Responsibility and Fate!

Back Mountain!

Yang Que put an arm around Zhu Zhuqing. "Zhuqing, what's wrong? Something on your mind?"

Zhu Zhuqing raised her head and gazed at him with her big, watery eyes. "I want to have you!"

The air suddenly froze. Inside, Yang Que felt as if a hundred rampaging beasts had stampeded through his head!

Holy shit! Isn't that what the male lead says to the female lead in novels? How did I end up hearing it today—and from a girl, no less...

Even so, Yang Que remained calm on the surface.

"Aren't I already yours?" Yang Que asked softly.

"That's different! I don't just want you by my side. I want your heart, too!" Zhu Zhuqing cupped his face and looked into his eyes.

"My heart? I gave it to you back in the Star Dou Great Forest." Yang Que gently stroked her cheek.

Zhu Zhuqing blushed. "Then... then why haven't you ever told me about your childhood or your family?"

"..." That little rabbit Xiao Wu had been running her mouth? What a headache!

"My family? I was just a kid who grew up in a little village under Nuoding City's jurisdiction. What background could I possibly have?" Yang Que asked.

"No... that's not true! You're lying to me! Xiao Wu clearly—" Before Zhu Zhuqing could finish, Yang Que cut her off.

Yang Que looked up at the full moon on the horizon. "Xiao Wu told you something different, didn't she? Zhuqing, you have to understand. I'm still weak. There are things I can't afford to think about right now—things I don't even dare to think about. So for now, I have to put them aside."

"And that's my fate, not yours. Do you understand?"

Zhu Zhuqing froze. So it wasn't that he wouldn't tell me. He was too weak right now, and the burden he carried was too heavy. He didn't want the people beside him to bear that weight too!

She bit her red lip, tears spilling from her eyes. "No! I don't understand! That isn't just your fate. It's mine too!"

"No! It isn't just your fate—it's ours too!" A voice suddenly came from behind them.

Yang Que and Zhu Zhuqing started and turned around. Tang San and the rest of Shrek stood behind them. They had evidently followed Yang Que here!

Yang Que's face darkened. "Are you asking for a beating?"

Tang San stepped forward. "Brother Que, I've never known what burden you've been carrying. I want to share some of it and ease your burden, even if it's only a tiny bit. I'm willing!"

"That's right! So am I! You can be pretty cocky sometimes, and we've only known each other a few days, but I can tell you're someone who cares deeply about his friends!" Dai Mubai said.

"Me too! We're all Shrek students. We advance and retreat together, live and die together!" Oscar added.

"That's right! We're all willing! We advance and retreat together, live and die together!" the others said.

Yang Que's eyes suddenly reddened. He turned away. "You lot... Hah! A bunch of little brats!"

Dai Mubai stepped forward. "What's that supposed to mean, Yang Que? You look down on us? I may not be able to beat you, but we—"

"Even all of you together couldn't beat me!"

Everyone fell silent.

Yang Que turned a grave gaze on them. "Do you know how strong the enemy is? You think Teacher Zhao is powerful? In the eyes of a Titled Douluo, he's just a slightly bigger grasshopper. But in those people's eyes, even a Titled Douluo is less than a grasshopper!"

Oscar drew in a sharp breath, his teeth chattering. "Th-that's impossible..."

"You're making this up! No one in this world could be that powerful!" Ning Rongrong said.

"Hah. Impossible? Little girl, this world is far bigger than you can imagine. You're just a girl with a bit of talent," Yang Que said without a trace of courtesy.

"You!"

"Impossible! You're just trying to scare us, right?" Dai Mubai dropped to the ground. All his soaring bravado had vanished.

"Hah. What's wrong? Scared? That's normal. I'm scared too, but I have no choice but to face them. As for you... Hah. It's not that I look down on you. You can't even beat me. How could you face them alongside me? Go back and take care of your own lives." Yang Que walked over, scooped up Zhu Zhuqing, who was still frozen in place, and vanished from their sight.

In truth, Yang Que had been moved. But he couldn't drag these children, still in the prime of their youth, into danger just because they had touched his heart. He couldn't make them shoulder this responsibility, heavy as Mount Tai, alongside him.

After Yang Que left, everyone remained rooted to the spot, their faces full of dejection and frustration.

"So Brother Que was carrying a burden that heavy..." Tang San sank to the ground and murmured.

Xiao Wu came over and sat beside him, tears streaming down her face. "Brother San, Brother Que... Waaaah!"

The other girls couldn't stop their tears either.

Nearby, Dai Mubai hammered his fists against the ground. "So I really am useless! I ran away from home and hid here, but even now, I'm still nothing!"

Oscar tipped his head back to look at the sky. "So I really am nothing. I'm not even qualified to take the smallest bit of pressure off him."

What they didn't know was that three pairs of eyes were watching from the shadows.

"So that boy Yang Que has been carrying such a heavy burden," Flender murmured, looking in the direction Yang Que had gone.

"Flender, that can't be true, can it? How could people that powerful exist?" Zhao Wuji was shocked, but also deeply puzzled.

Beside him, Shao Xin looked toward Flender too.

"They do exist. And if I'm right, the people Yang Que mentioned are—gods!"

"Gods?" Zhao Wuji and Shao Xin turned to Flender together, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"Gods, just as the name suggests, possess the power to destroy heaven and earth! They can pluck stars from the sky with their hands and crush the sun and moon beneath their feet. Even ten or a hundred Titled Douluo couldn't defeat a single god!" Flender explained.

"How could that be possible?" Shao Xin and Zhao Wuji were stunned by his explanation.

