Tang Ya's "hopeful" invitation to join the Tang Sect.
It was like dropping a depth charge into a peaceful lake.
A towering wave of snark erupted in Lin Ciyan's mind.
His inner monologue was going wild, but outwardly, Lin Ciyan only paused for a moment before slipping back into his usual languid, slightly aloof expression.
He slowly swallowed his food and wiped the corner of his mouth. Only then did he look up at Tang Ya and ask in an even tone:
"The Tang Sect?" He deliberately drew out the words, feigning just the right amount of confusion.
"Classmate Tang Ya, in what capacity are you inviting me to join this... well, rather historic organization, here in the Shrek Academy cafeteria?"
Tang Ya seemed not to have heard the implication in his words—or perhaps she simply chose to ignore it. She held on to her fragile resolve and explained, "I'm the current sect master of the Tang Sect! Although... although I'm the only one left in the Tang Sect for now, we have a legacy stretching back ten thousand years, and the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record left behind by our ancestor, Tang San!"
"You've heard of the glorious deeds of our ancestor, Sea God Tang San, haven't you? Wouldn't it be wonderful to join the Tang Sect and restore its former glory?"
"Glorious deeds"? "Restore its former glory"?
Lin Ciyan felt his stomach starting to ache again.
That rose-tinted filter had to be thicker than the Sea God Divine Armor!
A smile that wasn't quite a smile crossed his face. His gaze swept over Tang Ya, then flicked to Bei Bei, who looked a little awkward and tense. His voice remained unhurried, yet carried an invisible pressure:
"Master Tang, first of all, we're all students at Shrek Academy. Isn't it a little premature to talk about joining a sect?"
"Second, setting aside that identity..." He paused, his voice clear and steady.
"I, Lin Ciyan, am from Sea God Island and studied under Mu En."
"To put it more plainly, I'm a core direct-line heir of Shrek, chosen in advance."
He turned his gaze to Bei Bei and gestured toward him. "Bei Bei is the same."
"Our roots are in Shrek, in Sea God Pavilion."
Sea God Island, Mu En, core direct-line heir!
Each of those words landed on Tang Ya's heart like a heavy hammer.
The color drained from her face at a visible speed, leaving it as pale as paper.
Only now did she realize how naïve and wishful her earlier thinking had been.
That was right. Just what kind of geniuses were Lin Ciyan and Bei Bei?
The Soul Power pressure and steady bearing they let slip without even trying were far beyond those of ordinary students.
Wasn't that why she had been willing to spend time with Bei Bei? She'd seen his potential and background and hoped to borrow his strength to revive the Tang Sect.
She was a Blue Silver Grass Soul Master who had only just suffered the destruction of her sect, with talent that was no better than average.
Apart from a reasonably pretty face and the empty title of "Tang Sect Master"—
what did she have that could attract such heaven-blessed prodigies?
Had she really expected the Tang Sect's future and the possibility of using her beauty to bind two direct-line geniuses whom Shrek was pouring its resources into training?
It was like the CEO of a company on the brink of bankruptcy showing up at a Fortune 500 company's annual gala, asking the heir to give up a fortune to start from scratch with her—and promising that an IPO was just around the corner.
Absurd didn't begin to cover it!
Lin Ciyan was even internally tearing into the original story: Bei Bei was Mu En's great-grandson, a fourth-generation core member of Sea God Pavilion, and a textbook Shrek princeling.
In any normal family, if the elders discovered that their heir had been smitten with a girl of unknown origin, burdened by a blood feud, and dragging along a fallen sect as dead weight, they would've intervened long ago, wouldn't they?
And they'd just let him join the Tang Sect? The logic of this plot was so warped, it had to be dumbing everyone down just to force the pairing!
The harshness of reality doused Tang Ya like a bucket of ice water, snapping her back to her senses and filling her with unbearable embarrassment and inferiority.
The class divide and real-world barriers she'd been deliberately ignoring had been torn open with a casual remark from Lin Ciyan and laid bare before her, bloody and raw.
"I... I'm sorry..." Tang Ya's voice caught in her throat. Her bright eyes quickly clouded with tears as she bowed deeply to Lin Ciyan. "I... I overstepped. I'm sorry to have bothered you."
After that, she could no longer bear the awkwardness and shame. She turned and hurried away, her back looking especially slight and unsteady.
