"Um!"
Orange nodded.
Orange left, accompanied by her teacher and friends.
...
Mingde Hall.
"Yu Tong ~"
An Zhen gently nuzzled her head against Huo Yutong's chest.
Doing this kind of thing used to feel a bit forced. After all, Huo Yutong was malnourished back then; he was not only small but also skinny. His innate spirit power was already low, and his nutrition was inadequate, making him look quite pitiful. However, after being fed by An Zhen at Shrek Academy, a single plate of food could sometimes cost over a thousand gold coins. While this couldn't compare to the Immortal Herbs from Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the cumulative nourishment, coupled with later acquiring Ice Dragon King... Although Spirit and Spirit Bone's height hasn't changed much, their physical foundation has been completely restored and even significantly strengthened.
Soft and fluffy~
The second stage of development has begun.
Before Huo Yutong could even voice his protest, two figures became entangled in the kitchen. They nuzzled, hugged, and pressed against each other.
A clear voice rang out, " Did Brother An Zhen do something that he feels guilty towards Yu Tong?"
An Zhen:?
A pair of small hands rested on An Zhen's shoulders as he half-squatted on the ground. Huo Yutong's bright, star-like eyes gazed at An Zhen, and she spoke calmly, "In the past, whenever Brother An Zhen found a new girl outside, he would suddenly become very clingy to Yu Tong like this."
An Zhen's eyes darted around, seemingly guilty. "Really?"
Huo Yutong nodded.
The blue-haired cutie sighed.
A pair of gentle eyes gazed at An Zhen, and she asked calmly, "So, who is Yu Tong's new sister?"
"It's not about the new sisters," An Zhen said.
"That is..."
An Zhen looked conflicted.
It seemed she didn't know how to start the conversation.
Huo Yutong was confused.
This was the first time she had seen An Zhen like this.
I wasn't this conflicted when I told her I had feelings for other girls before.
"Yu Tong." An Zhen looked at the girl in front of him and asked, " What do you think of Dai Hao?"
Dai Hao ...
Huo Yutong remained silent.
Her eyes, as bright as stars, dimmed slightly at this moment.
That White Tiger Duke.
The person my mother thought about most on her deathbed.
But he doesn't deserve it!
For so many years, from the time she was born until her mother passed away, more than ten years had passed, but he never once visited her. In his home, she and her mother were bullied by his wife and son.
"I hate him." The little blue-haired cutie's arms hung down naturally, her little hands clenched into fists. Huo Yutong spoke her mind, her eyes filled with hatred for a stranger. "He doesn't deserve Mom's love."
He is not her father.
She never owed him anything.
During their time at White Tiger Dukes Mansion, the mother and daughter never received any kindness from the manor. Every day, the mother, despite her frail health, had to work tirelessly from dawn till dusk, doing the same arduous tasks as the other servants, such as washing clothes and dishes. In fact, due to special treatment from some individuals, she had even more to do. Despite all her hard work, she received less than half, even a fifth, of what the other servants received. In the vast White Tiger Dukes Mansion, despite all the work her mother did, they wouldn't even give her a hot pancake.
They are all bad people!
An Zhen asked seriously, "So, what does Yu Tong want to do with him?"
"Any form of punishment is acceptable as long as Yu Tong wants it," An Zhen emphasized.
"I..." Huo Yutong opened his mouth, but he didn't know what he wanted to say. Because until her death, he was her mother's favorite man. But just because of this, Huo Yutong became even more angry. The girl clenched her fists, " Yu Tong wants to beat him hard. Then..."
"Make him no longer the White Tiger Duke, make him kneel before his mother's grave forever, and make him spend the rest of his life repenting!"
She is not a mother.
She had no feelings whatsoever for the man who was her biological father.
"Brother An Zhen, you have already helped Yu Tong a lot." Huo Yu Tong reached out and hugged An Zhen's neck, who was half-squatting. "From now on, let Yu Tong do it himself. Yu Tong will make White Tiger Dukes Mansion pay the price for the injustices that Mom suffered."
Huo Yutong is confident that he can do this.
"But if," Huo Yutong nestled against An Zhen, the girl whispered, "if Dai Hao wants to hurt Brother An Zhen, then Brother An Zhen doesn't need to hold back. Treat him as an enemy and deal with him directly."
Dai Hao is not her family.
The boy in her arms is the one.
"Okay." An Zhen nodded. He had great confidence in the girl he had raised.
It seems he won't have the chance to kill Dai Hao with his own hands.
