The past like smoke

"Erlong, it's been a long time."

The Grandmaster looked at the beautiful woman before him, his heart filled with melancholy.

"Xiao Gang, am I dreaming? Is it really you?" Liu Erlong subconsciously took two steps forward.

"It's me. My siblings and I haven't seen each other in a long time. Let's find a place to chat," the Grandmaster suggested.

"Alright, alright, we need to find a place to have a proper talk." Liu Erlong nodded quickly and said, "Boss Fu, Xiao Gang, you two come with me."

She turned to the teacher at the reception Yin Shu and said:

"These two are my good friends. I'll go and entertain them first. You two go about your business."

"Yes, Dean," Yin Shu and the receptionist nodded in response.

Liu Erlong led Flender and the Grandmaster away from the reception area. Watching their departing figures, Yin Shu and the teacher at the reception area exchanged a glance, both seeing the Bagua in each other's eyes.

"The dean looks like this, could it be?" The receptionist asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

Yin Shu coughed lightly. "This is not our business."

After saying that, he left.

Liu Erlong led Flender and the Grandmaster toward her secluded place.

Throughout the journey, she frequently glanced at the Grandmaster, as if she wanted to say something but remained silent.

The Grandmaster noticed her gaze, but said nothing, as he was currently considering what he would say later.

The three walked for about ten minutes before arriving at a forest.

This forest is located on the outskirts of the main campus and is connected to the back of the Academy by a path.

"Have you been living in seclusion here all this time?" the Grandmaster couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, I've lived here all these years. I usually leave the general Academy affairs to the teachers, like the Teacher Yinshu from earlier. Only important matters are reported to me for my handling," Liu Erlong explained.

The three walked and talked, and soon saw a large tree with a sign hanging on it. The sign had a line of text engraved on it:

This is a restricted area of the Academy; unauthorized entry is prohibited.

After passing this big tree, the scenery suddenly changed.

Before the three of them appeared a small lake, no more than fifty meters in diameter. A stream about three meters wide flowed quietly into the lake from the other side of the woods and flowed out from the other side, keeping this place, which should be considered a pool, constantly filled with fresh water.

Beside the pond stands a simple thatched hut, built of planks and thatch, which blends perfectly with its surroundings.

The thatched cottage was surrounded by a fence, and inside the fence, all kinds of flowers were planted, blooming in a riot of colors, making it very beautiful.

"This is where I usually live. I've been taking care of it for many years," Liu Erlong said with some emotion.

"You've suffered, Erlong," the Grandmaster said in a low voice.

"It's not bitter." Liu Erlong shook her head, and Grandmaster Liu said with a smile, "It's not bitter to be able to see you and Boss Fu after so many years."

"I'm afraid I'm just there to make up the numbers," Flender muttered.

"How could that be? Boss Fu, you're the leader of the three of us. I've missed you a lot since we last met." Liu Erlong said, but her eyes were fixed on the Grandmaster.

The Grandmaster hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke:

"Erlong, I've come here today because I want to talk to you about something."

"I'm listening, Xiao Gang are you saying?" Liu Erlong said with a smile.

Flender turned his head away, somewhat unable to bear watching what was about to happen.

The Grandmaster had already mentally prepared himself, and he looked at Liu Erlong earnestly and said:

"Erlong, I was going to tell you this, but I won't be with you."

Liu Erlong's smile became forced. "Xiao Gang, I didn't quite understand what you meant. Didn't you come back this time to reunite with me?"

"No." The Grandmaster's answer was simple and clear.

Liu Erlong's face paled slightly. "So... you want to confront me?"

"Yes." The Grandmaster took a deep breath and said firmly:

"Erlong, I've figured it out over the years. I've realized that there's always been someone living in my heart. The only reason I was with you was because I lost her and felt empty inside.

"If we didn't have that kind of relationship, maybe we would have gotten together smoothly, and time would have worn away my feelings. But now that things have come to this, it's impossible for us to be together, because I can't forget her anymore."

"That's the woman from the Spirit Hall, isn't she?" Liu Erlong said, her voice trembling.

