Ju Zi, a New Arrival

Luo Can's overly calm reaction left the two Ye Clan Spirit Masters, who had just reported earth-shattering news, somewhat stunned.

They had expected the Pavilion Master to at least show some surprise or press for details, yet he merely nodded faintly.

The two exchanged a glance, suppressed their doubts, and continued their report.

"We discovered that the children throughout the village generally suffer from congenital deficiencies and delayed development, likely due to poverty and malnutrition. However, that child Tang San is an exception."

The tall Spirit Master recalled, "Although he looks somewhat thin and weak, his muscles and bones are strong, his blood and vitality abundant, and the hardness and resilience of his skeleton far surpass those of children his age. At first, we thought Tang Hao had secretly used some special method to temper his body."

The dark-skinned Spirit Master took over. "But later, we learned from Holy Soul Village's village chief, Old Jack, that the child had no mother from a young age. His father, Tang Hao, drank himself senseless all day and barely cared for him. Instead, the young Tang San had to look after his drunken father and manage the household. We suspect that sturdy body of his was probably built through his own blind training. What is even more alarming is that the child's speech and behavior are nothing like those of a five- or six-year-old."

"Mm." Luo Can nodded again, unsurprised.

According to his vague memories, Tang San had begun cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill and the various secret techniques within the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record at the age of four in the original story. Nurtured by such authentic Daoist internal energy, it was only natural for his muscles and bones to be far stronger than those of ordinary people.

As for that "composure," that was only natural for a "transmigrator."

"And what about Yu Xiaogang?" Luo Can abruptly changed the subject and asked about the other man. "What is his situation in Nuoding City now?"

"Yu Xiaogang is indeed nominally affiliated with Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy." The tall Spirit Master replied with a hint of disdain in his voice. "But according to our observations, he has no regular classes to teach. Most of the time, he simply stays in the secluded dormitory assigned to him by the academy, rarely going out and rarely interacting with students. He is practically just idling away his life."

"We find it strange as well," the dark-skinned Spirit Master added. "He bears the title of 'Master,' after all. Even if his theories are controversial, he should not have fallen so low as to waste his days in a Primary Academy."

After hearing the intelligence concerning Yu Xiaogang, Luo Can pondered for a moment before issuing new orders.

"The two of you will be stationed permanently in Nuoding City starting today. Your primary task is... to keep a close watch on Yu Xiaogang. By the way, how long until the next martial soul awakening ceremony in Holy Soul Village?"

"Ten months remain," the two answered in unison.

He looked at Ye Qingyu. "Sister Ye, convert their investigation of Holy Soul Village into Contribution Points according to the Pavilion's rules and issue them their reward. Also, register this new surveillance mission with the Contribution Hall as well. Set it at... five hundred Contribution Points for now."

"Yes, I will arrange it shortly." Ye Qingyu nodded.

Five hundred Contribution Points was quite a generous reward for monitoring an "idler," which showed just how seriously Luo Can took the matter.

Luo Can said no more. He gave the two Spirit Masters a slight nod, then rose and left Baican Village.

By the time he returned to Fate Defying Valley, it was already late at night.

That night, during his routine "sparring and discussion of the Dao" with Qian Renxue, Luo Can relayed the intelligence he had gathered that day in fragmented intervals.

"Pant... pant..." During a pause in one tactical adjustment, Qian Renxue panted sharply several times. Cold killing intent flashed through her eyes. "Should we... go deal with him... right now? End it once and for all, so he does not... come out and cause trouble again in the future!"

Luo Can's offensive surged like a tide, every move aimed directly at vital points, yet his voice remained steady. "He is a 'transmigrator,' and... a God King stands behind him. His arrival was the work of that God King to begin with. If we act directly now, not only might we fail to erase him, we would immediately draw that being's attention. We would alert the enemy and invite endless future trouble."

"A God King?" A trace of surprise flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by even fiercer fighting spirit. Following Luo Can's rhythm, she shifted into a posture more suited for "defense and counterattack" and pressed, "Then... what are you thinking?"

Luo Can's offensive suddenly intensified, a faint golden radiance spreading across his body as he said in a low voice, "With our current strength, we are far from capable of confronting a God King head-on. We must lie low and gather strength."

"Therefore, I am inclined to... clip his wings, sever his opportunities, strike him without pause, shatter his Dao heart, and delay his growth as much as possible, buying time for ourselves."

