Did I Give You Too Much Face?!

On the way back.

Neither of them said a word.

Jiang Nannan seemed lost in thought. Her head was lowered, and her beautiful eyes were a little red and swollen—the traces left from crying just now.

"I still don't know your name..."

Only when they reached the place where Jiang's mother was staying did Jiang Nannan look at Su Wen. A trace of confusion flashed through her beautiful eyes, because she searched her memories and had never come across such a junior before...

"Su Wen," Su Wen said with a smile.

"Thank you, Junior Su Wen..." Jiang Nannan bowed, her beautiful eyes filled with gratitude.

She had just walked out of the "devil's den," and then learned from Dean Yan that her mother was in no serious danger. Her feelings could no longer be described as joy. It turned out Yang He had never reported it to the academy's higher-ups at all. Or rather... she had never imagined she was this important.

It felt as if a great weight had been lifted.

"You're welcome." Su Wen still smiled.

He and Jiang Nannan had never known each other before. If he came up and comforted her like an old friend, right now, Jiang Nannan had just escaped "danger" and had yet to react, but afterward she would only find it stranger and stranger—or think of him as some hidden bootlicker lurking in the dark...

Keeping some distance was best. The right amount was enough.

"Hah..."

Jiang Nannan took a deep breath.

She pushed open the front door.

Jiang's mother was lying on the sickbed, her face haggard. Yet the moment she saw her daughter, a hint of happiness surfaced on her face before she realized it. She waved and said gently, "Why did you take so long? Your dean and your good friend have been waiting for you for ages."

"Good friend?" Jiang Nannan froze for a moment.

Unconsciously, she glanced at Su Wen.

His expression was as calm as ever.

Jiang Nannan did not think too much about it. She stepped forward and threw herself into her mother's arms, sobbing softly. At a time like this, her mother's embrace was the warmest harbor.

"Oh, this girl. You're already so grown up, yet you still act like a child. Don't let your friend laugh at you..." Jiang's mother was taken aback, then smilingly wrapped her arms around her daughter and gave Su Wen an apologetic look.

"..."

Su Wen shook his head.

Watching this warm scene, he actually felt a little envious.

"Hehe, this child looks only eleven or twelve, doesn't he? Xiao Wen, is your mother a soul master too?" Jiang's mother changed the subject and began chatting about family matters.

"I don't know." Su Wen shook his head. "Maybe..."

Jiang Nannan and her mother looked startled. They exchanged a glance, as if they understood something. When they looked at Su Wen again, their expressions carried a little more pity and softness, and even their words became careful.

Bang!

Yan Shaozhe slammed the table and shot to his feet. Pointing at the nose of the middle-aged man in fine clothes across from him, he cursed, "Xu Jiangliu, did I give you too much face?! What makes you think Shrek Academy is easy to bully?!"

With a crash, the fragrant dragonwood table was shattered by his palm, wood splinters flying in every direction.

Xu Jiangliu's entire body trembled as well.

He was only a Titled Douluo. Facing one of the existences with the highest status on the continent—in the Original Work, Yan Shaozhe's status was indeed extremely high, practically the face of Shrek, while Mu En was already a matter of the previous generation, most people thought he was dead, and the other Elders generally stayed in Sea God Pavilion to live out their retirement and rarely showed themselves to the outside world—even as the Sect Master of Xuanming Sect, he did not dare act presumptuously. But he had painstakingly plotted and nurtured a "daughter-in-law," and now, just when it was finally time to pick the peach, Shrek Academy had cut in halfway. Nearly ten years of effort—he truly could not accept it!

"Then I really must thank your academy for giving me the chance." His face was dark, and he could not hold back from snapping back at Yan Shaozhe. "If Yang He hadn't rejected her, Xuanming Sect wouldn't have had the opportunity to take advantage."

"How do you know about that?" Yan Shaozhe suddenly narrowed his eyes and stared hard at Xu Jiangliu.

"I... I guessed..." Xu Jiangliu's throat bobbed. He realized that, in his anger, he had exposed a flaw. If Yan Shaozhe learned that he had given Yang He money, the consequences would probably be unthinkable. Xuanming Sect could not withstand Shrek Academy's wrath.

