After settling in, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. After all, traveling day and night from Shrek Academy to Mingdu had been exhausting—there was no way they weren't tired.
As night fell, everyone remained in their rooms resting, but under Ma Xiaotao's gaze, Zhu Ziyang quietly slipped out of the Mingyue Hotel.
No one noticed his departure. He concealed his presence within the vast city of Mingdu. When he reappeared, it was near a modest inn in the outskirts.
Zhu Ziyang glanced at the inn's sign: Xiyue Inn. That was the one.
He smiled faintly. With a flicker of light, he instantly appeared in a top-floor room of the Xiyue Inn.
"Who's there?!"
The moment he arrived, the occupants inside noticed his presence. A vigilant shout rang out, followed by a blade of greenish wind energy.
"Elder Song, don't be nervous. It's me," Zhu Ziyang said casually as he shattered the wind blade with ease and smiled.
"Ziyang!" came two excited voices—one gentle and graceful, the other aged and kind. Inside the room stood none other than Zhang Lexuan and Elder Song.
As Zhu Ziyang steadied himself, Zhang Lexuan rushed toward him, clearly wanting to embrace him. But as if realizing something, she halted mid-motion. Only the gentle smile on her face remained.
Zhu Ziyang, however, showed no hesitation. He pulled her into his arms and said softly, "Sister Lexuan, it's been a while."
"Mm, it has been a while, Ziyang," Zhang Lexuan whispered as she hugged him back, her eyes having briefly flicked toward Elder Song—who remained calm as usual, prompting her to relax.
Elder Song watched the two embrace, her face unreadable, but deep down she couldn't help but sigh. She worried for her disciple and felt helpless over Zhu Ziyang's sentimentality.
After a long moment, the two separated. Zhu Ziyang showed no trace of awkwardness. He smiled and said to Elder Song, "Elder Song, it's been a long time. Thank you for your hard work this past year."
"Haha," Elder Song chuckled, waving her hand. "It wasn't hard. Lexuan did most of the work. I just played a supporting role."
"You're too modest," Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile. "You've reunited with Senior Sister and the others, right?"
"We have," Zhang Lexuan and Elder Song's expressions turned serious. Zhang Lexuan asked, "We heard from Dean Xian that the Academy intends to assist the Heaven Soul and Star Luo Empires in assassinating Xu Tianran. Is that true?"
"Yes," Zhu Ziyang nodded. "That's why I came to see you."
"The plan is to assassinate—or at least severely wound—Xu Tianran, in hopes of delaying the war. But we all know this is just a stopgap measure."
"Of course, that doesn't concern us directly. What the Academy and I want… is something more decisive: to completely eliminate Xu Tianran and the other core members of the Sun Lineage."
Zhu Ziyang chuckled as he continued.
"In a way, we should thank Xu Tianran. The man is ruthless enough to have practically locked up all the Sun Lineage's direct descendants in the imperial palace. He's done most of the work for us. I'm guessing he plans to eliminate them after ascending the throne."
"Anyway, once we deal with Xu Tianran and the rest, the Sun Moon Empire will fall into chaos. I doubt they'll find a new heir to the throne anytime soon. That, Sister Lexuan… is your opportunity."
He said a lot in one breath. Zhang Lexuan and Elder Song listened closely, occasionally revealing pensive expressions.
"We understand," Zhang Lexuan said. "We'll start preparing right away."
"No need to rush," Zhu Ziyang said quickly, stopping them as they rose to leave. "The operation isn't scheduled yet. The timing will depend on my upcoming talks with the Heaven Soul and Star Luo people. Once that's decided, you can make your move. For now, feel free to stay in Mingdu and lie low."
"I see… that's fine," Zhang Lexuan and Elder Song exchanged glances, then Elder Song smiled and said, "Alright, you two talk. I'll go get some rest. Getting old makes one sleepy!"
With a knowing smile, Elder Song left the room, leaving Zhang Lexuan and Zhu Ziyang alone.
After she departed, the atmosphere in the room turned subtly ambiguous. Zhu Ziyang sat beside Zhang Lexuan and asked with a chuckle, "So, Sister Lexuan, are you ready to become Empress?"
"Sigh… Even if I'm not ready, what choice do I have?" Zhang Lexuan sighed, looking at Zhu Ziyang with a mix of grievance and affection. "So many people have poured their effort into this plan. I can't back out just because I'm scared."
"I've made things hard for you, Sister Lexuan," Zhu Ziyang said with guilt as he pulled her into his arms.
"Are you pitying me?" Zhang Lexuan looked up at him, her lips parted slightly in a teasing smile. A faint blush colored her cheeks.
This version of Zhang Lexuan—gentle, vulnerable—was one Zhu Ziyang had never seen before. He had no resistance to it.
He leaned down and kissed her lips. One gave, the other took.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes shimmered, her face flushed red. Her delicate hands rested on Zhu Ziyang's chest. She leaned close and whispered softly in his ear, her breath warm and fragrant: "Ziyang…"
Without hesitation, Zhu Ziyang pressed her beneath him.
Looking into his eyes, Zhang Lexuan murmured affectionately, "Ziyang… I want to become a mother…"
That night, the room was filled with tender passion. Outside, the moonlight was faint and hazy. Only the silver moon high in the sky shone gently like a maiden's veil.
—
The next morning, Zhu Ziyang stepped out of his bedroom. Coincidentally, Ma Xiaotao came out of her room at the same time. Upon seeing him, she turned her head away with a pout, her face tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.
Zhu Ziyang scratched the back of his head awkwardly, chuckling. When he returned last night, Ma Xiaotao had been asleep in his bed. Frustrated from not getting full satisfaction from Zhang Lexuan, he had… taken the opportunity.
Women's instincts were terrifyingly sharp. Ma Xiaotao had instantly caught the distinct feminine fragrance clinging to Zhu Ziyang. She was certain it didn't belong to Jiang Nannan, Qian Lingyi, or Diwu Huan'er—but it was still a scent she recognized.
Pressed for answers, Zhu Ziyang confessed about Zhang Lexuan.
Ma Xiaotao threw a fit—not because he had been with Zhang Lexuan, but because he hadn't even bathed before crawling into bed!
The Fire God Douluo was thoroughly mortified!
That little morning drama passed quickly.
Later that day, teams from the Star Luo Royal Academy and Heaven Soul Imperial Academy arrived at Mingyue Hotel. Upon arrival, they immediately sent representatives to contact the Shrek team.
(End of Chapter)
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