The Nest-Guarding Cat

"Yehui is the elder you appointed?"

Yuanen Tianshang spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but with a hint of pressure, "When did this happen? As her second uncle, I haven't heard her mention it."

"She didn't know until tonight," Yun Jingheng said.

He glanced at Yuanen Yehui.

Then he looked at Yuanen Tianshang again. "But Shrek needs her. She is one of the Shrek Seven Devils. If you take her back just to visit family or something, why would I stop you? But if you want to lock her up or seal her up, then I won't let her go."

"If you're so capable, let Yuanen Zhentian come and argue with me."

When Yun Jingheng uttered those words, his voice was soft, even somewhat lazy.

Yuanen Tianshang's expression changed completely.

He could tell it was a notification.

If the Yuanen Family still harbors the idea of "taking this girl back and locking her up," then they shouldn't send the second uncle; they should send the clan head directly.

Even if the clan chief came, he might not be able to take the people away from this city.

Yuanen Tianshang stared at him. For the first time, he felt that dealing with people of Yun Ming's generation was already difficult, but dealing with this person in front of him was even more difficult.

Yun Ming will also talk to you about principles and boundaries.

Yun Jingheng: No, he'll first throw a line at you, then ask if you dare to step across it. If you do, you'll get a slap.

"Pavilion Master, do you want to break ties with the entire Yuanen Family?" Yuanen Tianshang's voice was already extremely low.

"I never thought about it."

Yun Jingheng said, "If I wanted to tear this apart, I wouldn't be standing here tonight, talking to you so much."

"Yehui is not your bargaining chip. She is one of Shrek's people. If she wants to go home, I will personally send her back. If she doesn't want to, no one can force her. No matter how big your Yuanen Family is, it can't be bigger than where a person wants to stand."

He spoke very slowly, each word seeming to have passed through his mind.

Yuanen Yehui stood behind him, her fingers trembling slightly inside her sleeve.

Xie Xie gently took his hand.

"Perhaps I'm being nosy?"

Yun Jingheng raised an eyebrow, as if seriously considering the question, then nodded decisively, "Yes, so what if it's broad? If I don't protect the people of my Sea God Pavilion, who will?"

"Your Yuanen Family cares about face, but I, Yun Jingheng, don't? If you can't even distinguish between face and people, then don't blame me for putting my words out in the open."

"Yuanen Yehui, I'll protect her. If you want to take her back and lock her up, then call Yuanen Zhentian here. I, Yun Jingheng, will wait for him at the Sea God Pavilion and see if he can break through my counterattack."

He spoke with great conviction.

Xu Xiaoyan behind him was practically staring a hole through his back.

Ye Xinglan and Gu Yuena stood at the back.

Neither of them spoke; Ye Xinglan merely looked away slightly.

Gu Yuena clicked her tongue softly and said in a voice only Ye Xinglan could hear, "He's most human at times like this."

Ye Xinglan gave a very slight smile.

Yuanen Tianshang remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he suddenly said, "Pavilion Master, it's just as rumored."

Yun Jingheng responded with a soft "Hmm?"

Yuanen Tianshang slowly said, "Arrogant and protective of his own. He doesn't seem like the Sea God Pavilion, more like..."

He paused, as if choosing a precise and ruthless word, and then said, "Like a cat guarding its nest."

Yun Jingheng's expression froze, and the room fell silent for half a second.

Then Xie Xie couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

Xu Xiaoyan and Ye Xinglan both chuckled, Gu Yuena smiled slightly.

Even Yun Jingheng himself almost choked.

He opened his mouth as if to refute, but then he noticed that Yuanen Tianshang was still standing there, with an expression that said, "I'm giving a serious evaluation."

He took a deep breath and said, "A cat is fine. As long as I can protect it."

Yuanen Tianshang nodded, and even added, "It can indeed protect them. It's just that the claws are too conspicuous."

Yun Jingheng was completely speechless.

Yuanen Tianshang dared not fight.

He didn't pursue the matter further, simply waving his hand. "Alright. If I find you wandering around the city again in the middle of the night, I'll really arrest you as a spy."

Yuanen Tianshang didn't say anything, but simply sat back down.

Yun Jingheng turned and left.

The crowd followed.

After taking a few steps, Xie Xie suppressed a laugh and whispered, "Pavilion Master Cat."

Yun Jingheng didn't even turn his head. "Get lost."

