One year had passed by so fast......well that would be the case for some people but not in a certain white haired boy's opinion.
"I wonder how everyone is doing." Lixue said to himself looking outside the window of the treehouse that he called home.
He clenched his butterfly pendant tightly while he thought about Tangsan. He didn't know what happened to him after he was captured by Du Gu Bo, and he was worried.
It had been over a year and he hadn't seen any of them, but it was probably for the best.
His attention was sent looking behind him when he felt the now familiar dark presence of Gui Mie.
Lixue held the look of concern when he saw when how the man moved he let out a pained groan.
"Gui are you okay?" He didn't know why he asked that question but he did going to the aid of the man and helping him sit down.
This time the man looked much worse and Lixue was really frightened by what he saw. Was the woman that cruel? ....... Hmmm only if he knew what she could actually do.
"She keeps doing this to you and everytime you come here it looks worse. Why don't you just leave, come and stay here or go somewhere else. At least that would keep you safe from all of this." They have had this discussion several times but the white haired boy never seemed to get through to the Titled Douluo known as Old Ghost.
Ever since Gui Mie had reported to the supreme pontiff of Martial Soul Hall that her prized soul beast had gone missing he had become a punching bag for her, quiet literally.
She would always beat him up herself whenever he returned to her with the same old story of I have not found him yet your holiness, but I will keep searching. This statement always enraged the woman more with everytime it was said making her more brutal in her punishments.
Now Bibi Dong wasn't one to get anger at her generals to the point of punishing them herself. She was always a calm, collected and calculating woman. Always using her intelligence and sharp wits other than brutal force with raw power to win against an opponent.
She would never fuss over a soul beast, why would she? She could easily find a better one that would suit her needs. It wasn't that difficult for her.
But that wasn't the case this time. You see,what had supposedly gone missing wasn't just any ordinary soul beast. The boy was the last billion year soul beast and her chanel for exacting her revenge on the man that caused her so much pain.
She couldn't afford to lose him. He deserved to suffer just as much as she did.
"Gui Mie I am beginning to question your loyalty to Martial Soul Hall." Bibi Dong told the man who was barley able to kneel in front of her.
They were the only ones in the throne room, this always being so when she was punishing him.
As much as she was anger, even though she would never show it, she never disgrace one of her great generals in front of pity guards.
That wouldn't be acceptable, so it was always done like this.
"Your holiness why would you say that." Gui Mie asked still avoiding eye contact because if she could see his eyes, she would see all the hate that he had for her.
Bibi Dong had an evil smile worm up to her face as she spoke. "You had romantic feelings for my husband's concubine did you not....... so maybe when you saw how similar Li Ling and Lixue looked you decided to take the boy since you can't seem to get over the past."
Gui Mie clenched his hand tightly when he heard that. Bibi Dong didn't have any right at all to utter such a disgusting name to refer to Li Ling and to make such a claim! He would never molest a child,he had his morals.
It took everything in the shadow man not to say something that would jeopardize everything that has been planned.
So sinking his teeth into his tongue to even draw out blood in an effort to suppress his anger he spoke.
"Your holiness,I would never do such a thing. Li Ling is gone and I could care less about his son." Complete and total lie. Everything he said was a big lie but the supreme pontiff of Martial Soul Hall did not have to know that.
Bibi Dong looked at the man that was on his knees with analysing eyes that felt so heavy the shadow man could fell it weighing him down.
"You may go now Gui Mie...... and this time I expect good news." He left as soon as she dismissed him but if she could see the man's eyes she would probably be dead and gone.
Gui Mie would never allow the woman to cut the boy down to get the boy's soul ring. That would bring only chaos, even he knew that.
"Lixue we have talked about this. We just need to stick to the plan. You need to reach level fifty before you even think of going back to your friends." That made Lixue eyes narrow in frustration.
"I'm already at level forty-five, and quiet frankly I don't see how becoming a soul king will help me defeat that woman." Lixue found out that the 'Tang Hao' that had kidnapped him was not actually in him but in reality it was in fact a woman who wanted nothing but to kill him, even though he didn't know for what reason since the shadow man that had also abducted him against his will wouldn't tell him much about himself.
Yeah he felt it too. He was like a living, walking Please Kidnap Me sign.
Gui Mie let a pain cried as he moved to look at the white haired boy form where he sat. "Lixue I know this is frustrating but it is the only way to ensure your safety. You can meet them soon, you just have five more level to pass okay."
Lixue was really getting tired of hearing that but he kept his mouth shut just going back to looking outside the window still fondling with his butterfly pendant. Soon he could meet everyone again.
