The next morning, after training, Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu were sent by Yi Chen to review the lessons from the day before. Only he and Zhu Zhuqing remained in the clearing behind the mountain.
The morning breeze brushed through the treetops, carrying the coolness of the dew. Zhu Zhuqing stood before the chessboard, head bowed, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes.
She wore a black training outfit today. Her long, jet-black hair fell over her shoulders, while the morning light traced her slender, upright silhouette.
Yi Chen sat on a stone bench beneath an old tree, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a leisurely sip before speaking. "All right, tell me what's going on."
Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a while before answering in a low voice, "Yesterday, Dai Mubai came to see me again."
"I know." Yi Chen held his teacup, his tone calm. "I saw it from nearby."
Zhu Zhuqing looked up, surprise flashing in her eyes, then lowered her head again.
She bit her lip, seeming to hesitate over whether to continue.
A moment later, she spoke, her voice touched by a fatigue that was difficult to detect. "He told me about the engagement."
"Mm."
"He and I have been engaged since we were children." Zhu Zhuqing's voice was so calm it bordered on indifference, as if she were recounting something that had nothing to do with her.
"The Star Luo Imperial Family and the Zhu Family have intermarried for generations. Each generation, they choose children from their direct lines to form engagements. I'm the Zhu Family's second daughter, and he's the Third Prince of the Star Luo Empire, so our marriage was arranged when we were young."
Yi Chen didn't interrupt her. He simply listened in silence.
"According to the Star Luo Empire's rules, each generation's princes with a claim to the throne are paired with a daughter from the Zhu Family.
"Together, each pair competes against the other heirs. The pair that ultimately wins becomes the Star Luo Empire's emperor and empress."
Zhu Zhuqing's voice barely wavered, but Yi Chen could hear the weight repressed beneath her words. "And there's only one fate for the losers: death."
The word fell lightly from her lips, yet carried a bone-deep chill.
"Ever since I was little, I've known that I was alive to grow stronger and help Dai Mubai ascend the throne. If I didn't, he would die, and so would I."
Zhu Zhuqing raised her head, gazing toward the distant horizon, her voice sounding faint and far away.
"So I trained as hard as I could, never daring to slack off. I couldn't afford to lose."
Yi Chen set down his teacup and looked at her. "Do you still want to follow that path?"
Zhu Zhuqing fell silent.
After a long while, she slowly shook her head. "I don't know."
She lowered her head and looked at her hands. "I used to think this was my fate, and I accepted it. But now... Master, you gave me an Immortal Herb, taught me Golden Spatula, and told me that a Spirit Master could have many more possibilities. I've started to think maybe I don't have to follow that path. But..."
She bit her lip. "But I'm scared, too. If I really reject this engagement, what will the Star Luo Imperial Family do? What about the Zhu Family? Dai Mubai... he won't just let it go."
After listening, Yi Chen didn't answer right away. He took another sip of tea, then rose and walked over to stand before Zhu Zhuqing, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Zhuqing, let me ask you something."
Zhu Zhuqing looked up at him.
"Do you like Dai Mubai?"
The question was direct and blunt, without the slightest evasion.
Zhu Zhuqing froze, then almost instinctively shook her head. "I don't."
"Have you ever liked him?"
"Never."
Yi Chen nodded, his tone calm but firm. "Then that settles it. If you don't like him, break off the engagement."
Zhu Zhuqing stared at him, not expecting him to say it so casually.
She opened her mouth and said with some difficulty, "But... that's an engagement arranged by the Star Luo Imperial Family and the Zhu Family. It's not something we can just call off. And I know Dai Mubai's personality. He's proud and arrogant. He'll never tolerate the humiliation of being rejected. When that happens..."
"What happens then?" Yi Chen interrupted her, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint smile. "Is he going to eat you?"
Zhu Zhuqing was at a loss for words.
Yi Chen paced a couple of steps with his hands behind his back, his back to her. His voice was clear and unhurried. "Zhuqing, remember this: you're my disciple. My disciple doesn't have to be bound by anyone. Who you want to marry—or don't want to marry—is up to you. As for the Star Luo Imperial Family, the Zhu Family, and Dai Mubai—"
He turned around and looked at Zhu Zhuqing, speaking each word clearly. "Let them come talk to me."
Zhu Zhuqing stared at Yi Chen, complicated emotions surfacing in her cool eyes for the first time: surprise, gratitude, and a sense of security she had never felt before.
All her life, she had been told that she was a daughter of the Zhu Family, Dai Mubai's fiancée, and that her duty was to grow stronger and survive the brutal competition.
No one had ever told her she could choose for herself. No one had ever told her that she didn't have to do things she didn't want to do.
"Master..." Zhu Zhuqing's voice caught. Her eyes reddened, but she held back her tears.
Seeing her like this, Yi Chen softened his tone. "I know what you're worried about. The Star Luo Empire is powerful, the Zhu Family isn't to be trifled with, and that boy Dai Mubai is no pushover. But Zhuqing..."
He paused, his voice carrying a confidence that came naturally. "Do you think I'm afraid of any of them?"
