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Dawn broke as the sun rose.
A ray of sunlight shone onto Ye Lan's tightly closed eyes, making his eyelashes flutter slightly.
As his eyes opened, a dull headache followed. His entire body felt weak.
Before he could adjust to the discomfort, Ye Lan noticed someone beside him.
He turned his head.
Her beautiful face was serene as a sleeping flower; with her clear eyes closed, her soul rested peacefully in a dream.
Zhu Zhuqing was curled up, her sleeping face exquisite, a faint smile on her lips as if she were dreaming of something pleasant.
After a few seconds, Ye Lan finally realized something wasn't right. He immediately checked both his and Zhu Zhuqing's clothing.
After confirming that their clothes were intact, Ye Lan breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the worst didn't happen. If something had occurred under the influence of alcohol, it would've been too irresponsible.
Ye Lan didn't want a relationship to begin from a drunken mistake. Zhu Zhuqing was diligent, adorable, and full of insecurities.
If something had indeed happened, Ye Lan would definitely take full responsibility.
But for Zhu Zhuqing, she might never know whether that responsibility came from duty—or from love.
Thankfully, none of that had happened.
Ye Lan sat up, trying to recall what exactly happened the night before. Did he drunkenly hug Zhuqing and fall asleep?
Where was Ning Rongrong?
Wasn't it the three of them last night?
No matter how hard he thought, Ye Lan couldn't imagine it was actually Ning Rongrong who had put the two of them in the same bed.
After a long time, and still unable to make sense of it, Ye Lan decided to head directly to Tian Dou City.
After all, once Zhuqing woke up, he wouldn't even know how to explain it to her—because he himself had no idea what had happened.
The farewell last night had already left him deeply reluctant to part again. Better to let Zhuqing sleep peacefully.
"Silver Wolf?" Ye Lan called out softly as he stepped out of the house.
"Here. My lord, do you need something?" Within seconds, Silver Wolf appeared before Ye Lan.
So fast! Was this the strength of a Deputy Commander of the Holy Emperor's Guard?
Ye Lan hadn't expected Bibi Dong to assign him a Soul Douluo-level bodyguard who would appear at a moment's notice. He'd assumed Silver Wolf would only show up in emergencies.
Unexpectedly, just a soft call brought him out.
Well, that worked too. Ye Lan was still worried about being targeted again by the mysterious Soul Saint from last time.
With Silver Wolf's protection, as long as he didn't provoke a hundred-thousand-year soul beast or a Titled Douluo, he wouldn't have to worry about his personal safety.
"Just call me Xiao Lan. I'm only fifteen. If you don't mind, I'll call you Uncle Wolf," Ye Lan said warmly. He wanted to build a good rapport—after all, who wouldn't want to win over a Soul Douluo-level bodyguard? There was no way he'd act arrogantly just because Silver Wolf called him "my lord."
Silver Wolf addressed him that way out of duty, and it showed how loyal he was to Spirit Hall.
You had to understand—there were very few Titled Douluos on the entire continent. In their absence, Soul Douluos reigned supreme.
Even the great general of the Heaven Dou Empire, Ge Long, was only a Soul Douluo.
"My lord..." Silver Wolf hesitated for a moment but saw Ye Lan looking at him seriously.
In Ye Lan's eyes, he saw sincerity.
"Alright then, Xiao Lan," Silver Wolf agreed.
"Uncle Wolf, I want to go to Tian Dou City. Got any good ways to get there?" Ye Lan asked curiously.
Soto City was over two thousand kilometers from Tian Dou, and it was quite a hassle to travel.
If there was an easier way, Ye Lan wouldn't subject himself to hardship.
After a moment of thought, Silver Wolf said, "Xiao Lan, it's a pity we're not in Spirit City, or I could've requisitioned a mount from the Holy Emperor Guard. There are all kinds of soul beast-grade mounts to choose from. But Soto doesn't have a detachment of the Holy Emperor Guard. So, we'll directly requisition a carriage from the local branch master of the Spirit Hall in Soto."
"Is that... okay?" Ye Lan hesitated. The branch master hadn't done anything to provoke him—now his horse would be taken for no reason.