Gui Mie sighed, he could see how the boy always played with the butterfly necklace around his neck and the way his eyes longed for something or in actuality someone.
Lixue was in love with Tangsan and as much as he hated to admit it, they couldn't be together.
No matter how strong their love was it would only hurt them but then again true love was something rare that only few people found in their life time so who was he to ruin any of that.
He looked at the boy who was now communicating with some birds and found a crooked smile worm up into his lips. It may be true that he couldn't save Li Ling but he would do anything to protect the love of his life's son.
Even if it meant giving up his life.
___________________________________________
Shrek School had managed to rebuild everything within half a year and the forest had also been able to grow back due to the aid of the healer.
What happened a year ago being nothing but a bad memory to most and a nightmare to some, mostly Ji.
He had become really hostile to everyone mostly Wu, almost never leaving his room and always wallowing in the past. The mark of it always being evident in his missing left hand.
Some of the teachers tried to help but they were always never successful not even Master or Micax who had known the boy for a longer time.
Ji would just shut everyone saying that he was fine but they had on more than one occasion heard the boy cry himself to sleep.
Wu was also taking things really hard due to Ji's behaviour but she couldn't really blame him, he had gone through a lot. She would have broken down herself with everything that was happening if not for her friends, teachers and Er Long the woman who had adopted her as her daughter.
No one of them who were directly involved in the incident had fully recovered but they were trying..... well most of them that is.
Wu of course was not giving up hope. She wasn't giving up hope that Tangsan and Lixue would come back soon. She wasn't giving up hope that Ji would learn that they... she loved him no matter how he was or the way he looked. She wasn't giving up hope that everything would come back to normal between all of them.
She just had to keep believing, that was how she always got through painful things.
By Believing and having Hope that things would get better.
Meanwhile Tangsan and Du Gu Bo where heading back to Shrek School after Tangsan had successfully found a cure for the Great Soul Land Venom's poison.
The two had become really close too and the old man also keeping his world of not killing Tangsan and fulfilling his three promises even though he regretted a few of them.
Now at the gates of the New Shrek School Tangsan found himself smiling. He was finally home and could be with his friends and loved ones and most importantly he could finally be with Lixue again.
"Please help me send an info to someone." Tangsan asked the guard in front of the gate asking him to call Master for him. The gate man nodded going inside the school to call the person. No sooner had the person gone in did he see his Master and a few other teachers heading their way.
"Master! Master I'm back." Tangsan told them when they got close bowing to them in greeting."
"Tangsan how are you. Did he treat you badly." Dean Frander asked worriedly, mostly because he fear what Tang Hao would do to them but also because he genuinely cared about the boy's well being.
"No he didn't. Senior Du Gu treated me kindly." He assured also adding "Dean Frander, Senior Du Gu is willing to be a senior advisor for our school."
"WHAT!" They simultaneously exclaimed.
Tangsan found himself rubbing the back of his head not expecting that kind of reaction. "Can't he."
"Really." Dean Frander still shocked asked, the man in question still looking prideful and deadly not uttering a word.
"He said he will not be staying at the school. He'll just be an advisor here." Tangsan explain to his teachers in front of him.
The Golden Iron Triangle looked at each other before coming to a conclusion. Du Gu Bo was a really arrogant person but he always kept his promises. So knowing him he would never let it seem like he was the one in need so they had to play that role even though it was really the other way round.
"Hi Senior Du Gu." Dean Frander said giving him a bow to which the man nodded in return. "I promised little freak to be here as an advisor but I'm not sure if you are willing to accept me."
"Of course Senior Du Gu,we will be very much delighted for you to be here. Your presence will definitely make Shrek be more marvelous." Dean Frander said, still keeping up the facade that they needed him.
"Hmm, since all of you seem to have agreed you'll find me a quiet place them. I've brought Tangsan back to you all, I'm tired now please take me somewhere for me to rest." Tangsan couldn't help but chuckle at how the teachers acted in front of Du Gu Bo.
"Senior, please follow me." Dean Frander lead the way with some of the teachers following only leaving Er Long and Master with Tangsan.
"Tangsan, how did you do it? This Old Freak is willing to come to our school. This is unbelievable." Er Long asked the boy they feared was dead....... okay bad choice of words.
"Maybe it's because we both are good with poison,I don't really know either."
"Hmm.... with a Great Soul Land Master here it would be very good for our school too." Master concluded with a smile that fell when Tangsan asked him a question.
"Master, how is everyone? Is Lixue alright, can I meet him."
What was he supposed to tell the boy?
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'Unedited.'