Loyalty and Righteousness

Yun Ming and Ya Li made no effort to conceal their intentions; the obsession directed straight at Na'er made the purpose of their visit clear to anyone at a glance.

An Lan was merely a junior who had just awakened his martial soul, and with his two teachers present, along with the matriarch Leng Yaozhu, the situation was well in hand.

Given the lineup, there was naturally nothing for him to do, so after greeting the Holy Spirit Douluo Yali, he retreated behind Leng Qingning and Le Lingzhao.

Leng Qingning and Le Lingzhao had no intention of stepping forward either; the two simply shielded An Lan and Na'er, leaving the handling of the entire situation entirely to Leng Yaozhu.

Anyone else would surely think that Yun Ming, the dignified Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, would never stoop to something as undignified as snatching someone in broad daylight.

Yet, Leng Qingning and her companion thought quite the opposite.

They knew Yun Ming's past all too well.

Back then, Yun Ming had pierced the firmament of Ming Capital with his Sky-Piercing Spear, challenging several Red-level mecha masters in succession, and had brazenly snatched Ya Li away in the federal capital after she had already explicitly rejected him.

Storming the federal capital and engaging in battle above the city—such an act of "forcible abduction" was even more ruthless and far more malicious in nature than when the Shrek Academy Empress Dowager Long Yeyue slapped Qian Gu Dieting.

Admittedly, Yun Ming was gentle and refined now, and no other evil deeds had been rumored about him since.

But at the end of the day, given his current status, there was nothing that required him to step forward personally.

After all, with a madwoman like Cai Yue'er to charge into battle, who would want to dirty their own hands?

Of course, there was a significant difference between Yun Ming and the likes of Long Yeyue and Cai Yue'er.

Though he was overbearing, he was capable of communication, unlike those two who acted recklessly and wantonly, being arrogant simply for the sake of arrogance.

But when it came to safeguarding the interests of Shrek Academy, Yun Ming's goals were identical to those two humanoids.

Heaven knows if he might have a disagreement and simply snatch someone away, only to drag them back to Shrek Academy for intensive brainwashing.

Therefore, Leng Qingning and Le Lingzhao did not lower their guard in the slightest.

The atmosphere in the field grew increasingly subtle as Yun Ming's gaze swept past Leng Yaozhu and landed on Na'er.

For Yun Ming, although there was no place for Leng Yaozhu in his heart, seeing her completely let go of the past still left him feeling inevitably complicated.

Seeing Leng Yaozhu grow increasingly impatient, a flash of melancholy crossed his eyes, but he did not hesitate, stating directly, "Yaozhu, may I ask what the identity of this little girl is?"

"She is, of course, my newly accepted disciple." Leng Yaozhu smiled faintly, her tone carrying a hint of composure. "You might not believe it, but I met Na'er on this street yesterday; it is truly fate."

Yun Ming had originally only felt a sense of regret, but upon hearing this, his heart sank as if a heavy stone had been pressed upon it.

Yesterday... that must have been when he was heading to Shangling City.

If he had remained at the academy at that time, he surely would have discovered Na'er first and taken her as his disciple.

He had gone out on a trip, and aside from Cai Yue'er getting a sound beating, he had gained nothing at all.

What made him even more frustrated was that such a disciple, naturally suited to inherit his mantle, had been picked up by someone else on his own turf.

For a moment, Yun Ming felt a tightness in his chest; a stifled frustration swirled within, unable to be released or suppressed.

He took a deep breath, forcibly pushing down his complex emotions.

He absolutely could not miss out on a disciple with such talent.

Thus, he looked up at Leng Yaozhu and said solemnly, "Yaozhu, I wish to take Na'er as my direct disciple. I hope you will allow me to speak with her."

"Brother Ming!" Ya Li tugged at Yun Ming's sleeve upon hearing this.

In her view, Yun Ming was being far too impatient.

Leng Yaozhu was, after all, Na'er's master; to snatch a disciple right in front of her was far too discourteous.

It was already an abrupt request; asking for Na'er's opinion in private would have been one thing, but doing it this way left no room for maneuver and would inevitably turn them into enemies.

If Na'er really did change her allegiance in front of her, where would Leng Yaozhu's face be left?

Sure enough, Leng Yaozhu's expression darkened instantly, filled with indignation.

Seeing this, Ya Li apologized, "I am sorry, Yaozhu. You know that Brother Ming and I are unlikely to have children in this life, and his Sky-Piercing Spear path has remained without an heir until now. Now that we have finally encountered such a compatible successor, he truly does not wish to miss this opportunity."

An Lan, listening from the side, lowered his eyes to look at Na'er, who was smiling like a complete simpleton due to being fought over by both sides, and felt that she possessed a rebellious nature and must not be kept.

Moreover, this Yun Ming was truly blind!

His own martial soul was a spear, not a lance, but it was far superior to this simpleton's!

Even if he wouldn't join Shrek Academy, Yun Ming should have asked him first.

Shrek is finished, he thought to himself.

Opposite them, Yun Ming knew his actions were inappropriate, yet he still did not want to give up.

He sighed softly, raised his hand, and retrieved a yellowed booklet from his Soul Tool.

The edges of the booklet were worn, clearly showing it had weathered the passage of time.

"Yaozhu, this booklet contains some of my insights and understandings of the spear path that I summarized after breaking through to the realm of the Spear God. It will be of great benefit to any soul master practicing the spear."

"If Na'er is willing to take me as her master, I am willing to offer a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone as a token of gratitude for your facilitation." His tone shifted as he added, "If she is unwilling, I am still willing to gift this booklet to Na'er, hoping it will be of some help to her future cultivation."

Yun Ming truly felt a sense of cherishing talent; regardless of whether he had the fate of master and disciple with Na'er, he was willing to lend her a helping hand.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze fell upon the small booklet, and her heart stirred slightly.

A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone!

In an era where land-based soul beasts are nearly extinct, every Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone is a priceless treasure; even she felt a momentary flicker of temptation.

Yet, no matter how nicely it was phrased, it ultimately amounted to trading her disciple, and Leng Yaozhu could not bring herself to commit such a sordid act.

However, the insights of a Spear God stirred an urge in her to take the gamble.

She was well aware that her own attainments in the way of the spear were insufficient to provide Na'er with much guidance.

If she could obtain the guidance of Yun Ming, even if it were merely a collection of insights, it would allow Na'er to avoid many detours in her future cultivation of the spear.

Moreover, if Na'er were to refuse Yun Ming, this Spear God's realization could be obtained for free—it was a business venture with zero overhead.

But... she and Na'er had only known each other for a single day.

A six-year-old child, whose character had yet to mature, faced with the temptation of being taken as a disciple by a contemporary Spear God—the strongest powerhouse on the continent—could she truly refuse?

Just as Leng Yaozhu weighed these thoughts in her heart, Na'er, hiding at the very back, realized just how valuable she was, and her eyes flashed.

Do not misunderstand; she, King Na'er, traveled the world based on the principles of loyalty and righteousness, so she had absolutely no intention of switching allegiances.

But then again, she had another rule for traveling the world—greed!

Although she had no interest in some way of the spear, if something fell from the sky, wouldn't it be a loss not to take it?

With this thought, Na'er could no longer hold back. She poked half her head out from behind An Lan and said in a crisp voice, "Hey, big uncle, I don't want to be your apprentice, but can you give me that little booklet now?"