Return to the Pavilion to Hear Old Dreams · A Startling Swan Shadow from Another World

The afternoon sun remained bright, yet the path back to Sea God Island seemed longer than the journey there.

Sunlight danced through the gaps in the leaves, flickering across Ma Xiaotao's fiery red hair, yet it could not dispel the faint haze surrounding her.

"...Little ghost, tell me, why... didn't I meet you sooner?"

Ma Xiaotao spoke suddenly, her voice somewhat dry.

Long Jinyu turned his head, seeing her tightly pressed lips and lowered lashes. Understanding what she was struggling with, he moved a little closer to her.

"Senior, don't overthink it. The past cannot be changed, but the future can. At least meeting now isn't too late, is it?"

He paused, and seeing Ma Xiaotao's expression soften, he skillfully shifted the topic: "Speaking of which, you seem particularly familiar with the Phoenix Perch Pavilion? And given Senior Wu Ming's reaction, could it be... that this place was originally your residence?"

At the mention of the Phoenix Perch Pavilion, Ma Xiaotao's attention was successfully diverted.

She let out a soft breath, as if exhaling the gloom from moments ago, and explained: "The Phoenix Perch Pavilion... that area was originally reserved for the academy's elders or instructors who had made significant contributions. It has the best environment and is the quietest."

"When I was a child, not long after the teacher brought me back to the academy, the problem with my Evil Fire appeared after my martial soul awakened. It was extremely unstable."

"The outer courtyard dormitories were too crowded and noisy; I couldn't possibly live there. To provide me with an environment that could suppress the Evil Fire as much as possible while allowing me to cultivate in peace, the teacher made an exception and arranged for me to stay there temporarily."

"It was only then that the villa was given the name 'Phoenix Perch Pavilion'."

Her voice carried a trace of wistful nostalgia: "You could say I practically grew up there."

"Later, when I was a bit older and my soul power control had improved, I moved to the inner courtyard female dormitory, thinking I should learn to get along with others... and well..."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh without going into detail, but Long Jinyu could guess that the Evil Fire must have gone out of control and burned the dormitory down.

"There was no other choice, so I moved back there for a while."

"It wasn't until I officially passed the test to enter the inner courtyard based on my strength and obtained my own independent residence on Sea God Island that I finally moved out for good."

"According to the academy's regulations, to officially and permanently reside in a place of the Phoenix Perch Pavilion's caliber, one needs at least level seventy soul power and must complete an important mission designated by the collective elders of the Sea God Pavilion to prove one's value and contribution to the academy."

She glanced at Long Jinyu, her tone complex: "So, do you understand now? The reason I can go back to live there now is entirely thanks to you. The teacher and the others... have placed you in a position even higher than that of a Soul Saint."

Long Jinyu listened quietly, but his heart was surging with waves.

He hadn't expected such a story behind this villa—

It was a microcosm of Ma Xiaotao's childhood and adolescence, a place of isolation where she battled the Evil Fire.

Shrek had shown Ma Xiaotao care and made exceptions, but they also held her to near-harsh rules and metrics.

Truly... quite something.

He muttered silently to himself.

A top-tier genius like Ma Xiaotao, instead of being properly nurtured and having her fundamental issues resolved, is being squeezed so tightly over housing qualifications?

Level seventy plus a mission? What kind of 'valuing' is this? It's more like exploitation! No wonder in the original story...

His perception of the Shrek high-ups was cast in another shadow, but he didn't dwell on it. He simply followed the thread of the conversation:

"So there was such a story behind it."

"Thank you for being willing to tell me, Senior. I'm also very happy to be able to help you return to your old home."

Just then, as if suddenly remembering something, he smiled and suggested: "By the way, Senior, I've always felt the title 'Flame Madman' is too unrefined and doesn't suit you at all. How about 'Fire Phoenix Heavenly Maiden'? It sounds both powerful and ethereal, fitting your temperament perfectly."

Ma Xiaotao was drawn in by this new topic: "'Fire Phoenix Heavenly Maiden'? You seemed to call me that this morning, didn't you?"

Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, carrying a hint of inquiry, "Come to think of it, you seem to have known me from the very beginning?"

Long Jinyu felt a jolt of panic, but his expression remained as steady as an old dog. He coughed lightly: "Senior's prestige... er, I mean, your reputation is known to everyone in the academy; naturally, I've heard a thing or two."

He hurriedly pulled the conversation back, "Ahem, what do you think of the title? It's better than 'Madman', right?"

Ma Xiaotao hummed softly, accepting the explanation: "Is that so? Am I that famous? But... Wu Ming is called the 'Golden Crow Saintess', so why wouldn't I be the 'Fire Phoenix Saintess'? Doesn't that sound more imposing?"

"Absolutely not!!!"

Long Jinyu blurted it out, his tone uncharacteristically urgent and resolute!

The bloodshed and darkness represented by the title "Fire Phoenix Saintess" in the original story—that was the brand the Holy Spirit Cult forced upon her, a future he absolutely refused to see!

Ma Xiaotao was startled by his overreaction and stared at him blankly: "...What's wrong? Is there a problem with that name?"

He immediately realized he had lost his composure. He quickly reined in his expression, suppressing the turmoil stirred up by that ominous title, and hurriedly found an excuse to brush it off:

"Ahem, sorry Senior, my apologies. I meant... since Senior Wu Ming is already a 'Saintess', it wouldn't be very creative for you to be called a 'Saintess' too; it would look like you're just copying her."

"'Heavenly Maiden' sounds more transcendent and refined than 'Saintess', with a higher artistic conception, and it suits your status as the inner courtyard's number one genius better, doesn't it?"

Ma Xiaotao tilted her head and thought about it. It seemed to make some sense?

