After settling into their rooms, everyone returned to rest. The long, hurried journey from Shrek Academy to Mingdu had been exhausting—none of them could deny their fatigue.
As night fell, the members of Shrek rested in their quarters. Under Ma Xiaotao's watchful eyes, Zhu Ziyang quietly slipped out of the Mingyue Hotel.
No one noticed his departure. In the vast sprawl of Mingdu, he concealed his presence and vanished from sight. When he reappeared, it was near an ordinary inn in the outer district of the capital.
He looked up at the inn's sign—Xiyue Inn.
"Yes, this is the place."
With a faint smile, he willed his body to move. In the next instant, his figure flickered with a soft light, and he appeared directly in a top-floor room of the inn.
"Who's there?"
The people inside reacted instantly, a sharp voice cutting the silence as a wind blade of green light slashed toward him.
"Elder Song, don't be nervous—it's me." Zhu Ziyang shattered the incoming blade with a flick of his hand and smiled lightly.
"Ziyang!" Two voices answered at once—one clear and gentle, the other aged and kind. The room's occupants were none other than Zhang Lexuan and Elder Song.
The moment Zhu Ziyang's figure steadied, Zhang Lexuan rushed toward him, her face flushed with excitement. She wanted to throw herself into his arms but stopped abruptly, hesitation flashing across her expression. Still, her lips carried a soft, tender smile.
Zhu Ziyang, far less restrained, pulled her directly into his embrace. "Lexuan-jie, it's been too long!" he whispered.
"Yes… too long, Ziyang!" Zhang Lexuan's voice trembled as she answered. Instinctively, she glanced toward Elder Song, only to see the elder's calm, unchanged expression. Relieved, she wrapped her arms around Zhu Ziyang, returning his embrace.
Elder Song looked at the two young ones holding each other. Her face was serene, but inwardly she could only sigh. She worried for her disciple's future and felt a sense of helplessness about Zhu Ziyang's many entanglements.
After a long moment, Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan separated. His face showed no trace of embarrassment as he smiled at Elder Song. "Elder Song, it's been a year. You've worked hard."
"Hehe, not really," Elder Song replied with a chuckle. "Most of the burden has been on Lexuan, this girl. I've only played a supporting role."
"You're too modest," Zhu Ziyang said warmly. "You've already joined up with Shijie and the others, haven't you?"
"Yes." Zhang Lexuan's smile faded as she straightened, her tone serious. "From Dean Xian, we heard that the Academy intends to cooperate with the Heavenly Soul and Star Luo Empires to assassinate Xu Tianran. Is that true?"
"It is," Zhu Ziyang nodded. "That's also why I've come to you.
"The two empires' plan is assassination—to kill, or at the very least, gravely wound Xu Tianran. Their hope is to stall the war. But we all know this is nothing but drinking poison to quench thirst.
"Our Academy's stance is different. We want to strike decisively—kill Xu Tianran outright, along with the core heirs of the Sun Pulse bloodline."
As he spoke, Zhu Ziyang suddenly chuckled.
"In a way, we should thank Xu Tianran. He's ruthless enough that most of the Sun Pulse's direct line is already imprisoned in the palace. He probably planned to eliminate them himself after taking the throne. That saves us quite a bit of trouble."
His eyes glinted coldly. "Once Xu Tianran and the Sun Pulse heirs are gone, the empire's upper echelons will descend into chaos. They won't be able to find a suitable heir right away. That, Lexuan-jie, will be your chance."
Zhang Lexuan and Elder Song listened intently, their expressions thoughtful.
"Ziyang, we understand your meaning," Zhang Lexuan said at last. "We'll go prepare immediately."
"No need to rush," Zhu Ziyang stopped them with a raised hand. "The assassination hasn't been scheduled yet. I'll confirm the timing after contact with the Heavenly Soul and Star Luo representatives. Until then, stay here in Mingdu. There's no harm in waiting."
"That's fine, too," Elder Song said after exchanging a glance with Lexuan. Then, with a knowing smile, she added, "I'll leave you two young ones to talk. This old lady is going to rest—I get sleepy easily these days."
With a mysterious look, Elder Song left the room, leaving Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan alone.
The atmosphere quickly shifted, turning soft and charged with unspoken feelings. Zhu Ziyang moved closer, a teasing smile on his lips. "Lexuan-jie, are you ready to become an empress?"
"What does it matter if I'm ready or not?" Zhang Lexuan sighed, her eyes filled with faint sorrow as she gazed at him. "So many people have invested in this plan already. How could I back out just because I'm unprepared?"
"Lexuan-jie, I'm sorry to burden you," Zhu Ziyang said softly, pulling her into his arms again.
"Is this pity?" Zhang Lexuan looked up at him, her lips slightly parted, her face faintly flushed, her smile gentle and tinged with allure.
It was the first time Zhu Ziyang had ever seen her like this. He could not resist.
He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, claiming her. One gave, the other received.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes shimmered, her face glowing with crimson. Her hands pressed lightly against his chest as her lips brushed his ear. Her breath was warm as she whispered, "Ziyang…"
Without hesitation, Zhu Ziyang pushed her down beneath him.
Looking up at him with eyes full of deep affection, Zhang Lexuan murmured, "Ziyang, I want to become a mother…"
The room filled with spring warmth. Outside, the night sky was veiled in hazy moonlight, soft and silvery, like a beauty draped in gossamer.
The next morning, Zhu Ziyang stepped out of his bedroom just as Ma Xiaotao emerged from hers. The moment she saw him, her pretty face turned pink with indignation. With a huff, she turned her head sharply, her pout expressing her discontent.
"Ahaha…" Zhu Ziyang scratched his head, embarrassed. When he'd returned, Ma Xiaotao had been asleep in his bed. Frustrated after leaving Zhang Lexuan, he had impulsively taken his desires out on her.
But women's senses were sharp. Ma Xiaotao had immediately caught the lingering scent of another woman on him. It wasn't Jiang Nannan's, Qian Lingyi's, or Wu Huan'er's. It was all too familiar, yet undeniably different.
Pressed by her questions, Zhu Ziyang had admitted everything about Zhang Lexuan. Ma Xiaotao had sulked—not because he had been with Lexuan, but because he hadn't even bothered to bathe before touching her!
The Fire God Douluo could only feel utterly mortified.
By morning, the awkward moment had passed. During the day, the Star Luo Royal Academy and the Heavenly Soul Imperial Academy both arrived at the Mingyue Hotel. Their first action was to send people to make contact with Shrek Academy's team.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are 40 early chapters available on Patreo
[email protected]/facficmax10