That guy shouldn't be so stupid as to dare to attack him directly.
Unless someone gives him confidence.
But who would have that ability?
"However," Huo Yutong regained her usual energy and asked with some confusion, " Why did Brother An Zhen suddenly bring this up?"
It was a bit sudden.
Could it be that Dai Hao caused trouble at the border and angered Brother An Zhen?
Huo Yutong could only think of the border issues between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire. After all, the White Tiger Duke spent most of his time there. As for the Sun Moon Empire launching a war against the Star Luo Empire? Since Brother An Zhen said he would resolve it peacefully, he definitely wouldn't do that. Besides, that's Sister Jiu Jiu's home, and Brother An Zhen is a prince of the Star Luo Empire.
"Let's cook first." An Zhen stood up, reached for the kitchen knife on the table, and said, "We'll talk as we cook."
Although the Virtual World can directly reflect the cooked food.
But some rituals in life are still very important.
Besides, he didn't want to refuse Yu Tong's feelings.
Being able to eat food cooked by the girl you like is a very happy thing.
An Zhen and Huo Yutong were cooking. While Huo Yutong was helping out, he started telling the story of the orange.
The story is short.
But it is a tragic story.
It was a tragic time when a young girl's life took a dramatic turn for the worse.
"According to the Empire's historical records," An Zhen said, "the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire clashed at the border, and the fighting got really heated. The White Tiger Duke was the better fighter. The Sun Moon Empire conscripted soldiers for this, and Orange's father died in battle." Objectively speaking, this is the course of events.
From another perspective, Orange should also resent the Sun Moon Empire for its forced conscription, since war inevitably results in death.
From Orange's perspective, she is a citizen of the Sun Moon Empire, and every resident has the obligation to protect the Empire. Her father joined the army to resist the enemy's advance and protect his homeland, and died in battle for the Empire. Therefore, she hates the enemy commander.
In war, it's difficult to judge who is right and who is wrong.
From An Zhen's perspective, from the observer's perspective.
The mistake is that war should never have happened.
There are many reasons for war. On one hand, there is the greed of politicians and the ambition of certain villains. On the other hand, there are the social structures of Empire, which are driven by the desire for better self-development or the need to divert internal pressure.
In this matter, White Tiger Duke, as Marshal of the Star Luo Empire, did not do anything wrong in his handling of the situation. He fulfilled his duty and fought for more for his country. The Sun Moon Empire was also not wrong. Defending the Empire is the duty of every citizen of the Empire, and adult men have the responsibility to serve in the military, which is also to facilitate the evacuation of women and children to the rear.
But those who lost their lives because of the war, and those whose families were torn apart, these biggest victims were not at fault either.
"Alas, war."
An Zhen sighed.
He disliked war.
But this isn't something you can just talk about.
Apart from peaceful unification.
There's a whole lot more to do after that.
Simply resorting to absolute force to suppress conflict only allows the powder keg to accumulate power, which is unfair to many innocent people. The goal is to both eliminate the destructive effects of war and reap its benefits through peaceful means.
Huo Yutong was processing what An Zhen had said when the girl blinked and suddenly asked An Zhen, " Brother An Zhen, do you have feelings for that orange?"
"Huh?" An Zhen was taken aback. "I didn't say that."
An Zhen gently rubbed Huo Yutong's little face, eliciting a babbling protest from the girl. "Don't slander me. I only said that to Ju Zi before because I didn't want her to become extreme."
"But Brother An Zhen cares about her quite a bit," Huo Yutong said.
Huo Yutong's eyes lit up. "Then let Yutong get to know her. Yutong was also an orphan before and experienced the sadness of watching her loved ones die. Perhaps she can persuade her."
Huo Yutong now understands that she cannot remain immersed in the sad past. For such a case, for someone who has lost their home, the best way to comfort them is, of course, to give them a home again.
"Do as you please," An Zhen said.
He would help with small favors like before, out of pity for the person's situation and because they had no grudge against each other. But that was all, and he really wasn't good at it.
He is better at physical methods.
Help Huo Yutong gain some insight—go straight to White Tiger Dukes Mansion.
How to overcome inner demons?
The answer is: Slay the inner demons.
After a period of time.
The food is ready.
Have a meal.
Take a break.
Go to bed.
Early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy.
An Zhen largely agreed with this statement, which is why he fulfilled the first and third points. Without hindering his own growth, no one could force An Zhen to work 8 AM, or even 6 AM. The great Regent has worked hard all night; what's wrong with getting a little more sleep?