Why should she, Ma Xiaotao, use the same level of title as that silly bird Wu Ming?

"Heavenly Maiden" did sound a bit more unique, and besides... he was the one who came up with it.

She pouted: "Fine, 'Fire Phoenix Heavenly Maiden' it is. I suppose you have a way with words."

As the two talked along the way, they had unknowingly returned to the exquisite courtyard gate of the Phoenix Perch Pavilion.

"Finally here." Ma Xiaotao let out a sigh of relief and pushed open the gate. The familiar, warm soul power carrying the aura of the Golden Tree allowed her tense nerves to relax slightly.

Long Jinyu followed her into the living room, his gaze sweeping once more over the house that had become his temporary residence.

He had arrived in a rush at noon and had been through so much since that he hadn't even settled on which room to stay in.

Recalling Ma Xiaotao's unquestionable "second-floor ban," he looked at her as she prepared to head upstairs and asked, "Senior, about that... there are so many rooms on the first floor, which one would you recommend? You're more familiar with this place than I am."

Ma Xiaotao paused and turned around.

At the mention of this, a hint of smugness appeared on her face, as if to say, "You've come to the right person," and the melancholy brought on by her memories seemed to fade away.

"Sure, follow me."

She was quite forthcoming, even displaying a bit of enthusiasm for showing off her territory.

"I've lived in this house for so many years; I know every loose brick in every corner."

She led Long Jinyu through the living room and toward a hallway, introducing the rooms as if they were her own treasures:

"This one faces north; it's cool in the summer, but a bit damp and chilly in the winter."

"The window in this one faces the bamboo forest in the back. The view is nice, but you're liable to be woken up by birds in the morning."

"The one at the very end..."

She stopped in front of a carved wooden door, her tone certain.

"It has the best lighting. The morning sun fills the whole room, making it warm and dry. You can see the flower garden in the courtyard when you open the window, and the view is wide. Before... when I was at my worst, I loved staying in this room."

As she spoke, she reached out and pushed the door open.

The room was indeed spacious and bright. Sunlight streamed through the clean glass windows, casting large, warm patches of light onto the floor. The furniture was simple, elegant, and spotless.

Suddenly.

Long Jinyu's gaze was drawn to the wall directly opposite the bed—

Hanging on the wall was an object he absolutely should not have seen in this world!

The thing was square, with a sleek black screen and metal trim, and several distinct buttons at the bottom...

What the hell? A television?!

Long Jinyu's pupils contracted sharply. A intense sense of incongruity and temporal displacement made him instinctively step back, only to trip over the edge of the soft rug, causing him to lose his balance instantly!

"Ouch!"

He let out a cry and landed hard on his backside. With a look of utter disbelief, he pointed at the object on the wall, his voice cracking, "Th-that, what is that thing?!"

Ma Xiaotao was taken aback by his sudden, violent reaction. She followed his finger to the Soul Tool embedded with a crystal screen on the wall, and after a moment of confusion—

"Pfft—hahahaha!!"

She burst into a loud, unreserved peal of laughter, doubling over until tears filled her phoenix eyes.

"You, aren't you supposed to be quite impressive? With your Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Life, and yet you're scared by this?! Auv... kid, you really are... you're such a country bumpkin! Hahaha!"

Long Jinyu sat on the floor: "..."

He was just momentarily shocked by this product that transcended the era's setting; it wasn't that he didn't know what it was, for heaven's sake!

According to the original work, while Soul Tools were advanced in this era, they were mainly concentrated in fields like combat, communication, and life assistance. They absolutely shouldn't have unlocked an entertainment media tech tree like "television"!

Ma Xiaotao laughed while thumping the doorframe...

It took a while for her to stop. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and explained with a touch of mockery and the slight superiority of a "city dweller looking at a country bumpkin":

"It's a Soul Guidance Television! It's a high-level Soul Tool that has been passed down from the Sun Moon Empire in recent years. It's quite interesting; you can use it to watch recorded footage or live broadcasts of Soul Master tournaments and the like. You've been isolated from the world, so it's normal that you haven't seen one!"

After she finished, she waved her hand, clearly uninterested in the principles behind the technology, treating it merely as a novel toy.

Listening to Ma Xiaotao's explanation, Long Jinyu felt a strong sense of irony—

He, a person from the information age, was actually being mocked by a "paper character" for not recognizing a television?!

"Ahem... forgive my ignorance, Senior."

He suppressed the absurdity in his heart, trying to make his expression look like one of "sudden realization."

He scrambled up from the floor, dusting off his clothes, and tried to salvage a bit of his image.

"S-so that's what it is... Has the Soul Tool technology of the Sun Moon Empire developed to this extent? It is truly... astonishing."

Ma Xiaotao looked at his "teachable" expression with satisfaction and patted his shoulder: "If you don't understand something in the future, just ask me! Don't go scaring yourself."

As she spoke, she gave him a casual shove, pushing him backward onto the soft, large bed.

"Alright, kid, go take a shower and get some sleep."

"You've got nothing to do this afternoon, so sleep soundly."

"There's a Soul Guidance Washing Machine on the first-floor balcony. It's easy to operate, and there's a manual next to it—read it yourself. The bathroom is also equipped with a Soul Guidance Hair Dryer for drying your hair."

Sinking into the soft mattress, Long Jinyu felt a wave of intense exhaustion wash over his body and mind. He let out a long sigh:

"A washing machine? A hair dryer?"

"Understood, Senior. I really do need to... get some good sleep. Good afternoon, Senior."

"Good afternoon."

Ma Xiaotao replied with rare gentleness. She pulled the curtains shut and closed the door behind her, sealing out the sunlight and noise of the outside world.

The room immediately fell into a silence perfect for sleep.