Xie Xie couldn't stop laughing.

Even Yuanen Yehui smiled through her tears.

But the next day...

Yun Jingheng squinted as he observed the burly man opposite him.

"You are... Tai Tan Douluo - Yuanen Zhentian?"

"It is indeed I." The old man's voice was not loud, but it was like a boulder rolling down from the mountain, so heavy that it made one's chest feel heavy.

He was also looking at Yun Jingheng.

After a moment, he said, "You're younger than I thought."

Yun Jingheng said, "If we start fighting, we won't be young anymore."

Yuanen Zhentian actually smiled.

"So, Your Majesty Tai Tan, what brings you here?"

"I came not to fight."

Yun Jingheng said, "Well, that depends on whether you're here to bring someone along."

The two faced off in mid-air.

There were no Soul Ring, no Martial Soul, only two auras like invisible waves, pushing outwards layer by layer.

On the ground stood a group of Titled Douluo.

Xie Xie tilted his head back, his throat tightening, and stood firmly in front of Yuanen Yehui.

Yuanen Yehui looked at the two figures in the sky and felt that he had never been pulled by two forces at the same time as he was now.

Yun Ming moved a table downstairs and sat down, slowly sipping his tea.

Ya Li walked over, looked at the sky, then at him, and slapped him hard across the face. "Aren't you going?"

Yun Ming retorted, "He's not a child. He's the head of Shrek Academy. All I need to do now is obey the Pavilion Master's orders."

Ya Li snorted and didn't ask any more questions.

Yuanen Zhentian stood with his hands behind his back in mid-air, his gray-white old robe remaining perfectly still in the wind.

His figure was so broad that it seemed as if he weighed down half the sky behind him.

He stared at Yun Jingheng for a long while before slowly saying, "You told the second brother last night that you wanted me to come in person. My coming doesn't mean I'll let a new Pavilion Master like you dominate me."

As he spoke, he raised one hand, palm up.

The sunlight seemed to be drawn away from all directions by that hand, and even the dust in the north of the city began to swirl in the same place; it was pure momentum.

Yun Jingheng raised an eyebrow and smiled gently.

His figure blurred, and by the time he was in front of Yun Jingheng, his fist had already landed.

It was a very heavy punch, like an entire mountain falling from mid-air.

Yun Jingheng casually raised his hand and slapped it.

Fist and palm collided with a loud boom, creating a visible ripple in mid-air.

The dust on the ground seemed to be pushed aside from the center by an invisible hand, causing several newly laid stone slabs to slightly warp.

Everyone felt a sudden chill in the air above them.

Then they saw Yuanen Zhentian bounce backward.

He kept his arms in a blocking position, but his old gray robe was billowing in the wind, and his body fell uncontrollably toward the ground.

When he was still several feet off the ground, he suddenly flipped over and slammed his feet into the ground.

Two deep trenches were blasted open in the ground.

He stumbled back several steps, each step making the entire street tremble.

Finally, he knelt down, placing one hand on the ground.

The soil and rocks split open between his fingers like a spider web.

He didn't get up, but slowly raised his head and looked up at the sky.

Yun Jingheng remained in the same spot, without moving.

He stood with one hand behind his back, looking down at the viewer.

His physical body, Soul Power, and spirit had already surpassed the limits of Limit Douluo could measure after the Fifth Trial.

He was just one final test away from taking that step, and he only used 30% of his strength in that palm strike.

Yuanen Zhentian slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

He looked down at the split between his thumb and forefinger.

The blood dried in the wind before it even flowed out.

He said slowly, "Your body... has already reached the level of Quasi-God."

Yun Jingheng hummed in agreement.

On the ground, Yun Ming calmly took a sip of tea.

Yuanen Zhentian slowly stood up and did not make another move.

To fight again would only bring shame upon ourselves.

This young man was no longer someone from the same region as him.

He had taken most of that step.

But Yuanen Zhentian was still standing on this side of the mountain.

Yun Jingheng said, "I'll say it again, Yehui, I'll protect you. If you want to see her, I won't stop you. But if you want to take her away, you need her permission. Otherwise, I won't hold back next time."

Yuanen Zhentian did not answer; he simply looked at her.

The granddaughter who stood in the crowd, her eyes red, yet did not back down.

After a long silence, he nodded.

"Then let me talk to her."

Let's chat.