The branch master would definitely be cursing. On the Douluo Continent, once you reached a certain level, carriages were a symbol of one's status. A man's carriage was as private as his wife—unless he was the kind to wear a green hat.
Silver Wolf's expression didn't change. "Xiao Lan, what's wrong with that? It's an honor for him. You are the future Holy Son of the Spirit Hall. Many people will be lining up to curry favor with you in the future. This is a golden opportunity for him—he'll be grateful."
"Alright," Ye Lan said, feigning reluctance.
Damn... so this was the power of the Holy Emperor Guard—strong-arming someone for their carriage, and they still had to thank you for it.
"Xiao Lan, I'll head off first. You can wait for me at the north gate of Soto City. The tea and snacks there are pretty good. That's where I've been eating these past few days," Silver Wolf said with a satisfied smack of his lips.
"Okay, Uncle Wolf. Even if you can't get a carriage, traveling won't take that long," Ye Lan replied.
"Don't worry—just wait for the carriage," Silver Wolf said with certainty.
At the northern gate of Soto City, Ye Lan stood holding three or four steaming meat buns in his hands.
He ate quickly, one bite after another—not because he was especially hungry, but because he was surrounded by a crowd of local villagers.
These villagers held children's toys, clothes, simplified versions of New Martial Soul Core Theory, and more.
They all wanted Ye Lan's autograph, hoping to catch some of the "teacher's" brilliance.
On the Douluo Continent, Ye Lan had undoubtedly become the kind of child parents everywhere wished for—the reincarnation of a scholarly deity.
It was no surprise people were chasing after him for a bit of literary luck.
Even the buns in his hand were a gift from the bun shop owner. No matter how hard Ye Lan tried to pay, the owner refused.
After a long while, Ye Lan signed autographs for hundreds of people.
The villagers who received his signature were overjoyed, as if their own children would now achieve greatness.
Looking at them, Ye Lan felt deeply moved. The hearts of parents are the same everywhere.
He hoped his theories could help the common folk of the Douluo Continent.
That thought reminded him of the uncles and aunties back in Harvest Village, and Grandpa Tom.
He wondered what changes his status as a "scholar" might bring to the village.
Not long after the crowd dispersed, a grand four-horse carriage approached from the northern gate.
Each of the horses was much larger than any horse from his previous life—nearly three meters tall and four meters long. Their legs were long and powerful, their muscles sharply defined, and their eyes shone with intelligence.
Clearly, these horses were highly intelligent, though Ye Lan didn't know what soul beasts they had been crossbred from. He hadn't seen them in any soul beast encyclopedia, but based on their features, he could guess that they came from the lineage of several soul beasts.
"Xiao Lan, hop on!" Silver Wolf called from his seat at the front of the luxurious carriage, snapping Ye Lan out of his thoughts.
Snapping to his senses, Ye Lan climbed into the lavish carriage.
Once Ye Lan was seated, Silver Wolf steered the carriage onto the main road toward Tian Dou City.
Tian Dou Imperial Palace, East Palace Secret Chamber
"Young Master, Spirit Hall has sent word. Ye Lan is heading north to Tian Dou and should arrive soon," said Snake Lance Douluo.
"He's coming to Tian Dou? Uncle She, can Ye Lan arrive safely?" Qian Renxue asked.
"Rest assured, Young Master. In addition to Silver Wolf, several other Soul Saint-level warriors are secretly following him. If anything happens, they'll alert us in advance," Snake Lance Douluo replied.
"Good. I'll go speak to Emperor Xue Ye and request full authority to recruit the 'scholar' Ye Lan. Recently, Xue Xing has been very active, gathering quite a few Soul Saints and Soul Douluos. I must secure Ye Lan," Qian Renxue said, thinking of a certain woman. She had to act before that woman did.
Snake Lance Douluo didn't understand Qian Renxue's thoughts, but sighed regretfully. "We've made too many moves recently, and it's drawn Xue Ye's attention. We shouldn't act again for now."
"It's fine, Uncle She. Taking control of the Heaven Dou Empire is like reaching into a bag. If not for—" Qian Renxue paused, thinking.
"Forget it. Proceed with the Sky Theft Plan as scheduled. No need to alarm the snake by striking the grass," she said, shaking her head.
"You are wise, Young Master."
(End of Chapter)