"Yuhao?"
Jiang Nannan stopped in her tracks and looked at Qian Renxue, concern showing in her limpid eyes.
Qian Renxue smiled in relief. "I'm fine. I just had a sudden insight."
She looked back once more at the city that had once been Spirit City. She already had a new goal in mind.
The past could not be brought back, but the future could still be changed.
Since she had come to this era and learned of all that had happened, she would uncover the dust-buried past once more and let the angels' glory shine over the entire Douluo Continent again.
On the ruins of Shrek City, she would build an entirely new Spirit Hall.
Jiang Nannan thought nothing of it. If anything, she felt this was the Huo Yuhao she knew.
Huo Yuhao had occasionally declared "I've got it!" before, after which either his cultivation and mental realm would soar, or he would create some new Self-Created Soul Skill.
Even so, she still felt a little disheartened. She had been telling him the history of Spirit Hall, so how had her listener somehow gained an insight?
What did you even understand? Why didn't I understand anything?
Faced with the girl's reproachful gaze, Qian Renxue hurriedly changed the subject.
"What else did I say about Spirit Hall before? Do you remember? I've forgotten it all."
She wanted to know more about the past of the body she now inhabited. Its attitude toward Spirit Hall concerned her in particular.
In a world where everyone praised the Sea God and Shrek Academy while slandering Spirit Hall, it was truly rare to find someone who spoke up for Spirit Hall.
Qian Renxue even thought that perhaps it was this very "rightness" that had brought her into the young man's body.
Jiang Nannan thought for a moment, then said with a strange expression:
"You also said Spirit Hall came to ruin because Bibi Dong and her daughter Qian Renxue were blind, and you told me to keep my eyes open and choose someone like you as the person I loved."
Qian Renxue's expression froze. The little goodwill she had felt toward the body's original owner vanished in an instant.
How was I blind?
Any woman who fell for this bastard would be the one who was blind!
Jiang Nannan said, "Qian Renxue had the chance to kill Sea God Tang San, but she actually wanted to win over her enemy. She let Tang San go again and again, and that led to Spirit Hall's destruction. And then there was Bibi Dong, who couldn't forget Yu Xiaogang, even though he was only at rank twenty-nine. In the end, Yu Xiaogang got together with his cousin Liu Erlong."
Jiang Nannan couldn't stop herself from complaining.
She too had been shocked when she first heard that Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong were cousins. That fact had long since been buried by an invisible hand, and she didn't know whether Yuhao had read it in some unofficial history somewhere.
Still, since Yuhao dared to say it, she dared to believe it.
Yu Xiaogang?
Qian Renxue was surprised.
She remembered Yu Xiaogang as a fraud who had already passed fifty while still at rank twenty-nine. Had that woman really been involved with trash like him?
If it was true, she would admit that Huo Yuhao had a point.
Well, only half a point: the half about Bibi Dong.
Qian Renxue felt a little regretful. If only she hadn't come ten thousand years into the future, she would have mocked that woman mercilessly to her face. Surely that woman's expression would have been a sight to behold!
In another spacetime.
Huo Yuhao put everything in order and made sure he had left no flaws before stepping out of the secret chamber.
A tall, gaunt old man stood at the entrance to the chamber. He was over two meters tall, his lean frame straight and sharp like a javelin.
From his knowledge of the original story, Huo Yuhao guessed who the man before him was.
He smiled. "Uncle Snake Lance, thank you for your hard work."
Hearing how Huo Yuhao addressed him, Snake Lance Douluo froze. "Young master..."
Huo Yuhao said gently, "Uncle Snake Lance, you've followed me for so many years, always protecting me with the utmost dedication. Calling you uncle is only right. You're like an elder to me."
Snake Lance Douluo's eyes immediately reddened. He dropped to one knee and declared, his words ringing out, "I would gladly die for you, young master!"
Huo Yuhao helped Snake Lance up and said with a smile, "I don't need you to die for me, Uncle Snake Lance. I need you to stay alive and protect me."
Snake Lance Douluo was so moved he could barely find his words. "As long as I'm alive, I'll never let anyone hurt you, young master!"
Huo Yuhao patted Snake Lance Douluo on the shoulder.
It was a waste for such a loyal subordinate to follow Qian Renxue. He ought to be following Huo Yuhao instead.
In the original story, during the Heaven Dou Palace Coup, Snake Lance and Pufferfish had been gravely wounded protecting Qian Renxue, yet she had still wanted to recruit Tang San, paying no heed to the protection the two had given her for over a decade.
But now that he was here, things were going to change in Spirit Hall!
"Fat Fish, are you there? Fat Fish?"
Huo Yuhao had only just turned around when Snake Lance Douluo couldn't resist calling out via voice transmission to Porcupinefish Douluo, who was hidden in the shadows. His voice was full of pride.
Porcupinefish Douluo pretended not to hear him.
"I know you're there. Did you hear that? The young master called me Uncle Snake Lance!"
Porcupinefish Douluo remained silent.
Snake Lance Douluo kept pestering him. "Ah, the young master called me Uncle Snake Lance. In all of Spirit Hall, only a few of the enshrined receive such respect from him."
Porcupinefish Douluo couldn't take it anymore. "Enough. The young master was only being polite, and you actually took him seriously."
"You're just jealous!"
Snake Lance Douluo's Martial Soul was a spear, all right. His jab struck true and struck hard.
"Bullshit!"
"Ah, you're just jealous!"
"If the Great Enshrined finds out, watch out or he'll beat you up!"
"You're jealous!"
"...Can't you say something else?"
"The young master called me Uncle Snake Lance!"
"..."
Huo Yuhao naturally had no idea that Snake Lance and Pufferfish had started arguing over a single form of address.
He pushed open the door and walked out.
Qian Renxue lived in the Crown Prince's Residence. It was enormous, with clusters of halls and gardens dotted among them.
Huo Yuhao criticized the corrupt ruling class, then saw a palace attendant cross the long corridor and come before him.
The attendant bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned you. He's waiting for you in the Hall of State Affairs."
Huo Yuhao's expression remained unchanged. He nodded slightly. "Lead the way."
Huo Yuhao boarded a luxurious carriage and headed for the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Through the carriage window, he observed Heaven Dou City as it was ten thousand years ago.
They had not gone far when the carriage suddenly stopped. The street ahead was blocked by a noisy crowd.
"What happened?"
Huo Yuhao asked through the carriage curtain.
After a while, the attendant squeezed back through the crowd and said fearfully:
"Your Highness, it's the Fourth Prince. He... he's out enjoying himself among the common people again."
Huo Yuhao froze for a moment. Just then, Snake Lance Douluo's voice transmission reached his ears. "Young master, it's Xue Beng. He's abducting a commoner woman again."
Enjoying himself among the common people? What a way to put it!
He knew Xue Beng was pretending to be a good-for-nothing, but he hadn't expected him to put so much effort into it.
Huo Yuhao's face was calm. After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke, his voice entirely level.
"How many times has this happened?"
"I can't remember!" the attendant said in fear and trepidation.
"You've come across it many times, young master!" Snake Lance Douluo said via voice transmission.