"I finally understand why His Excellency Haotian said what he did that day. Our academy may have nothing to teach Yang Que. To him, we're just a small stepping stone on the road to growing stronger."

"It's hard to imagine a child so young carrying such a heavy burden. His parents may not be ordinary people either. Perhaps they're on the same level as those beings and are keeping them occupied. Otherwise, Yang Que would probably have been taken away long ago!"

"What? Flender, you mean that kid is a Child of God?" Zhao Wuji's eyes went wide.

"If I'm right, yes," Flender said thoughtfully.

Zhao Wuji and Shao Xin sucked in a sharp breath.

"All right. Let's not interfere too much with Yang Que's training from now on. We can offer him advice when he needs it."

"First, let's go talk to our kids. This has hit them hard. We can't let it break them," Flender said with a sigh.

Who would have thought that his usual student recruitment would bring him a Child of God?

The three walked toward Tang San and the others.

Hearing movement, the students turned and saw Flender and his companions approaching.

"Headmaster!" they called.

"Come on, kids. Pull yourselves together! Was one little setback enough to knock you down?" Flender said.

"But Headmaster, you said we were monsters! Now we're not even qualified to share the tiniest part of his burden. Are we really that useless?" Dai Mubai slammed a fist into a tree, his face twisted in anguish.

Of course you aren't qualified. Those beings are gods! Even I wouldn't dare shoulder the slightest bit of that burden. As for you, forget it! Flender thought.

Naturally, he couldn't say that aloud.

"Kids, remember that you're still children. You're young! Just because you aren't qualified now, does that mean you never will be? Are you going to sink into despair like this? And you still want to help Yang Que? Be grateful if you don't become a burden to him! You need to work harder than ever. Starting tomorrow, I'll put you through Hell Trial Training. Understood? Tell me—can you do it?" Flender shouted.

The students took in his words. That's right! We're young. We may not be qualified now, but that doesn't mean we never will be. If we give in to despair, we really won't have the slightest chance!

The gloom faded from their eyes, replaced by a new spark. They looked at Flender and shouted in unison.

"We can!"

"Good! Your first training session begins tomorrow. If you can't keep up and fall behind, you're out. I won't say another word about it. Understood?" Flender said.

"Understood!" they answered together.

"And Ning Rongrong, your punishment still stands. I expect you to finish the task you failed to complete today. Otherwise, you won't qualify for the next stage of training." Flender made sure to put the troublemaker on notice.

"Yes, Headmaster! I understand!" Ning Rongrong shouted.

"All right. Go get some rest. I'll see you in the square tomorrow!" Flender waved the students off, and he and the other two disappeared from sight.

The students headed back together to rest and prepare for tomorrow's battle.

"Hah! That was a heavy blow, but it helped those kids see themselves clearly again. They'll work much harder in training from now on. Especially that young lady—we've finally managed to smooth out a little of her temper!" Flender chuckled as he walked.

"Still, I feel sorry for Yang Que," Zhao Wuji sighed beside him.

"There's nothing we can do to help him. Whether he turns out a snake or a dragon will depend on what he does from here," Shao Xin said, looking up at the sky.

Meanwhile, in Yang Que's room, Zhu Zhuqing was crying so hard that tears streaked her face like rain on pear blossoms.

Yang Que could only sigh helplessly. "Have you thought it through? If you want to share my burden, you won't have much time for anything else. I'll train you myself, and I won't go easy on you!"

"Yes! I won't regret it. Wherever you go, I'll go. Whatever pressure there is, we'll share it!" Zhu Zhuqing said firmly.

Yang Que suddenly smiled and kissed her forehead gently. "Let me show you something precious!"

Zhu Zhuqing's face flushed. She gave him a hard pinch at his waist. "What are you saying?"

"Ow!" Yang Que pretended it hurt. He leaned close and took the Twin Life Flower from his bag. "I meant this. What were you thinking?"

Zhu Zhuqing blushed even deeper. "You... bastard!"

"Heh! Then I'll show you just how much of a bastard I can be!" Yang Que laughed and carried her toward the bed.

They tumbled together in another storm of passion.

When the storm had passed, Zhu Zhuqing lay in Yang Que's arms and asked, "What was that flower you showed me?"

"Oh? Now you remember the flower?" Yang Que chuckled.

"You! Hmph! I'm not talking to you!" Zhu Zhuqing said, feigning annoyance.

"Heh! That flower is something special. It's called the Twin Life Flower. It strengthens the bond and power between cultivation partners, lets each draw on the other's strength, and boosts the effects of dual cultivation and their cultivation speed," Yang Que explained.

Zhu Zhuqing covered her mouth in astonishment. "It's that powerful? Why didn't you bring it out earlier?"

"Heh, I found it just now on Back Mountain. I was about to come find you!" Yang Que made up an excuse on the spot.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's use it! It'll speed up our cultivation—that's exactly what we need!" Zhu Zhuqing said eagerly.

Yang Que split the Twin Life Flower in two, and each of them consumed half.

They sat naked facing each other, their palms pressed together. Slowly, they closed their eyes and began absorbing the flower's power.

Their Soul Power gradually intertwined and rose at a terrifying rate.

Zhu Zhuqing's level shot upward. Level 33... level 34... At the threshold of level 35, boom! A powerful surge of Soul Power shattered the vase in the room.

Zhu Zhuqing had reached level 35!

After Zhu Zhuqing rose three levels in a row, Yang Que's Soul Power suddenly reached a breakthrough point.

Boom!

Yang Que had reached level 40!