The morning light crept to her feet inch by inch.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the door.
Ma Xiaotao looked up suddenly.
--Is it him?
Those footsteps were too heavy, not as light as falling feathers like Long Jinyu's.
But before she had time to think about it, her knees were already pressed against the edge of the sofa to push herself up.
The door isn't closed tightly.
The man pushed the door open.
The morning light poured in, causing her to squint her eyes. Then she saw clearly.
"... Teacher?"
Yan Shaozhe Hearing this, his steps stopped on the threshold.
He has seen this pretty face of his disciple since he was little.
He was too stubborn, too angry, too arrogant, and even when he was burned to the point of coma by Evil Fire, his brows were filled with determination that refused to admit defeat.
But now, she was like a baby bird abandoned on a rainy night. Her whole body was wilted, leaving only blank eyes and unconcealable fear. Her eye sockets were red and completely red, from the eyelids to the corners of her eyes, like paper that had been crumpled and then barely flattened.
"Xiaotao..."
"Teacher."
Ma Xiaotao spoke first. His voice was not as hoarse as hers, like sandpaper scratching glass.
"Jin Yu He... he wasn't in the room last night. I... I used the contract sensor and he was far away. Then... I couldn't sense him anymore."
She didn't ask "Did something happen to him?" She didn't dare to ask.
Yan Shaozhe opened his mouth, and the words he had considered repeatedly on the way here - Long Jinyu was out of danger, his parents were here and were taking him to rest at the Medical Pavilion, and he should be back soon - were stuck in his throat like a fish bone at the moment.
How should he speak?
"He's okay"?
Then why can't it be sensed?
"He's in therapy"?
Then why hide it from her?
All explanations seemed pale and cruel in front of Ma Xiaotao's red and swollen eyes at this moment.
"Xiaotao, listen to old the Teacher's Way..."
"Teacher."
Ma Xiaotao interrupted him again, his voice as soft as falling ashes, "He was like this last time too. If he didn't come back in the middle of the night, I couldn't contact him. Later I found that he was sleeping on Sea God Island and was picked up by Luo Chen..."
A self-deceptive curve formed at the corner of her mouth.
"Maybe he just... fell asleep somewhere. Sometimes he is very tired and falls asleep, just like a little pig..."
As he spoke, his forced smile could no longer hold on.
Her eyes turned red again, but she bit her lips to prevent herself from crying in front of the teacher.
Yan Shaozhe is heartbroken.
He wanted to tell her: He is really fine. He has woken up. There is a guardian beside him who is so powerful that even Di Tian dare not disobey him.
He wanted to tell her: You don't have to worry about him, what you should worry about is yourself. You can no longer take it for granted as before.
He even wanted to tell her: Xiaotao, teacher, I'm sorry for you. Teacher pushed you into a situation where you are not sure of the outcome.
--If I hadn't begged Mu En to arrange you and him together, wouldn't you have had to do this today, not even knowing whether he was alive or dead, and could only wait here?
But he couldn't say anything.
Because he suddenly discovered that from beginning to end, he was the only one calculating, fearing, and regretting.
And Xiaotao she...
She is just afraid of losing that person.
That's all.
"He..."
Yan Shaozhe's voice was dry, "There is a message from the Medical Pavilion that he is out of danger."
Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again.
"Then where is he?"
"... didn't say."
"When will he come back?"
"... I didn't say anything either."
Ma Xiaotao: "..."
"I understand."
She didn't ask any more questions. She clenched the edge of the sofa with her fingertips, and her knuckles turned white.
Yan Shaozhe stood at the door, like an actor who has forgotten his lines, suddenly not knowing whether he should enter or retreat.
At this moment, an extremely slight spatial fluctuation came from outside the attic.
Not maliciously.
It's not even an invasion.
It's just--someone is coming.
Yan Shaozhe suddenly turned around.
In the morning light, two young figures stepped into the small courtyard against the light.
The leader has white hair like snow, a burly figure, a face as serious as a rock, and the aura around him is calm and restrained, like an ancient sword sheathed.
Half a step behind him, stood a woman with black hair hanging down her shoulders, clear and soft eyebrows, no makeup, but she had a gentle and approachable temperament.
Luo Yun.
Yan Shaozhe recognized her.
Yanhuang Lingyun Medical Mansion is the leader of the younger generation, one of the most trusted people around the child. He has seen her many times, at the door of the Medical Pavilion, at the soul guidance test site, and at public events that Long Jinyu occasionally takes her to attend. She never rushes to talk or makes mistakes, like a bluegrass transplanted between Soul Tool and the medical cabin, quietly doing her own thing.
"You two, why do you come to my Shrek Inner Court student residence so early in the morning?"
Yan Shaozhe stopped Ma Xiaotao from bouncing up from the sofa, and his voice sank unconsciously.
Tuoba Xi looked at him but said nothing.
Luo Yun bowed slightly, showing good etiquette.
"Dean Yan, this junior was ordered to come here to take Miss Ma to the Medical Pavilion for rest."
"By order? Whose order?"
"By the order of the dean - Jade Dragon Guard·Yu, Immortal Highness."
Yu, Immortal Highness?
Yan Shaozhe's temples were pounding.
It's the green-haired dragon girl.
She wants to pick up Xiaotao.
Yan Shaozhe took a step forward and blocked Ma Xiaotao half of his body behind him.
"This is inappropriate."
There was a hint of coldness in his tone, and Soul Power was already running silently.
"Xiaotao is my core disciple Shrek Spirit Soul Department, and a reserve member of the Sea God Pavilion. Her behavior must be decided jointly by the academy and Sea God Pavilion. Your government directly came to pick her up without communication or following the procedures, which is inconsistent with etiquette."
"Dean Yan is worrying too much."
