Shen Yi Arrives

The day before Zero Class began, an uninvited guest arrived at East Sea Academy.

Yun Zhiyu was organizing her forging notes in the dormitory when her Tang Sect Bracelet suddenly vibrated. A message from Wu Changkong popped up: "Come to the Academic Affairs Office. The new instructor has arrived."

She frowned. Zero Class's faculty had long been decided—Wu Changkong would teach practical combat and swordsmanship, while another teacher would handle theoretical classes on soul beasts and history. Where had this "new instructor" come from?

In the Academic Affairs Office, Wu Changkong was as cold and stern as ever in his white clothes, his blue sword strapped across his back. Yet his gaze rested on the woman beside him, carrying a complicated, almost gentle warmth.

The woman looked to be in her early twenties. She wore a pale green dress embroidered with tiny grass-leaf patterns along the hem. Her curved brows and smiling eyes made her smile feel like the first warm breeze of spring.

"Yun Zhiyu," Wu Changkong said, his voice three parts gentler than usual. "This is Shen Yi, Zero Class's new healing instructor."

Yun Zhiyu's steps paused.

Shen Yi—Zhuo Shi's second direct disciple in the original story, Wu Changkong's junior sister, with the Sensitive Plant martial soul. A Seven-Ring Soul Saint and a Two-Word Battle Armor Master.

In the original story, after Wu Changkong left Shrek, she had repeatedly gone to East Sea City to visit him, yet she had never managed to open the door to his tightly shut heart. Only later, along Tang Wulin's path of growth, did she gradually reconcile with her senior brother and become an indispensable force in the future growth of the Seven Monsters.

Yet now, she had appeared ahead of time.

"You must be Zhiyu, right?" Shen Yi smiled as she approached. Pale green soul power condensed into a tiny Sensitive Plant in her palm. Its leaves trembled as though shy. "You're even prettier than Master described. Your silver... ahem, ink-black hair suits you very well."

She had nearly let it slip. Yun Zhiyu's violet eyes narrowed slightly behind her contacts before returning to calm. It was no surprise that Shen Yi knew her true identity. As Zhuo Shi's direct disciple and a core member of Shrek's Inner Court, she naturally had the qualifications to know Sea God's Pavilion's secrets.

"Teacher Shen." She gave a bow, her voice calm but probing. "Zero Class's healing classes do not seem to have been part of the original plan."

Wu Changkong's gaze flickered, but he did not respond. Shen Yi's smile only brightened. The Sensitive Plant spun in her palm, its leaves lightly brushing Yun Zhiyu's wrist. A thread of gentle soul power seeped into her meridians, as though checking something.

"The original plan changed," she said. "Because a certain little girl fought seven evil soul masters by herself on a soul train and even used half a measure of Quasi-God Power. Master and Uncle Feng were so frightened they nearly tore off Sea God's Pavilion's roof. They discussed it with Pavilion Master Yun Ming overnight and finally decided—"

She paused, leaning close to Yun Zhiyu's ear and lowering her voice. "To send me to watch over you. A Seven-Ring Soul Saint and Two-Word Battle Armor Master—am I qualified enough to be your nanny?"

Yun Zhiyu froze.

She remembered the scene on that train, Mo Lan's back shielding her, and her father's furious expression on the other side of the light screen when she crushed the Quasi-God Jade Slip. She had thought that matter was over. She had thought her "disguise" was perfect enough. Yet she had never expected—

"My parents..." she asked, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly. "How are they?"

"Her Holiness the Holy Spirit cried for three days." Shen Yi straightened, her smile fading somewhat as genuine pity filled her eyes. "Uncle Yun Ming... you know what he's like. The more worried he is, the colder his face becomes. But Master said he smashed three cultivation rooms in Sea God's Pavilion over those days. In the end, he personally went to the Spirit Pagoda for the train recordings and watched them seventeen times."

Yun Zhiyu lowered her eyes, her fingers clutching the hem of her clothes.

She remembered Yun Ming's black robes when they parted, the Federation gold card Yali had stuffed into her luggage, and the words: "At least one letter every month."

She had thought herself independent enough, strong enough, enough to put her parents at ease. Yet she had not expected that they had always been watching, worrying, protecting her in the clumsiest ways.

"...Thank you, Senior Sister." Her final words were as soft as a sigh. "Sorry to trouble you with this trip."

"What are you thanking me for?" Shen Yi waved a hand, and the Sensitive Plant dissolved into specks of green light in her palm. "Master and Uncle Yun Ming promised East Sea Academy quite a few benefits—soul device equipment, cultivation resources, and a batch of fire-element soul devices personally forged by Master. As for me, I'll treat this as a vacation, while also..."

She looked toward Wu Changkong, her eyes carrying a complicated, almost stubborn tenderness. "Seeing my senior brother."

