The Truth Doesn't Matter

In Xiaoyao Pavilion, Kong Deming was designing a new Soul Tool.

Xu Yanli walked over to him, sat down, and watched the Soul Tool in his hands.

Xu Yanli waited for quite a while, until Kong Deming finished engraving the Soul Tool array he was working on.

Xu Yanli slowly picked up a glass of water beside him. After taking a slow sip, he said, "Today I met a senior from Shrek Academy. Her Martial Soul seemed a lot like yours. She had the Silver Moon Martial Soul too."

Kong Deming had been perfectly calm, but when he heard the words "Silver Moon Martial Soul," his expression froze, disbelief written all over his face.

Confusion flickered in his eyes first, followed by shock, astonishment, and utter disbelief.

Xu Yanli took another sip of water, watching the changes in Kong Deming's expression.

Xu Yanli spoke up. "The Silver Moon Martial Soul only appears in our Sun Moon Empire, right? And it only appears in your Kong Family and our imperial family, correct?"

Kong Deming nodded and said in a somewhat hoarse voice, "Yes. All these years, there's only been one exception: your mother. Her Martial Soul..."

Kong Deming paused and said no more. He only shook his head and continued, "I can only tell you that your mother was driven into the Sun Moon Empire by the Star Luo Empire. Later..."

Xu Yanli paused. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he asked, "What happened?"

Kong Deming studied Xu Yanli's expression, then sighed. "Angel. Your mother's second Martial Soul was the Six-Winged Angel. They say it was a return to her ancestors, and then her younger brother saw it."

A glint flashed in Xu Yanli's eyes. It seemed his guess had been right: the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul had been persecuted across the Douluo Continent all along.

"All right, let's not talk about that. The Silver Moon Martial Soul really can only appear in our Kong Family. I once had a younger sister who awakened with 1st-level Soul Power, but later she ran away from home." Kong Deming sighed.

Xu Yanli nodded. "Looks like there really is a connection."

Sitting in the chair beside him, Xu Yanli let a barely perceptible glimmer flash deep in his eyes.

This is getting more interesting, isn't it?

He'd had his suspicions before, but now that they were confirmed, everything had gotten a little more fun.

Who was Zhang Lexuan? She was the undisputed top student of Shrek Academy's inner court.

Shrek Academy really was quite open-minded, wasn't it? Someone with such obvious ties to the Sun Moon Empire...

But she was powerful, and she was already at Shrek Academy. She also seemed to have tremendous prestige and status, and was a key focus of the inner court's core development. If he could make use of their blood ties...

It might be a little unfair to her, but if she were willing to come to the Sun Moon Empire, she might have a brighter future here.

Watching the changing expressions on his disciple's face, Kong Deming sighed heavily, his own expression turning somewhat helpless.

This boy was only a little kinder than Xu Tianran, but otherwise he was a born member of the imperial family!

What a shame he had no desire to become emperor, and had Star Luo Empire blood in him too. Otherwise, if they pushed him forward as emperor, maybe he could lead the Sun Moon Empire to new heights.

Xu Yanli was silent for a moment before saying, "Teacher, remember this: from today onward, your sister was discovered by Shrek Academy, then killed by Xuan Zi. In the end, Zhang Lexuan's entire Zhang Family was wiped out."

Kong Deming froze. "Th-this..."

"The truth doesn't matter. What matters is making everyone believe it..." Xu Yanli said quietly. "We have to prepare for the worst. If she isn't willing to return to the Sun Moon Empire, we can't leave Shrek Academy with such a powerful fighter."

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I understand," Kong Deming sighed. "As a minister of the Sun Moon Empire, I understand that much."

Seeing his expression, Xu Yanli said without thinking, "Don't worry. I'll do my best to bring her back alive."

Kong Deming thanked him.

Xu Yanli nodded, then seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, how's that boy Huo Yuhao doing?"

A satisfied look appeared on Kong Deming's face. "His Martial Soul seems practically made for our Soul Tools, and he has an exceptional talent for Soul Tools. His cultivation talent is a little lacking, but after taking the Black Tortoise God Pill, he's already reached level 16."

Xu Yanli nodded with satisfaction. "Looks like he absorbed it well. Teacher, how's your cultivation going?"

At that, Kong Deming's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Ever since your Soul Skill treated me last time, my meridians have clearly been able to cultivate again. They were blocked before."

Xu Yanli looked him over. "I'll treat you again in a bit, but you need to put your work on Soul Tools aside and focus on cultivating. If I'm not mistaken, there's still the youth elite tournament after we leave. Shrek Academy isn't easy to deal with. When necessary, they don't play fair."

Xu Yanli suddenly stood up, fully revealing his Martial Soul behind him, no longer keeping it hidden.

That dazzling Angel looked like a god from the heavens.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Moon Tide: Prayer of Peace." The moonlight slowly expanded, and a rich radiance flowed into Kong Deming's meridians.

Back when Xu Yanli was reading books, he'd always thought that healing-type Soul Masters could heal every kind of injury. But when he began cultivating, he discovered that wasn't the case...

Some injuries could only be treated with specific healing Soul Skills, such as problems with the meridians.

After Xu Yanli had bathed all of Kong Deming's meridians in its light, he slowly sat back down. He took a sip of water, then left and returned to Shrek Academy.

Dormitory.

"You're finally back, Brother Yanli. We got a new homeroom teacher. They switched her with the teacher from the neighboring class. I feel bad for those students next door. Poor things," Tang Ling said with a sigh.

"The neighboring class... is that the one with the son of the Duke of White Tiger?" Xu Yanli asked, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah. There are quite a few nobles among the students in that class. Do you think Zhou Yi will still be so domineering?" Tang Ling asked, lying on his bed and yawning.

Xu Yanli glanced at him, pulled the screen shut, and only then said slowly, "She will. Why wouldn't she? That woman's got a powerful backer."

"Tsk. Teachers who get in through connections are disgusting," Tang Ling said in some despair. "Still, I hope the neighboring class kicks up a fuss too."

Xu Yanli began circulating his Soul Power to cultivate. Hearing that, he chuckled and said, "They might not dare."