"Mm..." Qian Renxue let out a soft moan. She gave her all to withstand Luo Can's increasingly fierce "attack," managing only a few words between intervals. "All right... I'll listen to you."

After his "sparring" with Qian Renxue came to an end, Luo Can went to the lakeside.

The night was tranquil, and the lake shimmered beneath the moonlight.

He took out his fishing rod and skillfully cast the line into the water.

"Ten months..." Luo Can murmured as he gazed at the lake, urgency glimmering in his eyes.

"The plot is about to begin. During this time, I must raise the system authorization to Level Four, and the fishing spot needs another upgrade as well. There is not much time."

During the first two hours of Fishing, his gains differed little from usual. Most were pills, materials, and ordinary Soul Tools. Although there were quite a few black-quality items, nothing particularly eye-catching appeared.

Not until the seventh cast entered the water.

This cast took an exceptionally long time.

A full forty minutes passed after the hook sank beneath the surface, yet the fishing line remained completely still.

Rather than becoming impatient, Luo Can's eyes shone with anticipation.

The longer the wait, the greater the "harvest" usually was. With such a lengthy wait, it should at least be a red-quality treasure. Perhaps... he might even fish up another "living being."

Second by second, time slipped away, quickly surpassing one hour.

Then, at that very moment—

Bzzz!

The fishing rod in his hand suddenly jolted, and a heavy pulling force surged through it!

Luo Can's gaze sharpened. He instantly rose to his feet, shouted low, and pulled the rod back with all his strength!

Splash—!!!

A massive spray of water exploded as a slender figure burst from the lake along the fishing line, tracing an arc through the air before—

"Ow!"

A pained feminine cry rang out.

Luo Can focused his eyes and saw a young woman sitting on the grass some distance away.

She appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. She had long, smooth black hair and wore a well-tailored academy uniform in a style entirely unlike those of Tiandou or Star Luo. A pair of glasses rested on her nose, and behind the lenses were large, bright eyes, though they were currently misty with tears, making her look somewhat dazed.

Moonlight fell upon her lovely face and curvaceous figure, giving her a unique aura somewhere between a young girl's purity and the charm of a woman just entering maturity.

She seemed to have taken a hard fall. With one hand, she rubbed her aching backside, while with the other, she adjusted her glasses and looked around in confusion.

"W-where is this?" she muttered blankly. "I had clearly just completed my experiment and returned to my dormitory to rest. How did I..."

Her gaze finally landed on Luo Can, who stood not far away with a fishing rod in hand. Vigilance immediately rose within her. "Y-you... who are you?"

Luo Can was also examining the woman's information.

[Character: Ju Zi]

[Age: 19]

[Martial Soul: Ju Zi (Food System)]

[Level: Level 52 Spirit King (Level 5 Soul Engineer)]

[Spirit Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black]

[Introduction: A genius student of the Sun Moon Empire Royal Soul Master Academy; a born politician, military commander, and Soul Tool researcher. She lost her parents in war during childhood and was discovered and nurtured by Xu Tianran, the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire. She aspired to unify Douluo Continent and end the chaos of war. Her talent was peerless and her will unyielding, yet her fate was filled with misfortune. In her youth, she fell in love but could not obtain the one she loved. After taking control of power, her grand ambitions were ultimately reduced to nothing due to "the intervention of a God King." Throughout her life, she could not obtain what she sought, was parted from love, and saw her aspirations come to nothing.]

Ju Zi.

Luo Can looked at the information panel, then at the bespectacled girl on the grass, who was staring at him warily.

He knew her.

In the second part of Douluo Continent, Peerless Tang Sect, she was that ill-fated female "villain," Ju Zi.

She was not a villain in the conventional sense. She was merely a pitiful person pushed onward by the tides of her era and personal tragedy, trying to reshape the order of the world and end war, only to ultimately collide with "protagonist's plot armor" and "divine will."

Unfortunately, she had been born into the wrong "script" and encountered two people she should never have encountered—two absurdly overpowered cheats.

One was named Huo Yuhao, and the other was named Tang San. Her great ambitions, her love and hatred, every struggle and effort she made, all ultimately vanished into bubbles before "the will of the God King" and "the protagonist's plot armor."

Fate had given her supreme talent, but it had also given her the cruelest script.