Zhu Zhuqing froze, then shook her head without thinking.
She remembered Yi Chen pinning Dai Mubai down with a single glance in the Star Dou Forest. She remembered how calmly he had gone alone to Spirit Hall to discuss cooperation with Bibi Dong.
The man before her was a Level 99 Limit Douluo, someone the Spirit Hall's own pope treated with respect.
The Star Luo Empire? The Zhu Family? Dai Mubai?
They truly were nothing in his eyes.
"So you don't need to worry about anything." Yi Chen sat back down on the stone bench and picked up his teacup.
"Leave this to me. I'll find a time to have a proper talk with that boy Dai Mubai. If he knows what's good for him, he'll end the engagement quietly. If he doesn't..."
He smiled. His smile was gentle and harmless, yet it somehow made Zhu Zhuqing feel at ease.
"Then I'll let him experience the Way of Seeking Death for himself."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head and remained silent for a long while.
When she looked up again, most of the confusion and unease in her eyes had faded, replaced by a resolve she had never felt before.
"Thank you, Master," she said softly. Her voice was still cool, but now it held a little warmth.
Yi Chen waved a hand. "All right, don't dwell on it. Since you're not in the right state today, we won't practice Golden Spatula. Come take a walk with me."
Zhu Zhuqing paused, but nodded.
Yi Chen rose and walked unhurriedly along the mountain path, hands clasped behind his back. Zhu Zhuqing quietly followed him. One ahead, one behind, they walked along the forest trail in the early morning.
Sunlight dappled the path through the gaps in the leaves. Birds trilled among the branches, and the air was fragrant with earth and fresh grass.
After walking for a while, Yi Chen suddenly spoke. "Zhuqing, you grew up in the Zhu Family. You probably haven't had many carefree days, have you?"
Zhu Zhuqing fell silent for a moment, then gave a soft "Mm."
"The Zhu Family is a powerful clan in the Star Luo Empire, with strict rules. As far back as I can remember, every day was training, training, and more training.
"My father had high hopes for me. He wanted me to become Dai Mubai's strongest ally.
"My mother... she died when I was very young. My memories of her are already blurry."
Her voice was calm, but Yi Chen could hear the loneliness hidden beneath it.
"Have you ever thought about what you'd want to do if you didn't have to shoulder all those responsibilities?" Yi Chen asked.
Zhu Zhuqing froze and thought for a long time before shaking her head. "I don't know. I've never thought about it."
Yi Chen stopped and turned to look at her, a gentle smile in his eyes. "Then start thinking about it now. You have plenty of time to figure out what you want. There's no need to rush into a decision, and no one should force you into one."
He reached out and gently patted Zhu Zhuqing on the shoulder. "Remember, you're Zhu Zhuqing first, and a daughter of the Zhu Family and Dai Mubai's fiancée second. You should be the one who controls your own fate."
Zhu Zhuqing looked up at the man before her, dressed in white as brilliant as snow.
The morning light outlined him in gold. His gaze was calm and gentle, yet carried a power that inspired trust.
She suddenly felt that the stone that had weighed on her heart for years had finally shifted, just a little.
"I understand, Master," she said softly, her voice carrying a lightness she had never felt before.
Yi Chen nodded and turned to continue walking, his tone returning to its usual casualness. "All right, that's enough life advice. Back to training. I gave you half a day off today, but you'll have to make up for it by doubling tomorrow's training."
The corner of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth lifted in an almost imperceptible smile as she followed him. "Yes, Master."
Sunlight fell across their backs, stretching two long shadows along the forest path.
Under the shade of the trees behind the mountain, Ning Rongrong poked half her head out and watched them walk away. She nudged Xiao Wu beside her with an elbow. "Hey, what do you think Master and Zhuqing are talking about? They've been at it for ages."
Xiao Wu had a foxtail grass stem between her teeth. She squinted at them, then grinned. "Whatever it is, they're not talking about Golden Spatula."
"No kidding." Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes. "Do you think Master will really help Zhuqing break off the engagement?"
"Of course!" Xiao Wu pulled the grass stem from her mouth, looking entirely confident. "Master's so powerful. What's one Star Luo Imperial Family to him? Besides, Zhuqing's one of us. We can't just watch her leap into a pit of fire, can we?"
Ning Rongrong nodded, then said with some concern, "But Dai Mubai has such a strong sense of pride. If she really breaks off the engagement, he definitely won't let it go."
"What's there to be afraid of?" Xiao Wu thumped her chest. "Master's here! If he dares to cause trouble, Master can beat him up!"
Ning Rongrong thought about it and decided that did seem to make sense, so she stopped worrying.
The two girls ducked back under the trees and continued working out their team formation on the chessboard.
The sun shone warmly, and the breeze was gentle.
Down below, at Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai stood on the training grounds, punching the wooden post in front of him again and again.
The post was covered in cracks, clearly battered by the impacts.
Yesterday's scene kept replaying in his mind: Zhu Zhuqing's cold gaze and the unhurried manner of that man named Yi Chen.
"Yi Chen, just you wait," he muttered, driving his fist into the post.
Crack.
The post snapped in two.