Moonlight Pavilion

Unlike the oppressive atmosphere at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Lin Duke Mansion was as peaceful and tranquil as ever.

"Today's the fifteenth. The moon is truly round!"

In the open-air hot spring, Lin Rong raised his head to gaze at the full moon amid the stars and could not help but sigh:

"Beholding the bright moon together, we should shed tears; in one night, homesickness is shared across five places."

"I wouldn't call myself a sentimental person, yet beneath this full moon, I can't help missing my family from both this life and my past one."

"Tang Yuehua, Tang Yuehua—having loved without ever attaining it, how much must you miss your second brother, whom you haven't seen in so many years?"

"I'm someone who enjoys helping others most of all, so let me help you!"

The next day.

In the most prosperous district at the center of Heaven Dou City stood an ancient yet elegant building known as Moonlight Pavilion.

As the Heaven Dou Empire's school of court etiquette, Moonlight Pavilion had been a prestigious name ever since its founding.

Because the graduates who left Moonlight Pavilion were hailed as "true nobles."

And according to rumors, the mysterious mistress of Moonlight Pavilion, "Madam Yue," had an unknown connection to Xue Ye, the Heaven Dou Emperor.

Of course, that was only a rumor.

In truth, Madam Yue's real identity was Tang Yuehua—the daughter of the previous Clear Sky Douluo, and the younger sister of this generation's Howling Sky Douluo and Clear Sky Douluo.

Tang Yuehua's identity was no secret among the uppermost circles of nobility, and the hereditary dukes of the Lin family happened to belong to those circles.

The top floor of Moonlight Pavilion.

All the furniture and decorations here were made from agarwood, giving off a faint, elegant fragrance.

A dignified and luxurious woman in palace dress sat upon a wooden chair, looking poised and natural. If not for the faint dark circles beneath her eyes, everything would have been flawless.

This woman in palace dress was Tang Yuehua. She casually brushed a finger beneath her eye and said:

"Please forgive my appearance, Duke. The moonlight was so enchanting last night that I could not bear to waste it. I never expected to remain awake until dawn, leaving me a little worse for wear today."

"What business brings you to Moonlight Pavilion, Duke? You are still young and have not yet reached the age to study court etiquette."

Lin Rong sat in a wooden chair opposite Tang Yuehua, with Old Butler standing behind him.

After hearing her words, Lin Rong smiled politely and stated his purpose directly.

"One does not visit a temple without a reason. I came this time to tell Madam something. I believe it will certainly interest you."

Something that interested her?

Tang Yuehua quietly studied Lin Rong after hearing this. Though he did seem somewhat more composed than before, he was still essentially a six-year-old child.

What could a six-year-old child possibly say that would interest her? Even if this six-year-old child was a duke.

"I would be glad to hear it," Tang Yuehua replied with an elegant smile, picking up a cup of tea from the table and lowering her head to take a sip.

This gesture did not escape Lin Rong's notice.

Though there was nothing to criticize about her actions in terms of etiquette, Tang Yuehua's behavior clearly showed that she had not taken his words to heart.

She was merely willing to spare the time to listen to a six-year-old child out of courtesy.

But Lin Rong did not particularly care about that.

After all, everything had two sides. While the appearance of a six-year-old child could be deceptive, it also made others easily underestimate him.

Just like now—Tang Yuehua did not believe Lin Rong had anything that could interest her.

However, since Tang Yuehua was in no hurry, Lin Rong followed her example and picked up a cup of tea from the table. He fiddled with the lid in his right hand without drinking, then spoke unhurriedly:

"More than two months ago, one of my family's Guards passed through a small city in Fasnau Province while traveling to the Balak Kingdom on business."

"That city was called Nuoding City. That Guard of mine was acquainted with an inspection deacon from Nuoding City's Spirit Hall."

"During their conversation, that inspection deacon mentioned something."

"A child in the local Holy Spirit Village possessed Innate Full Soul Power, but unfortunately, his martial soul was a useless one—Blue Silver Grass."

Tang Yuehua lowered her head and sipped her tea as she listened to Lin Rong. When she heard the words "Blue Silver Grass with Innate Full Soul Power," her hands trembled unnaturally.

