His Selfish Desire

Three years ago, Tiandou City, Tang Sect Ancestral Grounds, in the quiet room overlooking the ancient city.

The lingering glow of the sunset streamed through the glass windows, casting a warm golden halo over the room. Tang Wulin and Tang Fenghua sat facing each other. The fragrance of tea hung in the air, along with an almost imperceptible solemnity and the melancholy of parting.

Gu Yuena was resting in the adjacent room, leaving the space to these two Tang Sect masters, one of the present age and one from "ancient times."

Tang Wulin rubbed the warm teacup between his fingers, gazing at the lights gradually coming on throughout the city beyond the window. After a long silence, he finally spoke. His voice was steady, yet it carried the clarity and decisiveness of someone weathered by time. "Fenghua, we're preparing to leave."

Tang Fenghua's body trembled slightly. Though he had expected it, hearing it firsthand still filled him with a sense of loss. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to persuade him to stay, but upon seeing the calm in Tang Wulin's deep black eyes, he swallowed the words. This was not a discussion. It was a notification.

"Ancestor..." Tang Fenghua could not help himself in the end, his tone earnest. "The Tang Sect needs you! After ten thousand years of legacy, you are the true core and banner of the Tang Sect! As long as you return, the Tang Sect will surely—"

Tang Wulin gently raised a hand, stopping him. He turned to Tang Fenghua, a gentle but slightly weary smile appearing on his face.

"Fenghua, look outside." He pointed at the city beyond the window, both familiar and unfamiliar. "This era no longer belongs to Gu Yuena and me. Ten thousand years of development have produced their own course and their own heroes. We... are more like two people who stepped out of an ancient painting. There will always be a layer separating us from this vibrant world."

He paused, his tone becoming gentler but firmer. "Over these three years, I've thought about many things. Ten thousand years ago, for duty, for my companions, for the continent, I was forced to grow again and again, forced to fight, even... forced to stand against the person I loved most. I've had enough of that feeling."

His gaze seemed to pass through the wall, finding the silver-haired, violet-eyed figure in the next room. His eyes were filled with undisguised longing and tenderness.

"Now, I can finally cast off every shackle. I only want to be an ordinary husband, to stay by Gu Yuena's side and make up for the ten thousand years we lost. I want to watch her smile, keep her company when she plays around, and live the ordinary life we never truly had. This... is my only and greatest 'selfish desire' now."

Listening to these heartfelt words and seeing the yearning for peace on the legendary man's face—a yearning no different from that of any ordinary person—Tang Fenghua did not know how to argue. He could feel that Tang Wulin truly wanted to lay down the burden of responsibility he had carried for ten thousand years.

"As for the Tang Sect," Tang Wulin said, turning his gaze back to him, his expression becoming more serious, "its future needs you more. It needs the new generation of Tang Sect disciples to forge and uphold it. I can remain a hidden force, a trump card concealed in the shadows of history. When the Tang Sect truly faces a matter of life and death, or a threat beyond the ordinary, I will act. But its daily operations, development, and decisions should no longer depend on the shadow of someone from the past."

He made his stance clear: he would not take over the sect master's concrete duties.

When it came to relations with the other factions, Tang Wulin's thinking was exceptionally clear. "The Tang Sect, Shrek Academy, and Spirit Pagoda are the three strongest forces on this mother planet. In my view, internal strife is meaningless. The stage of the future lies in the sea of stars, in the exploration and development of extraterrestrial regions. Only by joining forces and pooling more resources, wisdom, and cutting-edge soul tool technology can we go farther and face the unknown challenges that may emerge from the cosmos."

"As for the Federation Parliament," he continued, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes, "maintaining good cooperation is necessary. They are the political helmsmen in the open. But the Tang Sect's own development must become more secretive, and its core must remain in its own hands. I do not believe that certain forces within the parliament had nothing to do with fueling the disaster in Shrek City ten thousand years ago. Cooperate with them, but always retain vigilance and a backup plan."

