With the recommendation letter in hand, Gu Yue left the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters and rode in a Soul Guidance car toward the train station, feeling completely thrown for a loop.
She'd messed things up.
She had already given up on the bet and decided not to seek out Tang Wulin, but then Qian Jue had decided to study in Eastsea City.
There was no helping it. She simply couldn't refuse Qian Jue's request.
Fine, fine. We'll go, then. I don't have to hit on Tang Wulin. I'll just focus on winning Qian Jue over.
Gu Yue looked at Qian Jue, who was already asleep beside her, curled up like a little cat in his seat. A string of drool unconsciously slipped from the corner of his mouth.
"Heh, hehehe... My wife is so pretty."
She took out a human-style Soul Guidance communicator and started snapping pictures of Qian Jue. The shutter clicked nonstop.
Fortunately, they were in a Soul Guidance express train's private VIP carriage for the Spirit Pagoda, with no one else around.
Otherwise, Gu Yue's aloof and elegant image would have shattered into a million pieces.
"So cold... Grandma... don't hit me..."
Qian Jue's brows suddenly furrowed as he murmured in his sleep.
Judging by his expression, he must have been dreaming about some unpleasant experience.
Gu Yue quickly picked out the key detail from his fragmented words.
It seemed Qian Jue had been abused.
Who was the grandmother he'd mentioned?
The temperature inside the train plunged. Frost crystallized in the air, but the seat where Qian Jue sat was well protected, untouched by the drop in temperature.
"Di Tian," Gu Yue said softly.
The next instant, the figure of a middle-aged man in a black robe appeared soundlessly inside the speeding Soul Guidance train carriage.
His face was imposing even when calm, and a strand of golden hair fell across his forehead. There was no doubt that the middle-aged man was Beast God Di Tian.
"My liege."
Di Tian bowed slightly, then suddenly noticed Qian Jue in the seat.
Di Tian, whose face was usually as placid as a mirror and who never changed expression even when Mount Tai collapsed before him, now looked as if his whole understanding of life had been overturned.
"My liege, is this child Dragon Venerable's reincarnation?"
Dragon Venerable was the first sovereign of the dragon race. He had united the dragon clans scattered across the universe like loose sand and laid the foundations of the Dragon God Realm—a great pioneer.
Born in obscurity, he rose to greatness. It was said that in his early years he had been a female dragon, but after becoming a god, he transformed into a male. He possessed both a mother's nurturing radiance and a father's imposing grandeur and dignity.
Every dragon was duty-bound to remember his deeds. Dragon God had even compiled a book called Tiamat Quotes, the required textbook for the education of all young dragons.
Dragon Venerable's great achievements lay not only in carving out a world for the dragon race, but also in personally raising the second-generation Dragon God.
Dragon God inherited Tiamat's legacy, conquering new lands and forging a legendary era for the dragon race.
Though it had ultimately declined for some unknown reason, all dragons still sincerely revered Tiamat, the architect of their legendary epic.
Di Tian was no exception. When he was young, he had even won first place in the Tiamat Quotes Recitation Contest at the Young Dragons' Academy.
Now he had actually met his idol. It was only natural that he'd lost his composure.
Di Tian's eyes burned with fervor as he looked at Gu Yue.
"As expected of my liege, the Silver Dragon King who inherited Dragon God's wisdom and leads the Soul Beast Clan."
"You entered the game yourself, becoming the disciple of the Spirit Pagoda's deputy master, and even found the long-lost first sovereign of the dragon race."
"Then your bet with Na'er must also have been part of your plan, right?"
Di Tian silently repeated these words in his heart, ashamed of the doubts he'd once harbored.
Back then, he'd wondered if his liege's decision had come from spending too long at Lake of Life until her brain had filled with water.
"Now I see. This was all part of my liege's meticulous plan!"
"Indeed, even if all our wisdom were pooled together, it wouldn't amount to one ten-thousandth of my liege's."
Gu Yue, who was still fuming, had no idea that her image had somehow grown even greater in Di Tian's eyes.
