His tiger eyes brimmed with tears. Wu Datou choked out a plea. "Madam..."
"Say no more. General Wu, remember the responsibility you bear!" Lady Shu's face was frosty, her manner cold and merciless.
"Eldest Young Master Shu... Second Young Master Shu..." Wu Datou knelt on the ground, his body trembling as he begged Shu Da and Shu Er.
Shu Da and Shu Er were already deathly pale and panic-stricken. When Wu Datou suddenly bowed before them, they immediately took refuge behind Lady Shu.
"Mother, Mother..." Each of them clutched one of Lady Shu's arms tightly, as if they had found someone to lean on.
Lady Shu hurried to comfort them, gathering them both into her arms. Secretly relieved, she couldn't help grumbling to herself: Why haven't those four Spirit Beast Masters arrived yet? Is killing a mere Chu Yun really so troublesome? With them here, the three of us would be much safer.
"Alas, the balance of power in the All-Star Archipelago is about to change." Taking in the upheaval before him, the White-Browed Alchemist shook his head and sighed inwardly.
"Lady Shu is a woman, after all. She can't see what Shu Tianhao means to Shu Family Island. If they sent troops to rescue him now, they might still make it in time. Shu Tianhao is the very soul of Shu Family Island. If All-Star Fierce Tiger dies, the island will lose half its strength."
"His two sons aren't fit to shoulder the burden. If he dies, there'll be no one to succeed him. Shu Family Island will be left leaderless, and Lady Shu will have to call in the Ning Family's troops to help defend it. Heh, I'm afraid Shu Family Island will become a branch island of the Ning Family before long!"
The White-Browed Alchemist had a mind like a chessboard and saw every development as clearly as if it were laid out before him. He was already predicting how the situation would unfold.
"The Ning Family is already the wealthiest and most powerful faction in the All-Star Archipelago. If they annex Shu Family Island and gain the courage of the Shu Family Army, they may truly become the strongest force in the archipelago."
"Lady Shu plans to hold Shu Family Island to the last. At least she's doing her duty. She's an ordinary person, after all, with a narrow outlook and little vision. Besides, their opponent is the pirate Remnant Wolf, whose Beacon Smoke Wolf is said to have cultivated for 136 years. Without a powerful Demon Beast, going to Shu Family Island's aid would be tantamount to marching to their deaths. Alas, it's a shame after all Shu Tianhao has done to support Shu Family Island over the years!"
The White-Browed Alchemist sighed.
But that was all he did. There was no chance he would step in.
Ever since its founding, Heavenly Song Academy had remained steadfastly neutral. It never interfered in the conflicts of the All-Star Archipelago.
"By the looks of it, Shu Tianhao's death is already a foregone conclusion. Shu Family Island will change hands, too. The balance of the All-Star Archipelago has been shattered. I must inform the Academy Master..."
As he considered what to do, the White-Browed Alchemist suddenly sensed something strange in the air.
"Chu, Chu Yun, what are you doing here..." Lady Shu's face turned as pale as paper. She stared at the entrance in shock, as if she'd seen a ghost.
The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master called out as well. "Chu Yun! You're finally here—you weren't late after all. Pass this test, and you'll take first place in the coming-of-age ceremony and enter Heavenly Song Academy. This gentleman here is a teacher at Heavenly Song Academy, the famous White-Browed Alchemist!"
The White-Browed Alchemist turned around and saw a youth and a fox walking toward him.
His eyes suddenly lit up, and he couldn't help praising the boy inwardly. This young man...
Chu Yun wore a white robe today. His simple clothes could not hide his handsome bearing. The Heavenly Fox's spiritual energy had reshaped him: his lips were red, his teeth white, his eyes black as stars, and his posture ramrod straight. He radiated a heroic air, leaving even a man like the White-Browed Alchemist with an impression he couldn't forget.