"Yes, I can't forget her. Over the years, I've come to understand that she must have had her reasons for acting that way back then. It was Qian Xunji who belittled me and made me leave. After that, Dong'er's attitude towards me quickly became distant. Now that I think about it, it's very likely that Qian Xunji forced her." The Grandmaster spoke of the lie he had carefully crafted, and as he spoke, he even began to believe it himself.

That's right, everything he said at this moment was made up. He needed to make Liu Erlong give up on him, so he made up this set of lies.

However, as the Grandmaster fabricated this story, a thought couldn't help but arise in his mind: was it possible that Bibi Dong was truly forced into it?

Were the things Qian Xunji said to him back then the true reality, or was this guy deliberately trying to sabotage him and Bibi Dong?

Looking back, the Grandmaster realized that he had never actually confronted Bibi Dong; everything was told to him by Qian Xunji.

Qian Xunji called him a piece of trash, said he was not worthy of being with Bibi Dong, and even said he was garbage that his own family looked down on.

At that time, the Grandmaster was young and impetuous, and he couldn't stand such words. Moreover, he hadn't seen Bibi Dong for a long time, so he naturally felt that Bibi Dong had distanced herself from him.

So, in a fit of anger, he left the Spirit Hall.

This can be interpreted as Bibi Dong looking down on him, so she used her teacher's words to drive the Grandmaster away.

However, on the other hand, this matter can also be understood as Bibi Dong still having feelings for him, but because of Qian Xunji, Bibi Dong had no choice but to sever ties with the Grandmaster.

Thinking about this, the Grandmaster sighed inwardly. What was the point of thinking about these things now?

So many years have passed. Even if Bibi Dong had no choice back then, she is now the Pope of the Spirit Hall, one of the most powerful people in the world. She and Grandmaster are no longer from the same world.

Therefore, whatever the truth may have been back then, it's all meaningless now; the Grandmaster and Bibi Dong can never go back to the past.

In Liu Erlong's view, the fact that the Grandmaster recalled the past clearly showed that Grandmaster still Bibi Dong.

Liu Erlong had initially held onto a glimmer of hope, believing that the Grandmaster was deceiving her.

But after seeing the Grandmaster's expression, her last glimmer of hope vanished.

"But that woman can never be with you anymore, Xiao Gang. Have you forgotten the humiliation you suffered at the Spirit Hall?" Liu Erlong was still making a last-ditch effort, hoping to change Grandmaster's mind.

Even if you're not with her, you shouldn't invest your feelings in someone with whom there's no future.

Therefore, people's temperaments are easily reconciled and moderated.

If the Grandmaster bluntly says that he cannot be with Liu Erlong, Liu Erlong will definitely not accept it and will try her best to pester Grandmaster.

However, the Grandmaster explained that the reason he didn't want to be with Liu Erlong was because he wanted to be Bibi Dong's Simp. So Liu Erlong was willing to mediate and compromise, accepting that she wouldn't be with the Grandmaster, as long as Grandmaster didn't become Simp.

However, the Grandmaster seemed determined to be Bibi Dong's Simp.

He summoned his Martial Soul, pointed at Golden Horn, and said:

"The Spirit Hall humiliated me back then because I wasn't good enough. But things are different now. Golden Horn, also known as Luo Sanpao, has undergone a complete transformation. Once he reaches a certain level, the Spirit Hall will have to take me seriously."

Even so, it's truly impossible for me and Bibi Dong to be together, the Grandmaster thought silently to himself.

But Liu Erlong was unaware of his thoughts. She looked at the drastically changed Golden Horn, her expression shifting from joy to sadness.

The joy stemmed from the fact that the Grandmaster's Martial Soul could finally be saved, while the sadness came from the fact that this meant there was now a sliver of possibility between the Grandmaster and Bibi Dong.

Overwhelmed by these conflicting emotions, Liu Erlong finally broke down in tears and cried.

Golden Horn looked at the Grandmaster with a blank expression, then at Liu Erlong. It couldn't understand the current situation at all.

Seeing Liu Erlong crying, the Grandmaster felt heartbroken, but he knew he absolutely could not be soft-hearted at this moment, otherwise everything would be in vain, and he would also harm himself and others.