Di Tian gazed fervently at Qian Jue. He really wanted to go over and take a picture with this legendary dragon.
Have you not heard? Heaven never seals off every path for a dragon.
Those words had sustained him through an age when Soul Beasts had no gods, enemies lurked beyond the heavens, and humanity advanced at a breakneck pace. They had helped him struggle on until this day.
Tiamat, we adore you!
Suddenly, Gu Yue flashed in front of Di Tian, blocking his view of Qian Jue.
Who said you could stare at my wife like that?
Sensing his liege's displeasure, Di Tian cleared his throat and once more assumed his usual icy expression.
"What did you summon me for, my liege?"
"I need you to investigate Xiao Qian's past. I suspect he was abused."
Di Tian's previously calm face darkened. His body trembled slightly as he suppressed his fury.
"My liege, I'll look into it."
"But I'd like to ask you for something."
"What is it?"
At that moment, Di Tian's dragon form showed in every line of him. His golden, slit-pupil eyes seemed to ignite, flames of gold flickering within them.
"When we find that person, please leave their fate to me."
"Do as you please."
Shrek Inner Court, on Sea God Lake.
Long Yeyue was sitting in a boat, fishing to pass the time, when a sudden unease welled up inside her.
What was this feeling of apprehension?
At her level of cultivation, she was almost mystically perceptive. It was only natural that she could sense some misfortune in the future.
But the feeling was subtle and might not be right. Even so, it was hard not to feel unsettled once her heart had been disturbed.
Could it be something to do with that child, Qian Jue?
Thinking it over, she had indeed overreacted just now. A child's skin was delicate; if she hadn't handled it properly, it could have become infected.
Forget it. She should take him to see a doctor after all.
No matter how much she disliked that bastard's son, she should at least leave him a descendant, considering Old Bei had been willing to take him in. She couldn't let Qian Jue die just like that, without anyone knowing why.
"Good thing I've still got a couple of candies in my pocket. I'll skip the rice oil today and let him have some candy for once."
Lan Muzi, who was rowing nearby, felt speechless when he heard Long Yeyue muttering to herself.
Who raised a child without giving them meat, eggs, or milk, and fed them rice oil every day?
With a guardian like her, that child had drawn the short straw.
Lan Muzi wanted to say something too. Tang Yinmeng was preparing to have a baby, and he was about to become a father himself, so he'd been learning a fair amount about childcare.
All he could say was that Long Yeyue's way of raising a child was pure abuse.
Unfortunately, Shrek Academy's reputation as the most stubborn person around wasn't for nothing. Even Yun Ming, the Sea God Pavilion Master, couldn't talk her around. Lan Muzi was only a nominal disciple, with little standing or influence. What could he do?
"Lan Muzi, come with me."
"Yes, Sister Yue."
Their figures vanished from Sea God Lake.
When they arrived at the apartment where Qian Jue lived, Long Yeyue unlocked the door. The moment she stepped inside, she sensed something was wrong.
"Xiao Qian, Grandma brought you candy."
"Xiao Qian?"
No one answered from inside, and Long Yeyue couldn't sense Qian Jue's presence either.
She immediately panicked.
Had something happened to him?
But the next moment, Lan Muzi's discovery turned Long Yeyue's worry into anger.
"Sister Yue, this window is open. I bet Xiao Qian went out to play or something."
"Who gave him permission to go out?!"
Long Yeyue's eyes were bloodshot. Breathing like an ox, she began to curse:
"He's a brat who hasn't even awakened his Martial Soul. What's he running around for? Without my permission, he should be staying quietly at home. Why else would I lock the door?"
Lan Muzi was nearly at a loss for words.
Children that age loved to play and couldn't sit still. Locking Qian Jue at home was basically a form of imprisonment.
"Go find him! When we bring him back, I'll make sure he learns what the rules and traditions of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan are!"
After giving the order, Long Yeyue plopped down on the sofa. Lan Muzi didn't want to provoke her while she was in this mood, so he hurried outside to search.
"Little brat, when you get back, I'm starving you for two whole days! You won't get so much as rice oil!"