Chapter 47: A Glimmer of Change
Liu Erlong still chose to bury the body.
She buried Yu Xiaogang on a hill opposite Wuhun City.
In her own words,
she wanted him to be buried where he could "watch" as the woman he'd always longed for would one day step down from the altar.
After doing all this, Liu Erlong bowed to Qin Chuan once more.
"Your Majesty Qin Chuan, no matter what your reason is, you have indeed helped me."
"In the future, whether Shrek Academy is disbanded or not—"
"I, Liu Erlong, will follow you."
She spoke softly.
But the meaning behind those words struck Flender like a thunderclap. He instinctively straightened his back but could only sigh in the end.
Flender understood clearly.
Liu Erlong was offering herself, body and soul, as the last breath of Shrek Academy.
She had chosen to submit herself to Qin Chuan and the Tiandou royal family in exchange for even the faintest hope that Shrek Academy could survive.
Qin Chuan and Qian Renxue exchanged glances.
They were far too clever to miss Liu Erlong's intentions. After all, she had clearly stated that it didn't matter whether the academy was disbanded or not.
But neither of them responded directly.
Instead, Qian Renxue spoke,
"Dean Liu Erlong, if you make this choice, what will the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family think?"
Liu Erlong's background
was well known to the high-level figures within the Tiandou royal court. That's why no one dared provoke her, and why she, a Soul Saint, could establish such a large-scale academy within the capital city.
"They can't control me. You can be at ease, Your Highness."
Years ago, Liu Erlong had severed ties with the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex clan
because of her taboo love with Yu Xiaogang.
Qian Renxue glanced at Qin Chuan again.
"No."
"Dean Liu Erlong, you've misunderstood me."
Qian Renxue smiled gently and continued,
"This prince hopes that you can reestablish contact with the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex family. You've seen it too—the Spirit Hall's power is overwhelming."
Liu Erlong was momentarily stunned. A strange gleam passed through her eyes.
"I don't quite understand your meaning, Your Highness?"
Qian Renxue smiled without replying.
Sometimes silence said more than words. It allowed clever people to imagine more freely.
And Liu Erlong was exactly that kind of clever person.
Sure enough, after a few moments, a flash of realization appeared on Liu Erlong's face.
"The Tiandou Empire plans to…"
She murmured in surprise.
Qian Renxue turned, walking slowly toward her carriage.
"No, my father holds no such intentions…"
Liu Erlong stood motionless, deep in thought once more.
Until Flender's aged voice broke the silence,
"Erlong, let's get on the carriage. It's time to go."
A royal carriage had silently pulled up in front of them.
Liu Erlong suddenly raised her head and stared at the departing royal convoy.
"I understand."
Emperor Xue Ye held no such plan.
But the Crown Prince—Xue Qinghe, the future ruler—did.
Inside the carriage.
Qian Renxue sat in quiet meditation, eyes closed. Her fingers gently tapped the side of the carriage, producing a rhythmic and crisp sound that echoed in the enclosed space.
It was a habit of hers when deep in thought.
Qin Chuan remained silent, eyes also closed as he cultivated calmly.
Only Ye Lingling sat in the corner, pressed tightly against the carriage wall.
Her expression was blank and somewhat lost.
Finally, she gathered the courage to speak up,
"Your Majesty Qin Chuan…"
Qin Chuan opened his eyes, his voice calm.
"What is it?"
Even Qian Renxue stopped tapping her fingers, clearly listening with interest.
"I've… I've just broken through to Rank 50. Could you… accompany me to the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Ye Lingling asked carefully.
When she saw Qin Chuan remain silent, she quickly added,
"The Sunset Forest works too! It won't delay your journey or take too much time…"
"Is… is that okay?"
Her gaze was full of expectation.
As a healing-type Spirit Master, she was invaluable in team fights—but her individual combat strength was nearly nonexistent.
In the past, she'd always relied on her team's strength to secure spirit rings.
But now, due to Qian Renxue, she had left the team, and her only hope lay in Qin Chuan.
Of course, she also harbored a few personal thoughts.
"Alright."
Qin Chuan nodded slightly.
"You need your fifth spirit ring, and the Sunset Forest is suitable for that."
Ye Lingling finally exhaled in relief.
"Lingling."
Qian Renxue suddenly opened her eyes.
"What do you plan to do when we return?"
Ye Lingling was caught off guard. She lowered her head and replied softly,
"I'm… not sure. I don't know if I should leave the academy."
Since Qin Chuan had taken her in, she naturally couldn't remain at the academy.
But she also felt helpless.
Qin Chuan's attitude toward her wasn't warm—quite the opposite, in fact, it was rather cold.
Even being around him felt awkward.
"I'll take care of your withdrawal procedures."
Qian Renxue said casually.
Ye Lingling froze, then quietly nodded her head.
"After we return, you'll work as a female official in the prince's residence during the day. At night…"
Qian Renxue didn't finish her sentence.
But her gaze drifted toward Qin Chuan with subtle implication.
"Lingling has no improper thoughts, Your Highness. Please rest assured."
Ye Lingling quickly clarified.
Qian Renxue merely smiled, dropping the subject. She then turned to Qin Chuan.
"This time, we've stayed in Wuhun City for quite a while. When we return, the Snow Star faction probably won't miss their chance to stir up trouble. What's your view, Brother Qin Chuan?"
"Why didn't they dare to act before?"
Qin Chuan asked, his eyes darkening slightly.
"Dugu Bo."
Qian Renxue answered honestly.
"Dugu Bo isn't truly loyal to the royal family. He's more aligned with Prince Xuexing. With him around, I couldn't make any bold moves. I was constantly under threat. Even my food, clothes, and daily necessities were closely monitored."
Ye Lingling, listening to the conversation, instinctively shrank further into the corner, trying her best not to be noticed.
"If our plan goes forward, who do you think will pose the biggest obstacle?"
Qin Chuan asked.
"The first will obviously be the Snow Star faction. The second…"
Qian Renxue replied calmly,
"…will be the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
"Emperor Xue Ye has always used a strategy of appeasement and incentives toward them, which allowed the sect to flourish steadily over the years."
"In truth, the empire and the Glazed Sect are interdependent. And as merchants, they prioritize stability above all."
"That's why the sect will never tolerate escalating civil strife or a full-scale war."
"Even if we only move against the Snow Star faction, we'll likely be pressured by the Glazed Sect to stop."
Qin Chuan continued her thought,
"But once it begins, we can't just stop halfway—or we'll bear the emperor's wrath."
"He may accuse us of coveting the throne."
"And even you, as crown prince, might not escape blame."
"Exactly."
Qian Renxue nodded slightly.
"These past few years, progress has been stagnant precisely because of all these entanglements."
"But now, things have changed."
As her words trailed off, a cold gleam flickered in her eyes.