to discuss with Su Ming. Also, since you're planning to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy, I could help with an introduction. After all, my grandfather is a Titled Douluo."
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing understood why Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling wanted to speak with Su Ming, so they didn't interfere and left them to their conversation.
Su Ming discreetly glanced toward a certain direction and sent a mental message: "Bone Douluo, Senior, you should go see Rongrong first. I'll handle things here and meet you afterward to talk properly."
Su Ming knew Gu Rong would agree, as he would surely want to confront Rongrong about the situation after learning the truth. It was the perfect chance for him to talk with her while Su Ming was busy.
Leading Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling to a secluded area outside the city, Su Ming set up a barrier and, with a mischievous grin, said, "So, you both trust me this much? Aren't you afraid I might do something to you?"
Ye Lingling's cold gaze met his, and she calmly replied, "You won't. I don't sense any ill intentions."
She had already realized what the system had hinted at earlier: she and Su Ming might be able to use a Spirit Fusion ability together.
Her certainty came from a sense of connection between their spirits. She felt a natural closeness toward Su Ming.
Looking at Ye Lingling's beautiful, cold face and her sincere expression, Su Ming suddenly felt a bit guilty—he wasn't as pure-hearted as she thought.
"Ahem... Let's get down to business," Su Ming said awkwardly.
He turned to Dugu Yan. "You'll have to wait a bit. Your matter is more complicated, so I'll handle things with Ye Lingling first."
Dugu Yan nodded in agreement. Her situation wasn't simple, and she wasn't in a hurry.
"Ye Lingling, you've probably noticed the resonance between our spirits, right? How about we test it? We might be able to perform a Spirit Fusion technique together."
Su Ming extended his right hand.
Though hesitant at first—this was her first time making physical contact with a man—Ye Lingling's curiosity and desire to confirm the resonance made her slowly reach out and take his hand.
The moment their hands touched, Ye Lingling's body trembled slightly, and a faint blush appeared on her cold, beautiful face.
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