五月丁香五月丁香激情

"So... from the time you met her at Huaiyuan Mountain until you started preparing, how long did that take?" Zhang Xuan asked, curious.

"About four and a half years," Lu Mingrong replied.

"In that case..." Zhang Xuan began to piece things together. "So she had already been involved with that guy when she started seeing you? That would mean... you were the third party in this situation?"

Lu Mingrong shook his head. "Not exactly. She started seeing him after we began our relationship, but she kept it a secret from me. When we first met, she was single. The demands for a thousand gold coins and reaching the peak of the Organs Easing Realm came later."

Zhang Xuan frowned, puzzled. "So she was with someone else while still making those demands of you? What was the point of that...?"

Then, suddenly, realization struck him. "I see. She gave you an impossible task to make you give up on your own. But instead, you actually accomplished it. By the time you did, she already had a child, making it impossible for her to be with you."

"That’s about right... When I found out, it felt like my world had collapsed. I was so devastated that I coughed up blood and fell ill for a whole year. By the time I recovered, the cartilage in my joints had completely solidified due to the intense training I had undergone, and it was too late to reverse the damage."

Lu Mingrong sighed. "Later, when my master recommended me for the position of dean, I felt pressured to live up to the expectations. I couldn’t let anyone see my weakness, so I pushed myself further, refining my bones to an even higher degree, hoping that sheer strength would allow me to break through. That’s how I ended up in my current state."

"I see..." Zhang Xuan finally understood the full story but still had some doubts. "But wait... Why did you start the story by talking about City Lord Yu Longqing’s rapid progress? He didn’t seem to play any role in this tale..."

Lu Mingrong explained, "The man she had a child with was Yu Longqing’s cousin!"

Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on him. "So when you met her, you weren’t particularly impressive, and you didn’t have much power. But the other guy was Yu Longqing’s cousin, and Yu Longqing was the top genius White Roc City had seen in a century... No wonder she chose to be with him instead of you. She was looking for status, aiming to become the sister-in-law of the most powerful man in the city."

Zhang Xuan shook his head, disheartened by the turn of events. What started as a seemingly romantic love story had quickly turned into a tale of opportunism.

"And yet, she never imagined that the ordinary teacher she dismissed would eventually become the second most powerful person in White Roc City, wielding immense authority, second only to the city lord..."

"Indeed, there was also her brother’s ambition to become the family head. He needed external support, and his chances would improve if his sister married well," Lu Mingrong added, now that Zhang Xuan had pieced together most of the story.

"A noble family where only those who reach the seventh level of the Source Pool Realm can challenge for the headship..." Zhang Xuan muttered to himself, before a thought occurred to him. He looked at Lu Mingrong in surprise. "Could this woman you’re talking about be... Master Liu Tianzheng’s sister?"

Lu Mingrong nodded. "Yes, she was Liu Tianzheng’s sister!"

Zhang Xuan’s mouth fell open in shock.

It turned out that this tragic love affair involved Liu Mingyue\'s aunt. Lu Mingrong had almost become her uncle.

After a long pause, Zhang Xuan finally asked, "So... what happened to Master Liu’s sister?"

Lu Mingrong explained, "When Yu Longqing found out what had happened, he severed ties with his cousin and kicked him out of the city lord’s mansion. With that backing gone, and with me becoming the academy’s dean, she tried to reconcile with me several times, but I refused. Later, I heard that she and Yu Longqing’s cousin attempted to drive him out of the Liu family to demonstrate their sincerity, but they ended up being killed by a Source Beast. That’s all I know; the details were told to me by others."

Seeing Lu Mingrong, usually a formidable figure in White Roc City, looking so downcast, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but offer some words of comfort. "Dean Lu, you shouldn’t let someone like her trouble you. She wasn’t worth your time—someone who couldn’t see the value in you when it mattered most..."

"Someone who couldn’t see the value in me?" Lu Mingrong repeated, looking puzzled.

"Yes," Zhang Xuan clarified, "I’m talking about those who are greedy and superficial, who have no real skills but expect to reap all the rewards without putting in any effort..."

He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Life isn’t about just sharing the wealth without going through the struggles together."

"You’re right," Lu Mingrong said, nodding in agreement. "But enough about my past. I’ve told you everything, and the bone-refining technique is yours to study. This Tidal Bone-Refining Technique is very profound. Take your time to understand it, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"There’s no need for that. I’ve already found the source of your problem and come up with a solution. The technique is no longer of any use to me," Zhang Xuan said, handing the book back.

The Library of Heaven’s Path had recorded the flaws in the technique, highlighting "impatience" as a critical issue. After a bit of thinking, Zhang Xuan had already figured out how to fix it.

"No longer of use?" Lu Mingrong was taken aback.

He couldn’t believe that such a complex and embarrassing story had somehow inspired Zhang Xuan.

"Very well, I’ll help you fix this issue now," Zhang Xuan continued. "But first, you’ll need to completely seal off your cultivation and strength. Whatever I do, you must not resist. If you do, it could ruin everything."

