The Jiang Siblings! A Fated Sky!

"Oh? Is that so?"

Jiang Nannan looked at him with deep, lingering eyes, her voice carrying a trace of faint, indistinct reproach.

"Then why did you sell the house back home? I thought you'd eloped with some young girl."

Her tone was filled with blame, yet a flicker of lingering fear flashed in the depths of her eyes.

When she had returned home from Shrek Academy for the holidays and saw that Jiang Yi had even sold the house, she had assumed he was being coerced by someone.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a misunderstanding, but not seeing Jiang Yi's figure had left her feeling uneasy nonetheless.

"Hehe, Sister Nannan, you know me. My Martial Soul is special, and that guy Xiao Lan is just too much of a glutton..."

Jiang Yi spread his hands helplessly, his face full of innocence.

To boost the strength of his Gale Thunder Falcon, he had spent a small fortune buying several portions of beast blood to refine its bloodline and increase its cultivation speed.

As for the house, he was on his own anyway, and since he planned to apply to Shrek Academy, there was no point in keeping it.

Even if he returned home occasionally, couldn't he just stay at Jiang Nannan's place?

"Hmph! Don't let it happen again!"

Jiang Nannan glared at him and reached out to pinch his ear; the force was light, but it carried a warning tone.

"Did you hear me?"

Although they were not biological siblings, they had grown up together, and she truly regarded Jiang Yi as her own younger brother.

Furthermore, thanks to some obscure folk remedy Jiang Yi had provided, her mother's health had been improving steadily over the years.

She felt both deep affection and gratitude toward this brother of hers.

It was good that he had come to Shrek Academy; at least they could look out for each other.

"I heard you! Sister Nannan! I promise to notify you next time I need to go to the bathroom!"

Jiang Yi nodded repeatedly, offering a sheepish grin.

Original story or not, after spending all these years on the Douluo Continent, he had long since integrated into life here.

To him, the Jiang Nannan before him was not the character from the original work, but his own dear sister.

This time, he would not let his sister be ruined by Xu Sanshi as she was in the original story, nor would he let that man feign deep affection for her.

"Always with the glib tongue! Who wants to go to the bathroom with you..."

Jiang Nannan couldn't help but laugh at his antics, letting go of his ear and rolling her eyes at him in amusement.

This fool only knew how to sweet-talk her; she wondered how many girls would be deceived by his mouth in the future.

Even so, her clear, beautiful eyes were filled with smiles, her youthful charm truly breathtaking.

"By the way, have you registered your Soul Master status at the academy yet?"

Jiang Nannan suddenly clapped her hands, the cool beauty transforming into a little miser as she began counting on her fingers.

"Based on your cultivation level, you should be able to collect six Gold Soul Coins every month..."

"I haven't had the chance to register yet."

Jiang Yi shook his head; things had been quite busy since the start of the term.

After Martial Soul Hall was gone, the major empires hadn't established a dedicated agency, instead delegating the responsibility of registering Soul Masters to various local academies.

The Soul Master allowance still existed, provided one was enrolled, though there was no way to claim it if one failed the entrance exam.

Moreover, due to the increase in the number of Soul Masters, the subsidies had decreased significantly.

"Then I'll take you to register. It's almost the end of the month, so we can collect another portion in a few days..."

Whenever money was mentioned, Jiang Nannan seemed like a different person; her eyes sparkled, and she seemed to have endless energy.

"Right, at Shrek, if anything happens in the future, remember to come find me! No one from the Jiang family is allowed to be bullied by others."

"You got it, Sister Nannan!"

"..."

The two walked away hand in hand, disappearing into the flow of people on the street.

In the distance, the setting sun dipped below the horizon, their shadows overlapping like a warm silhouette.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop, two other figures were still wrestling.

"Let go of me--! They're going to leave!"

"No--"

"Bei Bei, you're not human!"

"...I'm sorry."

"Is 'sorry' useful!!! Let go!!!"

"I won't."

"..."

A gentle breeze brushed past, scattering the final remnants of the commotion.

Up in the attic, nothing remained but the sound of heavy panting and the shattered hearts of young men strewn across the floor.

Bei Bei held onto Xu Sanshi with a death grip; the two were completely tangled together, feet hooked and hands locked.

He looked at the exhausted Xu Sanshi, himself gasping for air, yet a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Xiao Ya, I did my best!

At a side gate of the Shrek outer courtyard, two figures emerged from within.

"Thank you, Teacher Yang!"

Jiang Nannan thanked the teacher on duty; they had nearly missed him before he clocked out.

Afterward, she turned to look at Jiang Yi, offering instructions as if she couldn't quite set her mind at ease.

"Spend what you need, don't skimp. You're at the age where you're still growing; if you run out of money, just come to me."

As she spoke, she pulled a small pouch from her bosom, tucked the few Gold Soul Coins she had just received inside, and pressed it into his palm.

The pouch was somewhat worn, with a tiny orchid embroidered on the corner. The stitches were fine and dense—she had sewn it herself.

"Sister Nannan..."

Jiang Yi took the pouch and opened it to take a look.

There wasn't much money inside; most of it was Copper Soul Coins, with only a lonely few Gold Soul Coins among them.

Yet, his palm felt warm.

Consumption at Shrek was exorbitant, and Jiang Nannan herself was not wealthy; both of them were penniless.

"Take it. You've just arrived at the academy, and you'll need money for everything. I have other ways to get by, and I'll be able to collect my stipend again soon."

Jiang Nannan shoved the pouch firmly into his hand and patted her chest with a grand, heroic air, looking every bit the "big sister who isn't short on cash."

Aside from what she sent home, this money was all she had saved through frugality, supplemented by the odd commission tasks she took on.

"Mm."

Jiang Yi didn't decline again, simply nodding in silence.

Given their relationship, refusing would only hurt Jiang Nannan's feelings.

"That's more like it!"

Jiang Nannan smiled with satisfaction, her eyes curving into crescents.

She reached out to ruffle Jiang Yi's hair, her movements entirely natural, and only after giving it a good tousle did she wave goodbye.

"Sister is heading off now! I still have some coursework to finish."

"Mm, Sister Nannan! Goodbye!"

Jiang Yi waved back, watching the young girl's figure gradually dissolve into the sunset in the distance.

"Sigh—!"

Once Jiang Nannan had disappeared, Jiang Yi withdrew his gaze and weighed the pouch in his hand, feeling both helpless and touched.

What a silly sister...

In truth, he had money! Along the way, he had encountered quite a few bandits and highwaymen, acquiring a windfall of wealth.

Moreover, to thank him for his intervention, Bei Bei had given him a generous reward; even the storage Soul Tool he currently possessed was a gift from Bei Bei.

Ahem...

Jiang Yi coughed lightly in his heart.

Looking at it this way, cuckolding Bei Bei seemed a bit immoral, but one thing was one thing, and another was another.

He was the passive party in all of this.

Besides, he hadn't even agreed to Tang Ya yet. Joining the Tang Sect was one thing, but if Tang Ya were to throw herself at him, he doubted he could hold out.

Jiang Yi never overestimated his own willpower; when a beautiful young girl delivered herself to his doorstep, it was hard to keep his composure.

"Forget it, let nature take its course."

Jiang Yi shook his head, no longer dwelling on these trivial matters.

Romance and love were, in the end, merely condiments. As long as his strength was sufficiently formidable, even if he were to capture Xiao Wu, Tang San could just stand outside the door and play his flute.

He tucked the pouch away and turned to walk in a certain direction; he still needed to buy some snacks for Xiao Lan.

Improving his strength was what mattered most!