A third of the White-Browed Alchemist's poor impression of Chu Yun immediately vanished. He waited, expecting Chu Yun to greet him, but the boy didn't even spare him a glance. He walked straight past.
"Hmm?" The White-Browed Alchemist froze. As a teacher at Heavenly Song Academy, he was used to every youth at the coming-of-age ceremony treating him with respect. He'd never met a young man so arrogant!
His good opinion of Chu Yun dropped by another two points.
"Young Master Chu Yun..." Wu Datou's eyes were brimming with tears. He, too, had noticed Chu Yun's arrival.
Chu Yun's face was expressionless. He paid no heed to the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master's words. Reaching Wu Datou, he suddenly raised his right foot and kicked him hard!
Thud.
Caught off guard, Wu Datou was kicked to the ground. He was stunned!
He wasn't the only one. Everyone else present was just as dumbfounded.
"Wu Datou, you blockhead! How much longer are you going to kneel there!?" Chu Yun opened his mouth and let loose a scolding. "Get up, damn it!"
"Yes, yes." Wu Datou looked completely bewildered, but instinctively climbed to his feet.
"My father saved your life. Now that he's at death's door, you're still sitting here? What the hell are you doing? Get out there, rally the troops, and come with me to save him!"
Chu Yun's words cracked like thunder, leaving everyone there utterly stunned.
"Young, Young Master Chu Yun..." Wu Datou stared at him in disbelief.
"Chu Yun, you absolutely mustn't! He's one of the three great pirates, the notorious Remnant Wolf! He has the Great Demon Beacon Smoke Wolf! Even the island lord is no match for him. Going to save him would be suicide!" The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master panicked and hurried to dissuade him.
"Shut up!!" The usually courteous Chu Yun suddenly revealed his sharp edge. He turned and barked at the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master, silencing him on the spot.
"My adoptive father's kindness to me is as great as a mountain. He gave me a second life. Now he's trapped and at death's door. If I, his son, stood by and watched him die, I'd be worse than a beast!"
By the time Chu Yun finished speaking, his eyes were bloodshot and brimming with tears. His body trembled faintly. At that moment, he carried an aura of blazing righteousness, so dazzling no one dared look straight at him.
The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master opened his mouth several times, but couldn't force out a word.
"Young Master Chu Yun!" Wu Datou's face flushed red as tears streamed down his cheeks. His voice trembled, choked with emotion!
What did it mean for strong grass to show itself in a gale, or a loyal minister to appear when the realm was in chaos?
With the island lord in peril, only one person had stepped forward.
That person was his adoptive son—Chu Yun!
"No, Chu Yun, I don't care if you're going to your death. But don't goad General Wu into it! Without the garrison, how are we supposed to defend Shu Family Island?" Lady Shu shrieked.
Shu Da spoke up, too. "General Wu, before Father left, he ordered you to defend the city. That's a military order! You can't disobey it!"
Shu Er chimed in with a sinister smile. "Chu Yun, you have to put the greater good first."
"To hell with the greater good." Chu Yun glanced at Shu Er coldly. Shu Er shuddered from head to toe, chilled to the bone and unable to speak.
"What are you still standing around for? Get out there and do your job, damn it!" Chu Yun turned his eyes on Wu Datou and rebuked him without the slightest courtesy.
"Yes, yes." Though Wu Datou was being berated and scolded, he was overjoyed. He hurried out of the Earth Altar.
Lady Shu wanted to stop him, but the words reached her lips and then went back down.
"Fine. Let Chu Yun and Wu Datou go to their deaths. Even if the pirates attack the island, the three of us can hide in the forest and hold out until the Ning Family troops arrive. Let those two fools go die."
Watching Chu Yun walk away, Lady Shu's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Young man, wait." The White-Browed Alchemist suddenly called out to Chu Yun.
Lady Shu and her sons tensed at once.
