Cowardice Exposed: After Abandoning Bibi Dong, He Turned Around and Manipulated Liu Erlong!

The Light Screen froze on the moment young Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang clasped hands, their fingers interlocked. The warm yellow tones suddenly faded as the scene rewound to an earlier point in time.

Thirty years ago, Spirit City.

Martial Arts Exchange Tournament, viewing platform for ten thousand spectators.

At the center of the scene, young Bibi Dong stood atop the platform in the white robes of a Holy Maiden. Her Twin Martial Souls were released simultaneously, the purple radiance of the Spider Emperor intertwining with the white gleam of the Death Spider, her soul rings arranged like a brilliant galaxy.

Several thousand young talents below looked up at her.

The view zoomed in on the third seat from the left in the seventh row of the crowd.

Young Yu Xiaogang sat there, his gaze fixed on the girl atop the platform, his lips moving slightly.

The Light Screen suddenly enlarged his face. At the same time, a line of translucent text emerged from his forehead.

[Extracting thought record--]

The entire continent held its breath.

The line of text slowly unfolded:

"Her Martial Soul is a pair of top-tier Spider Emperors, and she is the Pope's sole heir. If I can win her favor, Spirit Hall's Library Pavilion will be completely open to me. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan does not want me, and Heaven Dou Academy will not accept me. I need a new path."

The barrage went dead for three seconds.

[He was after Spirit Hall from the very beginning?]

[Twin Martial Souls, the Pope's heir... He was not looking at a person at all. He was looking at resources.]

[Star Luo Empire Soul Master: I'm going to throw up. That was the look he gave prey, wasn't it?]

Spirit Hall, Pope Hall.

Bibi Dong abruptly rose from her throne.

The entire Pope Mountain shook violently. Every candle in the hall was snuffed out, and in the darkness, only the purple-black Soul Power around her churned like tangible killing intent.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei retreated three steps at the same time.

"Your Holiness—"

Bibi Dong said nothing. She stared at the line of text on the Light Screen...

Thirty years.

Qian Xunji's atrocities had been a blade in plain sight, and she had endured them.

But this man—

The Light Screen gave her no time to catch her breath. The scene continued.

The Wisteria Corridor on the eastern side of Spirit City. Young Bibi Dong passed through this place every morning on her way to the training grounds.

The scene shifted to the night before.

Yu Xiaogang crouched beside a stone bench at the end of the corridor, clutching an ancient book as he repeatedly adjusted his pose—first leaning against a stone pillar, then shaking his head; then half-reclining against the railing, still shaking his head. Finally, he chose the spot where the wisteria blossoms were thickest, opened the book to page thirty-seven, and struck a reading pose that showed off his profile to best advantage.

He muttered to himself, "...She will pass by at three quarters past the hour of the dragon tomorrow. I need to be in position by the first quarter."

The barrage exploded.

[A rehearsal? He was rehearsing a chance encounter??]

[In position by the first quarter? You were staking the place out!]

[Heaven Dou City Soul Master: I used to think Grandmaster was merely useless. Now I think he's disgusting.]

The scene sped up.

Once, twice, five times, twelve times.

Every "chance encounter" had been meticulously calculated. The third time, he was "just so happened" to be reading an ancient poem mourning autumn, and young Bibi Dong paused to look at him a little longer. The fifth time, he "inadvertently" mentioned being cast out by his family, his voice carrying just the right trace of a tremble.

The seventh time, Bibi Dong took the initiative to sit beside him.

[Nording City commoner: This isn't courting. This is fraud.]

[Suotuo City Soul Master: The founding father of manipulation.]

The scene on the Light Screen jumped again.

Late at night, outside Spirit Hall's core secret chamber.

Young Bibi Dong looked around. After confirming that no one was there, she pulled a stack of yellowed dossiers from her robes and handed them to Yu Xiaogang, who was waiting in the shadows.

"These are the cultivation notes on Twin Martial Souls from past generations. Master locked them in the third-level secret chamber. I stole the key and made a wax impression before..." She lowered her voice, her eyes filled with anxiety. "You must return them after reading them. If Master finds out, I—"

Yu Xiaogang accepted the dossiers and took her hand with his other hand, his tone gentle. "Don't worry. I'm only studying them. I will never put you in a difficult position."

