"Alright, thank you again this time." Hearing Jiang Nannan's reply, Bei Bei nodded, and then he and Xu Sanshi hurried after Yan Shaozhe and the others.
Jiang Nannan was beautiful, but both Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi already had girlfriends and didn't pay her extra attention.
Bei Bei's heart belonged to Tang Ya, and Xu Sanshi's girlfriend had even given him her body to help awaken his martial soul—he was not a fickle man.
Watching them leave, Jiang Nannan turned back to Shrek City.
On the rooftop of Jade Chamber, the breeze fluttered the gauzy curtains.
Ningguang sat elegantly at the table, picking up her teacup with a graceful hand, and taking a sip of tea in a calm and noble manner.
She looked up, spotting Jiang Nannan's return in the distance, and calmly asked, "You're back. Were those people you knew?"
Jiang Nannan approached and nodded slightly, her hair swaying with the motion. "Yes, they're my two junior classmate."
A trace of hesitation flashed through her eyes.
Ningguang, ever perceptive, caught the anomaly and smiled gently. "If you have questions, just ask."
Jiang Nannan took a deep breath, finally making up her mind, and asked, "Sister Ningguang, do we have any connection to the Wuchang Division? The people who attacked my junior classmates—I've seen their outfits before in Jade Chamber. Dean Yan said they're from the Wuchang Division."
Ningguang's hand paused, teacup frozen in midair; then she smiled with intrigue. "Oh? The attackers were from the Wuchang Division?"
Ningguang trusted Jiang Nannan greatly.
She had invested in many people in Shrek City, but Jiang Nannan was special—not only for her beauty and talent but for her loyal and righteous character.
Ningguang had once saved Jiang Nannan's mother, and since then, Jiang Nannan saw Ningguang as her most trusted sister and followed her wholeheartedly.
Thus, Ningguang raised her carefully as a confidant; there was little need for secrets.
"You're right—the Wuchang Division and our Jade Chamber, you could say, are colleagues."
Ningguang set down her teacup, folded her hands on her knees, and patiently explained, "Don't worry about this. They were likely just fulfilling a contract and weren't targeting your junior classmates on our behalf."
Her gentle tone was reassuring.
"I understand, Sister Ningguang." Jiang Nannan nodded obediently, quietly relieved.
She knew she would always stand by Ningguang, but she was also a Shrek Academy student first, before Ningguang saved her mother. Now, knowing the attack wasn't Ningguang's order, she felt spared a dilemma.
Ningguang shifted to a more comfortable position and, as if recalling something, asked, "By the way, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is starting soon. Shrek Academy will pick their reserve team—are you confident?"
Jiang Nannan's eyes lit up with confidence. "Don't worry, Sister Ningguang. Other than Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, few in the outer court can threaten me. With the soul tools you gave me, I'll definitely pass the selection."
At Shrek Academy's outer court, Jiang Nannan wasn't just the top beauty, but also one of the strongest, and with Ningguang's powerful soul tools, she was sure of herself.
Ningguang chuckled, teasing, "I've heard of your title as the outer court's top beauty. I wonder who the lucky guy will be in the future?"
Jiang Nannan blushed, pulling Ningguang's arm in mock annoyance. "Sister Ningguang, it's just a reputation—I'm nothing compared to you. Besides, I've already decided to follow you forever. When you get married, I'll be your maid of honor."
To her, Ningguang was nearly perfect—peerlessly beautiful, powerful, and owner of the vast jade Chamber business empire. She couldn't imagine what kind of man could match her.
If someone like that appeared, she'd gladly be a maid of honor.
"Oh, if you say so, someone will be very happy." Ningguang's lips curled into a mysterious smile, recalling something amusing, visibly pleased.
Jiang Nannan's heart skipped a beat seeing Ningguang's smile—could there really be such a person? Wait! Did she just accidentally sell herself?
…
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles from Shrek City, in the void, space was torn open by an invisible hand, and a transparent serpent shadow darted out.
It opened its bloody mouth, spat out several figures, and then twisted its body and disappeared into the void as if it had never appeared.
