The Wine She'd Hidden for Six Years

As night fell, Yuan Yu arrived at the Crown Prince's Residence alone.

The guards at the gate had already received their orders and led him into the inner courtyard. Everyone outside the study withdrew, not even the maids who usually kept watch at night.

Snake Lance Douluo stood at the end of the corridor, using his Soul Power to check the entire courtyard twice. Porcupinefish Douluo, on the other hand, guarded behind the study, his plump body hidden in the shadows of the trees, not even disturbing a single leaf.

Yuan Yu walked between the two, smiling and greeting them.

"Uncle Snake, Uncle Pufferfish, it's been a while. Your ability to conceal your presence is still not as good as Uncle Azure Luan's."

The Porcupinefish Douluo peeked halfway out from behind the tree. "I'm a grown man, and you're comparing me to a bird?"

"You can also compete with Sister Ling Yuan."

"Then let's go with the Azure Luan."

Snake Lance Douluo didn't join in the banter, but he nodded to Yuan Yu. The two had been lurking in Heaven Dou City for many years, rarely even interacting with people from the Spirit Hall. Yuan Yu had been with Qian Renxue since childhood, so they were less wary of him.

Yuan Yu pushed open the door and entered, the first thing he smelled was the aroma of wine.

Xue Qinghe sat behind the table, with a newly opened black pottery wine jar beside her. There were only two small cups on the table, one of which she was pressing down on with her finger.

After the door closed behind him, the disguise of the Spirit Bone on Xue Qinghe's body gradually faded away. The man's face softened, and his Golden Hair fell down his shoulders, stopping only at his waist.

Qian Renxue wore the Crown Prince's court robes all day and hadn't had time to change yet. The loose men's outer robe fell on her, the sleeves a bit too long. She folded the sleeves up twice, and only then did she feel a little more comfortable than when she was sitting in the VIP seats.

Yuan Yu sat down opposite her. "If you wore this outfit back to Spirit City, Grandpa Qian would have the tailor alter the size overnight."

"He first has to ask me when I'm going back."

"I'm not asking for you."

"Take care of yourself first."

"You can smell it?" she asked.

"I could smell it from outside the yard."

"Your nose is more effective at finding wine than at finding the Light Origin."

Yuan Yu walked to the table and reached for the wine jar.

Qian Renxue was prepared and quickly put the wine jar into her Soul Tool.

Yuan Yu's hand froze in mid-air. "Is this the custom Crown Prince invites people for drinks?"

You can only drink one cup.

She pushed the cup she was holding down towards the other side.

The wine in the glass was a pale yellow color, with a clear and refreshing aroma. Yuan Yu picked it up, took a sip, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"The Green Bamboo Brew Worship Hall."

Qian Renxue stepped out from behind the table, her gentle Crown Prince demeanor fading away.

"I took a jar with me when I left Spirit City, and it's been exactly six years today. I originally planned to wait until you grew up before opening it, but looking at your current Soul Power, you'll probably dismantle the wine cellar before that day even arrives."

She still remembered the night before she left Spirit City.

Six-year-old Yuan Yu, who had only recently awakened his Martial Soul, was squatting at the entrance of the Worship Hall's storeroom, clutching a Sun Wheel Blade that was even longer than himself, waiting for her. Qian Renxue asked him why he didn't go back to sleep, and he replied that he was guarding the wine cellar to prevent the wine from being stolen.

The next morning, a key to the warehouse was missing.

Before leaving, Qian Renxue took the key out from under Yuan Yu's pillow again. That jar of Green Bamboo Brew was also put into her Soul Tool that day.

After listening to her, Yuan Yu said without changing his expression, "The key went in by itself."

"It can even crawl into the pillow by itself?"

"There are many spiritual things in Spirit City."

Qian Renxue pushed the hangover tea an inch closer to him, urging him to continue weaving.

Yuan Yu finished the last sip of wine. "I'm not dismantling the wine cellar."

"You'll steal the key."

"That's called keeping the keys for the warehouse."

Qian Renxue didn't refill his cup, but instead placed a cup of hangover tea in front of him.

