Let Me Try the Size

"You're Lin Xun!"

This Friday, Zero Class came to the Spirit Ascension Platform at the Spirit Pagoda for specialized training, as arranged by the academy.

Everyone was eagerly discussing cultivation matters. Lin Xun had only just entered the grounds of the Spirit Pagoda's main building when Leng Yaozhu directly stopped him and led him into a secluded, enclosed lounge.

The door clicked shut, completely cutting off all sounds from outside.

Before Lin Xun could steady himself, Leng Yaozhu strode forward and planted a hand heavily against the wall beside him, trapping him in the cold corner.

They stood extremely close, their breaths nearly mingling. Leng Yaozhu's usually cool, composed features were drawn tight as she stared unblinkingly at Lin Xun, complex emotions churning in her eyes.

With his back against the wall, Lin Xun looked up at her. "Your Eminence sought me out alone. What important matter is it?"

Leng Yaozhu pressed slightly harder against the wall, her voice low and taut.

"Important matter? The entire Soul Planning Hall is watching me now, and you're still asking what important matter there is."

"Just these past few days, the Soul Planning Hall suddenly invoked the authority of the Nine Sacred Pillars and pressured the Spirit Pagoda from the top down, issuing a written prohibition. It explicitly ordered me not to bind you any longer under the guise of a master-disciple relationship, not to use taking you as a disciple as an excuse to arrange your schedule at will or interfere with your cultivation and daily life, and certainly not to summon you frequently to the Spirit Pagoda."

"Put plainly, they're forcing me to let go. They won't allow me to disturb you in the slightest under the identity of your master."

Leng Yaozhu leaned down slightly, her gaze locked tightly onto Lin Xun's eyes, unwilling to miss even the faintest shift in his expression.

"The Soul Planning Hall has always remained detached from worldly affairs. Even when it comes to internal personnel transfers within the Spirit Pagoda or the Qian Gu Family's management of authority, they have never been bothered to interfere."

"My forcibly taking you as a disciple was, at the end of the day, merely my personal decision. At most, it counted as a minor matter within the Spirit Pagoda. It had nothing to do with the Soul Planning Hall."

"Yet for you, they broke precedent and issued a domain-wide ban to restrain me."

Her voice trembled faintly as the suspicions that had accumulated in her heart finally surfaced.

"No ordinary genius, no matter how outstanding, would be worth the Soul Planning Hall making such a massive move to deliberately pressure and stop me."

Leng Yaozhu's gaze deepened. Speaking word by word, she voiced a speculation she hardly dared believe.

"You're him!"

"I don't understand what you mean." Lin Xun turned his head away, sighing softly to himself. He had originally only wanted to use the Soul Planning Hall's authority to draw a clear line between himself and Leng Yaozhu.

After all, if this continued, something might happen sooner or later.

He just had not expected that this would instead ignite Leng Yaozhu's desire to investigate, making her even more suspicious of him.

Seeing him deliberately avoid her gaze and refuse to look at her directly, Leng Yaozhu's doubts only grew heavier.

She did not accept his perfunctory explanation at all.

"You don't understand?"

Leng Yaozhu lowered her voice. There was a trace of suppressed impatience in her tone, but even more certainty and resolve.

"Who on the entire continent doesn't know the Soul Planning Hall's rules?"

"They do not concern themselves with worldly affairs, do not pave the way for others, and do not stand up for anyone."

"For ten thousand years, there has never been an exception."

The arm she had braced against the wall tightened further as she leaned slightly forward, completely cutting off every avenue of retreat.

There was not even the slightest gap between them. Lin Xun could practically brush against those alluring red lips if he turned his head.

"Yet when it comes to you, every single rule becomes void."

"Taking you as my disciple was my personal decision. I did not overstep any boundaries. Even the Spirit Pagoda's upper echelon did not say a word."

"But the Soul Planning Hall directly intervened, exerting pressure across factions, targeting me specifically and changing the rules specifically for you."

"All so that I cannot manage you, cannot restrain you."

Leng Yaozhu stared straight into his eyes, her gaze sharp enough to terrify.

"Tell me—why would they do that for an ordinary student?"

Lin Xun remained against the wall, his expression calm, revealing little emotion.

He understood perfectly well.

He had only wanted to save himself some trouble.

Leng Yaozhu insisted on taking him as her disciple, interfering in everything and summoning him frequently. Sooner or later, she would bring him a pile of unnecessary entanglements and trouble.

His original intention had been to draw a clear boundary and quietly extricate himself.

Who could have expected that this move would backfire instead?

Leng Yaozhu knew far too many secrets and had witnessed countless struggles among the highest powers.

What others could not understand as anomalies were, in her eyes, nothing but flaws.

The more protective the intervention was, the more absurdly extraordinary his identity appeared.

Lin Xun fell silent for two seconds, his tone still flat.

"Perhaps they cherish talent."

The moment those words left his mouth, Leng Yaozhu laughed in anger.

Her smile was faint, but filled with disbelief.

"Cherishing talent?"

"There are countless geniuses across the continent. Shrek, the Spirit Pagoda, the major clans—monsters are everywhere."

"Since when would the Soul Planning Hall issue a ban specifically against one person just because they cherish talent, and even force me to set my disciple free?"

"You think I'd believe that?"

She pressed him step by step, refusing to give him even the slightest chance to catch his breath.

"Ever since you appeared, everything has been wrong."

"Your temperament, your perspective, your composure—they all far exceed what someone your age should possess."

Leng Yaozhu's voice gradually sank.

"Before, I only suspected."

"But this time, the Soul Planning Hall's intervention practically handed me the answer."

She spoke with certainty.

After all, that person from a hundred years ago had been inextricably connected to the Soul Planning Hall.

"Other than your appearance, what else is different between you and him?"

"I don't understand what Your Excellency means by saying this over and over. Nor do I know who this 'him' is. I am only myself."

Lin Xun still refused to admit it. In truth, even if Leng Yaozhu had guessed most of it, he still could not acknowledge it.

As long as he denied it, she could produce no evidence.

Watching him stubbornly deny everything, Leng Yaozhu felt a wave of helplessness. She knew this sort of evasion all too well.

Evidence was not important. Admission was.

Yet Lin Xun simply refused to open his mouth, keeping himself completely clear of the matter.

The hand she had braced against the wall slowly relaxed somewhat, but she still did not step back. She continued to pin him in the corner.

Only, the oppressive forcefulness around her quietly faded a little, replaced by a sense of helplessness.

"You don't need to play dumb."

Leng Yaozhu's voice lowered considerably.

"I can't produce evidence, and you won't admit it yourself."

"I know that perfectly well."

Lin Xun lowered his eyes, his expression calm, without the slightest trace of guilt.

"Since Your Excellency has no evidence, then let this matter end here."

"I am merely a student of Eastsea Academy. I cannot bear the weight of those overly serious suspicions you speak of."

Leng Yaozhu silently watched him, watched that young and clean-faced boy. The longing and emptiness of nearly a century instantly ignited her anger.

Her gaze suddenly turned resolute, even carrying a morbid possessiveness.

"Actually, I have a way to prove whether you are him or not."

Lin Xun froze slightly, and his scalp instantly tingled. Leng Yaozhu was acting a little wrong in this state.

Leng Yaozhu tilted her head and gave a soft laugh. Leaning close, she parted her red lips and breathed out fragrantly as she said:

"It's very simple."

"Just let me test your size~"