"Really? It must be about my Soul Ring," Bei Bei said with a smile as he got out of bed. His cultivation was no secret to Mu En and the others.
"Whatever happens, put your own safety first. It doesn't matter if you fail, as long as you come back safe and sound." Zhang Lexuan stepped forward and straightened Bei Bei's collar.
There was concern in her voice. She clearly knew he was preparing for his Martial Soul Evolution, but there was little she could do to help, so all she could do was remind him to be careful.
"Don't worry! When have you ever known me to fail?" Bei Bei stood there calmly, straight as a pine, a smile on his face.
Bei Bei slipped an arm around Zhang Lexuan's slender, supple waist and pulled her into his embrace. With an assertive air, he kissed her red lips, lingering over them tenderly.
Zhang Lexuan's body tensed involuntarily. As she felt Bei Bei's warm, sunny presence, the world around them seemed to fall silent, as if time itself had stopped.
Bei Bei's hands gently caressed her waist. The tender, affectionate touch made her catch her breath.
Before long, Zhang Lexuan's face had flushed red, and she was struggling to breathe.
Only then did Bei Bei let her go. Looking at her bashful expression, he leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Wait for me to come back."
"Mm." Zhang Lexuan gave a slight nod, the sound that escaped her lips barely audible.
If the Inner Court students saw their revered Grand Sister acting so much like a shy young woman, their jaws would hit the floor.
Only after Bei Bei had left did Zhang Lexuan let out a long breath. Recalling what had just happened, she flushed again and shyly covered her warm cheeks with her hands.
Bei Bei left the room and headed toward the Golden Ancient Tree.
When he reached the Golden Ancient Tree, he saw Mu En.
Even though Mu En had made a full recovery, he was still accustomed to lying on the recliner made from one of the Golden Ancient Tree's branches.
Beside him stood a petite figure.
"Tang Ya! What brings you here?" Bei Bei's words sounded like a question, but his eyes showed that he already knew the answer.
"My parents were killed by a sect. They even seized the Tang Sect's entire estate." Tang Ya's voice was hoarse, her eyes red and brimming with tears. Yet she forced herself to hold on, not letting them fall.
Bei Bei showed little reaction. He had already expected this.
"I went to the powers that had once been on good terms with the Tang Sect, but every one of them turned me away. Even the Clear Sky Sect wouldn't see me. I have nowhere else to go, so I could only come to Shrek Academy," Tang Ya said softly.
Tang Ya had said only a few words, but everyone could hear from her voice how difficult her journey had been.
A little girl of just ten years old, left homeless and with no one to rely on after her parents died.
No one knew how many places she had gone before reaching Shrek Academy, or how many cold shoulders and cutting remarks she had endured.
It was cruel enough to break any young girl, yet she hadn't fallen apart. That showed just how strong her convictions were.
Bei Bei could tell that these experiences had indeed affected Tang Ya, giving rise to a trace of darkness in her heart—though that might also have been due to her innate talent.
"So you need us to help you get revenge and reclaim the Tang Sect's estate?" Bei Bei asked.
"No. I'll get my revenge myself." Tang Ya's delicate features twisted into a grimace. The murder of her parents was a blood debt that could never be shared; she didn't want anyone else to take revenge for her.
"I want to enter Shrek Academy and grow stronger," Tang Ya said. "I'll reclaim the Tang Sect's estate with my own hands. I'll bring the Tang Sect back to life and make its Hidden Weapons shine once more."
"Those things you've said contradict each other." Bei Bei shook his head slightly. "With your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, you're destined never to become a powerful Soul Master. Unless you abandon the Tang Sect's rigid adherence to old ways, it can't be revived. And unless you embrace Soul Tools and transform your Hidden Weapons, the Tang Sect's Hidden Weapons can never flourish."
Bei Bei's words sharply exposed the flaws in both Tang Ya and the Tang Sect.
"No. The first sect master of the Tang Sect had a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, yet he eventually became a god. You should know that," Tang Ya insisted.
"First, Tang San possessed Twin Martial Souls. His Second Martial Soul was the top-tier weapon Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer. Second, his First Martial Soul wasn't Blue Silver Grass, but the top-tier Plant-type Martial Soul, the Blue Silver Emperor." Bei Bei's words peeled back layer after layer of the truth Tang Ya had long avoided facing.
Tang Ya grew paler and paler. She bit her lower lip. Her obsession with reviving the Tang Sect had always been the conviction that kept her going.
Bei Bei continued, "The Tang Sect's successive sect masters blindly worshipped the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and basked in hollow glory. As a result, the Tang Sect never developed a stable, powerful Martial Soul inheritance..."
"No... that's not true." Tang Ya shook her head, her pupils contracting. Deep down, she didn't want to admit it, but the cruel reality left her no choice.
The worldview her father had instilled in her began to crumble, and Tang Ya's thoughts grew chaotic.
"The Tang Sect's inheritance... and its Hidden Weapons..." Tang Ya's lips trembled as she tried to argue against Bei Bei's words.
Just then, a gentle, warm light radiated from Mu En and enveloped Tang Ya, easing her agitation at once.
"Xiao Ya, you must be exhausted after such a long journey. Go get some rest. We can talk about everything tomorrow," Mu En said.
He interrupted Bei Bei and Tang Ya's conversation. His voice was gentle and kind, and it immediately soothed her.
Tang Ya's eyes dimmed. Looking utterly lost, she turned and walked away.
After she had gone some distance, Mu En looked at Bei Bei helplessly.
He had thought they had met before and that Bei Bei would be able to comfort her. He hadn't expected Bei Bei to lay everything bare, nearly driving her to the brink of a breakdown.
"Bei Bei, she's still young. Why put her under so much pressure?" Mu En said softly.
Tang Ya had endured so many upheavals in such a short time. She was already exhausted in both body and mind, and now she had to face such a cruel truth. It was hard for her to bear the blow.
"I only told her the truth." Bei Bei didn't think he'd done anything wrong. "If she wants to wear the crown, she must bear its weight. Since she's chosen to take over as sect master of the Tang Sect, she'd best let go of those delusions."
Bei Bei continued, "Besides, I wasn't just making cynical remarks. I've already told her how to solve the problem. The choice is hers. Will she keep following the Tang Sect's old path, or accept the changes of the new era? It's all up to her."
Bei Bei's thinking was simple: he had explained the solution. How she chose to proceed, and which path she took, was up to her.