"Seal my cultivation and strength?" Lu Mingrong hesitated, frowning. After a moment, he nodded. "Fine, but I’m concerned that if I face danger, I might instinctively break the seal. Let’s have Wu Yunzhou handle it instead. His strength is not far from mine, and if he seals me, even if I try to break free, it won’t be easy."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

It was understandable for Lu Mingrong to be cautious. Sealing his strength was akin to placing his life in someone else’s hands, and they had only known each other for two days. It was normal for him to be wary. Trusting someone completely in such a short time would have been strange.

It wasn’t long before Wu Yunzhou arrived. After understanding the situation, he couldn’t help but look at Zhang Xuan with a mix of skepticism and curiosity.

He knew of the dean’s difficulties, though not in great detail. But for a new teacher who had only been in the academy for two days to claim he could resolve such a long-standing issue...

Wu Yunzhou couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the situation. The whole setup seemed unreliable, but since the dean had made his decision, Wu Yunzhou didn’t dare to object. He nodded in agreement.

Soon, the room was filled with a dense, overwhelming power as Wu Yunzhou sealed off all of Lu Mingrong’s abilities. The once formidable second strongest person in White Roc City now had no more strength than an ordinary man.

"It’s ready!" Lu Mingrong, feeling the complete absence of his power, took a step forward and stood before Zhang Xuan, curious to see how this young teacher would help him.

But before he could ask anything, Zhang Xuan walked out of the room, returning shortly after with Dao Li in tow. He whispered something into the horse’s ear, patted its flank, and suddenly, Dao Li’s expression grew serious. The horse turned its back on the unsuspecting dean and delivered a powerful kick.

Thud!

If Lu Mingrong’s cultivation had been active, he would have easily dodged the attack, but with his strength sealed, he couldn’t react in time. His pupils shrank as he was sent flying, crashing ten meters away.

"What... what are you doing, Teacher Zhang?!" Wu Yunzhou shouted in shock as he rushed over to help.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a treatment? Why was Zhang Xuan using a horse to attack the dean?

"I’m helping Dean Lu resolve his issue. I explained this to him beforehand," Zhang Xuan said calmly.

"Explained?!" Wu Yunzhou turned to look at the dean, who appeared just as confused as he was.

"You did say you’d help me, but you didn’t mention having a horse kick me!" Lu Mingrong thought to himself, baffled by the situation. Yet, he had agreed not to resist whatever Zhang Xuan did, so when Wu Yunzhou looked at him for confirmation, he reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, then..." Wu Yunzhou sighed and found a chair to sit in, deciding to watch quietly. However, his curiosity was piqued again when Zhang Xuan approached with a look of deep contemplation.

As Wu Yunzhou watched, Dao Li relentlessly chased after Lu Mingrong, kicking him wherever it could reach—his arms, legs, shoulders—no part of him was spared.

"Wait a minute..." Wu Yunzhou furrowed his brow. "Dean Lu’s strength might be sealed, but his body has been refined by Source Energy for years. His bones are as hard as steel. A horse’s hooves shouldn’t be able to cause any real damage."

"Right... how could I forget that?" Zhang Xuan smacked his forehead, looking annoyed with himself.

"Forget?" Wu Yunzhou’s eye twitched involuntarily as he asked, "Then what was the point of the kicking?"

"Oh, that was just a mistake. But it’s fine, Dean Lu is tough—he can take it as a warm-up," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

"???" Lu Mingrong’s face stiffened.

He, the dean of White Rock Academy, the peak of the Jade Bone Realm, had just allowed himself to be kicked around by a horse, only to hear that it was all a mistake? That it was just for fun?

Just as he was about to ask if they could stop, he saw Zhang Xuan frown and scold Dao Li sharply, "Why are you kicking so weakly? Did you not eat enough?"

Dao Li neighed in response and charged at Lu Mingrong with renewed vigor, its hooves flying.

After watching for a while, Zhang Xuan finally turned to Wu Yunzhou and whispered something to him. Wu Yunzhou’s face twitched as he listened, but he complied, soon returning with a large bundle of green grass, which he placed on the ground.

Zhang Xuan walked over, picked up a water jug, and began sprinkling water over the grass. As he did so, he looked at Lu Mingrong with sincere eyes. "Dean Lu, since you like grasslands so much, I’ve brought the grass, and the horse is here too. Now you can have your very own grassland experience."

"???" Lu Mingrong’s vision darkened, and he felt a surge of anger rise from his core.

Who said he liked grasslands?! He had been betrayed, not gone on a vacation!

Allowing himself to be kicked earlier was one thing—at least it didn’t damage his pride too much. But this... this was an insult that struck deep. He had shared his most painful story, and now Zhang Xuan was using it to mock him!

Just as Lu Mingrong was about to explode in anger, Wu Yunzhou, who was sitting nearby, looked over in confusion. "Dean Lu, I didn’t know you liked grasslands. But come to think of it, the academy’s landscaping has improved a lot since you took over..."

Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. "Exactly! Greenery is soothing to the eyes. Just look at Dean Lu—he’s the picture of vitality, clearly thriving in all this green."

"Zhang Xuan, shut up!" Lu Mingrong growled, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Zhang Xuan like a wolf ready to pounce. The power sealed within him roiled like a tidal wave, threatening to break free at any moment.