"I... I thought you were lying to me."
The girl sobbed softly, as if a heavy burden had just been lifted from her shoulders.
Ma Hongjun opened his mouth, then gently pulled Gu Yuena into an embrace.
"I thought that if you lied to me, I would kill you... and return to the forest."
Tears shimmered in her eyes. Her expression was pitiful—yet impossibly beautiful.
The red-haired boy, however, felt a chill run down his spine.
So I was really one step away from death?
That's way too dangerous!
System, oh system, thank heavens you didn't exaggerate your functions. If you had, we both would've been doomed.
"I'm sorry. I must have looked ridiculous."
After a while, Gu Yuena stood up and wiped away her tears. Her lovely face was flushed, and though she returned to her usual cold demeanor, the reddish tint in her amethyst eyes made her look even more captivating.
Ma Hongjun wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but her eyes seemed to have become less divine and more... human.
Then, silence fell between the two of them.
Gu Yuena never imagined she'd one day act like a naive girl. But after recalling everything that had happened, this kind of demeanor suddenly didn't seem so shameful.
Still, just thinking about it made her cheeks heat up again.
Especially since the lingering warmth inside her body still hadn't faded.
"Let's go back," the red-haired boy said softly.
"Alright."
Gu Yuena nodded gently, then paused as if something came to mind. Casually, she asked, "Hongjun, do you think that ritual is suitable for me?"
"Does it... still work?"
Her tone was calm and composed, but the blush on her pretty face betrayed her inner shyness.
"You—"
Ma Hongjun looked at her in disbelief, clearly never expecting her to bring that up. His mind couldn't help but replay the image of Gu Yuena kneeling before him. The calm he'd just regained almost unraveled again.
"Don't misunderstand. The ritual... it's just very beneficial for my body."
Gu Yuena's body trembled slightly, her ears turning a translucent pink. Her voice remained cool and indifferent, but there was a subtle tremor in it.
"For rituals with the same person, there's a seven-day cooldown," Ma Hongjun replied, suppressing his rising emotions and trying not to look at her exquisite face.
"I see."
Gu Yuena nodded, pretending to be calm, though her exposed collarbone was tinged with red. "Then... seven days from now, if it's convenient..."
"We'll... see what we can do."
The red-haired boy coughed awkwardly. His lower abdomen was burning again, so he quickly said, "Let's head back."
"Alright."
Neither of them spoke again until they arrived at the academy.
"By the way, should we coordinate our story?" the boy asked at the gate of Shrek Academy.
After all, their simultaneous disappearance was bound to raise suspicions.
The teachers would definitely notice something. It was best not to pierce that layer of illusion—doing so would benefit everyone.
"No need. I left behind an illusion when I came. It contains part of my spiritual power. It's enough to fool anyone."
Gu Yuena shook her head, her amethyst eyes rippling as she looked at him.
"Hongjun."
"Yeah?"
The young man raised an eyebrow.
"Good night."
A soft smile bloomed on her face. After saying that, Gu Yuena turned and walked away. Her silver hair flowed like a cascade of stars beneath the moonlight, her graceful figure glowing like a celestial being—beyond words, beyond description.
Only after she disappeared into the trees near the girls' dormitory did Ma Hongjun whisper with a smile:
"Good night."
Then he turned and left.
He had to report to the teachers—otherwise, they would be worried sick.
Just after he departed, a flash of silver light flickered silently in the grove.
At the same time...
At the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, Tang Hao—now with only one leg and one arm—finally found Tang San.
"Who's there?... father?!"
Tang San first let out a startled cry, then when he saw the mutilated figure clearly, he screamed and rushed over.
"Xiao—Xiao San."
Seeing his son, Tang Hao forced a smile onto his pale face. "I'm sorry… I let you see your father like this."
"Father!!"
Tang San's eyes filled with rage and sorrow as he looked at Tang Hao, who was barely breathing. "Who did this to you?! Who was it?! I swear I'll kill them!"
"They didn't even spare an ordinary person!"
Tang Hao lowered his head in shame.
He didn't know how to explain it.
What was he supposed to say? That he wasn't just any ordinary person, but the legendary Haotian Douluo—feared across the continent—who had been maimed by someone using just one hand?
"Ahem… it's fine, Xiaosan. Your father isn't ordinary either. This wound..."
He gritted his teeth.
"I did it to myself."
Tang San froze.
He looked at his father, dumbfounded. "You're joking, right? Who would do this to themselves?"
Truthfully, Tang San had phrased it as gently as he could. In his heart, he thought: Even the biggest idiot wouldn't cripple themselves this badly.
Sure, his dad liked to drink, but… was he mentally sound?
Wait, maybe after he left me, he got drunk somewhere and damaged his brain?
"It really was me. I did it to… drain the blood clots."
Tang Hao said awkwardly as he met his son's gaze, who was clearly struggling to stay composed.
He had planned to remove the blood clots long ago. But before he could carry it out, his arm and leg were violently torn off. He never got the chance to do it on his own terms.
Just thinking about it made Tang Hao want to vomit blood.
"Father... was the enemy so strong that you can't even say who it was?"
Tang San patted his chest and said with confidence, "Don't worry. I'm strong now. Just tell me who it is, and I'll take care of it."
Of course, he didn't mention the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
After all, a million-year-old soul beast was a secret on par with jumping off a cliff and reincarnating.
"It really was me."
Tang Hao shook his head with a bitter smile, silently cursing in his heart:
Why does my son trust me so little?
I, Haotian Douluo, got dismantled by someone with just one hand—what can you do?
"Alright, enough talk. Let's find somewhere to rest."
He struggled to his feet and looked up at the bright moon in the sky.
In any case, they had to leave—leave Shrek Academy, leave Soto City.
Thinking back to the figure cloaked in rainbow-colored light, Tang Hao couldn't help but shiver. His mind was haunted by the image of that person dissecting him with terrifying ease.
He never wanted to see that man again—for the rest of his life.