Early morning.
The girls left one after another.
After absorbing a wave of Life energy from God Realm, Gu Yuena and Huo Yutong went to class. Xu Tianzhen reluctantly left his comfortable "bed" to preside over the morning court session at the Sun Moon Imperial Palace. Meng Hongchen, after having his cultivation level reflected, also began his day of cultivation.
Meanwhile, Ye Guyi next door had already begun his day of intensive training, following the instructions An Zhen had given him the previous afternoon. He spent the morning engaging in various self-training and study sessions to improve his skills and knowledge. In the afternoon, he awaited An Zhen's summoning of undead creatures to enhance his combat abilities and further his Holy Angel training.
An Zhen's bedroom.
"Hehe~" A pair of golden eyes opened, filled with a happy and satisfied expression. A pair of long, slender, and beautiful legs stretched into the air, the exquisitely soft white over-the-knee stockings encasing An Qiuer's straight calves, adding a unique allure. With a quick somersault, An Qiuer, dressed in a slip dress nightgown, stood up and stretched comfortably. "Finally, they're all gone."
As she spoke, An Qiuer's gaze drifted down to the other two people on the bed. An Zhen was enjoying Zi Ji's lap pillow.
"Uncle~" An Qiuer's sweet voice was full of tempting invitation.
She and Ziji didn't need to attend classes, nor did they have anything else important to do.
An Qiuer still had to cultivate every day, but Zi Ji was completely fine.
"Want more?" An Zhen asked lazily, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Because I like Uncle~" Three-Eyed Golden Lion got hooked. Just like a child who has discovered a toy, he couldn't put it down.
...
It has been seven months since Kong Deming achieved Level 10 Soul Master.
Sun Moon Empire Mingdu.
One day.
The once bright midday sun suddenly darkened. An immense pressure enveloped the heavens and earth, dark clouds gathered, and a fierce wind howled, as if something terrifying was about to be born. In a daze, a silver-white phantom, hundreds of meters tall, appeared above Mingdu. It was a somewhat strange humanoid being; its massive body did not appear bulky but rather imposing and domineering. Its silver-white metallic texture exuded a futuristic technological feel, making it more like a piece of metal, a large lump of iron, than Spirit.
Outside the outskirts of Mingdu, in front of a dilapidated thatched hut, sat a disheveled old man with white hair. The chicken leg in his hand fell to the ground once again, and his bright eyes, which were extremely incongruous with his appearance, were filled with surprise.
"Another...another Level 10 Soul Master?!"
Although the aura was completely different from the last time.
But Elder Xuan felt that the underlying feeling was the same.
Previously, if it weren't for the information secretly sent out by that girl Lin'er, Yan Shaozhe would never have believed that the Sun Moon Empire had actually developed a level 10 spirit tool.
Not many people know about the original Douluo Three Kingdoms.
Other major powers naturally had spies in Mingdu, but they couldn't get any information about core matters. To avoid arousing the Sun Moon Empire's suspicion, and because their spies weren't very strong, they could only honestly report to their respective backers. The final guess was that perhaps a powerful figure in the Sun Moon Empire had made a significant breakthrough in their cultivation. An unprecedented level ten spirit tool was ultimately somewhat of a fantasy.
But Shrek Academy knows this.
Regarding this matter...
Sea God Pavilion's final stance is to wait and see.
There's no way around it; the Regent of the Sun Moon Empire, who slew two Limit Douluos and was almost certainly a demigod, is truly terrifying, especially considering the Sun Moon Empire's spiritual weapon level. The current situation isn't that the Sun Moon Empire is guarding against the Original Douluo Three Kingdoms, but rather that the Douluo Three Kingdoms are at a disadvantage in this era that is different from before.
Their primary goal at Shrek Academy is to nurture the next generation. Secondly, it's to vigorously develop soul-guided technology.
While the reason for the Sun Moon Empire's enthusiastic attitude, including sending a Ninth-Level Soul Engineer for guidance, is currently unclear, this is precisely what the Shrek Academy wants. It buys them time while simultaneously developing their soul-guided technology.
"Alas," Elder Xuan sighed softly.
Although he had never sparred with a Level 10 Soul Master, the aura the other party had previously displayed was in no way weaker than his own, so he wondered what the other party's true strength was.
They would rather the Sun Moon Empire reach its limit than see a level 10 spirit tool.
It can be any level, even 9.9.
But it happens to be level ten!