Qian Renxue raised her head.
She had only meant to take a casual glance.
Yet that single glance left her unable to look away.
Beneath the lamplight, the black-haired youth stood there casually.
He wore an ordinary long robe, yet even such plain clothing carried an indescribable nobility on him.
His hair was black as ink, his face like fine jade.
Beneath sword-like brows lay a pair of fathomless eyes.
His face was exceptionally handsome.
So handsome that, for a moment, she could not find a single flaw.
Yet what truly made Qian Renxue's heart tremble was not his face.
It was his eyes.
Those eyes looked over calmly, yet seemed to be looking down upon something.
That composure, that lofty bearing, came from deep within his bones.
Qian Renxue knew that all too well.
Because she herself was just such a person.
An heir to the angels, noble from birth.
Ever since childhood, she had looked down upon everyone.
Yet now, she suddenly discovered that, before this youth, she did not have even a shred of confidence to look down on him.
That feeling was unfamiliar.
And it made her heart race.
What left her even less able to hold out was what had just happened.
She remembered perfectly clearly how this youth had cleansed years of accumulated impurities from her with just a casual touch.
It was something she had failed to accomplish despite years of effort.
He was strong.
The kind of strength one could recognize at a glance.
And that happened to be what appealed to Qian Renxue most in her entire life.
She had known since childhood that only by standing beside the strong could she go farther.
Over the years, disguised as the crown prince, she had met far too many so-called "powerhouses."
Yet beside Yao Xuan, those people could not measure up to even a single finger.
What she had learned since childhood was to look up to the strong.
But however many powerful people she had met, not one had ever been like the youth before her.
At that thought, Qian Renxue's breathing grew uneven again.
Her cheeks grew hotter, little by little.
She had never felt anything like it.
"Xue'er, what's wrong?"
Seeing her like this, Yao Xuan asked with a smile.
Qian Renxue did not answer.
She merely bit her lip and suddenly stepped forward.
The next moment, she rose onto her toes.
Before Yao Xuan could react, a gentle kiss landed on his cheek.
"My husband, th-this is... a thank-you gift."
After kissing him, she lowered her head, her voice soft and quiet.
Yao Xuan raised his eyebrows.
"A thank-you gift?"
He smiled without saying anything more, merely reaching out to ruffle her golden hair again. "Come on. Let's go home."
Spirit City, the Pope's Palace.
After this trip, Yao Xuan returned with yet another person at his side.
Hu Liena and Qian Renxue.
The former was the Holy Maiden personally appointed by Yao Xuan.
The latter was the heir to the angelic lineage, a beauty who could topple cities and kingdoms.
And over these past days, Gu Yuena had seen every look those two gave Yao Xuan.
She knew those looks all too well.
Because they were precisely the same as her own.
At night.
Gu Yuena sat alone by the window, gazing at the moonlight outside without moving for a long time.
Her heart was far from calm.
She was the Silver Dragon King, the sovereign of the Soul Beast Clan.
Back then, she had set aside all her pride and knelt to beg Yao Xuan to intervene.
Later, she had become the only maid at Yao Xuan's side.
She had always thought that position would never change.
At the time, she had been the only one beside Yao Xuan.
Along with that little girl, Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu was still young, so she had not taken her to heart.
But things were different now.
Hu Liena was the Holy Maiden, and Qian Renxue was the heir to the angels.
They were young, beautiful, and nobly born.
And what about her?
Although she bore the title of Silver Dragon King, when all was said and done, she had initially been nothing more than a "maid" who had begged for her position on her knees.
The moment that thought surfaced, Gu Yuena's heart sank.
She suddenly realized that if she did nothing, sooner or later, every place beside her master would be taken.
When that time came, what would she count for?
It was not that she had never considered competing through her own strength.
But an existence like Yao Xuan could not be measured by strength at all.
Before him, the Silver Dragon King Bloodline she took such pride in was no more than the glow of a firefly.
At that thought, Gu Yuena's fingertips tightened slightly.
She raised her head and looked toward Yao Xuan's room.
Beneath the moonlight, determination shone in her purple eyes.
That night, she did something she had contemplated for a long time but never dared to do.
She gently pushed open his door.
Inside, Yao Xuan was sitting beneath the lamplight.
At the sound, he raised his head.
"Brother Xuan."
Standing in the doorway, Gu Yuena took a deep breath. "Your subordinate wishes to take things further with you..."
That night, the candles burned until dawn, as the earth shook and the mountains rocked.
Early in the morning, daylight was just beginning to break.
Gu Yuena nestled in Yao Xuan's arms, her long silver hair spilling across the bed.
A faint blush still tinged her cool, aloof face.
She raised her head and looked at the man beside her.
Her heart was filled with love.
"Na'er."
"From now on, there's no need to dwell on those unnecessary worries."
"You're my first wife now. No one can take your place."
"Once our travels are over, I'll also resolve the Soul Beast issue that worries you most."
Yao Xuan reached out and smoothed her disheveled silver hair.
"Thank you, Mas... my husband!"
Hearing those words, Gu Yuena felt a slight warmth behind her eyes.
She buried her face a little deeper.
Time flew.
In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
Over those five years, Yao Xuan lived very comfortably.
Every day, he and Gu Yuena entwined in tender affection, fluttering and soaring together.
As for Xiao Wu, she had grown considerably, her figure becoming ever more shapely and her Soul Power ever purer.
Hu Liena had advanced rapidly in the "Heavenly Fox Technique" and had long since become far more accomplished than before.
Qian Renxue had cultivated the "Heavenly Prayer Art" to consummate mastery, and had also unlocked most of the bloodline power of her angelic lineage.
As for the three women's feelings for Yao Xuan...
Those naturally went without saying.
One day.
Yao Xuan was in the Pope's Palace when he suddenly sensed a faint stirring in his heart.
He closed his eyes, and his Divine Sense spread like a tide, sweeping across a thousand miles in an instant.
A moment later, he opened his eyes.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Shrek Academy... is finally about to recruit students?"
Shrek Academy.
Naturally, Yao Xuan knew that name.
It was precisely where Tang San and Yu Xiaogang would soon be heading in the original story.
It had been five years.
Those two old dogs should be showing their faces soon.
"Tang San. Yu Xiaogang."
As Yao Xuan murmured those two names, the smile on his face deepened.
Five years ago, he had grown tired of playing and casually tossed those two toys aside.
But now-
"I suddenly feel a little interested again."
"You two old dogs, are you ready to keep getting utterly crushed?"
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
A thousand miles away.
Inside an inn in a small city.
Tang San was sitting cross-legged on his bed.
Suddenly, his heart trembled for no apparent reason.
An indescribable chill crept straight up his spine.
His eyes snapped open, a sheen of cold sweat already seeping from his temples.
That feeling defied description or explanation.
Yet he vaguely sensed that something bad was coming toward him.
"What's going on..."
Tang San frowned and muttered to himself.
In the neighboring room, Yu Xiaogang also shuddered violently.
These past five years had not been good to him.
After leaving Nuoding Academy, master and disciple had traveled through several cities.
Afraid of being recognized, Yu Xiaogang no longer even dared use the title "Grandmaster."
At this moment, he felt only as though something unseen was watching him.
"Hiss-"
Yu Xiaogang pulled his quilt tighter around himself, his face somewhat pale.
"Why does it feel so chilly behind me?"
That ominous premonition grew stronger and stronger.
Yet even after thinking for a long while, he could not figure out just where the problem lay.
The night deepened.
Master and disciple tossed and turned in their respective beds, sleepless all night.
Before you continue