Starlight and Shield

At dusk, the hammering from the forging room rang out, softer than usual, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Yun Zhiyu stood before the workbench, holding not the Star Hammer but a smaller Sinking Silver hammer. She was forging a gift for Yuan En. It did not require the grandeur of the Fourfold Hammer Echo, only just the right warmth and gentleness. The furnace fire cast her profile in warm gold, her silver hair carelessly tied up with a strip of cloth, loose strands swaying softly against her neck with every strike.

Yuan En sat on a tall stool in the corner, holding Yun Zhishu in her arms. The five-year-old girl lay sprawled over a drawing board, scribbling away as the pencil tip rustled against the paper. From time to time, she furrowed her brow, seriously considering whether the Battle Armor shoulder guards should be drawn rounded or sharp.

"Big Sister Yuan En," Yun Zhishu suddenly looked up, poking her chin with the end of her pencil. "Does your Titan Giant Ape hurt when it pounds its chest?"

Yuan En froze for a moment, then laughed. "It doesn't pound its chest. That's... that's something other people made up."

"Oh." Yun Zhishu nodded as though she understood, then added a few more strokes to her drawing. "Then I'll draw one that doesn't pound its chest. I'll draw you holding up a little shield and blocking all the bad guys!"

Yuan En lowered her head to look at the board. It showed a crooked human figure, its gray-white skin densely shaded in pencil, with a little tuft of hair sticking straight into the air and a... round pancake in its hand?

"Is this a shield?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course!" Yun Zhishu declared proudly. "Big Sister said shields have to be nice and round to be cute!"

Yuan En's mouth twitched, yet strangely, she did not feel insulted. Looking at that pancake-shaped "shield," she remembered what Yun Zhiyu had said—"I like your strength. I like your Titan Giant Ape"—and some corner of her heart quietly softened.

"Zhishu," Yun Zhiyu called from the forging bench, sounding a little helpless. "Don't teach Yuan En the wrong things. A shield is not a pancake."

"It is a pancake!" Yun Zhishu retorted with perfect confidence.

Yun Zhiyu shook her head and returned her attention to the metal in her hands. It was a piece of Taid Crystal, silver-white in color and warm in texture, selected from the rare metals rewarded by the system. Taid Crystal's properties were not especially remarkable: moderate hardness, average ductility. It possessed only one advantage—it conducted soul power with exceptional gentleness. It was ideal for making defensive soul devices, especially for a beginner like Yuan En, who had yet to fully control her own strength.

She intended to forge it into a small shield, no larger than a palm, one that could hang from the waist and produce a defensive barrier when infused with soul power in a crisis.

The hammering grew denser, but it no longer sounded crisp. Instead, it carried a heavy, subdued thud, like a heartbeat.

Yun Zhiyu's spiritual power sank completely into the metal. She sensed every tremor in the crystal lattice of the Taid Crystal, guiding it to arrange, compress, and condense. She did not use the Fourfold Hammer Echo. Instead, she used the most basic Hundredfold Forging technique, striking again and again, hammering her intentions into the metal's grain.

"Hundredfold Forging..." Yuan En murmured. Though she knew nothing of forging, she could sense the metal changing. Its silver-white surface gradually revealed a lustrous glow, like moonlight made solid.

Yun Zhishu stopped drawing and lay across Yuan En's knees, staring intently at her sister. She had seen this sight countless times, yet she was captivated every time. When her sister forged, she looked so focused that it seemed the entire world held only her and the metal before her. Her silver hair fluttered in the firelight, and her violet eyes reflected the sparks like a living painting.

The final hammer blow fell, and the Taid Crystal took its final form.

It was a palm-sized round shield, its edges gently flared outward in a soft curve. The surface was smooth as a mirror, but in its recessed center was engraved a small five-pointed star, sharp-edged and simple in design. Yun Zhiyu used her spiritual power to inscribe defensive runes around the star, then sealed a trace of her own soul power inside as the trigger for activation.

"It's done." She immersed the shield in cooling fluid. White mist rose, carrying a faint metallic fragrance.

Once the mist dispersed, she handed the shield to Yuan En. "A token between friends. Infuse it with soul power, and it will work. It can block a full-force blow from a soul master of the same rank. From now on... protect yourself."

Yuan En accepted the shield. The instant her fingertips touched its surface, she felt a warm ripple of soul power, like a silent form of protection. She turned it over and saw two small engraved characters on the back—"Yuan En." The handwriting was childish but neat, with that little five-pointed star beside it.

"This star..." she asked hesitantly.

"It's my mark." Yun Zhiyu wiped the moisture from her hands, her tone calm. "All my forged works will bear it."

"Does it mean anything?"

Yun Zhiyu paused. She looked out the window as dusk sank over Sea God Lake and the distant horizon glowed with its last streak of orange-red. She remembered her past life, remembered herself growing up in an orphanage, remembered the Five-Starred Red Flag in her textbooks, and remembered her history professor's earnest words in class—"Students, remember who you are and where you came from."

"What it means..." she said softly, a faint curve appearing on her lips, "is never forget why you started, and you will reach the end. I hope your days ahead will be like the sea of stars, shining with boundless brilliance."

