"You mean... those two?"
Gu Yue held a lollipop in her mouth, her expression calm. In between two fingers, she was holding a letter—the signature on it was none other than Da Ming and Er Ming.
"Oh?" Su Wen's eyes showed a hint of surprise.
He hadn't expected those two to have contacted Gu Yue...
Then again, it made sense. In the original story, after Gu Yue joined the Spirit Pagoda and created the Ten Thousand Beast Platform plan, Da Ming and Er Ming immediately took up positions within it. Clearly, with Tang San's fate in the God Realm uncertain, they'd been quick to pledge allegiance.
"Want to take a look?" Gu Yue smirked mischievously. "Then... ow!"
In the blink of an eye, she staggered, having been kicked aside. The letter was already in Gu Yuena's hands.
The "big" Gu Yue wore a form-fitting black sports top, showing off her impressive figure, with her hair tied in a single ponytail—there was an air of sharp efficiency about her. With a faint, detached look, she gazed down at the minimized version of herself, gave a light snort, then passed the letter over to Su Wen.
"Uh..." Su Wen glanced at Gu Yue.
The smaller Gu Yue dusted herself off, glowered at Gu Yuena.
These two constantly fight, big and small.
"Daddy, have some tea~"
At this moment, Na'er snuck out from the study, quietly offering Su Wen a cup of tea, her big bright eyes sparkling sweetly. "Daddy, are you tired?"
"Want Na'er to rub your shoulders?"
Talk about providing emotional support...
So, with chaos going on behind him and Na'er tending to him at his side, Su Wen finished reading the letter.
"My Lord, we have always been waiting for your return.
Pledging loyalty to Tang San was only a ruse to stall our enemy, please don't misunderstand us. We only escaped Tang San's clutches when the God Realm fell into disarray. If you see this, please remember to contact us..."
From start to finish, the letter was full of Da Ming pleading for sympathy.
These two's ability to grovel had always been top-notch.
"Only this one letter?" Su Wen muttered.
"When did it arrive?"
"A few days ago, after I took human form. Just this one." Gu Yue managed to reply to Su Wen even as Gu Yuena locked her in a headlock. The two beauties, big and small, wrestled on the sofa, panting, then went quiet for a moment before starting up again.
"Tch."
Su Wen smiled.
It seemed Tang San was truly intent on controlling the Silver Dragon King. Leaving Da Ming and Er Ming as "loyal" subordinates in the human world served as both an undercover operation within the soul beasts, and a ploy to win Gu Yue's trust and set her up with Tang Wulin—to advance his thousand-year plan...
If that was the case, best to turn the tables.
"Gu Yue, reply to them. Tell them I don't blame them for what happened back then. Take a gentle tone, let's put aside old grievances for the greater cause of soul beasts. Let's see if we can reel in these two big 'fat fish' first."
"Okay!"
"Huh? Isn't today a weekday?"
Su Wen saw Yuanen Yehui dragging herself into the shop with a dejected look. He was surprised—she wasn't wearing the Shrek Academy outer court uniform anymore. Did that mean...
"I got into a fight. Was expelled."
The girl muttered with some frustration.
She changed into store clothes as was her habit, then set about cleaning.
Once she explained, Su Wen finally understood.
Saint Angel martial soul—so she was Qian Renxue's descendant...
"What do you plan to do next? Go back to the Yuanen Clan?"
"No!" Yuanen Yehui gripped her broom harder, her lips tight, head lowered, and continued cleaning as though nothing were wrong.
"Then..." Su Wen drew out his words, and the girl tensed visibly.
"Stay here as a part-time worker."
"..."
Yuanen Yehui clearly let out a big sigh of relief, pretended to think, then nodded somewhat shyly. "Alright then..."
She'd already been alienated by the Yenan Clan—they'd found any excuse to get rid of her, sending her off to Shrek Academy in the first place. Now, going back...
"But you'll still have to return to study." Su Wen continued.
"Recently, the Federation's Spirit Academy brought in instructors from headquarters. The teaching staff is top-notch. Go there for a few years, graduate, then we'll talk."
"Okay!"
Yuanen Yehui nodded vigorously, her emotions swinging like a roller coaster.
"You revealed your battle armor?" Su Wen asked abruptly.
"...Yeah." She fidgeted nervously.
"What did the people from Shrek say?"
"They kept asking who forged my battle armor." Yuanen Yehui glanced sidelong at Su Wen; seeing him still lazily stretched out, she relaxed a little.
"Heh, shortsighted as usual..." Su Wen shook his head.
"I figured as much, but didn't expect them to act so shamelessly in the end. Was it Yun Ming who let you go?"
"Yun Ming?" Yuanen Yehui was startled, but then recalled the elegant white-robed figure she saw in Seagod Pavilion that day. That was the legendary Dragon Emperor?
"I guess it was him..."
"You know him?" The girl's face brimmed with curiosity—this mysterious shop owner, capable of forcing even Shrek's strongest to drop their pride and threaten her, apparently also knew Yun Ming...
So he wasn't some lazy second-generation heir, but a true hidden big shot?
Otherwise, how could he know so many secrets!
"I suppose you could say that..."
Su Wen's gaze turned interested as he looked at Yuanen Yehui. "Want revenge?"
"To crush Shrek's team underfoot... Pay back that Holy Angel girl's insults with interest."
"I do!!!"
The memory of Shrek's treatment made Yuanen Yehui's blood boil. The old schemers at Shrek coveted her battle armor, and her peers treated her as an evil soul master just because of her martial soul.
Truly infuriating!
She used to worry about her future. Now, she'd found a real backer.
After Yuanen Yehui finished cleaning, tidying, repairing equipment, and happily dashed off to her staff dorm, Gu Yuena quietly appeared behind Su Wen.
She looked at him, a little puzzled. "Don't you hate the Holy Spirit Church? Weren't you the type to want to exterminate them all?"
"I hate evil soul masters. But I hate it more when good people are forced into becoming evil soul masters..." Su Wen replied softly.
Once someone joined the Holy Spirit Church and got blood on their hands, they'd be on his must-kill list.
But for someone so inexperienced, who fell into the abyss just because of their martial soul... For them, Su Wen only felt regret.
"Tch, want to play a game?" Gu Yuena tossed her hair, laid a porcelain arm on Su Wen's shoulder, and turned his head to face her, eyes meeting.
Who cares about all that...
Let's play!
....