"Thank you, Lady Möbius, for saving our lives!"
After the shadow disappeared, 13 and 14 respectfully bowed in its direction, not daring to rise.
Möbius was a peer of their Lord Yama and their savior—an unrepayable debt.
They dared attack Shrek students outside the city, even after the distress signal, because they knew the power backing them.
As expected, even the famed Taotie Douluo was easily injured by Lady Möbius. Before such power, Shrek Academy was nothing.
Thinking of their Lord Yama's strength and Möbius's display, their eyes burned with fanatical fervor.
Though they failed to kill Huo Yuhao, their mission was complete. Their orders were simply to do their best—success or failure, their job was done.
…
Haiyuan City at night was calm under the moonlight.
Lu Jingming stood quietly in the courtyard, watching the silver-haired girl surrounded by fireflies.
The girl seemed enshrouded in a dreamlike glow, as beautiful as a fairy from a story.
At this moment, Lu Jingming received news from Ji Yingying. After reading it, understanding everything, he smiled meaningfully, his doubts resolved.
It proved that luck, while useful, wasn't omnipotent.
A person with great fortune could escape danger and gain opportunities—but if their own strength was too low, others could easily interfere.
Once higher powers intervened, even luck was useless.
Like Huo Yuhao, whose luck brought him opportunities and rapid growth, but he couldn't resist the machinations of someone like Sea God Tang San.
Lu Jingming's test had brought Huo Yuhao a hardship he wouldn't have faced otherwise.
Recalling Xu Tianran, who lost what was most important to a man and whose personality changed, Lu Jingming wondered if Huo Yuhao would change as well.
If Shrek mishandled the incident, how would Huo Yuhao respond? Lu Jingming looked forward to seeing it.
"Xiao Ming, let's get some late-night snacks!" Firefly hopped over like a happy deer, grabbing his hand and looking up at him with sparkling blue-pink eyes.
"Alright!" Lu Jingming affectionately tapped her nose, spoiling her.
Then, he let her pull him toward the bustling, brightly lit city.
…
Back at Shrek Academy.
In one corner of Shrek Academy, the atmosphere was so tense it seemed it could be wrung out.
"How is it? How is he? What's the situation?" A petite girl with green braids anxiously watched the closed door, almost boring holes in it with her gaze.
"Yeah, how's little Yuhao?" Tang Ya craned her neck beside her, straining to see inside.
Soon, the door opened and an old man in plain robes stepped out.
He was Elder Zhuang, a Sea God Pavilion elder called in to treat Huo Yuhao, a Title Douluo with the Life Tree martial soul, famed for his healing powers.
"Elder Zhuang, how is he?" Yan Shaozhe hurriedly stepped forward.
Elder Zhuang slowly looked around, then shook his head and sighed. "His life is not in danger, but... sigh!"
That sigh was like a heavy hammer on everyone's hearts.
They all knew where Huo Yuhao had been injured. It was a blessing that his life was safe, but the damage to his key part was a devastating blow for any man.
"Dean Yan, who was cruel enough to target Huo Yuhao?" an elderly woman with glasses asked, her stern face full of anger and concern.
Yan Shaozhe shook his head helplessly. "The attackers were Black and White Wuchang from the Wuchang Division, but they are just hired killers. We're still investigating the mastermind."
In fact, the academy's investigation already pointed toward the White Tiger Duke's estate.
Yan Shaozhe guessed that Dai Huabin was the one who hired the killers, but it was complicated.
First, the evidence was lacking; Dai Huabin had been careful, using servants to contact the Wuchang Division, making it hard to pin the crime on him.
Second, the White Tiger Duke's estate held great power in the Star Luo Empire.
Just because of a conflict between young students, the academy couldn't risk a major incident—it would be unwise to antagonize the White Tiger Duke over Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao was highly talented but still only a promising genius.
In the academy's calculations, his value couldn't yet compare to the White Tiger lineage's deep roots.
So, the best solution was to play it down.
Fortunately, Huo Yuhao's injury, while severe, was not without hope—he was alive, so there was still a chance.