Yuan En did not understand the deeper meaning of those words, but she remembered Yun Zhiyu's expression as she spoke them. Those violet eyes had gazed into the distance as though piercing through time and space, settling somewhere Yuan En could not see. At that moment, she suddenly felt that this silver-haired girl hid many secrets, many stories, and much heaviness and tenderness she had yet to touch.

"I'll keep it safe." She pressed the shield to her chest, a trace of solemnity appearing on her gray-white face. "I won't lose it, even if I die."

Yun Zhiyu laughed. "Don't talk about dying. That's bad luck. You need to live a very, very long life—long enough to become a Titled Douluo, long enough to make those people from today look up at you."

"Then you have to live even longer," Yuan En suddenly said, her dark brown eyes fixed on Yun Zhiyu. "Long enough to... keep watching me."

Yun Zhiyu was stunned for a moment, then reached out and rubbed her hair. Yuan En's reddish-brown hair was coarse and prickly, yet strangely warm to the touch, like the fur of some little beast.

"Okay," she said. "It's a promise."

Watching from the side, Yun Zhishu became jealous and rushed over to hug her sister's leg. "I want a star too! Big Sister, forge one for me too!"

"Your Battle Armor hasn't even been designed yet." Yun Zhiyu pinched her nose. "Once the blueprints are ready, I'll forge you a whole set. Every piece of armor will have stars engraved on it."

"Pinky promise!"

"Pinky promise. Hang ourselves on the hook, and no changing it for a hundred years."

The sun sank completely beyond the sea. Soul lights lit up inside Sea God's Pavilion, and the three of them walked out together. They parted at the fork in the road. Yuan En clutched the little shield and kept turning back every few steps before finally disappearing down the tree-lined path toward the Outer Court dormitories.

Yun Zhishu lay on her sister's back, yawning sleepily. Her little hand still clutched the drawing covered in pancake shields.

Sea God's Pavilion's dinner was later than usual.

Yali cooked personally, stewing Yun Zhishu's favorite soul beast milk soup and preparing several light dishes Yun Zhiyu enjoyed. Yun Ming sat at the head of the table with a teacup in hand, but his gaze rested on his eldest daughter, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"You went to the Outer Court today?" he asked calmly.

Yun Zhiyu's hand paused slightly as she picked up food. She knew she could not hide it from her father, so she simply set down her chopsticks and recounted everything that had happened that day—from the mockery on Wutong Avenue, to Yun Zhishu's impulsiveness, to her own intervention, and finally to meeting Yuan En.

She left out the plot of the original story, saying only that she had "happened to hear of" Yuanen Yehui's name and "felt a connection."

Yali's expression darkened as the account continued. When she heard that Yun Zhishu had rushed out and rammed someone, she slammed down her soup spoon with a smack, startling Yun Zhishu so badly that all traces of sleepiness vanished.

"Yun Zhishu!" Yali's voice held a rare severity. "Who taught you that? You dared to charge in without any soul power? What would you have done if those people had really attacked?"

Yun Zhishu pursed her lips, her eyes reddening. "But they were bullying someone..."

"If someone is being bullied, there are teachers, there is the disciplinary team, and there is your sister!" Yali walked around to Yun Zhishu's side and crouched down to meet her eyes. "You are only five years old. Your Martial Soul hasn't even awakened yet. Do you know how heavy a soul master's blow can be? Do you know how much it hurts to be injured?"

"I... I don't know..." Yun Zhishu's tears finally fell. "I was just... just angry..."

Seeing her daughter's aggrieved expression, much of Yali's anger faded, but she still kept a stern face. "Starting tomorrow, you will practice self-defense for an extra two hours every day. Until your Martial Soul awakens, you are not allowed to leave Sea God's Pavilion alone."

"Mom..."

"No acting cute."

Yun Zhishu sniffled and looked toward her sister. Her pleading eyes resembled a little animal drenched by rain. Yun Zhiyu sighed, pulled her younger sister into her arms, and wiped away her tears. "Mom is right. You were lucky today. Those people did not really attack. But what if they had? What if Big Sister had not arrived in time?"

She paused, her voice softening. "Zhishu, protecting others begins with protecting yourself. Big Sister was proud that you rushed out today, but I was also scared. Scared that you would get hurt. Scared that... I would lose you."

Yun Zhishu buried her face in her sister's shoulder and nodded miserably. "I understand... I won't do it again..."

Yali watched the two sisters, and the sternness in her eyes gradually melted into helplessness and heartache. She stood, brought out a warm bowl of milk soup from the kitchen, and pressed it into Yun Zhishu's hands. "Drink this, then go to bed early. Training starts tomorrow."

Yun Zhishu held the bowl and took small sips. Tears still clung to her lashes, but she did not dare argue again.

Yun Ming had remained silent throughout. Only when dinner was nearly over did he slowly speak. "Zhiyu, what do you intend to do about that Yuanen Yehui?"

"Be her friend," Yun Zhiyu answered decisively. "She is a good prospect, and she is also... someone who needs friends."

Yun Ming held her gaze for a moment before suddenly saying, "Her Martial Soul is more than just the Titan Giant Ape."

