Tang Hao stood silently in the shadows, stared at the public display of affection between uncle and nephew, his lips twitching in barely restrained disbelief.
"Yu Xiaogang," he muttered under his breath, "first your cousin, now your nephew? Seriously… don't tell me you've got a thing for keeping it in the family. Hah… I don't even know how to process this anymore."
The girls were equally baffled.
"Something's definitely off," Zhu Zhuqing whispered, narrowing her eyes. Beside her, Tang Yin was already starting to sweat nervously.
Ning Rongrong nodded firmly. "It's only been two months, but they're acting like they've been torn apart for two decades. Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang's been completely ignoring Liu Erlong—who actually waited two decades for him—as if it's only been two months! What is going on in that man's head?"
Dugu Yan crossed her arms, expression deadpan. "He's probably mentally retarded. According to what Yu Tianheng told me, his uncle's been criticized since childhood. His mutated martial soul was a huge blow to his confidence."
Tang Yin exhaled, relieved. "Almost gave me a heart attack… haah."
Dugu Yan continued, calmly laying out her logic. "After that, Yu Xiaogang threw himself into the study of martial souls, determined to make a name for himself as a scholar in the soul master world. Due to his weak martial soul, he was cast out by his clan."
She paused, tapping her cherry-red lips thoughtfully before going on. "He even begged the clan patriarch to let him study at Spirit Hall. Eventually, he published the Ten Core Competencies of Soul Masters, which earned him fame among the commoners."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "In contrast, the major clans slandered him, claiming he stole the knowledge from Spirit Hall and threatened their foundation. And... well, it's true—he did steal their secrets. But they couldn't touch him. After all, his father is the patriarch of one of the Three Great Clans." Dugu Yan gave a nonchalant shrug.
Then her tone shifted. "But what I don't remember," she muttered, eyes darkening, "is Yu Tianheng ever mentioning this kind of... closeness with his uncle." She didn't continue, but her clenched fist and gritted teeth spoke volumes.
Meng Yiran chimed in with a nod. "So their only move was to ruin his reputation. That must've been a massive blow to the Grandmaster. And after he pulled that stunt with Tang San's martial soul... yeah, it's pretty clear his mental state isn't exactly stable. Poor Tang San just became collateral damage." Her voice wasn't exactly subtle—Tang San and the others heard her loud and clear.
Tang San blinked, falling into deep thought. Is it really like they say? Or are they just slandering my teacher out of jealousy?
He clenched his fists, eyes narrowing with determination. No… my master promised he'd make me the strongest control-type Soul Master on the entire continent. It has to be envy! A grin slowly crept onto his face.
'Haha… I really do have a great teacher!' His mood instantly lifted.
Then Oscar casually dropped a verbal bomb.
"Hey... if you ask me, the real victim here is the Dean of Lanba Academy—Miss Liu Erlong. Haiz, she wasted her youth waiting for that man, but he probably only ever saw Yu Tianheng in her… since, y'know, they're aunt and nephew." He said it loud and clear, not even bothering to lower his voice.
Clearly, Tang yin utilized his favorite telepathic suggestion on Oscar.
Liu Erlong heard every word—from beginning to end. Her face paled, her breathing grew uneven, and for a moment, she looked as though she might cough up blood. Her fingers clutched the hem of her dress tightly, knuckles white with strain.
Her thoughts spiraled in silent chaos. Is it possible...? No—Liu Erlong, believe in yourself. Believe in Yu Xiaogang. He clearly loved you... didn't he? Her lips trembled. But then... why didn't he ever kiss me, not even once before our wedding? She stared blankly ahead, pain flickering in her eyes. All we ever did was hold hands...
Her grip tightened further. Does he love Yu Tianheng... or me? Her belief began to crack, the foundation of two decades of devotion trembling beneath her feet.
Mustering up her courage, Liu Erlong stepped forward and called out hesitantly, "Yu… Yu Xiaogang!"
The Grandmaster, clearly displeased at being interrupted during his precious bonding moment with his nephew, whipped around and snapped, "What?" His voice boomed with unexpected fury.