"..."

Yan Shaozhe slowly sat down, his fingertips tapping the armrest of the chair, his expression carrying a hint of suspicion.

If he had guessed correctly, the matter of Yang He rejecting Jiang Nannan should only have been known to those directly involved. What was more, this still counted as an internal affair of Shrek Academy. Yet Xu Jiangliu knew it perfectly clearly.

Whether Xuanming Sect had reached its hand into Shrek's interior, or had bribed Yang He, neither was something he could tolerate. They had dared to make moves right under his nose...

The atmosphere became rather strange.

Cold sweat streamed down Xu Jiangliu's back.

Several minutes later.

"I'm taking her away."

Yan Shaozhe stood up and walked to the door with his hands behind his back.

His gaze swept toward Xu Jiangliu. "But I will investigate this matter to the end. If it truly has anything to do with your Xuanming Sect... hmph!"

Before his words had even faded, his figure vanished from the room.

"Hah, hah..." Xu Jiangliu panted heavily, his face pale.

The pressure Yan Shaozhe brought him was simply too great.

A Super Douluo was enough to crush him to death with a single finger. Although, given the latter's identity, he most likely would not truly make a move, the feeling of that sword hanging over his head made it seem as if he had just taken a trip through the gates of hell.

"Someone!"

Xu Jiangliu panted heavily. "Bring Chen Wen here!"

"Yes!" Seeing that Xu Jiangliu's expression was off, the servant did not waste words and hurried away.

A few minutes later.

Chen Wen appeared in the room, his face full of joy.

"Master, everything is ready. We're just waiting for the second young master to consummate the marriage, and then..."

"Shut up!" Xu Jiangliu barked. "From this moment on, Jiang Nannan has nothing whatsoever to do with my Xu Family. As for the things you did, go clean them up yourself. Don't leave even the slightest trace! Now, immediately—get out and do it!"

"Ah..." Chen Wen looked utterly bewildered and scrambled out of the room in a panic.

After Chen Wen left, Xu Jiangliu narrowed his eyes slightly.

A shadow appeared at his side, bowing faintly like a deathsworn retainer waiting for orders.

"Go. Follow him. See whether he handles it cleanly. If he doesn't, clean up after him. Once everything is settled, dispose of him as well," Xu Jiangliu said softly.

"Yes!"

A shadow slipped away in silence, following in Chen Wen's direction.

"..."

Xu Jiangliu's breathing gradually steadied.

He was not worried that Yan Shaozhe had not gone far and was instead hiding in the dark to investigate Chen Wen. After all, those so-called "pieces of evidence" were not important in his eyes. Yan Shaozhe might even have known the truth long ago, and he had admitted it openly enough.

The key lay with Yang He.

If Yan Shaozhe uncovered his dealings with Yang He, that would be when real trouble came.

Shrek was an academy—this in itself was the funniest joke on the continent.

Fortunately, however, he had left no substantive evidence behind, and the pawns who had made contact with Yang He had long since been erased by him.

"So now he comes out to pluck the peach!"

Xu Jiangliu thought it over again and again. Only after finding no loopholes did he suddenly smash a tea set and start cursing.

The Xuanming Sect often gathered civilian children and helped them awaken their Martial Souls.

If any of them were talented, they would be accepted into the sect's outer branch and given resources for cultivation.

That was how Jiang Nannan had come to his attention.

When she awakened her Martial Soul at six years old, her innate rank-eight Soul Power shocked everyone present. She was truly a golden Phoenix born from a thatched nest. And Jiang Nannan, who depended on her widowed mother for survival, was also about the same age as Xu Sanshi, who had awakened his Martial Soul in the same year.

She had a handle—her mother—that made her easy to control, and both her talent and looks were outstanding.

Even the city lord's letter had been something he arranged in secret.

But after that girl joined Shrek Academy, she seemed to have grown somewhat disobedient. Her personality was independent and strong-willed. Trying to fool her into helping his son awaken his Martial Soul a second time would probably be very difficult, and that was why he had listened to Chen Wen's suggestion and resorted to this bad move...