Chapter 135: Take Me In

Chapter 135: Take Me In

Upon seeing the bruises on Erlong Li's neck, Flander was stunned, his mind racing with thoughts.

"Erlong...what...what happened to you?"

Letting her hair down to cover the bruises, although the marks could still be glimpsed through the strands.

"They're quite noticeable, aren't they?"

Erlong chuckled bitterly.

Flander was at a loss for words. Indeed, the bruises were hard to ignore, and he found it hard to believe that Erlong had been interacting with them while bearing these marks.

"How long has this been going on?"

Flander was still trying to comfort himself at this point.

Erlong gave a self-deprecating laugh, then sighed helplessly.

"A long time. It started when I founded the Lanba Academy alone."

Erlong forced a casual tone, not wanting to drive a wedge between Flander and Yu Xiaogang.

If she told him that Yu Xiaogang had rejected her in the past, and some guy had taken advantage of her vulnerability.

Flander would likely blame Yu Xiaogang and seek out that guy for a confrontation.

Currently, the biggest concern was Flander and Yu Xiaogang going after Wang Si, and she certainly didn't want to see that happen.

Just as Flander was about to ask more questions, Erlong cut him off.

"Don't tell me you actually thought establishing an academy in Tiandou City would be easy? It's impossible.

You're well aware of the tangled mess among the nobles, so..."

Erlong's expression was resigned as she spoke, but she maintained a casual tone, summarizing her "past" with the phrase "tangled mess."

As for how Flander would fill in the gaps, Erlong didn't care anymore. She was ready to leave, fearing that she wouldn't be able to keep up the act any longer!

"Erlong..."

Hearing the word "academy," Flander's heart twisted. What was the point of his trip to the remote city of Suoto if not to avoid certain people and the tangled mess among the nobles?

As for why Erlong wanted to create the Lanba Academy, Flander felt the only reason could be Yu Xiaogang.

After all, Yu Xiaogang had a useless martial soul and could only rely on theoretical knowledge.

Being stopped by Flander again, Erlong was getting impatient.

"If you really want to help me, then help me manage the academy properly. Don't worry about anything else.

I know how you feel about me, but we're both adults now, so let's not be so childish, okay?

Of course, if you want me, for the sake of our friendship, it's not impossible. But right now, I need to deal with this mess.

As for your suggestion of withdrawing from the competition and raising money for that guy, don't be naive. It's just a temporary solution."

Hearing Erlong's deliberate emphasis, Flander sighed silently.

He no longer tried to stop her. Even as a Soul Sage, he could have a certain status in the Empire if he wanted.

But the fact that Erlong, also a Soul Sage, had been subjected to such treatment meant that the perpetrator had strength beyond a Soul Sage and didn't care about their life.

What could he do against such an opponent? Try to change their sexual orientation? Take Erlong's place and bear the abuse himself? Flander shook his head silently.

…………

"Just take me in. I don't want to go back to Shrek."

With flushed cheeks and closed eyes, Erlong panted, pleading.

Those words had taken all her courage to say in front of Flander.

Now that Flander knew, it wouldn't be long before Yu Xiaogang found out as well, so Erlong had no intention of returning.

Facing Liuyi Long's excessive demands, Wang Si readily agreed.

"Although I'm a little dissatisfied that you still have others on your mind, since you're so understanding, you can stay."

Wang Si called Zhu Ming and removed the psychological suggestion he had placed on Liuyi Long, allowing her to become aware of the "panel's" existence.

This was the method Wang Si had used earlier to receive intelligence from his informants.

By not erasing Liuyi Long's memories and even letting her know about the "panel," Wang Si was indicating his acknowledgment of her.

Upon realizing the existence of the "panel," Liuyi Long was stunned for a moment. After a series of fascinating facial expressions, she finally became angry.

"You! So, you've never let go of us, the Shrek Academy, have you? I thought you really let me off out of kindness. Turns out you've been monitoring me all this time!"

Liuyi Long's temper flared.

Wang Si, however, was unbothered and even intended to help her calm down...

...

Another day of competition arrived, and today, the Shrek Academy team was a little late. After all, they had encountered some internal issues the previous day.

While Shrek Academy wasn't considered a dark horse in the Youth Soul Master Competition, they still attracted quite a bit of attention due to Ning Rongrong's presence on the team.

Everyone noticed that the spirit of the Shrek Academy team wasn't as high as usual. Only two out of their three teachers were present, and both of them had dark circles under their eyes.

The students of Shrek Academy also seemed somewhat dispirited.

What happened to Shrek Academy? Did they pull an all-nighter?

Of course, the students and teachers of Shrek Academy didn't pay any mind to such trivial matters. They simply made their way to their designated competition area and took their seats.

Before they could settle in, Ning Rongrong dashed towards the neighboring Tianwu Academy.

"Xiaowu, come sit with us over at Shrek!"

Ning Rongrong eagerly waved at Zhu Wu.

Hearing Ning Rongrong's call, Zhu Wu lifted her head and glanced at Wang Si, who nodded. Only then did Zhu Wu get up and prepare to head towards Shrek Academy's area.

Witnessing this, a satisfied smile appeared on Ning Rongrong's face. The night before, her father had made a significant deal with Tianwu Academy.

Apart from offering an apology to that Title Douluo, Tianwu Academy had also given a little "gift"—Zhu Wu.

After all, she especially needed a strong assault-type Soul Master by her side, which would make it easier for her to inherit the position of sect leader in the future.

Tianwu Academy readily agreed to this request.

As Ning Rongrong reached out to pull Zhu Wu over, she noticed that the seat next to Wang Si was empty.

Empty?

With so many girls around, why was there an empty seat?

Upon closer inspection, Ning Rongrong realized that there was someone sitting there—a rather busty woman, likely a mature female.

Hmm? This figure seemed so familiar. It didn't take long for Ning Rongrong to realize who it was: Liuyi Long!

Ning Rongrong's small mouth hung open in shock, and she felt a mix of absurdity and excitement.

She was well aware of the situation with the Golden Iron Triangle, and she knew that Liuyi Long had stayed out all night the previous day.

She also knew that certain individuals had stayed up all night waiting for her, and she never expected that Liuyi Long would be here, looking so reliant on Wang Si...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end