With a thought, Mu Changqing immediately made the vertical pupil between his brows disappear.
Mu Changqing gazed at the round moon on the horizon outside the window, then immediately sat down at the desk and picked up a sheet of paper and a pen, seemingly pondering something.
Seeing Mu Changqing's serious expression, Na'er immediately walked behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pressing her little face against his shoulder.
"Big brother! What are you going to write?"
Looking puzzled, Na'er breathed gently against Mu Changqing's ear, her silver eyes fixed intently on the blank paper in his hand.
"I want to write something!"
Mu Changqing sat upright at the desk, twirling the pen in one hand while gently stroking Na'er's silver hair with the other.
Mu Changqing had been on the Douluo Continent for nine years. He seemed to have thought of something: Shrek Academy's elitist rules, "Those who dare not stir up trouble are mediocrities" and "We only accept monsters," could easily lead students astray.
This was also why most soul masters on the Douluo Continent grew up with warped values and seemed to have antisocial personalities.
Take Tang San from ten thousand years ago, for example. In his previous life, he had been a disciple of the Tang Sect. No one had taught him how to conduct himself or instilled proper values in him.
After Tang San was reborn on the Douluo Continent, he even ended up with parents like those. Tang Hao bore much of the responsibility for his becoming a hypocritical scoundrel.
Mu Changqing would definitely succeed as the master of the Sea God Pavilion in the future. Shrek would then be in the bag for him, and what he wanted to change was his own Shrek.
Mu Changqing immediately set his pen to the paper, gradually writing down three sentences on the blank sheet.
Three earth-shaking sentences appeared prominently on the paper.
"As heaven moves with vigor, a gentleman should ceaselessly strive to strengthen himself!"
"As the earth bears all with its receptive nature, a gentleman should sustain all things with profound virtue!"
Below these two sentences, he had also written another.
"Neither wealth nor rank can corrupt him, neither poverty nor low station can sway him, and neither might nor force can bend him-such is a true man!"
Once Mu Changqing finished writing, he gently set the pen aside. Na'er looked at the sentences, only vaguely understanding them.
"Big brother! What is this?"
Na'er immediately pointed at the words on the paper. She recognized every character, but did not know what they meant when put together.
"Na'er, memorize these three sentences over the next three days. I'll check your recitation when I have time!"
Mu Changqing folded the paper on the desk and immediately tucked it into the pocket of Na'er's white dress.
"Ah! Fine!"
Na'er froze for an instant, then immediately recovered, poking two fingers together as she slowly answered Mu Changqing.
"All right, let's sleep. We still have to set off for the City of Steel tomorrow, don't we?"
Mu Changqing rose from his chair and turned to face Na'er. Bending down, he curved his left arm beneath Na'er's fair legs and wrapped his right arm around her slender waist.
Mu Changqing swept Na'er into his arms in a princess carry. Seeing how forward he was being today, Na'er's fair little face quickly flushed red.
Na'er wrapped her arms around Mu Changqing's neck and pressed her head tightly against his strong chest, nestling against him like a little bird.
Mu Changqing carried her to the bedside, and the two fell straight into the soft bed.
"Big brother, thank you for taking Na'er in three years ago!"
Na'er's whole body burned, and her consciousness began to blur. She rubbed against Mu Changqing's handsome face, her hands slowly turning into silver dragon claws as she caressed him.
"Mm!"
Mu Changqing sank completely into sleep. In the quiet night, two burning hearts kept beating.
The night passed in an instant.
"Na'er, time to get up. Get ready to leave."
Mu Changqing gently shook the still-sleeping Na'er. Startled awake by this, she opened her bleary eyes and looked at him.
After finishing breakfast, the two immediately packed their things and walked out of room 403, just as Qian Duoduo pushed open the door of room 402 beside them.
"What are you two in such a hurry for?"
Seeing their hurried expressions, Qian Duoduo immediately asked.
"Ah, I thought we'd overslept!"
Mu Changqing awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. It turned out he had remembered the time wrong. Na'er snickered beside him.
"Fan Yu and Bei Bei are still asleep in their rooms. We're not leaving until tonight!"
Qian Duoduo's powerful frame blocked their way as he looked at them in puzzlement.
"All right! I'll take Na'er out for a stroll!"
Holding Na'er's little hand, Mu Changqing immediately hurried downstairs with her and rushed out of the inn. It occurred to him that, since he rarely had the chance to visit the Star Luo Empire, he should go find Dai Yaoheng and hang out.
Following the directions of passersby, the two walked toward Star Luo City's inner city. There were relatively few people in the inner city at this time, and everyone wore luxurious clothes. Clearly, the people here were either rich or noble.
Mu Changqing headed west through the inner city and soon arrived in the area where the White Tiger Duke's Mansion stood. Directly opposite it was the Zhu Clan.
Mu Changqing strode up to the main entrance of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, where two white tiger statues crouched.
"Hello! Could I trouble you to notify your young master Dai Yaoheng?"
"Tell him Mu Changqing from Shrek Academy is here to see him!"
The guard at the entrance looked at the unfamiliar Mu Changqing and initially had no intention of paying him any attention, but the moment he heard the name Shrek, he immediately perked up.
"All right, wait here a moment. I'll go right away!"
The guard immediately hurried into the White Tiger Duke's Mansion as though he had something urgent to attend to.
"I'm so bored, big brother!"
Na'er sat upright on a stone statue nearby, propping her fair chin in both hands. Then she took the paper from her pocket and began reading the sentences on it.
"Ha ha!"
"Junior Mu, you've actually come to our White Tiger Duke's Mansion!"
Dai Yaoheng's laughter came from nearby. With swaggering strides, he walked out through the main entrance and quickly reached Mu Changqing.
"I happened to be passing by, so I stopped in to see you!"
"Come on, let's talk inside!"
After their fight, Dai Yaoheng and Mu Changqing could be said to have become acquainted through blows. Dai Yaoheng slung an arm around Mu Changqing's neck and headed toward the main hall of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
"Big brother, wait for me!"
Na'er leaped down from the stone statue and followed the two.
The three walked side by side and finally arrived in the main hall of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. The place was incomparably luxurious.
A beautiful young married woman sat upright in the center of the hall, elegantly sipping tea.
"Dai Yaoheng! Your friends are here!"
The lady of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion set down her teacup and smiled at the three entering the hall.
"You go ahead and chat!"
The White Tiger Duchess walked toward the rear of the hall. She ordered the servants to serve food and tea, then returned to her bedroom.
"As expected of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, with its legacy of ten thousand years. It truly is imposing!"
"Ah, that's all in the past."
Mu Changqing and Dai Yaoheng sat facing each other, thoroughly enjoying their conversation. Before long, the servants brought food and tea.
"Big brother, I want to look around on my own!"
Na'er suddenly spoke up.
"Go ahead, but don't wander off!"
Mu Changqing gave his consent. He did not think any danger would arise in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. Meanwhile, somewhere unbeknownst to Mu Changqing, Xuan Zi was gnawing on a chicken drumstick.