Tuoba Xi spoke, his voice was not aggressive at all, and even a little considerate.
"Yu, Immortal Highness is just thinking about the deep friendship between the young master and Miss Ma, and cannot bear to keep Miss Ma alone in the empty pavilion, which will only increase worries and prevent her from being invaded by all forces. Medical Pavilion has prepared a quiet room for Miss Ma. When the young master recovers from her injury, she will be sent back in person."
The word "intrusion" is like a silent slap in the face.
Yan Shaozhe's face was ashen. He could hear the "restraint" in this wording - the other party clearly knew that after last night, how many people inside and outside Shrek would want to learn about Long Jinyu from Ma Xiaotao...
"No need."
He turned sideways, completely blocking Ma Xiaotao behind him.
"She is my disciple! Sea God Pavilion has the ability to protect her, so I don't need to worry about it."
Tuoba Xi did not immediately refute.
He just looked at Yan Shaozhe silently, with no hostility in his eyes, only a calm look that sent shivers down Yan Shaozhe's spine.
Then he used Soul Power Sound Transmission, and the sound only reached the ears of Yan Shaozhe.
"Dean Yan. Last night, when the young master was assassinated and seriously injured and on the verge of death, where were the people from your hospital...?"
Yan Shaozhe's pupils suddenly shrank.
"I have no intention of holding anyone accountable. I am just stating the facts. Last night, the young master fought a bloody battle alone and was exhausted and on the verge of death. There was no Shrek teacher protecting him."
"At that moment, when we rushed across space to help, what we saw was the young master lying in a pool of blood, with his chest penetrated."
"What I saw was Sea God Pavilion's old man, who was severely injured by the beast god's blow and embedded in the mountain wall."
His voice was emotionless, and every word was like a dull knife.
"So, Dean Yan - I understand that you are worried about your disciple's safety at this moment. But please also understand that after last night, 'Shrek's ability to protect students' no longer needs to be demonstrated. How can you protect her completely?"
Yan Shaozhe's face turned blue and white.
He wanted to argue, but found that he had no way to speak.
Last night, Xuan Zi was defeated, Mu En was suppressed by Di Tian, and he, Yan Shaozhe, was not even qualified to step into that battlefield.
What else could he say?
Say "We have Cinderflame Dragon Might"?
Say "We are ready to die together"?
That was a gift left by Long Jinyu to Shrek. It is the disciple who is protecting the academy, not the academy who is protecting the disciple.
He opened his mouth and squeezed out a dry sentence:
"This matter... is due to my failure to protect Shrek. When Jin Yu recovers, I will apologize to him. But Xiaotao..."
"Teacher."
A slightly cold hand gently touched Yan Shaozhe's arm.
Ma Xiaotao stood beside him, his voice soft but firm:
"Sister Luo Yun is from Jin Yu. I have also met Elder Tuoba, who is the outer elder of Dragon Valley. Jin Yu said that if he needs me to go somewhere, the person who comes to pick me up must be someone I know and trust."
She looked at Luo Yun. There was no defense in her peach blossom eyes, only pure trust. Luo Yun's eyelashes trembled and her eyelids lowered.
She looked at Yan Shaozhe again:
"Teacher, I know you are worried about me. But Jin Yu just woke up."
Her voice was trembling slightly, but her words were clear:
"I want to see him. Now."
Yan Shaozhe looked at his disciple.
She has grown up.
She is no longer the little girl who only relies on the teacher. She has someone she wants to protect, someone she is willing to trust, and she has her own judgment and choice.
From the withdrawn and irritable "Flame Fiend", he gradually turned into the "Fire Phoenix Heavenly Maiden" who can act coquettishly and is willing to hand over his back to others.
He knows who caused all these changes.
That silver-haired boy, using principles he couldn't understand and gentleness that he couldn't understand, bit by bit, accomplished what no one had been able to do in more than ten years.
And he, Yan Shaozhe, could give her nothing but fear.
He said that he wanted to find her an ice-type Soul Master betrothed, and he kept saying that it was to protect her Martial Soul's stability. But she clearly said with red eyes that she should not marry someone she didn't love for Martial Soul, but he only thought that she was young and willful, and angrily scolded her for being ignorant.
"... go for it."
His voice was strangely hoarse.
Ma Xiaotao was startled for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
She turned around and walked towards Luo Yun, her fingertips still curled slightly, but there was no hesitation in her steps.
Luo Yun gently clasped her cold hand, the emerald Soul Power shimmered with light, and a soft wind steadily held the two of them up, slowly lifting into the air.
Yan Shaozhe stood there, watching the two figures getting further and further away, getting smaller and smaller, and finally melted into the direction of the Medical Pavilion in the west of the city.
After a long time, he heard his own voice:
"... Elder Tuoba."
Tuoba Xi was about to turn around and paused slightly.
"Last night... when she couldn't sense the child..."
Yan Shaozhe looked at the empty threshold, looking at the light and shadow that had been blown away by the morning breeze.
"She thought he didn't want her anymore."
Tuoba Xi was silent for a moment.
"Dean Yan." His voice was still calm, but less businesslike and distant, "On the day when the young master signed the contract with Miss Ma, the crown prince had not yet passed away."
"That contract was written with his own blood."
Yan Shaozhe's hand hanging by his side relaxed and he didn't speak again.
Tuoba Xi nodded slightly, Soul Power moved around his feet, and his figure floated away like light smoke.
Phoenix Perch Pavilion returns to silence.
Yan Shaozhe stood alone in the hall.
He lowered his head and looked at his fists that he had repeatedly clenched and unclenched, and his knuckles were so tense that they turned white.
Outside the door, the morning light is getting thicker.
Sea God Pavilion's meeting is still waiting for him.