Yun Zhiyu's heart skipped a beat. Of course she knew. In the original story, Yuanen Yehui had Twin Martial Souls—the Titan Giant Ape and the Fallen Angel. The latter was a symbol of evil soul masters and the source of her lifelong suffering. But Yun Zhiyu could not reveal that she knew beforehand, so she lowered her eyes. "What do you mean, Father?"

"I investigated her records." Yun Ming's voice was low. "The Yuanen Clan has passed down the Titan Giant Ape Martial Soul for generations, but because of her mother, Yuan En developed Twin Martial Souls. Her other Martial Soul... is related to the darkness attribute and is regarded by the world as inauspicious."

He paused, his gaze settling into the night outside the window. "I am not worried about her. I am worried about Shrek's environment. Those children dared mock the Titan Giant Ape today. If they learn of her other identity tomorrow, what will they do?"

Yun Zhiyu gripped her chopsticks tightly. She remembered how, after Yuanen Yehui's Fallen Angel Martial Soul was exposed in the original story, she suffered exclusion and isolation. She remembered how Yuanen Yehui struggled alone in the darkness before eventually climbing out of the Abyss through sheer will. That pain, that loneliness, should never have been borne by a child.

"Father," she said, her voice carrying a composure far beyond her age, "for twenty thousand years, Shrek Academy has upheld the creed, 'We only accept monsters, not ordinary people.' But the conduct of those children today shows that this creed has become twisted among the lower grades. They have not learned to tolerate differences, but to reject those unlike themselves; they have not learned to admire strength, but to mock weakness."

She rose to her feet and bowed to Yun Ming. "Your daughter humbly asks that Father pay attention to the education of the academy's lower grades—not soul power cultivation, but... the principles of being human. If Shrek raises only people who prey on the weak because they are strong, how would it differ from the mundane academies outside?"

The room fell silent for a long time.

Yali stopped clearing the dishes and looked at her eldest daughter in surprise. Yun Ming withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at Yun Zhiyu with a complicated scrutiny—approval, emotion, and a trace of profound depth she could not understand.

"You are right," he finally said, his deep voice resonating like a cello. "In recent years, Shrek has indeed put the cart before the horse. It has pursued soul power rank too much while neglecting the cultivation of character."

He stood and walked to Yun Zhiyu, placing a hand on her shoulder. That hand was broad and warm, bearing the calluses left by years of holding a sword, yet it brought a strange sense of reassurance.

"Starting tomorrow, I will personally oversee the curriculum arrangements for the Outer Court's lower grades," he said. "We will add moral education courses and strictly curb bullying. I will have the homeroom teachers speak to every child who mocked Yuan En today."

He paused, a faint smile rising on his lips. "As for that Yuanen Yehui... since she is my daughter's friend, she is also someone I, Yun Ming, will protect. I will keep her secret for her. Shrek will pave her road ahead."

Yun Zhiyu's eyes grew warm. She thought of her past life, of herself struggling alone without father or mother. No one had ever said to her, "I will protect you." Yet now, this father she had known for only six years had made the weightiest promise in such a calm voice.

"Thank you, Dad."

"What are you thanking me for?" Yun Ming rubbed the top of her head, the gesture exactly like the one he used with Yun Zhishu. "Go to sleep. Tomorrow, you still need to forge, practice swordsmanship, and... spend time with your new friend."

Yun Zhiyu nodded and took Yun Zhishu's hand toward the bedroom. When she reached the doorway, she suddenly turned back and saw Yun Ming still standing before the window. His back was as straight as a pine, yet it carried a trace of weariness.

"Dad," she said softly, "you should rest too."

Yun Ming did not turn around. He merely waved his hand. Moonlight spilled in through the window, gilding the edges of his black robe in silver, making him resemble a silent statue.

Late at night.

Yun Zhiyu lay in bed, listening to Yun Zhishu's even breathing beside her and staring at the star chart relief carved into the ceiling. Yun Ming had carved it himself. It was said to depict the night sky above Shrek Academy, unchanged for twenty thousand years.

She thought of the five-pointed star on that small shield and the words, "Never forget why you started, and you will reach the end." Her memories of her past life had already grown hazy, like faded old photographs. Yet some things had become clearer and clearer—her attachment to her homeland, her recognition of her identity, and her insistence on the questions, "Who am I? Where did I come from?"

"Chinese..." she murmured inwardly, a faint smile curving her lips.

The system space floated quietly. Those god-grade metals glimmered faintly in the darkness. She knew the road ahead was still long, very long. There was the threat of the Abyssal Plane, Shrek's destruction, and countless tragedies yet to come.

But at this moment, in this quiet night, she only wanted to be an ordinary little girl, guarding her sister's breathing, her parents' protection, and the little shield in the palm of that gray-white-skinned girl.

Outside the window, a meteor streaked across the night sky.

Yun Zhiyu closed her eyes. In the final moment before sleep claimed her, she seemed to hear Yuanen Yehui somewhere far away, clutching that shield in the darkness and whispering, "I'll keep it safe. I won't lose it, even if I die."

Her lips curved into a smile, and she drifted into dreams.