I, Huo Yuhao, originally sought Brother Junting's help because I feared for Dong'er's life—begging him to invoke divine power to diagnose her supposed illness.
Yet somehow, I've stumbled into a conspiracy I never asked for.
And when Brother Junting asked if I could bear the truth behind it all…
my answer was—yes.
"Brother Junting," Huo Yuhao began hesitantly, "Dong'er's First Dad said that trident-shaped seal was placed by her father. So that would mean…"
He stopped abruptly.
The word "god" still wouldn't pass his lips.
Honestly, he couldn't quite believe Dong'er's origins were that grand. A god's child?! Such a thing was unheard of in ten thousand years!
And if she truly were divine offspring… why remain in the mortal realm?
"That's exactly the problem," Chen Junting said calmly, pouring tea for the three of them. "Between gods, the level of that seal—who placed it—is unmistakable. So either:
—Uncle Niu Tian lied to you, and the seal wasn't set by Dong'er's father…
—or Dong'er's father is a god… or at least a god-tier powerhouse."
For accuracy's sake, Chen Junting had awkwardly tacked on "god-tier" after "god"—just to cover his bases.
"Hmm… but that still doesn't add up," Huo Yuhao frowned, studying the vellum again.
"If Dong'er's father is a god… why would he need a divine herb to save her? Wouldn't a god's power alone be enough to heal her instantly?"
"Could it be… a god's power is inferior to a mere herb?"
His tone, meant to be factual, now dripped with doubt.
Clearly, Huo Yuhao's mind had sharpened. Re-reading the letter, he'd begun spotting its cracks.
"Some divine herbs do possess abilities even gods lack," Chen Junting admitted—validating Huo Yuhao's skepticism.
"But that doesn't include the Yearning Heartbroken Red."
Seeing Huo Yuhao's confusion, Ning Tian—who'd stayed silent until now—spoke up gently:
"Yuhao… do you know what the Yearning Heartbroken Red is?"
"I've heard Aunt Yang mention it before, back when we entered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well," Huo Yuhao replied honestly, "but I don't know the details."
Ning Tian nodded. "It's also called Lovesick Heartbreak Red—the pinnacle of divine herbs. Legends say it can raise the dead and regrow flesh from bones."
"Raise the dead… regrow flesh…" Huo Yuhao murmured, nodding—No wonder they claimed it could cure Dong'er's—
Wait! Dong'er doesn't even HAVE an illness!
Just then, Chen Junting took over.
"While Lovesick Heartbreak Red is miraculous, it's not capable of true resurrection. Still, its power would be more than sufficient for even a god."
"And there's another flaw," he added.
Taking a sip of tea, he dipped a finger into the cup—then drew on the table. In moments, an uncut Lovesick Heartbreak Red bloomed before them.
"Before harvesting, it resembles a white peony—no leaves, rooted to a massive black stone called 'Wu Jue', incredibly heavy."
He tapped the stone beneath the flower meaningfully.
"Unlike other divine herbs, this one can be uprooted with its Wu Jue stone intact."
In other words—the man who left records in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could have taken the herb himself.
Huo Yuhao's face paled.
It felt like a net of conspiracy was tightening around him.
A terrifying thought slithered into his mind—
Just then—
"Yuhao… are you alright?"
Chen Junting's voice cut through his spiral. He'd noticed Huo Yuhao's sudden cold sweat, his ashen face—and pulled him back from the edge.
"Brother Junting…" Huo Yuhao, warmed by their concern, steeled himself and asked the critical question.
He knew Brother Junting knew something.
"Is this whole 'test'… a trap set for me from the start? Or… have Dong'er and I been puppets in someone's play since our very first meeting?"
The words sent shockwaves through his spiritual sea.
"What?!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm shrieked in disbelief. "Yuhao—why would you think that?!"
Ice Empress, however, fell silent—deep in thought.
"Because it's too suspicious," Huo Yuhao insisted, gripping the vellum tightly. He'd been reviewing Dong'er's past with her since their bond deepened.
Like… why she disguised herself as a boy.
"Dong'er told me she chose to cross-dress partly of her own will… but also because Uncle Niu Tian said it would hide her identity and conceal her beauty."
He hesitated. "Could that mean…"
"Yuhao, aren't you overthinking this?" Tianmeng groaned, now genuinely worried. Does he have full-blown paranoia?
"But it doesn't make sense!" Huo Yuhao countered, listing more oddities:
—Wang Dong'er was supposed to arrive at Shrek Academy days early… but was abruptly recalled to Hao Tian Fortress by Niu Tian and Titan, forced to idly wait there.
—Huo Yuhao had calculated: those exact days matched his own arrival window in Shrek City.
"Maybe… just a coincidence?" Tianmeng offered weakly—knowing even he didn't believe it.
Predictably, Ice Empress smacked him into the wall with her tail.
"Coincidence?! How many 'coincidences' before it's clearly deliberate?!"
Huo Yuhao nodded firmly—he agreed with Ice Empress.
"Brother Junting… Senior Xiao Tian… what do you think?"
What do we think? Chen Junting inwardly sighed. We think you've pieced it together.
Though Huo Yuhao's evidence was flimsy, his conclusion was dead-on.
So Chen Junting gave a noncommittal shrug—then asked a question that wasn't really off-topic:
"Yuhao… do you know what a trident is?"
"A trident?" Huo Yuhao blinked—then suddenly understood. "You mean… the seal Dong'er's father left?"
"Exactly," Chen Junting said, eyes gleaming. "Trident. Hao Tian Sect. Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. And the Tang Sect Manual Dong'er's father left behind in the Sunset Forest records."
"What does that make you think of?"
"I think…" Huo Yuhao's eyes widened in horror.
The realization hit him like lightning.
A figure flashed in his mind—
long blue hair, coiled with Blue Silver Grass… someone he'd seen walking the academy grounds.
"Dong'er's father can't be—!"
His gaze snapped to Chen Junting—stunned, disbelieving.
As if reading his mind, Chen Junting let out a quiet, weighted sigh—
"…So you've guessed it, then."
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