So the Grandmaster gave Flender, who was looking over when he heard the crying, a wink, signaling Flender to comfort Liu Erlong, while he himself remained standing still.

"Sigh." Flender sighed and walked over to Liu Erlong, quietly comforting her.

Once Liu Erlong's emotions had calmed down a bit, the Grandmaster said:

"Erlong, will you be my sister?"

"To be... a younger sister?" Liu Erlong raised her head, her face streaked with tears.

"Hmm." The Grandmaster nodded. "We are cousins, would you like to call me cousin?"

Liu Erlong remained silent. She knew that once she called him "cousin," her relationship with the Grandmaster would be permanently sealed, and there would be no possibility of them being together again.

A sad, thick barrier will appear between them. This barrier will not affect their feelings for each other, but it will prevent them from taking things further.

But if she didn't call him "cousin," Liu Erlong knew that the Grandmaster might leave again, and she would never see him again.

So, she remained silent for a moment, and finally spoke softly:

"Cousin."

Liu Erlong ultimately chose to compromise. Compared to the situation where she couldn't even see anyone, she felt that becoming cousins wasn't so unacceptable.

Cousins are fine, at least that way Liu Erlong can still see them, and it's also convenient for her to advise the Grandmaster not to be infatuated with that woman, since she is now the Grandmaster's cousin and has a certain say in the selection of her cousin's wife.

Upon hearing Liu Erlong's address, the Grandmaster smiled slightly, "Cousin."

With their relationship officially established, there was no longer any possibility for him and Liu Erlong.

Flender sighed inwardly, his feelings extremely complicated.

They were happy to be reunited because, now that the Grandmaster and Liu Erlong had become cousins, the three of them should never be separated again.

At the same time, Flender was also saddened by Liu Erlong's current state. He knew very well how deep Liu Erlong's feelings for the Grandmaster were, and now that those feelings had been completely severed by the Grandmaster, one could only imagine the heartache Liu Erlong was experiencing.

In addition, Flender couldn't help but feel a surge of joy, because he had always been in love with Liu Erlong.

However, because Liu Erlong only loved the Grandmaster, Flender could only keep his feelings hidden in his heart.

However, after today's events, the relationship between the Grandmaster and Liu Erlong has been definitively established. As time goes by, the feelings in Liu Erlong's heart, which she has given up on, should gradually fade away, and then Flender will become a possibility.

However, it may or may not be. Flender will not force Liu Erlong to do anything she doesn't like.

If Liu Erlong truly falls in love with him in the future, that would be for the best. But if Liu Erlong decides to live a solitary life because of this heartbreak, then Flender will accept this reality.

In his eyes, the Grandmaster and Liu Erlong were like his younger brother and sister, Flender was willing to protect them forever.

After things became clear about their feelings for each other, the atmosphere among the three of them became harmonious.

They strolled through the forest, reminiscing about their past adventures together. Neither of them mentioned the relationship between the Grandmaster and Liu Erlong again, as if that relationship had vanished like smoke.

But whether it has dissipated or is hidden deep in the heart, waiting for time to wear it away, only the person involved knows.

The three of them strolled and chatted, and gradually the conversation turned to the topic of the Academy.

"Boss Fu, you've also started an Academy all these years?" Liu Erlong asked curiously.

"Yes, we've recruited quite a few promising talents, all of them exceptional geniuses," Flender nodded and said.

Then he began to talk about Shrek's development over the years, and the students he had taught.

"... Among the students who have graduated in recent years, the one I value most is Xiao Qin. If nothing unexpected happens, he should have a very high chance of becoming Titled Douluo."

"Qin Ming... I think I've heard of him before." Liu Erlong's face showed a look of recollection.

"Oh? You've heard about that brat?" Flender asked in surprise.

Liu Erlong nodded and said:

"In the last Spirit Master Tournament, our Blue Tyrant Academy team made it into the top eight and even eliminated the second team of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. We were only slightly worse off than their first team. I think their team leader was named Qin Ming."

"Good heavens, it's like family members don't recognize each other," Flender said with a strange expression.

Liu Erlong looked at him and said:

"Boss Fu, I have an idea."