Wu Changkong's back stiffened, but he did not turn around. He walked toward the door. The blue sword in its sheath gave a low hum, as if avoiding something—or suppressing something.

"My senior brother is still the same," Shen Yi said with a bitter smile. Then she turned back to Yun Zhiyu, her smile bright once more. "Forget about him. Your family brought some things for you. Shall we go to your dormitory?"

Yun Zhiyu's dormitory was more spacious than expected.

It had a separate bedroom, a meditation room, and even a small forging room. This was Zero Class's privilege and the best East Sea Academy could offer, but compared to Shrek's Sea God's Pavilion, it was still like heaven and earth.

Shen Yi took out three storage soul devices from her clothes and placed them on the table one by one.

"The first is from Her Holiness the Holy Spirit." She opened it. Inside were rows upon rows of neatly arranged medicine bottles, their labels covered in graceful handwriting—"Soul-Recovery Pill," "Bone-Mending Ointment," "Heart-Calming Powder," "Meridian-Nourishing Liquid"... There were over a hundred bottles in total, covering everything from healing and cultivation to detoxification and strengthening one's foundation.

"Her Holiness said East Sea City is damp, and she was afraid the cold would seep into your meridians, so she specifically added some cold-dispelling formulas," Shen Yi explained with a smile. "And this—"

She took out an insulated box and opened it. Inside were still-steaming osmanthus cakes. Their shapes were crooked and uneven, clearly not made by a professional cook.

"Her Holiness made them herself," Shen Yi said. "She made five batches. This was the most successful one. She said... she said you loved these most when you were little. She did not know whether East Sea City had good osmanthus flowers."

Yun Zhiyu picked one up and took a bite. Sweetness spread across her tongue, carrying a faint osmanthus fragrance, yet it was far less refined than Yali's usual cooking. Even on the fifth attempt, it was still slightly burnt, slightly too hard, and slightly... filled with clumsy tenderness.

Her eyes grew warm.

"The second is from Uncle Yun Ming." Shen Yi opened the second storage soul device. There were only two things inside—a short sword and a jade slip.

The short sword was less than a foot long. Its blade was black as ink, yet under the light it reflected tiny star-like gleams. Two small words were engraved on the hilt: "Torchlight."

"Uncle said you used half of the Quasi-God Jade Slip, so this is a replacement," Shen Yi said quietly. "But this short sword... he forged it personally. The material is fragments of dragon bones from Sea God's Pavilion's treasury, tempered with Star Sand. It can carry your bloodline power and can be used for close-range self-defense."

Yun Zhiyu gripped the short sword and felt the pulse within it resonating with her Torch Dragon Bloodline. That pulse was steady and warm, like her father's palm—a protection he had never spoken aloud.

"The third is from Master and Uncle Feng." Shen Yi opened the final storage soul device. Inside was a case of fiery red metal blocks, each radiating scorching heat. "Crimson Flame Refined Gold, Master's collection. He said... he said that since you were forging in East Sea City, the materials definitely could not compare to Shrek's. There are also the rare metals Uncle Feng sent. These should be enough for you to practice with for three years."

She paused, then added, "There is also this—a handwritten letter from Master."

The envelope bore Zhuo Shi's wild handwriting: "For the girl herself." Yun Zhiyu opened it. There was only one line inside, the ink still wet and messy, as though his hand had trembled while writing it:

"Come back alive, or I'll break your legs."

Yun Zhiyu smiled, but tears fell.

She remembered Zhuo Shi's bristling beard, Feng Wuyu's arrogantly upturned lips, and the occasional sharp glint in Long Yeyue's clouded eyes. She remembered Shrek's Sea God's Pavilion, Yun Ming's black robes, Yali's holy light, and Yun Zhishu's smiling face. She remembered Na'er's silver hair, Yuan En's gray-white skin, and Ye Xinglan's Meteor Scabbard.

The ties she had thought she had already set aside turned into a scorching torrent, surging through her chest.

"...Thank you." Her voice was hoarse from crying.

"Thank you, Senior Sister. Thank you, Master. Thank you... everyone."

Shen Yi looked at her with pity in her pale green eyes. She reached out and pulled Yun Zhiyu into her embrace. Sensitive Plant soul power flowed through her palm, turning into a layer of gentle green light that wrapped around the trembling little figure.

"Silly girl," she said softly. "Why thank family?"

Yun Zhiyu gradually calmed down in Shen Yi's embrace.

She wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, pulled herself free from Shen Yi's arms, stepped back, and gave a solemn, deep bow.

"Senior Sister!" Her voice had regained its steadiness, though it carried the solemnity of an oath. "When I can perform Heavenly Forging in the future, I'll take care of forging your Four-Word Battle Armor."

Shen Yi was stunned.