Only after Yuan Yu had taken a couple of sips did she stop chatting.

"Release the Sun Pattern."

Yuan Yu raised his right hand, and a pale golden light shone above his palm. Its temperature was slightly higher than ordinary sunlight, without the flickering of flames, and the light was very stable.

Qian Renxue stretched out her finger, and a brighter golden point flew out from her fingertip.

Two kinds of light meet on the tabletop.

The Angel Soul Power carried a solemn and sacred aura, and the darkness in the study was completely dispelled the moment it made contact. The light from the Sun Pattern was like a sunny midday sun falling on the window; it only illuminated the surroundings and did not demand anyone's reverence for it.

The two forces did not repel each other.

The golden light of the angel slid across the Sun Pattern, which then drew an arc, drawing back the light that had scattered to the corner of the table.

Qian Renxue tapped her finger again, and three tiny feathers of light rose from her fingertip.

"Catch it."

The light feathers flew towards Yuan Yu's brow, right shoulder, and wrist respectively. They were not lethal, but their speed was much faster than ordinary Hidden Weapons.

Yuan Yu did not summon the Sun Wheel Blade; his right hand, carrying the sunlight, swept forward. The first feather of light was deflected by the arc, grazing past his ear. The second one followed closely, changing direction and circling around to the back of his head from the side.

He leaned forward and flicked his wrist upward.

The arc of light also stood up, circling the arm from bottom to top, and the second and third feathers of light were completely drawn into it.

Guangyu flew towards the roof using the circular force, but was retrieved by Qian Renxue before it touched the wooden beam.

"The blade stance is vertical," Qian Renxue said. "The Sunflower Dance is suitable for cutting through the force in front of you horizontally. This move can be used to receive an attack from below, and then push upwards as a whole."

Yuan Yu slowed his breathing and mentally went over the actions he had just performed.

The Sun Pattern expanded and contracted with his breath, each time drawing out a half-circle of golden light. However, his shoulders, elbows, and waist were not yet fully connected, and forcing the sword would only cause the sword's momentum to break at its highest point.

Qian Renxue stared at the arc. "Your light is closer to the sun."

"The Light Origin," Yuan Yu corrected, ""The sun is my own name for it."

"Still lucid."

Qian Renxue pushed her finger forward, and the Angel Soul Power immediately increased.

The sunlight in Yuan Yu's palm was squeezed into a curve, about to hit the vase on the table. He flipped his wrist upward, and the arc of light changed from horizontal to vertical, curling upward along a complete circular trajectory.

The golden light from the angel on the table was carried to the roof without damaging anything.

Yuan Yu's fingers stiffened for a moment.

That trajectory was different from the Sunflower Dance. The Sunflower Dance spreads horizontally in front of you, while the previous arc went from bottom to top, capable of lifting up the entire oncoming attack.

The Sun Wheel Blade Martial Soul hidden within Yuan Yu's body trembled slightly.

An incomplete breathing rhythm appeared in Yuan Yu's mind.

Qian Renxue withdrew her hand. "Did you find anything?"

"Almost."

Is one month enough?

That's enough.

She sat down again and poured herself a cup of tea.

"Going back to Spirit City after the Finals?"

Yuan Yu looked at the location where the wine jar had been taken away. "Is that jar of wine still there?"

"It will be there when you get back."

"Then I'll go back."

Qian Renxue paused in her teacup, her expression relaxing slightly.

"You said it yourself, I've written it down."

She didn't mention Bibi Dong, nor did she ask Yuan Yu who he favored more between Shrek and the Spirit Hall. She had heard those words on the awards stage very clearly from the VIP seats.

Yuan Yu's willingness to return was enough for her.

As Yuan Yu left the Crown Prince's Residence, the Snake Lance Douluo appeared from the shadows.

He glanced at Yuan Yu's slightly reddened ears, then looked towards the study. "Young Master, he's not an adult yet."

Qian Renxue replied calmly, "So there's only one cup."

The next morning, on the back mountain of the Shrek Academy.

Yuan Yu drew his Sun Wheel Blade and assumed a starting stance facing the rising sun.

He has one month left.