When the subject turned to Shrek Academy, Tang Wulin visibly fell into a daze. Even the hand holding his teacup paused. Countless scenes surged through his mind—their first meeting by Sea God Lake, fighting side by side with his companions, the twists and turns at the Sea God's Fate Matchmaking Event, his teachers' careful guidance, the figure of his younger sister Na'er... That place carried too much of his youth, passion, tears, and laughter.

After a long silence, he finally let out a soft sigh. His voice carried deep nostalgia and a trace of release.

"Shrek... is too special to me. It holds the most precious memories of my life. But precisely because it is precious, I should not return so easily."

He looked at Tang Fenghua, his gaze complicated. "The Shrek of ten thousand years ago needed me to turn the tide, but today's Shrek has become even more glorious and prosperous through the efforts of generations of Shrek people. My existence holds far greater symbolic meaning than practical meaning for the current academy. It may even bring unnecessary disturbances and dependence. Tell Sea God Pavilion for me that I, Tang Wulin, will always be a person of Shrek. Perhaps one day, Gu Yuena and I will quietly return to take a look—to see Sea God Lake, to see the Golden Ancient Tree. But there is no need to make a grand affair of it. We... would merely be two wanderers returning home."

Finally, he spoke of the most difficult matter, and the one that concerned him most—Spirit Pagoda and Gu Yuena.

"The situation at Spirit Pagoda is complicated." Tang Wulin frowned slightly. "Because of Gu Yue, I have to consider everything for her. Ten thousand years ago, for the survival of the soul beast race, she did indeed manipulate humans and use Spirit Pagoda. Though that was a helpless choice born of her position, this wariness and estrangement will not easily disappear among the human side, especially within Spirit Pagoda. Whether she can be accepted—or whether the two of us should reveal our existence publicly—will require time and cautious consideration."

He took a deep breath and made his final decision. "Therefore, until we sort out our thoughts and understand the direction of our future, I ask the Tang Sect and Shrek to continue keeping our existence secret."

This long conversation was clear and far-reaching. It contained both a personal emotional choice and consideration for the balance and future of the continent's major powers. As Tang Fenghua listened, the confusion in his heart gradually became understanding. He realized that Tang Wulin was not running away. Rather, he was facing this new era in a more detached and wiser manner, protecting the people he cherished most.

"This subordinate... understands." Tang Fenghua rose and gave Tang Wulin a deep bow. This time, it was no longer simply reverence for his ancestor's status, but respect for his insight and sense of responsibility. "The Tang Sect will always be your strongest support, no matter where you are or what choice you make."

Before Tang Wulin left, Tang Fenghua took out an ancient-looking black metal plate no larger than his palm and solemnly handed it to him.

"Sect Master, this is the Tang Sect's highest-level one-way encrypted communicator. It is inscribed with the latest spatial transmission runes. Within the territory of all Federation administrative planets, it can contact me directly with the greatest speed and secrecy. Please keep it safe. If you need anything, simply give the word."

Tang Wulin did not refuse. He accepted the communicator and nodded.

His thoughts pulled away from the memory of three years ago.

Inside the high-speed train compartment, Tang Wulin's fingertips unconsciously brushed the black metal plate worn close against his chest beneath his clothes.

It was precisely before leaving Tidewatch City, when he had decided to head for Shrek City, that he used this communicator to inform Tang Fenghua of their itinerary and ask him to pass a vague message to Sea God Pavilion at Shrek Academy—they were going to pay a visit.

Presumably, after the message was interpreted by Sea God Pavilion's core members and spread within limited circles, it eventually became the thought-provoking rumor Dong Qingyan and the others had mentioned: "an ancient powerhouse returning." It had also drawn inquiries from even more factions.

Tang Wulin let out a soft breath and drained the slightly cooled tea in his cup.

Everything that needed arranging had long been arranged. Everything that needed letting go had also been let go.

Now, all he wanted was to hold the hand of the person beside him and face the call from the depths of Sea God Lake together, unraveling the mystery that lingered in his heart.