Redemption

From what the man had said, Tian Chen easily deduced that the woman they were talking about was Jiang Nannan, the future Soft Rabbit Douluo and one of the Shrek Seven Monsters.

The Ice Empress keenly noticed the change in Tian Chen's expression and asked with concern, "What's wrong, little Chen?"

Tian Chen quickly composed himself and gave her a relaxed smile. "Nothing, Sister Ice. By the way, we'll be going somewhere in a bit to take care of a little matter."

Although his tone was casual, a profound light flickered in his eyes.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious inn, a middle-aged man in uniform sat opposite a young girl. She was tall and slender, with a lovely face and delicate features that gave her a fresh, ethereal beauty. Her eyes were bright and lively, and her long, fluttering eyelashes made her look spirited and intelligent. Her gentle bearing gave her a warm, approachable air.

The girl's eyes were red, and she clutched her skirt tightly, seemingly struggling with a decision.

"Still can't make up your mind?" the middle-aged man asked.

"Let me think about it a little longer!" Jiang Nannan replied, pursing her lips in anguish.

"What is there to think about? Do you know how many people want to climb into the young master's bed? Once you miss this chance, you won't get another. Come with me." The middle-aged man grabbed Jiang Nannan's hand.

Frightened by his actions, Jiang Nannan burst into tears.

"Let go of me! Let go!" But the middle-aged man acted as though he hadn't heard her and dragged her away.

Just then, a gust of wind swept past them. In the blink of an eye, another hand, fair and flawless, had seized the middle-aged man's wrist.

Seemingly startled by this sudden turn of events, the middle-aged steward instinctively tried to pull his hand back.

But when he saw that the one holding him was a child who looked about eight or nine, his expression darkened.

"Where did this little brat come from? You're barely out of diapers, and you dare try to scare me? Get lost!"

The middle-aged man tried to shake off the child's hand, only to discover that his wrist seemed locked in place. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.

Then Tian Chen abruptly swung his arm. The motion was clean and decisive, carrying overwhelming strength as he flung the middle-aged man away like a rag sack. The man slammed into the wall with a heavy thud.

The middle-aged man let out a muffled groan of pain after crashing into the wall. He clearly hadn't expected a child who looked eight or nine to possess such terrifying strength.

Gritting his teeth, the middle-aged man said, "Brat, who the hell are you? How dare you ruin my business! You're not leaving here today unless you give me an explanation!"

Tian Chen ignored his threat and turned toward Jiang Nannan. He had actually only come here to check in, but he hadn't expected the Xuanming Sect to be so shameless. Had it been a fair transaction, he would have left it alone.

But abducting a girl in broad daylight was something he truly couldn't stomach.

"Ding! Douluo SR-rank goddess Jiang Nannan detected. Beginning check-in."

"Congratulations, host! You have checked in with Jiang Nannan and received the Taiyi Soul Art."

At that moment, Jiang Nannan's eyes were filled with conflicting emotions—gratitude for Tian Chen's help, as well as shock at the disparity between his age and strength. She asked softly, "Why... why did you help me?"

Tian Chen smiled faintly, his voice calm but firm. "Because I couldn't just stand by and watch. Jiang Nannan, I know about you. Your mother is gravely ill, so you were forced to make a deal with the Xuanming Sect and sell yourself to save her. If it had been a fair transaction, I wouldn't have interfered. But this man tried to drag you away by force, and I couldn't bear to watch."

Jiang Nannan's face instantly turned pale when she heard him mention this.

"How do you know? What have you done to my mother?" She had thought no one knew her secret, yet this mysterious boy seemed to know everything about her.

"Calm down first. I can't explain everything right now, but you'll understand in a little while."

She bit her lip lightly, seemingly trying to steady her emotions. Then she lowered her head, her voice trembling. "Since you know about this, you should also understand that only this Black Tortoise Divine Pill can cure my mother..."

Tian Chen sighed softly, his heart filled with mixed emotions. When he had read the original novel, his heart had ached for this girl who bore so many scars. Jiang Nannan had been born into poverty and suffered a cruel fate. At just fourteen, she had been forced to sell herself to save her gravely ill mother. Although checking in was part of the reason he had come, his greater motivation was compassion for this deeply wounded girl. He wanted to help Jiang Nannan escape such suffering.

Just then, an unwelcome voice rang out.

"Damn it, you little bastard! How dare you ignore me? Today, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders!" As he spoke, an enormous turtle shell appeared around him.

At the same time, several shining soul rings appeared around him.

White, yellow, yellow.

"Third soul skill, Blackwater Heavy Cannon!" The middle-aged man immediately unleashed his strongest soul skill, intending to severely injure Tian Chen in a single strike.

"Know your place!" Tian Chen remained utterly calm as he watched the incoming ball of water. Then he pointed his index finger forward, and a bolt of blood-red lightning blasted out.

The lightning tore through the air like a darting dragon and collided with the enormous water sphere, unleashing a deafening roar. Under its impact, the sphere instantly dissolved into a cloud of mist. The blood-red lightning, however, continued shooting toward the middle-aged man without losing any of its power.

The middle-aged man stared in shock as the blood-red lightning hurtled toward him, its force undiminished.

But the lightning didn't strike him. Instead, it skimmed past his face and flew behind him.

With a loud bang, a building behind him shattered like an exploding bomb.

Looking at the building behind him, the middle-aged man was overcome with lingering terror. If that lightning had gone straight through my head, then...

He eyed the boy warily. Tian Chen hadn't even released his martial soul, yet he had defeated him with ease. After weighing his options, the man ultimately didn't dare make another move. He could only snarl, "Y-you just wait! You dared ruin the Xuanming Sect's business. You're dead!" Having delivered that threat, he scurried away in disgrace.

Tian Chen ignored him and instead looked back at Jiang Nannan, who was still stunned. "Are you all right?"

"Ah... oh, yes, I'm fine!" Only then did she snap out of her daze and hastily answer.

"Thank you for saving me."

"It's nothing! I just couldn't stand the way those people behaved, or the thought of a good girl like you losing her chastity."

After hearing this, Jiang Nannan gradually calmed down, and the worry between her brows eased a little. She took a deep breath and mustered the courage to ask:

"But there are still things I don't understand—who exactly are you? Why do you know about me? And how is my mother doing right now?" Urgency and unease mingled in her voice. Clearly, these questions had been weighing on her for some time.

"Don't worry! Your mother is safe right now. If I'm not mistaken, he should be here any moment."

As soon as he finished speaking, the inn's door swung open.