The Sensitive Plant's leaves froze in her palm. Her pale green eyes widened round, as though she had heard some impossible fantasy.

Of course she knew what "Heavenly Forging" meant—the realm above Divine Craftsmen, using heaven and earth as a furnace and drawing lightning tribulations to forge the soul. There were only a handful of people on the entire continent capable of it. Even Saint Craftsman Uncle Feng and Saint Craftsman Mu Chen, junior brother of Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua, had never touched that threshold.

Yet this ten-year-old girl before her had said, "When I can perform Heavenly Forging."

"You..." Her voice trembled. "Do you know how difficult Heavenly Forging is?"

"I do." Yun Zhiyu straightened. The vertical slit in her violet eyes opened slightly beneath her contacts, revealing a thread of ancient light. "Master Zhen Hua said that reaching Heavenly Forging before thirty made one an unparalleled genius. The goal I set for myself is twenty."

Shen Yi's breath caught.

She remembered the things Master Zhuo Shi had muttered while drunk—"an unparalleled genius of the forging world, a future Divine Craftsman legend." That was Zhen Hua's evaluation of Yun Zhiyu, words Zhuo Shi and Uncle Feng treasured and repeated constantly. Yet in the name of protection and hiding her brilliance, they rarely mentioned it to outsiders. As Zhuo Shi's direct disciple, Shen Yi was one of the few who knew.

But knowing was one thing. Hearing this promise with her own ears was another.

"Four-Word Battle Armor..." she murmured dreamily, unable to believe it. "Do you know that Two-Word Battle Armor Masters are already as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns? There are fewer than a hundred Three-Word Battle Armor Masters in the entire Federation, and Four-Word Battle Armor..."

"There are only enough across the Federation Continent to count on both hands," Yun Zhiyu finished, her voice calm but certain.

"Shrek alone possesses thirty percent of them. In the future, I will make you the next owner of Four-Word Battle Armor, Senior Sister."

She paused, a faint curve appearing on her lips. "In return, Senior Sister, watch over me for these six years. Do not let me die, or your Four-Word Battle Armor will be nothing but a dream."

Shen Yi looked at her—at this ten-year-old girl, whose eyes carried the vicissitudes of countless ages, yet still sparkled with a childlike slyness. Suddenly, she laughed. There was a decisive resolve in that laughter, like someone breaking all retreat routes behind her.

"Fine!" she said. The Sensitive Plant bloomed again in her palm, its leaves trembling as if taking an oath. "For these six years, I'll keep an eye on you. When you eat, I'll watch. When you sleep, I'll guard you. When you forge, I'll stay with you. You want to die? Ask whether my Sensitive Plant agrees first."

Yun Zhiyu extended her hand, palm upward. "It's a deal."

Shen Yi placed her hand over it. Pale green soul power intertwined with violet-gold Torch Dragon Bloodline power, forming a strange flower of green and purple in the air.

"It's a deal."

Wu Changkong stood outside the door, listening to their conversation, complicated emotions filling his blue eyes.

He remembered Long Bing, the soul sleeping within Ice God's Chain, and Yun Zhiyu's promise to him that day—"I will become a god soon. When that happens, I will revive her."

He remembered Shen Yi's arrival, the obsession with him that had never faded from his junior sister's eyes. He remembered how closed-off and cold he had been these past years, how his heart had been as dead as ashes, only to gradually regain warmth among these children.

Become a god... Revive her...

The blue sword in its sheath gave a clear hum, as though answering some distant call. He turned away, white robes pure as snow, his figure vanishing at the end of the corridor like a sword finally willing to leave its sheath once more.

Inside, Yun Zhiyu and Shen Yi sat facing each other and began sorting through those weighty tokens of concern from Shrek.

The Torchlight short sword flowed with a profound gleam in her palm. The sweetness of osmanthus cake lingered on her tongue, while the warmth of Crimson Flame Refined Gold seeped through the wooden case, so warm it made one want to cry.

"Senior Sister," Yun Zhiyu suddenly said, "Na'er... is she doing well?"

Shen Yi paused, then nodded. "She is. Every day, she studies healing with Uncle Yali, forging basics with Uncle Feng Wuyu, and..."

She paused, amusement flashing through her eyes. "She runs all over Sea God's Pavilion with your sister Zhishu. Now that you are gone, those two little girls are practically Sea God's Pavilion's little demon kings. Even Elder Long has a headache because of them."

Yun Zhiyu smiled. The vertical slit in her violet eyes slowly closed, returning to their dark brown disguise.

"That's good," she said softly, almost as if speaking to herself. "That's good."

Outside the window, night fell over East Sea City. Lights lit up one after another at the harbor, like some ancient star map. In the distance came the low, lingering whistle of a soul train, as though calling to a traveler about to journey far away.

And Yun Zhiyu knew that her journey had only just begun.