Warmth

Xu Tianming had just reached the entrance of Prince Yan's Palace when he stopped in his tracks.

A stunning blonde girl stood before the gates of his residence. Hearing his approaching footsteps, she turned toward the sound.

"Your Highness, you're back."

The instant he saw the girl, Xu Tianming felt both warmth and helplessness in his heart.

"Guyi, haven't I told you before? Stop waiting for me at the gates all the time. If outsiders see this, who knows what stories they'll make up?"

At that, Ye Guyi lowered her head.

"It's only because Your Highness came back too late..."

Hearing the girl's quiet mutter, Xu Tianming gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"All right, all right. This was just an accident. I won't come back this late again."

"Really?"

"When has your prince ever lied to you?"

"Mhm! I believe Your Highness."

With that, a sweet smile immediately bloomed across Ye Guyi's face. She turned gracefully and took the initiative to open the gates for Xu Tianming.

Looking at her back, Xu Tianming unconsciously recalled their first meeting three years ago.

He remembered that day well. He had gone with his uncle to hunt soul beasts in the Evil Demon Forest, where they happened upon Ye Guyi's family of three being besieged by evil soul masters.

Thus, at Xu Tianming's request, Kong Deming acted with lightning speed, wiping out those evil soul masters and saving the lives of all three family members.

Unfortunately, during the struggle against the evil soul masters, Ye Guyi's father had burned his Angel martial soul at all costs in order to buy his wife and daughter a chance to escape.

Although Kong Deming's help had barely preserved his life in the end, unless he encountered some heaven-defying opportunity for the rest of his days, he would never again be able to use his martial soul or soul power. He was no different from an ordinary person.

Yet her parents did not feel particularly regretful over it.

After all, in their eyes, surviving the siege of dozens of evil soul masters was already a miracle.

Afterward, Xu Tianming learned the identity of this family of three. Seeing Ye Guyi's talent and future potential, he decided to take in this girl his own age and nurture her into a capable right-hand aide who could help him build his future ambitions.

As it happened, Ye Guyi's parents, whose lives had been saved, shared the same idea. After asking Ye Guyi's opinion and confirming that she did not object to following them in the future, the matter was settled.

Who would have thought that three years would pass in the blink of an eye? The little girl who had once been shorter than his neck and would cry at the slightest provocation, calling for her parents, had now grown into a graceful young woman who was deeply devoted to him.

Once he stepped through the palace gates and returned home, Xu Tianming relaxed somewhat.

"I'm guessing you haven't had dinner yet... Here, I packed this from the Mingdu Grand Hotel. It has your favorite strawberry cake."

As he spoke, Xu Tianming handed one of the meal boxes he was carrying to Ye Guyi.

The moment she heard the words "strawberry cake," Ye Guyi's beautiful eyes immediately lit up.

"Thank you for still thinking of Guyi, Your Highness~"

"That's enough. This one is yours. Where are Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan? If they aren't asleep yet, pass these two meals to them for me."

"Xiao Xiao should still be cultivating at this hour, while Jiang Nannan is probably taking care of her mother... Don't worry, Your Highness. Leave such a small matter to me!"

After taking Ye Guyi in three years ago, Xu Tianming had begun considering how to recruit talented people.

The first people he set his sights on were Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan, two members of this generation's Shrek Seven Monsters from the original work.

Of the two girls, Xiao Xiao, who possessed twin martial souls, had no special background. Thus, after Xu Tianming's men found her parents, they merely tempted them with generous benefits and successfully lured the family of three from their original country to the Sun Moon Empire.

Soon afterward, Xiao Xiao, who had only recently awakened her twin martial souls, naturally entered Prince Yan's Palace and began following Xu Tianming.

Jiang Nannan's circumstances, however, were somewhat more complicated.

Born in the Heaven Soul Empire, her family was equally ordinary. However, unlike a typical household, her father had died young, leaving her severely ill mother to raise her alone.

In the original setting, Jiang Nannan had sold her body to the Dark Nether Sect, the sect Xu Sanshi came from, before she had even reached adulthood in order to obtain a Black Tortoise Divine Pill that could cure her mother's illness.

When Xu Tianming's men found her within the Heaven Soul Empire, her mother was already at death's door. With nowhere else to turn, Jiang Nannan had even been preparing to accept the Dark Nether Sect's condition of "selling herself" in exchange for saving her critically ill mother.

Fortunately, Xu Tianming, having received the intelligence report, arrived in time. Using the precious heavenly treasures he carried with him, he eased her mother's condition and invited the mother and daughter to follow him to the Sun Moon Empire.

Xu Tianming had promised then that as long as the two agreed to his conditions, he would take full responsibility for Jiang Nannan's mother's illness in the future. He could not promise a complete cure, but extending her life by another ten years or so would not be a problem.

Compared with the Dark Nether Sect, which required her to sell herself before she could obtain a life-saving pill, Jiang Nannan naturally found it easier to develop a favorable impression of Xu Tianming's actions.

After discussing it with her mother, the mother and daughter reached an agreement and traveled with Xu Tianming to the Sun Moon Empire!

After all, they had truly had enough of their miserable lives in the Heaven Soul Empire. A better life was right before them, beckoning to them. If they still pretended to be reserved, they would likely regret it for the rest of their lives.

And so, two future members of the Shrek Seven Monsters became Xu Tianming's people.

As for the remaining five of the Seven Monsters, Xu Tianming considered it only briefly before abandoning any plans to contact them.

After all, their identities and positions were what they were. They were destined to be unable to form overly close ties with the Sun Moon Empire.

Huo Yuhao, the child of destiny of this era, had been watched by Tang San of the Divine Realm from the moment of his birth. If Xu Tianming rashly came into contact with him, Tang San might discover Xu Tianming's existence as well.

Bei Bei was one of Shrek Academy's privileged elite. There was no need to say more.

Xu Sanshi's sect was rooted in the Heaven Soul Empire. Bringing him into the Sun Moon Empire's camp would be impossible unless the entire Dark Nether Sect relocated.

He Caitou... There was even less need to consider him. Given the chance, he would rather see every member of the Sun Moon imperial family dead.

As for Wang Dong... At this point in the timeline, the little princess of the Divine Realm probably had not yet descended to the mortal world.

Xu Tianming stared at Ye Guyi's retreating back until she disappeared from view. Only then did he emerge from his memories, carrying the last meal box in hand as he leisurely walked into his room.

However, the moment he opened the door, he saw a woman whose hands and feet were bound by specially made shackles, her mouth gagged shut. She glared at him resentfully, her eyes filled with humiliation and unwillingness.

This woman was none other than Zhang Lexuan, whose soul power he had sealed not long ago!