The Past

"Where did your teacher tell us to find her?"

As Shen Nanxun and the others walked out of the hotel, he asked Gu Yue about Leng Yaozhu's whereabouts.

"Just go straight to the Skysea City Spirit Pagoda." Gu Yue answered succinctly and led the way toward the hotel entrance. Shen Nanxun and Na'er followed behind her. The three of them crossed the lobby and pushed through the revolving glass doors,

The morning sun of Skysea City greeted them, carrying the salty, moist scent unique to the sea breeze.

They had not gone far along the coastal avenue when a figure slowly stepped out from the side, stopping squarely in their path.

She was an old woman, her silver hair neatly combed, her features lean, and her back ramrod straight. A plain, dark teal robe draped over her.

The street bustled with passersby, but her hem seemed surrounded by an invisible aura. A few plane leaves that had just fallen drifted aside on their own when they came within several yards of her, landing soundlessly on the bluestone pavement. She stood there quietly, yet an aura instantly locked onto the three of them.

Na'er blinked her big silver eyes and poked half her head out from behind Shen Nanxun. The cowlick on her head bobbed. "Granny, you're in the way."

Cai Yue'er looked at the silver-haired little girl peeking out from behind Shen Nanxun. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, but she did not move aside. Her gaze returned to Shen Nanxun. "You must be Shen Nanxun."

"And who are you?" Shen Nanxun ignored the formidable aura around her and asked without a hint of deference or fear.

"This old woman is Cai Yue'er, Silver Moon Douluo, Elder of the Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy."

Cai Yue'er turned her gaze to the black-haired, black-eyed girl beside him. "A direct disciple of Heavenly Phoenix Douluo from the Spirit Pagoda. No wonder you could suppress Yu Chen all by yourself. Your command of the four elements is unmatched among the youngsters I've met. It seems the Spirit Pagoda and the Shen Family have grown quite close?"

Gu Yue's expression did not change. Her answer was airtight. "My teacher and the Shen Family do indeed have an old friendship. I'm merely here on orders."

"'Merely here on orders.' Well said." Cai Yue'er's gaze settled on Shen Nanxun again. "Shen Nanxun, I came today for one purpose only: to invite you to join Shrek Academy."

"I refuse."

Shen Nanxun replied decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

"You have only one choice today," Cai Yue'er said coolly. "Even the Shen Family of the Ming Capital is nothing but a tiny ant before Shrek. If you don't want to drag your family into this, then join Shrek obediently. I'll take you to train in the inner court, and you'll surely become one of the strongest on the continent. That's what a clever person would do—not refuse me to my face."

"I'd say Silver Moon Douluo has had a bit too much to drink." Shen Nanxun gave a cold laugh. "I don't know whether my Shen Family is a tiny ant, but even Sky-Piercing Douluo, the Sea God Pavilion Master, has to show my father a measure of respect. Does Silver Moon Douluo really have that much pull?"

"You insolent brat!" Cai Yue'er narrowed her eyes, and her aura suddenly turned violent.

But just then, a languid yet icy voice rang in everyone's ears.

"Today, I'd like to see who dares lay a hand on my people."

Cai Yue'er's pupils contracted slightly. The pressure she unleashed was shattered three feet from Shen Nanxun by an even more domineering surge of Soul Power.

The pressure of two Titled Douluos collided soundlessly over the bluestone pavement of the coastal avenue. The air froze. A few freshly fallen plane leaves hung motionless in midair. The sounds of people, traffic, and waves crashing against the shore seemed to have been torn from the world.

Leng Yaozhu stood at the far end of the street. Today, she wore a wine-red gown, its hem fluttering gently in the sea breeze. Her fiery red hair hung loose over her shoulders and back. A few strands lifted in the breeze, drifting softly beside her slightly raised chin.

Her amber eyes passed over the pedestrians driven back by the pressure. She strode forward, her long legs carrying her down the street as her wine-red gown rippled behind her like flowing wine.

