Night fell. Mother Jiang was still fast asleep, but Mu Guiyun could keenly sense that her constitution and injuries were slowly recovering.
"Nannan, once your mother has finished absorbing the pill, let's move her to Shrek City."
If Mu Guiyun remembered correctly, in the original story, even though Mother Jiang eventually took the Black Tortoise Divine Pill, she still passed away not long after.
To be safe, Mu Guiyun decided that when the time came, he would ask Elder Zhuang to examine Mother Jiang thoroughly.
Jiang Nannan smiled and nodded, resting her jade-like hand on Mu Guiyun's palm.
Seeing the two of them exchanging flirtatious glances, Tang Ya's face turned green with impatience. She plopped herself down between them, put her hands on her hips, and huffed, "Hmph! That's enough, you two! Your Sect Master is still right here!"
Then she fixed Mu Guiyun with a woeful stare.
"Come on, come on. Let's figure out where we're going to sleep tonight."
After giving Tang Ya's cheek a good pinch, Mu Guiyun glanced around the room.
Jiang Nannan's home had one bedroom and a living room, and Mother Jiang occupied the only bedroom. The three of them would have to make do in the living room for the night.
At the thought, countless metal elements flew out of Mu Guiyun's Soul Tool and gathered into a huge metal bed in the living room.
"Here, the living room's only so big. There's no room for three beds, so this is our only option. We all need to cultivate anyway, so let's make do."
Mu Guiyun waved a hand. He swore to the heavens that he had absolutely no ulterior motives.
At the thought of lying in the same bed as Mu Guiyun, Jiang Nannan's pretty face flushed red, but in the end, she didn't refuse.
"I don't mind..."
Tang Ya glanced at them both, then hurriedly raised her hands and said sweetly, "I want to sleep in the middle!"
Before either of them could object, Tang Ya took the bedding she kept in her Soul Tool and got busy making the bed.
As the night grew deeper, Tang Ya looked at Mu Guiyun, who was quietly focused on cultivating beside her, and couldn't help feeling envious. "Gui Yun's talent is terrifying! Judging by that fluctuation in his Soul Power, he's about to break through to level forty, isn't he?"
"A Soul Ancestor before the age of twelve—tss! I wouldn't even dare dream of it."
Jiang Nannan, lying beside her, nodded in agreement. Her gaze lingered on Mu Guiyun's extraordinary face and refused to move.
Tang Ya noticed and immediately spoke in a sour tone. "Nannan, don't tell me you've fallen for Gui Yun?"
At that, Jiang Nannan's eyes darted away. "W-What? Of course not! I'm only grateful for everything Gui Yun's done for me..."
Still denying it? If your Sect Master weren't here, you two would already be locking lips!
Tang Ya curled her lip in disdain. Her utterly aggrieved stare made Jiang Nannan feel distinctly uneasy.
"Really? I don't believe you. Unless you swear it with your hand on your heart!"
Jiang Nannan fell silent. On Douluo Continent, you couldn't go around swearing oaths carelessly, because gods really did exist there!
"You won't touch your own? Then let your Sect Master do it! Heh heh heh!"
Tang Ya gave a few strange, cackling laughs, then reached out with her wicked hand.
"Oh, Xiaoya, stop fooling around. Gui Yun's right here!"
"It's fine, he's cultivating! Come on, let your Sect Master have a feel... Whoa! What does Nannan eat every day? How come her heart's so big? That's not fair!"
Mu Guiyun: ...
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. With the Black Tortoise Divine Pill and all the nourishing tonics Mu Guiyun had specially prepared, Mother Jiang could now move around normally, and a hint of color had returned to her cheeks.
Not far outside Lingdou City, Tang Ya, Jiang Nannan, and Mother Jiang sat in a carriage. Looking at the figure before them, Jiang Nannan still couldn't help asking, "Gui Yun, aren't you coming back with us?"
Tang Ya nodded emphatically beside her. "Yeah, yeah! It's dangerous out there on your own. There are all sorts of nobles who like boys as fair and clean as you!"
"Ow! Why'd you flick my forehead?"
Tang Ya clutched her forehead and looked at Mu Guiyun with a woeful expression.
Your Sect Master was only looking out for you! You don't have to appreciate it, but why flick me on the forehead?
Ignoring Tang Ya's puffed-up cheeks, Mu Guiyun shook his head and smiled. "I have something very important to take care of, so I won't be going back with you."
"Take these two things. With them, you should have a smooth journey. If you run into any danger you can't handle, crush this jade slip."
With that, Mu Guiyun took a token bearing the Shrek emblem and a jade slip from his Soul Tool and placed them in Jiang Nannan's hands.
"But..."
Seeing that Jiang Nannan still had more to say, Mu Guiyun cut her off. "And that settles it. I'll see you at the academy. Get going, and take good care of your mother."
"All right. Just be careful."
"Don't worry. I value my life more than anyone!"
Only after the carriage had vanished completely from sight did Mu Guiyun look away. Metal flew out of his Soul Tool and formed three pairs of glinting wings behind him.
Mu Guiyun had modified his Metal Six Wings, embedding two Soul Tool Thrusters in each wing. With everything pushed to the limit, they could bring his speed close to that of a six-ring Sharp-Tailed Swift Soul Master for a short time!
He looked up at the clear blue sky, and the corners of his mouth lifted.
Ice Empress, Mu Guiyun was coming!
Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Mother Jiang watched Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya repeatedly glance out the window. Her expression grew a little awkward.
After spending these past few days together, she felt as if she'd stumbled upon something she wasn't supposed to know.
Since the Condensed Water Flying Luan had been returned to the academy, Tang Ya and the others had no choice but to travel by carriage, making the return journey take quite a while.
In Shrek City, Tang Ya turned to Jiang Nannan and said, "Nannan, find somewhere to stay with your mother. I'm heading out for a bit!"
Huh? You're going out too?
Jiang Nannan blinked, her eyes full of confusion.
"I'll be back in a little while. I'm just going out for a stroll."
"Then take this."
At that, Jiang Nannan placed the jade slip in Tang Ya's hand.
"I'm off. See you tonight!"
Taking the jade slip, Tang Ya clasped her hands behind her back and bounced toward the city gates under Jiang Nannan's watchful gaze.
In a quiet forest not far from Shrek City, Tang Ya knelt alone on the ground.
She gazed at the tiny earthen mound before her, overgrown with weeds and utterly crude. A trace of desolation and bitterness rose between her brows.
"Mom, Dad, Xiaoya's come to see you."
She had built this solitary grave herself when she first arrived at Shrek Academy. It was empty, with not a single keepsake inside—not even an actual cenotaph.
All it could hold was the longing in Tang Ya's heart, the longing she could never let go of.
"Mom and Dad, don't worry about Xiaoya. I'm eating well and dressing warmly at Shrek Academy, and I've even made two good friends!"
"And I'm already level twenty-two! It won't be long before Xiaoya can avenge you with her own hands!"
As she finished speaking, two streams of scalding tears slid slowly down Tang Ya's cheeks.