Bibi Dong nodded, turned, and hurried away. Her white robes vanished into the moonlight.

The scene did not follow Bibi Dong.

The view remained on Yu Xiaogang.

As he watched Bibi Dong's figure disappear, the gentle smile on his face gradually faded. He lowered his head, opened the dossiers, and quickly returned to his quarters.

A diary lay open on the table, its ink still wet.

The view zoomed in.

"Today, I finally obtained the Twin Martial Souls cultivation dossiers. If they contain records concerning Martial Soul mutations, they may explain why my Luo Sanpao has stalled at level twenty-nine. Bibi Dong is deeply sentimental. As long as I maintain the current situation, obtaining further core texts will become far easier."

Inside Pope Hall, Bibi Dong's Soul Power surged to its peak, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared across the dome of the entire hall.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles, not daring to breathe.

Ghost Douluo Gui Mei's throat bobbed. He wanted to say something, but swallowed the words.

On the Light Screen's barrage, one message was frantically spammed over and over.

[Yu Xiaogang (plagiarist): My feelings for Bibi Dong were absolutely sincere! The Sky Screen is taking things out of context! Those were merely immature thoughts from my youth. I truly fell in love with her later! I can swear to Heaven's Will!]

[Yu Xiaogang (plagiarist): Don't judge based on only one side! I really loved her!]

[Yu Xiaogang (plagiarist): I admit that my initial motives were impure, but feelings can change!]

The Sky Screen ignored his excuses.

Blood-red words appeared:

[Since the person involved claims that he later became sincere, then watch this—The night he left.]

The scene changed.

Late at night, the western gate of Spirit City.

Qian Xunji had just visited Yu Xiaogang and explicitly stated his opposition to his association with Bibi Dong.

Inside Yu Xiaogang's room, he was packing his belongings.

Every copied text, notebook, and duplicate dossier was stuffed into a bundle, one scroll after another.

Once he was done, he extinguished the lamp, climbed out through the window, and crept along the shadows at the base of the city wall. Before dawn, he vanished into the forest outside Spirit City.

From beginning to end, he never went to say a single word to Bibi Dong.

The barrage fell silent.

This time, no one even cursed him.

[Spirit Hall Enshrined Golden Crocodile Douluo: This man is a complete coward, liar, and thief. He ruined Spirit Hall's most talented Holy Maiden, stole the fruits of centuries of research, and after being exposed, did not even dare leave behind a single explanation. For thirty years, he has paraded around as an academic grandmaster, deceiving all. Today, Heaven's Will has judged him. What a satisfying sight.]

[Spirit Hall Titled Douluo Gui Mei: Agreed.]

[Spirit Hall Titled Douluo Yue Guan: Agreed.]

Inside Pope Hall, Bibi Dong slowly sat back down on her throne.

Her Soul Power receded, and her killing intent dispersed.

Her expression instead became calm—so calm that Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo grew even more afraid.

"Thirty years." Her voice was soft, as though she were speaking to herself.

Yue Guan raised his head and saw the corner of the Pope's lips curve upward.

The Light Screen changed scenes one final time.

A warmly colored scene lit up, revealing a modest academy. Several words were written on the plaque above its gates—Blue Tyrant Academy.

Young Liu Erlong stood at the academy gates, with an equally young Flender beside her.

Before them, Yu Xiaogang stood travel-worn, carrying a bulging bundle on his back, his face bearing precisely the right amount of desolation and sorrow.

"My name is Yu Xiaogang, from a branch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. I was expelled from the family because of my Martial Soul mutation... Thank you both for taking me in."

[Next chapter: How Yu Xiaogang manipulated the feelings of both Liu Erlong and Flender at the same time, and the true origin of the "Golden Iron Triangle."]

The former site of Blue Tyrant Academy.

Liu Erlong stood where she was, her Soul Power surging so violently that the grass and trees within thirty feet withered yellow.

She stared at the young man carrying the bundle on the Light Screen, her pupils reflecting the image of her younger self standing at the academy gates.

Flender reached out as if to pat her shoulder, but lowered his hand halfway through.

"Erlong..."

Liu Erlong turned to look at him. Her lips moved, but in the end, she only uttered three words:

"Don't touch me."