"Cai Yue'er, what did you just say? That Shen Nanxun had to join Shrek obediently, or you'd use the Shen Family to threaten him?"

Leng Yaozhu stopped in front of Cai Yue'er. Her amber eyes looked down at the old woman, who was half a head shorter than she was. "Since when did Shrek learn to threaten a child with his family? Cai Yue'er, as an Elder of the Sea God Pavilion, don't you feel ashamed to say such things?"

As her final word fell, the pure, scorching pressure of a Titled Douluo erupted from her without restraint. Wine-red Soul Power surged around her like flames, and her fiery red hair lifted in the storm of energy.

The pressure of a Level 99 Limit Douluo, a demigod-level powerhouse, crashed down upon them.

The scene even had a hint of a fiery, domineering beauty bullying a feisty old woman in the middle of the street.

Cai Yue'er's expression changed sharply. The phantom of her Silver Moon Martial Soul appeared behind her, and she met the pressure with the Soul Power of a Rank 96 Titled Douluo.

Yet even so, she was forced back several steps. The gap of a single rank between Titled Douluos was already immense, let alone a difference of so many ranks.

"Heavenly Phoenix!" Cai Yue'er gritted her teeth and said furiously. "You dare to fight here? Are you trying to declare war on Shrek Academy?"

"And you threatened the Shen Family. Are you trying to declare war on the military?"

Leng Yaozhu gave a cold laugh. "Do you have the nerve?"

Shen Nanxun stepped forward at just the right moment and dipped his head slightly. "Aunt Leng, Silver Moon Douluo meant well."

Cai Yue'er's expression eased. She gave a slight nod. At least this boy knew how to give her a way out.

Leng Yaozhu, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. She knew this slippery little fox too well. There was no way he'd be so accommodating.

"But Silver Moon Douluo is getting on in years. Her mind may not be as sharp as it once was, so she can't be expected to think before she speaks. I'll ask my father to prepare some supplements and send them to Shrek another day, to help Silver Moon Douluo get her strength back."

The corners of Leng Yaozhu's mouth lifted slightly. Na'er buried her face behind Shen Nanxun's sleeve, shaking all over as she tried to stifle her laughter. Gu Yue remained expressionless, though the fingers hanging at her side trembled ever so slightly.

Cai Yue'er's face turned ashen. Shen Nanxun's words were not only a roundabout insult; they were also a threat.

He was using Shen Nanxun's father to put pressure on her.

She could not stand there a moment longer. She could only flee in disgrace, vanishing into the distance as a streak of light.

"Heh." Leng Yaozhu scoffed in disdain. She had never liked Cai Yue'er, and that was nothing new.

Now that she had made Cai Yue'er eat humble pie, she was in a thoroughly good mood.

Shen Nanxun looked up at the red-haired woman before him and asked, "Aunt Leng, I've completed the tasks you gave me. Can you tell me about my origins now?"

Leng Yaozhu studied him for a long moment, then parted her red lips.

"Come with me."

Skysea City Spirit Pagoda.

Shen Nanxun and Leng Yaozhu entered a spacious, enclosed room. As they stepped inside, the Soul Guidance Lamp recognized them and switched on automatically, its warm light falling across their faces.

Leng Yaozhu settled naturally onto a sofa and looked at Shen Nanxun, who stood before her.

"I'll ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to know about your origins? If you find out, you'll have to shoulder the responsibilities that come with it. But if you give up, you can go back to being the young master of the Shen Family and needn't trouble yourself over this."

"Of course."

Shen Nanxun still did not hesitate.

Things had already reached this point. The arrow was on the string; it had to be released. Since he had chosen to meet Leng Yaozhu and agreed to take on her two tasks, he had already made up his mind.

"You really are just as stubborn." Leng Yaozhu chuckled. Then, somehow, she produced a glass of red wine and took a small sip before continuing, "It all began more than thirty years ago..."