Six Years, the Wronged Yue Shen

Deep within Tang San's lowered pupils, a faint, ghostly blue glimmer ignited like a spark, only to vanish in an instant.

Tang San suddenly jerked his head up, his previously struggling and unwilling gaze turning strangely... "clear" and "determined."

He grabbed Yu Xiaogang's hand just as the teacher reached for his token, his voice low but filled with a resolute "openness."

"Teacher! You don't need to say anything more for me!"

He turned toward Zhao Linchuan, his chest rising and falling slightly, and declared loudly:

"I, Tang San, am a man who can afford to lose! Since I lost, I must naturally honor the bet!"

"A gentleman's word is his bond! Isn't it just crawling three laps around Notting Academy?!"

"I will crawl!"

As his words fell, under the stunned gaze of Yu Xiaogang, the sharp intakes of breath from the surrounding work-study students, and the wide-eyed shock of Wang Sheng and the others, Tang San took a deep breath. Without another word, he crouched down, pressed his hands to the ground, bent his knees, and then... using all four limbs, he began to "crawl" forward, step by step, along the path beside the academy gate!

"San! Have you lost your mind?!"

Yu Xiaogang snapped out of his shock and rushed to pull him up, but he was rebuffed by Tang San's "stubborn" gaze and the words, "Teacher, this is my promise, please do not stop me."

The crowd of onlookers was silent at first, then exploded into an uproar!

"My god! He's actually crawling?!"

"Tang San... has he been traumatized too badly?"

"Tsk, I have to say, he's crawling quite steadily..."

"Look, look! So many people are coming over from that side!"

The news spread like the wind. More and more students, and even passersby from the city, were drawn to the scene, pointing and whispering at the figure crawling slowly on the ground. Jeers, discussions, and gasps of shock intertwined.

Tang San's name, in a way he would never have wanted, instantly spread throughout the entire Notting Academy.

Watching this scene, Zhao Linchuan wore an "appreciative" smile. He clapped his hands and said:

"Good! You can lose and you can let go! Student Tang San, you are a real man!"

"I, Zhao Linchuan, admire this courage to keep one's word!"

Wang Sheng and the others looked at each other; they wanted to laugh but felt it wasn't quite appropriate, so they could only nod in awkward agreement.

"Uh... yes, he is quite... a 'man'."

Wang Sheng thought to himself: Though I'm afraid I should add the word "foolish" before that "man."

Watching his disciple suffer such humiliation in full view of everyone, Yu Xiaogang felt his vision darken and his body tremble with rage. Yet, due to Tang San's uncharacteristic "persistence" and the growing crowd, he didn't know what to do. He could only close his eyes in pain, unable to bear the sight.

Zhao Linchuan had enjoyed the show enough and felt the timing was right.

He turned, took Xiao Wu's soft little hand, and said in a relaxed tone, "The show is over, let's go. It's time to head back."

Xiao Wu gave a docile "Mm," let him lead her, and turned away from the center of the commotion.

Inside the mansion in the west of the city, Zhao Linchuan, Yue Shen, and Yan Fei were having dinner.

The dishes were prepared by Yan Fei herself, rich in color, aroma, and taste.

Yue Shen sat with elegant posture, chewing slowly and occasionally picking food for Zhao Linchuan with a gentle gaze.

Zhao Linchuan finished his meal in a leisurely manner, took the warm towel Yue Shen handed him at the perfect moment to wipe his hands, and swept his gaze over the two stunning young women before asking:

"Yue Shen, Yan Fei. In your original world, did you ever dabble in the arts of alchemy and medicine?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Fei set down her spoon and bowed her head. "Reporting to the Young Master, the techniques of the Yin-Yang School encompass all things; alchemy, medicine, poisons, and formations were all studied."

"While I am not a master, I am somewhat proficient. Does the Young Master have any instructions?"

A flicker of anticipation crossed her eyes; she finally had a chance to show her value in other areas.

Yue Shen also raised her cold, clear eyes to look at Zhao Linchuan.

Zhao Linchuan smiled warmly and nodded. "There is a small matter that requires your cooperation. Tomorrow, come with me."

Yue Shen asked softly, "Young Master, where are we going?"

Zhao Linchuan tapped his fingertip lightly on the table and slowly uttered a few words, "The Sunset Forest..."

In the blink of an eye, six years of time passed like sand through fingers.

Relying on his foresight of the original plot, Zhao Linchuan intervened skillfully to save Dugu Yan's parents, who were on the verge of death due to the backlash of their martial souls.

This kindness earned him the gratitude and promise of the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, as well as actual control over that treasure land where the wonders of heaven and earth gathered—the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

From then on, Dugu Yan became his little shadow, her sparkling eyes filled with worship and reliance on this mysterious benefactor.

Even her cold-natured best friend, Ye Lingling, gradually became "infected" by Yanzi's constant chatter and the strange wonders Zhao Linchuan occasionally displayed, casting curious and attentive gazes his way.

At the same time, the forces under his command were growing steadily.

He ordered Yue Shen and Yan Fei to play to their strengths: one to study the properties of herbs on the Douluo Continent, combining the alchemy and mental power applications of the Yin-Yang School to attempt to improve and innovate medicinal pills.

The other, relying on her superior intellect and methods, was to secretly screen and cultivate a group of soul masters or ordinary people with clean backgrounds and decent potential to serve as the backbone of their future faction.

On this day, the bustling streets of Soto City were packed with a dense flow of people.

A man and a woman walked side by side; the man had a tall, upright figure, his handsome face carrying a composure that transcended his age.

The woman had a slender, graceful figure and a stunningly beautiful face, her temperament as cold and aloof as the moon.

Yet at this moment, this cold beauty was pouting slightly, muttering complaints in a voice only the two of them could hear, a stark contrast to her usual image.

"...You're biased! You're biased to death!"

Yue Shen tugged at Zhao Linchuan's arm, shaking it gently, her tone filled with grievance.

"How much have I done for you? Running around, killing people, setting fires—which task haven't I put my heart and soul into?"

"And the result?"

"How long did I have to pester you before you finally gave me that god-level right arm bone?"

"Huh?"

The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She stopped in her tracks, stood by the roadside, and tilted her pretty face up to glare at Zhao Linchuan, her beautiful eyes shimmering with moisture as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"But what about that Yan Fei? She just sits there, tinkers with a few pills that have decent effects for you, says a few soft words, and puts on that gentle, considerate act, and you just go soft!"

"You gave her that god-level left arm bone directly!"

"Why on earth!"

"Why... why do you all favor her so much?"

"In what way am I inferior to her..."

Yue Shen's voice lowered, her words tinged with a hint of loneliness and bitterness.

"She always seems to be able to get everything I want with such ease, while I... have to exhaust every ounce of my strength just to barely reach it."

(My left brain punched my right brain, saying, "You must take in Ning Rongrong." My right brain slapped my left brain, saying, "Gu Rong must die.")