The White-Browed Alchemist said, "Young man, I admire your courage. But courage alone can't always solve a problem. I've also heard that you came first in both of your previous tests. If you take the third test, your admission to Heavenly Song Academy is all but certain. Rather than throw your life away now, you'd be better off preserving yourself and avenging Shu Tianhao in the future."
"The White-Browed Alchemist is right, Chu Yun! Don't let a moment's bloodlust carry you away!" The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master quickly chimed in. He truly didn't want to watch a promising young man throw his life away for nothing!
Chu Yun stopped and turned sideways to look at the White-Browed Alchemist.
Lady Shu and her sons could barely breathe. It was as if they were waiting for Chu Yun to pronounce judgment.
"You're an outsider. What do you know? Compared to my father, Heavenly Song Academy... heh." Chu Yun glanced at the White-Browed Alchemist, then turned away. Memories flashed through his mind, scenes from his past and present surging up all at once.
Pain, resentment, regret... Now that he had another chance, how could he follow the same old path?
After a soft laugh, Chu Yun left them with one sentence and strode forward. "What does Heavenly Song Academy matter at a time like this?"
Heavenly Song Academy would greatly advance his plans. But compared to the safety of his adoptive father, Shu Tianhao, it meant nothing.
Chu Yun had been reborn because he could not accept what had happened. In this life, he meant to make up for his regrets. Not entering Heavenly Song Academy in his previous life had been a regret, but his adoptive father's death had been a far greater one.
At worst, not entering Heavenly Song Academy would slow his progress by one level. But if he watched his adoptive father die, the rest of his life would be filled with regret...
The renowned Heavenly Song Academy of the All-Star Archipelago... was nothing by comparison.
"How dare he!" "Ignorant boy, what arrogance!" Lady Shu and her sons cried out in a stream of scathing abuse, by turns shocked and pleased.
The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master stood there, frozen.
As the man involved, the White-Browed Alchemist was also momentarily taken aback. He was too well-mannered to feel anger over the heated words of a thirteen-year-old boy.
He watched Chu Yun walk away. The frail shoulders of the thirteen-year-old seemed to be carrying a mountain.
His steps never faltered. A mutated Lesser Demon followed close behind him. How small they seemed! And yet that sight made the White-Browed Alchemist's eyes shine brighter and brighter.
Heavenly Song Academy gathered the most outstanding young geniuses in the All-Star Archipelago. What kind of talented youths hadn't the White-Browed Alchemist seen? Yet after all these years, this was the first time someone had made his heart race and his eyes light up.
"Courage—a courage that fears nothing! This boy is interesting, very interesting..."
As Chu Yun left the Earth Altar, the gloomy sea wind blew straight into his face. He looked up at the sky and saw thick clouds piled overhead, muffled thunder rumbling within them. A storm seemed to be brewing.
Chu Yun furrowed his brow. Even the heavens were against him. If the storm poured down, how could they speak of a rescue?
Besides, a military dispatch had already arrived, and a great deal of time had passed. They might already be too late. Nine times out of ten, by the time they reached the battlefield, they would find his father's corpse.
But whether the rescue succeeded was one thing; whether he went to save him was another.
When he'd reached the Earth Altar, he'd unexpectedly heard Wu Datou report the military situation. From that moment on, Chu Yun had cast everything concerning Heavenly Song Academy from his mind. One thought alone remained: rescue Shu Tianhao.
His resolve could not be shaken. Not even heaven and earth collapsing could sway him.
He had already made up his mind.
Neither the heavens working against him, nor the strength of the enemy, nor the hopelessness of the rescue could stop Chu Yun.
He would charge forward without looking back. Though a thousand men stood in his way, he would go forth!
At a quarter past eight, Wu Datou led eighty-eight garrison soldiers to rendezvous with Chu Yun.
"Young Master Chu Yun..." Wu Datou's face was full of guilt. Shu Family City had more than a hundred garrison soldiers, but only this many had followed him here.
Chu Yun's expression was cold. He said only, "Keep up."