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On the way back.
The two walked in silence.
Jiang Nannan seemed lost in thought, her head lowered, her beautiful eyes still slightly red and swollen from crying.
"I still don't know your name…"
It wasn't until they arrived near Jiang's mother's residence that Jiang Nannan finally looked at Su Wen, a trace of confusion in her gaze. She searched her memory but couldn't recall ever meeting this junior.
"Su Wen," he replied with a light smile.
"Thank you, Su Wen… junior," Jiang Nannan bowed slightly, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Having just walked out of a "den of demons" and hearing from Dean Yan that her mother was fine, her emotions were indescribable. It turned out Yang He had never reported her case to the academy authorities. Or perhaps… she had never imagined she was this important.
It felt like a huge weight had been lifted.
"You're too kind," Su Wen said with the same soft smile.
He and Jiang Nannan had been complete strangers. If he had immediately comforted her like a close friend, especially when she had just escaped danger and hadn't fully processed things, she might've found it strange—or worse, mistaken him for some obsessive admirer hiding in the shadows.
It was better to keep an appropriate and respectful distance.
"Hoo…"
Jiang Nannan took a deep breath.
She pushed open the door.
Her mother lay in bed, her face weary, yet a trace of warmth emerged the moment she saw her daughter. She gently waved her over and said softly, "Why did you take so long? The dean and your good friend have been waiting for you."
"Good friend?" Jiang Nannan paused for a moment.
She glanced at Su Wen out of the corner of her eye.
He remained perfectly calm.
Jiang Nannan didn't overthink it and immediately stepped forward, throwing herself into her mother's arms and quietly sobbing. At this moment, her mother's embrace was the warmest harbor she could ask for.
"Oh, this silly girl… already so grown up, still acting like a child. Don't let your friend laugh at you now…" Jiang's mother was surprised at first, but then chuckled, hugging her daughter tightly and giving Su Wen an apologetic smile.
"…"
Su Wen shook his head.
Watching this touching scene, he couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
"Hehe, this child looks about eleven or twelve, doesn't he? Su Wen, is your mother also a Spirit Master?" Jiang's mother shifted the conversation, trying to chat casually.
"I don't know," Su Wen shook his head. "Maybe…"
Jiang Nannan and her mother exchanged a look of surprise. Their expressions shifted slightly, as if they suddenly understood something. When they looked at Su Wen again, their eyes held a trace of sympathy and gentleness. Even their words became noticeably softer and more careful.
…
Bang!
Yan Shaozhe slammed his palm on the table, pointing angrily at the middle-aged man in elegant robes across from him. "Xu Jiangliu, have I been too kind to you?! Since when did you think Shrek Academy was so easy to bully?!"
With a loud crack, the fragrant dragonwood table was shattered under his palm, sending splinters flying.
Xu Jiangliu flinched.
He was merely a Titled Douluo. Facing one of the most powerful figures on the continent—(In the original story, Yan Shaozhe's status is indeed among the highest, representing Shrek's current leadership. Elder Mu belonged to the previous generation and is widely believed to be deceased, while most other elders live quietly in the Sea God's Pavilion)—even as the sect master of the Xuanming Sect, Xu Jiangliu dared not act rashly.
But after carefully cultivating a "daughter-in-law" for nearly ten years, just as he was about to "reap the fruits," Shrek had intervened. All that time and effort… he couldn't swallow it.
"Well, I should be thanking your academy for the opportunity," he said darkly, unable to resist snapping back. "If Yang He hadn't rejected her, the Xuanming Sect wouldn't have had a chance to step in."
"How do you know about that?" Yan Shaozhe's eyes narrowed as he stared daggers at Xu Jiangliu.
"I—I guessed…" Xu Jiangliu swallowed hard. He'd realized too late that he'd slipped up. If Yan Shaozhe found out he'd bribed Yang He, the consequences would be unimaginable. The Xuanming Sect couldn't withstand Shrek's wrath.
"…"
Yan Shaozhe slowly sat down, tapping the armrest of his chair with a suspicious look.
If his guess was right, only the involved parties should've known about Yang He's rejection of Jiang Nannan. It was internal academy business—and yet Xu Jiangliu knew everything in detail.
Whether the Xuanming Sect had extended its reach into Shrek's ranks or outright bribed Yang He, neither possibility was something Yan could tolerate. It was tampering right under his nose…
The atmosphere turned tense.
Xu Jiangliu was drenched in cold sweat.
Several minutes later.
"I'm taking the girl."
Yan Shaozhe stood and walked toward the door, hands clasped behind his back.
He glanced sideways at Xu Jiangliu. "But I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If it turns out your Xuanming Sect was involved… hmph."
Before he finished speaking, his figure had already disappeared from the room.
"Huff… huff…" Xu Jiangliu panted heavily, his face pale.
The pressure Yan Shaozhe exuded was simply too overwhelming.
A Super Douluo could crush him with a single finger. Even if someone of Yan's status wouldn't personally strike him down, the feeling of having a sword constantly hanging over his head was enough to make him feel like he had just escaped death.
"Someone, come!"
Xu Jiangliu called out hoarsely, "Bring Chen Wen here!"
"Yes, sir!" Seeing their master's expression, the servant didn't dare speak further and hurried off.
A few minutes later—
Chen Wen appeared, beaming with joy.
"Master, everything's prepared! Just waiting for the Second Young Master to consummate the marriage and—"
"Shut up!" Xu Jiangliu snapped. "From this moment on, Jiang Nannan has nothing to do with the Xu family. Whatever you did—clean it up. Erase every trace. Now, go!"
"Ah…" Chen Wen looked dumbfounded but scrambled out of the room in a panic.
After he left, Xu Jiangliu narrowed his eyes.
A shadow silently emerged beside him, bowing slightly like a loyal death guard, awaiting orders.
"Go. Follow him. If he doesn't clean it up properly, help him finish the job. And once everything's settled—dispose of him as well," Xu Jiangliu said coldly.
"Yes, sir."
The shadow vanished without a sound, tailing after Chen Wen.
"…"
Xu Jiangliu slowly exhaled, regaining his composure.
He wasn't worried about Yan Shaozhe still lurking nearby to spy on Chen Wen. To him, this so-called "evidence" wasn't important. In fact, Yan likely already knew the truth—and Xu had even admitted to it openly.
But the key figure was Yang He.
If Yan Shaozhe uncovered the collusion between him and Yang He, that would be a real problem.
Calling Shrek an "academy" was the biggest joke on the continent.
Thankfully, he had left no solid evidence, and the intermediary used to contact Yang He had already been eliminated.
"Coming in at the last second to snatch the fruit!"
Xu Jiangliu thought it over again and again but couldn't find any flaws. Only then did he suddenly hurl a teacup to the floor, cursing under his breath.
The Xuanming Sect often gathered civilian children to awaken their Spirits.
If one showed talent, they'd be brought into the sect's outer court and nurtured with resources.
That was how he had set his sights on Jiang Nannan.
At age six, she awakened with innate level-eight spirit power—shocking everyone. A true phoenix born in the weeds. She lived alone with her mother and was the same age as Xu Sanshi, who had awakened his Spirit that same year.
She had leverage (her mother), extraordinary talent, and stunning beauty.
Even the city lord's letter had been arranged behind the scenes by Xu Jiangliu himself.
But after the girl entered Shrek Academy, she became a bit rebellious—strong-willed and independent. Relying on trickery to get her to help his son undergo a second awakening seemed increasingly unlikely. That was when he accepted Chen Wen's suggestion and resorted to this despicable method…
(End of Chapter)