Liu Erlong flinched, almost jumping in fright at the ferocious tone. But still, she clenched her fists and stood her ground, forcing the words out through trembling lips.
"Why won't you look at me? Why do you only hug your nephew…?" Her voice cracked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Didn't you love me? Didn't you suffer these past two decades like I did? Why does seeing your nephew make you so happy—but seeing me doesn't?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened. His voice was cold, like steel. "We're cousins. We're not compatible. If the world finds out, they'll mock me—point fingers and laugh. My reputation is already fragile. So forget it… between us, it's impossible."
Liu Erlong gasped, stepping back. "But… didn't you say you loved me? Why are you abandoning me now? I don't care what the world thinks—I love you!"
Yu Xiaogang let out a long, weary sigh. "Haiz… Second Dragon, it's true—I once fancied you. But it wasn't real love." His gaze drifted to the side, avoiding her eyes. "I… I saw a shadow of my nephew in you. Back then, I also noticed Flender's feelings for you. He was always so obvious."
Flender's mouth gaped open, eyes wide with shock and bitterness. He stared resentfully at Yu Xiaogang, his heart twisting painfully.
You clearly know I love her, he thought darkly, but you'd rather turn a blind eye to my happiness? What a "good" brother you are…
Yu Xiaogang paused, voice softening as his thoughts slipped. "But Flender… he was the only one who ever truly loved me. He accepted me for who I was… even with my flaws. He… he always stayed by my side. I—I love him so much…"
The moment the words left his mouth, silence fell.
Flender nearly jumped out of his skin. What the actual—?! First his nephew, now me?! His expression twisted in disbelief as his mind spiraled into chaos.
He loves his nephew… and now he loves me?!
His instinctively clenched his butt cheeks—as his brain screamed in protest. Nope! Nope! I don't like bananas! I like peaches! PEACHES!
He gulped, inching away from Yu Xiaogang with sheer disgust. What the hell… I treated you like a brother, and you wanna destroy my backside? Such a "good" brother indeed…
Yu Xiaogang blinked, as if just realizing what he had said. His eyes widened in horror. He coughed violently, trying to mask the slip. "Ahem! I—I meant… He was a true friend! That's all!" His voice pitched up slightly in panic. "I didn't know we were cousins back then! That's the real issue! Let's just… go our separate ways. I can't become the soul master world's laughingstock again."
He clenched his fists tightly, trembling slightly as he forced himself to keep a straight face. But the damage was done—his accidental confession hung heavily in the air, impossible to ignore.
Liu Erlong stared at him in disbelief. "Wait… did you just admit you loved your nephew? And flender too?!" Her voice rose, incredulous. "You're worried about your reputation—but you just admitted you're in love with both of them!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened slightly. "D-Don't slander me, woman! I never said that! You're twisting my words!"
Liu Erlong's legs gave out beneath her as the weight of her fears crashing into reality finally overwhelmed her. She collapsed—but before she could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught her. Tang Yin held her gently, his firm chest steady beneath her, a calming scent wafting from him that somehow soothed her trembling heart.
Tang Yin sighed inwardly, gazing down at the devastated beauty in his arms. Haah… I didn't think she'd collapse from heartbreak like this. I'm sorry, Liu Erlong. But I promise—from now on, I'll take care of you. I'll never fail your expectations the way Yu Xiaogang did. I may not be a good man... but my love is sincere.
Liu Erlong, still dazed, caught sight of Tang Yin's striking appearance. His lush, blue-silver hair flowed freely like silk, and his large, violet-like eyes shimmered with concern. Sword-like brows were furrowed with worry, and his perfectly shaped nose and soft, cherry-hued lips glistened as he spoke.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently. "Don't cry for a man like him—he's not worth your love."
Carefully, Tang Yin adjusted her disheveled clothes and wiped away her tears. Then he turned to the side and said calmly, "Rongrong, take good care of her. She's just suffered a blow straight to the heart."