"Xiao Ya!" Seeing this, Bei Bei's heart ached. He instinctively ran after her.
Watching the two of them leave, one after the other, Lin Ciyan leisurely picked up a fruit and took a bite.
At the same time, a condensed, precisely controlled pulse of Soul Power silently caught up with Bei Bei and sent Lin Ciyan's words straight into his ears:
"This is the perfect time to show her how gentle and considerate you are, and take advantage of her vulnerability... I mean, be there for her when she needs you."
"That's all the wingman service I can provide, buddy. The rest is up to your own intuition. Your wingman is officially on the job!"
Bei Bei, who had been about to go after Tang Ya, abruptly stopped in his tracks. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, then gave way to a complicated expression.
He looked back at Lin Ciyan, gratitude, reproach, and anxiety mingling in his eyes. At last, his expression turned resolute. He nodded firmly and sped off in the direction Tang Ya had disappeared.
(Bei Bei's inner thoughts: Brother Lin, you sure are something as a wingman... Thanks a lot! But we're not done talking about you making Xiao Ya cry!)
Lin Ciyan contentedly withdrew the wisp of Soul Power he'd used to transmit his message and gave himself a thumbs-up for his precise control.
A good deed done, with no credit claimed. Just another day at the office.
Bei Bei, Bei Bei.
Would he come to his senses in time, or sink ever deeper into this "Dragon-Binding Rope"? That was up to fate.
The campaign to save his lovesick brother was a long road, indeed...
But what did that have to do with him?
Nothing mattered more than food!
If you weren't enthusiastic about eating, something was wrong with your brain.
He turned his attention back to his plate and enjoyed his meal, as if the little incident from just now had never happened.
After polishing off the last of the food on his plate, he stretched comfortably.
All right, his stomach was full. Next, he had to think about today's "slacking off"—ahem, his cultivation plans.
The Outer Court was huge and full of people. Where could he go to quietly "slack off," while also "showing off" without making it obvious and picking up a little Slacking Value and influence along the way?
Forget it. Thinking about it was a headache.
He decisively gave up on planning. Better to head back and cuddle Xiyao to recharge first. Five minutes of charging... Though it probably wouldn't last for two hours, at least it would put him in a better mood.
Once he'd made up his mind, Lin Ciyan ambled back to Building Jia Room 301.
He shut the door, cutting off the bustle outside, then immediately flopped onto his bed and let his consciousness sink into his Sea of Consciousness.
The golden sea of spirit was warm and peaceful. Xiyao's figure took shape almost the moment he arrived.
Like a little swallow returning to its nest, Xiyao flew into his arms and nuzzled her cheek against his chest.
"Ci Yan..." Her voice was full of trust, with a hint of worry she could hardly hide. "Outside... lots of people."
"Mm. It's the start of term. Shrek City's packed like dumplings in a pot right now." Lin Ciyan held her, savoring the pure sense of peace as he explained casually. "The Outer Court probably won't be quiet again for a while."
Xiyao looked up at him, her golden eyes clear. "I can tell you don't like that... blue-haired girl." She meant Tang Ya. "There's something strange about her. It makes me uncomfortable. Ci Yan, be careful."
Lin Ciyan's heart stirred. Even Xiyao had noticed?
It seemed that something "off" about Tang Ya was more obvious than he'd thought.
He patted Xiyao's back soothingly and kept his tone light:
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. A worthless promise from a fallen sect isn't going to rope me in."
"Your big brother Ci Yan here is most afraid of trouble. I'd run the other way before ever volunteering for it."
He gently pinched Xiyao's cool, soft cheek and smiled. "It's much nicer being with you. I don't have to think, I don't have to watch my back, and I even get to recharge."
His smile seemed to rub off on Xiyao. She lifted the corners of her mouth and hugged him tightly. "Mm! I feel safest with you." She buried her face in the hollow of his neck and added softly, "I'll always keep watch over you and protect you, Ci Yan."
Hearing her childish yet utterly earnest words, warmth bloomed in Lin Ciyan's heart, and he held her a little tighter.
All right, it seemed that he wouldn't get to completely slack off in peace at the Outer Court after all. First, there was the hidden hand of a God King; now there was his lovesick brother.
As for all that, and whatever else came along?
When the soldiers came, he'd block them; when the water came... he'd lie down.