The two turned toward the sound. Yin Shu was hurrying through the woods toward them, looking somewhat flustered.
He quickly came to their side. By then, Liu Erlong had also risen to her feet. Yin Shu respectfully addressed her, "Dean, someone specifically asked to see you. He said..."
Liu Erlong saw Yin Shu hemming and hawing, and her brows knitted. "What did he say?"
"He said he was your father."
After hearing Yin Shu's words, Liu Erlong's expression shifted slightly. She fell silent for a moment, then said, "Teacher Yin Shu, please take him to my office first. Don't disturb him. I'll be there shortly."
Yin Shu gave a bitter smile. "Dean, he's already come in on his own. We couldn't stop him."
Liu Erlong's face darkened. "Where is he? Take me to him."
"No need."
A calm yet forceful voice rang out. All three turned their eyes toward the person behind Yin Shu.
A middle-aged man approached at an unhurried pace. He wore pale blue clothes and had neat, clean-cut black hair. His expression was cool, and his hands were clasped behind his back.
An invisible pressure emanated from him, the subtle weight of someone who had held a high position for many years.
Liu Erlong was completely unaffected. "What are you here for?"
The middle-aged man glanced at the three of them, his gaze lingering on Mo Li for a moment longer. "What's wrong with me coming to see my daughter?"
Mo Li was a little surprised. From their conversation, it was easy to tell that this middle-aged man really was Sister Erlong's father: Yu Luomian, the second-in-command of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
But what was with the hostility between them?
Yin Shu was just as shocked. Although the middle-aged man had already made his identity clear, Yin Shu had still insisted that Liu Erlong come and decide for herself. It wasn't that he was overly cautious.
It was just that in all the years since the academy had been established, he had never seen any of Liu Erlong's relatives come to visit.
He hadn't dared to make the decision himself, but he hadn't dared to neglect the man, either. That was why he had hurried to find Liu Erlong. He just hadn't expected Yu Luomian to barge in so aggressively.
There was no doubt about the man's identity now, but it was obvious that he and the dean were at odds.
Yin Shu was curious, but he knew better than to pry.
Seeing the unpleasant expressions on both Liu Erlong and Yu Luomian's faces—and how neither had said a word since—the atmosphere around them was unbearably strange.
So he said to Liu Erlong, "Dean, I'll take my leave."
Liu Erlong's expression softened slightly. She nodded.
Yin Shu quickly left.
Mo Li could feel the tension in the air, too. He was about to find somewhere nearby to wait, giving Liu Erlong and Yu Luomian some space to talk in private.
Just as he was about to speak, Yu Luomian beat him to it. "Is this the child you brought back all those years ago?"
Yu Luomian's tone remained calm. Liu Erlong glanced at him and replied coolly, "So what if he is?"
"Do you still intend to look after him?"
Yu Luomian had naturally caught the displeasure in Liu Erlong's words. His brow furrowed. "No matter how much I tried to persuade you back then, you refused to give up that child. In the end, you were forced to leave the clan."
"Do you truly have no regrets?"
"Why would I regret it?" Liu Erlong's expression was cold. "I don't care what they say. At least I did right by my child and never let him suffer any grievances in the clan."
Hearing the sarcasm in Liu Erlong's voice, Yu Luomian's cheek twitched. His voice lowered. "So many years have passed. I thought you'd come to terms with it, but you're still just as stubborn."
"I don't care about your other affairs, but if you're still thinking of finding that good-for-nothing, I absolutely won't allow it."
Liu Erlong's face was like ice as she glared at Yu Luomian. "You have no right to tell me what to do!"
Yu Luomian didn't even raise an eyelid. He only said coldly, "I don't want to bring up the mess between you two again. You may have no shame, but the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan still has its dignity!"
Liu Erlong clenched her teeth, her body trembling slightly. For a long moment, she couldn't say a word.
Listening to their exchange, Mo Li felt helpless. If it were about something else, he could have put in a few words.
But when it came to this matter, he didn't know the whole story, and he didn't want to defend Yu Xiaogang. Besides, this was a father and daughter talking. What business did he have butting in?
Seeing Liu Erlong fail to answer, Yu Luomian softened his tone a little. "Erlong, your father may have gone too far back then, but he was absolutely not wrong."
"Yu Xiaogang was the clan leader's eldest son. His strength may have been weak, but his status was undeniable. When you first joined the clan, your standing was low. Did you have any idea what the clansmen were saying about you?"
With that, Yu Luomian let out a deep sigh. "If your mother knew from beyond the grave, she wouldn't agree, either."
"Don't bring up my mother!"
Liu Erlong's expression had been only somewhat angry, but the moment Yu Luomian mentioned her mother, her face turned icy.
Yu Luomian's brow furrowed. "It wasn't that I didn't want to bring you and your mother back to the clan. It was just that the clan rules were strict. As for what happened to your mother, I did everything I could."
Liu Erlong gave a bitter laugh. "Because of my mother's status, you brought shame on the clan. She couldn't even be given a proper place in the family before she died, and she could only leave this world with hatred in her heart."
"My mother had me. I was all she had. Yet I had to watch you and your family live together in harmony. If that's what you call doing everything you could, then you really did go all out!"
"You!" Even Yu Luomian, for all his skill at controlling his emotions, couldn't help getting angry at Liu Erlong's harsh words.
He forcibly suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "Those were the clan's rules, and the other clansmen couldn't tolerate it. The clan has always despised this sort of thing. Besides, with our strength, what standing did you and I have in the clan?"
"I wasn't as strong as my elder brother. As clan leader, he insisted on putting a stop to it. What else could I have done?"
"So you just abandoned us. And now you come here pretending to care about me? Who are you putting on a show for?"
"Utter nonsense!"
Yu Luomian finally lost control and roared.
Liu Erlong's tears had already been welling in her eyes. At Yu Luomian's roar, they spilled down her cheeks.
For the first time, Mo Li's expression turned truly grim. He stepped forward, took Liu Erlong's hand, and stared fixedly at Yu Luomian.
Yu Luomian saw the gesture and snorted. "If that's what you think, then at the next Mountain Gathering, with your strength as it is now, we'll see whether the clan will tolerate you."
"Don't think the clan has no temper. If it weren't for me, you'd have been expelled from the clan long ago!"
With that, Yu Luomian glanced at Liu Erlong once more and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Mo Li's voice was low.
Yu Luomian turned to look at Mo Li, as if checking whether the unremarkable young man in front of him had really spoken.
But what the boy said next made his expression change.
"You mean whoever has the bigger fist gets to decide, is that it?"