Meanwhile, Lin Rong continued to fiddle with his teacup and went on speaking as if to himself:

"Nuoding City is, after all, a remote place. Even the people of Spirit Hall there are rather shallow in their knowledge."

"Innate Full Soul Power carries enormous potential, even if the martial soul is something as useless as Blue Silver Grass."

"Because my family's Guard understood this, he made some inquiries about that commoner child with the intention of recruiting him."

"The child who awakened Innate Full Soul Power was named Tang San. His father was the only blacksmith in Holy Spirit Village, and the villagers all called that blacksmith Tang! Hao!"

Crack!

The teacup in Tang Yuehua's hand fell to the floor with a crisp sound. Tea splashed everywhere, soaking the hem of her dress.

Across from her, Lin Rong acted as though he had seen and heard nothing, continuing with his account:

"According to the villagers of Holy Spirit Village, six years ago, a man claiming to be Tang Hao arrived in Holy Spirit Village carrying an infant."

"Chief Jack of Holy Spirit Village took pity on them. As the village happened to be short of a blacksmith, he allowed the father and son to stay."

"Madam Yue, as far as I know, your second brother's name is Tang Hao."

"Furthermore, the earth-shattering battle between the former Pope of Spirit Hall, Qian Xunji, and your brother happened exactly six years ago."

"Although I was still in my mother's womb at the time, after I was born, I learned from various sources that this battle seemed to have erupted over a woman."

"And that woman, if I'm not mistaken, should have been Tang San's mother."

"Though I don't know why the former Pope fought your brother over a woman, to the point that they actually came to blows in earnest."

"The former Pope was already well past fifty, yet he went so far as to fight over a woman out of jealousy. I truly don't know what to say."

"After my Guard learned that Tang San was the son of the Clear Sky Douluo, he gave up any thought of recruiting him and reported the matter to me."

"When the news reached me, I was in Sunset Forest acquiring a Soul Ring, so I couldn't tell Madam Yue immediately."

"Thus, the moment I returned to the Duke Mansion, I sent someone to Moonlight Pavilion with a visit card, then hurried over the following day."

"Madam Yue, it is rather unfortunate for this nephew of yours. Though he inherited his father's cultivation talent and possesses Innate Full Soul Power, a rarity seen perhaps once in a century, his martial soul inherited his mother's Blue Silver Grass."

"This is truly strange. The Clear Sky Hammer, the number one tool martial soul in the world, actually lost to Blue Silver Grass in the inheritance of martial soul bloodlines. Could this Blue Silver Grass possess some special quality?"

"Sorry! I've gone off topic."

"May I ask, Madam Yue, are you still interested in this matter?"

Tang Yuehua truly deserved to be the mistress of Moonlight Pavilion. She quickly composed herself and returned to her previous dignified, noble bearing.

But Lin Rong knew that Tang Yuehua was only pretending to be calm.

Through Life Sense, he could tell that Tang Yuehua's life aura was giving off intense emotional fluctuations.

"My apologies. I was discourteous just now." Tang Yuehua's tone appeared calm and composed, but her next words revealed the urgency in her heart.

"Thank you, Duke, for bringing me this news. Yuehua is deeply grateful."

"It is only that I suddenly remembered I have an important matter to attend to, so I will not keep you seated any longer, Duke."

Having achieved his goal, Lin Rong naturally had no reason to linger—especially when the owner of Moonlight Pavilion had begun showing him out.

Thus, Lin Rong set down his teacup, rose to his feet, and said, "Not at all. Since Madam has matters to attend to, I shall not disturb you further."

With that, Lin Rong and Old Butler headed down the stairs. They had intended to return directly to the manor, but on the fourth floor of Moonlight Pavilion, they encountered someone unexpected.

Moonlight Pavilion accepted a new class once every three years.

Tang San began studying at nineteen and took one year to complete a curriculum that took others three years.

At twenty, he represented the graduating class in playing the harp.

Xue Ke was in the same class as Tang San, so she went to Moonlight Pavilion when Tang San was seventeen.

Tang San was currently six. Seventeen minus six equaled eleven.

Therefore, Xue Ke would come to Moonlight Pavilion to study eleven years later.