Although he couldn't see very clearly inside the Inner Scene, among the scenes he had glimpsed was definitely a figure who looked like the girl before him...
"Your name isn't Zhu Zhuqing, is it?!"
Oscar felt dizzy. If the girl in front of him really was Dai Mubai's fiancée, then the next few years...
When Zhu Zhuqing heard Oscar say he was a student at Shrek Academy, her vision went dark too. She reached up to tuck back her hair, a strained smile at the corner of her mouth, and asked awkwardly:
"Um... has he mentioned me to you?"
Oscar truly didn't know how to answer that. Or rather... he couldn't.
Because of Sky Net, Oscar had known for a long time that Dai Mubai had a fiancée. And thanks to that earlier divination in the Inner Scene, he also knew how outstanding she was.
Last year, when he saw Dai Mubai frequenting the Rose Hotel and taking twins and triplets there whenever he felt like it, he had set aside time to have a serious talk with him.
At the time, Dai Mubai had said there was nothing wrong with having a little fun. He and those girls were trading favors, and neither side lost out.
As for his fiancée, Dai Mubai had said that although they were engaged, most of their contact was through letters. They had barely met at all—so rarely that he couldn't remember how many times they had seen each other.
When they were children, he had enjoyed it. But nearly three years had passed, and he had mostly forgotten what those days had been like.
Besides, he had made himself clear: he knew he was unlikely ever to return to the Star Luo Empire and compete with his elder brother for the throne. He and his fiancée would probably end up strangers. Even if he tried to force things, they would only hurt each other.
Hearing this, Oscar had naturally tried to talk him around for quite a while. Their conversation had only begun to wind down when Dai Mubai used the opportunity to sound him out about whether he would help seize the throne someday.
Of course, Oscar hadn't given him a direct answer. He had only asked what Dai Mubai would do if Zhu Zhuqing came looking for him one day.
But Dai Mubai had merely given a bitter smile and said Zhu Zhuqing's life wasn't in danger at the Duke Mansion, unlike his own—if he failed, he would die.
Unless something was wrong with her, there was no way she would come looking for him.
Oscar had given him a meaningful look at the time. But this was Dai Mubai's family business, and even as his senior fellow student, Oscar couldn't say much more.
Besides, he hated Dai Mubai trying to sound him out.
When it came down to it, what did it matter to him whether Dai Mubai became emperor or whether he and his fiancée ended up together?
With his Inner Scene divination and the techniques of Feng Hou Qi Gate, no matter how bad the world got, he could ensure that he and those around him stayed out of trouble.
Even without Dai Mubai, he would at most have to travel more slowly and endure more hardships. It would take longer to clear his parents' names, and longer to make sure ordinary people would no longer suffer what his parents had gone through.
So Oscar had been looking forward to seeing how Dai Mubai would try to fix things when his fiancée finally came after him.
But as the saying went, life was full of surprises. He'd been watching the drama unfold, never imagining that he would end up caught in it himself.
"He probably mentioned you. I can't remember."
Oscar's mouth felt a little dry. He casually changed the subject and handed Zhu Zhuqing a spoon.
"He must have mentioned me, or you wouldn't know my name."
The awkwardness at the corner of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth turned into a mischievous smile. She looked utterly adorable.
Oscar could tell that Zhu Zhuqing had probably been waiting for a reply from Dai Mubai all these years. After all, eyes didn't lie.
He could see how much she cared about Dai Mubai.
Comparing how the two of them had acted left Oscar feeling a little uncomfortable.
But he didn't explain himself. He just gave a helpless smile and ladled up some snake soup.
"Mmm, this tastes great."
Oscar praised it. He truly hadn't expected a pampered noblewoman to have such a talent for cooking.
"I'm glad you like it. I can cook for you when we get to Shrek Academy, too.
"Tell you what—do one thing for me, and we'll be even."
Zhu Zhuqing propped her chin on her hand as she spoke to Oscar.
"Go ahead. For a meal like this, I'd do several things for you."
Oscar sighed and agreed.
He said it was because of the meal, but only he knew what he was really thinking.
"When we get to Suotuo City, don't tell Dai Mubai I'm there. I want to see the places he usually goes and find out what he's been up to."
At that, Oscar could already picture Zhu Zhuqing running into Dai Mubai face-to-face and seeing him walk out of the Rose Hotel with his arms around a pair of twins.
He was just about to refuse when Sky Dream Ice Silkworm started shouting in his mind:
"Listen, Boss, you still haven't figured it out? This little girl has probably been pining for that womanizer all this time. She might well have been caught unprepared and fled in a hurry when she ran into trouble in the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Otherwise, if anything had happened in the Star Luo Empire, could your Sky Net—which has practically turned the whole empire into a sieve—not have heard about it?
"Dai Mubai made it safely to Suotuo City back then. Why couldn't she?
"I say you should let her see what Dai Mubai is really like. It wouldn't be fair to her otherwise!"
Oscar hesitated. On the one hand, he worried that the kindhearted but stubborn Zhu Zhuqing would be hurt.
On the other, he had known Dai Mubai for more than two years and understood his nature by now. The guy was loyal to his friends and generally decent, but he was also a seasoned lady-killer, with one trick after another for deceiving young women.
Pure-hearted Zhu Zhuqing had dared to travel alone through the Star Dou Great Forest toward the Heaven Dou Empire. Against a seasoned womanizer like Dai Mubai, she wouldn't stand a chance.
At last, Oscar sighed. There was no way to have it all!
"Fine, I promise. We'll head back to Suotuo City tomorrow."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes curved into a beautiful smile. She happily ate snake soup with Oscar, still unaware of what awaited her in Suotuo City.
Before long, it was the next day. Zhu Zhuqing had a Storage Soul Guidance Device, but it held barely any clothes. After fleeing all this way, the few outfits she'd brought were looking terribly shabby.
So, after binding her ample chest and putting on Oscar's clothes, she was perfectly disguised as a boy.
The only unfortunate thing was that Oscar had originally come to the Star Dou Great Forest for the Blue Silver King, but was now returning with a girl in his clothes, disguised as a boy.
Thinking of this, Oscar shook his head and thought:
"I suppose I can only wait for news from Uncle Li. Hopefully, it'll be good news."
Ever since that inquiry in the Inner Scene, he had known about the connection between the Blue Silver Emperor, the Blue Silver King, and Tang San. Once Sky Net was up and running, he had shared this information with several of its senior members and had a special investigation launched.
Since the Blue Silver Emperor was in such poor condition, it clearly couldn't help Tang San for now. Oscar had asked Li Jianqiu to send several merchants to observe Clear Sky Douluo from a distance near Holy Soul Village, planning to proceed gradually.
As for the Blue Silver King, Oscar had made sure it received special attention. Unfortunately, although Sky Net was good at gathering intelligence, its members were generally weak. The beast-gathering grounds weren't impossible to enter, but the investigation had nearly ground to a halt.
Tang San was nearing the time when he would leave school. Worried that he would still decide to attend Shrek Academy, Oscar had no choice but to take action himself.
Before you continue