Xiao Hongchen held a cup of water in his hand as he looked at Wang Dong'er standing before him.
"I can't help but feel that you look like someone I know. Whether it's your martial soul or even your name, the resemblance is uncanny."
"Actually, I am the Wang Dong you saw before." Wang Dong'er glanced briefly at Jiang Shengyu before revealing her true identity to the two of them. "I disguised myself as a boy to study at Shrek Academy."
"Why?" Xiao Hongchen asked in puzzlement.
Wang Dong'er explained, "Because of my family's request. I'm not entirely sure why they insisted I do this either… but my family would never harm me. Still, now I no longer have to keep up the disguise."
"Why not?" Xiao Hongchen pressed further.
"Because someone has already discovered my true identity as a girl. Keeping up the disguise now would be meaningless."
Xiao Hongchen took a sip of water, nodded slightly, and muttered, "I'll never understand what goes through the minds of you big clans' elders. What's the point of a girl disguising herself as a boy…"
Hearing his grumble, Jiang Shengyu let out a small laugh.
He had some idea why Wang Dong'er had been forced into this role. Most likely, it was a plot arranged by the Sea God Tang San himself—so that she could approach Huo Yuhao ahead of time, win his goodwill, and strengthen their bond.
Unfortunately, in this timeline, Huo Yuhao had never enrolled in Shrek Academy.
The affairs of the Divine Realm at this time must have kept Tang San preoccupied. He hadn't been monitoring the Douluo Continent closely. It wasn't until the Continental Soul Master Tournament, when Huo Yuhao triggered one of the restrictions Tang San had left behind, that he realized something was amiss. That was why, after Wang Dong'er awoke, she began seeking closeness to Jiang Qingtong instead.
Jiang Shengyu quickly pieced these key details together, then couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
Is this really his daughter?
More like a tool…
Wang Dong'er didn't respond to Xiao Hongchen's complaints. Instead, she pointed to the empty seat between Jiang Shengyu and Xiao Hongchen, and asked hesitantly, "Can I sit here?"
"Sit here? What for? You're not from the Sun Moon Empire." Xiao Hongchen frowned at her in confusion.
Were they that close already?
Wang Dong'er replied, "I want to talk to Brother Qingtong! He and I are like sisters! Ask around if you want—in Shrek Academy, our names together are well known…"
Hearing this, Xiao Hongchen fell silent for a moment. Then he suddenly said, "Hey, you little girl… you haven't taken a liking to this guy, have you?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Wang Dong'er's ears flushed red. Trying to appear calm, she said firmly, "And if I have? I'm not one of those pretentious types! I think Brother Qingtong is great, and I want to get to know him better. What's wrong with that?"
Both Xiao Hongchen and Ai Cao froze on the spot, their gazes snapping toward Jiang Shengyu.
Of course this brat would attract attention!
Why'd he have to be so damn good-looking!
Xiao Hongchen coughed lightly and told Wang Dong'er, "There's nothing wrong with wanting to get to know him… but you'll have to wait in line."
"In line?" Wang Dong'er blinked, puzzled. "Why?"
"Because my sister likes this brat." Xiao Hongchen said it bluntly.
His words left even Jiang Shengyu stunned. "What?"
Xiao Hongchen glanced at him. "I know my little sister too well. Over the years, I've seen the way she looks at you—that's not the way a sister looks at a brother!"
Jiang Shengyu had always known that Meng Hongchen treated him well, but…
Meng Hongchen likes him?
That was something he'd never considered!
Besides, Meng Hongchen already knew about his situation with Jiang Qingtong. Surely she wouldn't continue to harbor such feelings… right?
After Xiao Hongchen's words, Wang Dong'er stepped forward and asked directly, "Brother Qingtong, are you and Miss Meng Hongchen a couple?"
Jiang Shengyu shook his head. "No."
"But that doesn't mean you won't be someday," Xiao Hongchen interjected.
Wang Dong'er lifted her chin, looking at him with confidence. "Since you're not, then what's the problem with me getting closer to Brother Qingtong?"
"You—!" Xiao Hongchen frowned, seeing that Wang Dong'er refused to back down.
Meng Hongchen was his beloved younger sister. Though they were close in age, he had spoiled her since childhood and couldn't bear to see her wronged. Whether or not she and Jiang Shengyu ever became a couple, now that another girl was trying to snatch away the person his sister liked, he couldn't just stand by!
The two began to argue heatedly.
Watching Wang Dong'er and Xiao Hongchen quarrel, Jiang Shengyu suddenly had an idea. Inwardly, he called out to Destiny: "Destiny, are you there? Say something—anything!"
"Something~"
Destiny's voice echoed in Jiang Shengyu's spiritual sea. "What is it? If it's not urgent, don't call for me. My power is nearly depleted. Every time I communicate with you, it shortens my existence."
Until Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong could completely defeat the gods and shatter their grip over the Douluo Continent, even Destiny couldn't fully control her own fate. She had to conserve every bit of strength.
Hearing this, Jiang Shengyu quickly explained his thought: "Is there any way to ensure that the two halves of the Sea God's daughter's soul—within Wang Dong'er and the Auspicious Beast—can never merge into one?"
"Yes." Destiny answered without hesitation.
Jiang Shengyu's heart stirred. "How?"
Destiny explained: "At present, both Wang Dong'er and the Auspicious Beast exist as independent individuals. The Sea God's daughter's soul merely lodges within them, more like a parasite than a true host. Only when one of them dies will the Sea God's daughter's soul merge into the survivor, taking over their body completely and thus reviving."
The thought alone carried a chilling terror.
Jiang Shengyu pondered, then asked, "So as long as we prevent either one from dying, the Sea God's daughter cannot be revived?"
"In theory, yes," Destiny replied.
But in reality, things were rarely that simple.
Would the Sea God of the Divine Realm truly sit idly by and allow his daughter to remain sealed away forever?
Destiny warned him, "As long as the Sea God's daughter does not revive, Tang San's influence on the Douluo plane is limited. But once she revives, he can channel far greater power into this world through her. Don't rule out the possibility that he'll order the contingencies he left behind on the Douluo Continent to forcibly trigger her revival. You must always be on guard."
"I understand," Jiang Shengyu nodded.
In this era, the "contingencies" Tang San had left behind on the Douluo Continent were most likely those two ferocious beasts tied to the Clear Sky Sect.
After those words, Destiny fell silent again, and Jiang Shengyu didn't call upon her further. His gaze returned to Wang Dong'er, still locked in a heated quarrel with Xiao Hongchen.
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