Early the next morning, Yin Zhang was still enjoying a rare moment of leisure with Hu Liena in the bamboo grove courtyard of the Dugu family mansion.
Suddenly, a bright, cheerful voice rang out from outside.
Yin Zhang was taken aback. He immediately extended his spiritual perception—and his eyes widened in surprise.
The person who had arrived was actually Zhou Wu.
Zhou Wu had first met Yin Zhang back when Yin Zhang had just become a Soul Master and was preparing to enter the elite class. At the time, Yin Zhang had proactively challenged Zhou Wu, who was only one step away from becoming a Soul King. Zhou Wu had been the strongest student in the Martial Soul Academy then, second only to Qian Gu Yunying.
Later, Zhou Wu followed Yin Zhang to Heaven Dou City and participated in that year's Continental Elite Soul Master Tournament, achieving excellent results.
After returning to Spirit City, he graduated from the academy and became a steward. Over the years, thanks to his relationship with Yin Zhang and Qian Gu Yunying—and because Zhou Wu himself was intelligent, articulate, and talented—he steadily rose through the ranks, advancing from an externally assigned steward to a junior elder.
In just three years, Zhou Wu's cultivation increased from Rank 51 to Rank 57, averaging two ranks per year. For someone burdened with constant administrative duties that consumed much of his cultivation time, this progress was already quite impressive.
"Xiao Zhang! Hahaha, long time no see!" Zhou Wu laughed loudly as he strode forward. "How have you been lately? I've heard you've been doing incredibly well these past few years. Apart from staying in Spirit City for two years, you've practically traveled across the entire Heaven Dou Empire. And you even brought back a pair of brothers who were accepted as disciples by Dragon Turtle Douluo—their martial souls even evolved into Xuanwu! I'm seriously jealous. If I'd known, I wouldn't have become a steward back then. If I'd stayed by your side, Xiao Zhang, would I have ever had to worry about my future?"
Zhou Wu looked at the now vastly changed Yin Zhang, sighing with emotion.
Then his gaze shifted to Hu Liena, and he immediately noticed something different.
"And Nana… it's been years, and you're actually together with Xiao Zhang now. Ahem."
"Yes, Senior Zhou. It's been a long time," Hu Liena replied with a gentle smile.
She didn't seem to mind his teasing at all. After greeting Zhou Wu, she exchanged a glance with Yin Zhang and quietly left the courtyard, giving the two of them space.
Yin Zhang understood—Zhou Wu's visit clearly wasn't just for a casual reunion.
After Hu Liena left, Yin Zhang turned to Zhou Wu and asked directly, "Why did you come to Heaven Dou City? Weren't you transferred back to Spirit City before? Is there some mission that brought you here?"
Zhou Wu looked surprised. "You didn't know?"
"I assumed you did. But now that I think about it, that makes sense. This decision was only made by the higher-ups a month ago."
Yin Zhang grew even more curious. "Don't keep me guessing. Tell me—what exactly happened?"
Zhou Wu cleared his throat. "Here's the situation. The Hall of Offerings learned about the circumstances in Heaven Dou City, so they dispatched several elders from Spirit Hall to assist with a major operation. I didn't know the details at first. Only after arriving did I hear that Emperor Snowy Night was critically ill. That's when I started suspecting this mission might be connected to the impending change of rulers in the Heaven Dou Empire. Maybe we were sent to assassinate the new emperor or something like that."
Yin Zhang almost burst out laughing.
If Qian Renxue heard this, she'd probably be rendered speechless. She sent them here to help her—and they were still thinking about targeting her?
That said, the secrecy surrounding the matter was indeed extreme.
Yin Zhang smiled, coughed lightly, and asked, "Then who's the strongest among you this time?"
Zhou Wu replied, "Dragon Turtle Douluo. You know him—his defense is among the best on the entire Douluo Continent. Other than the Grand Elder and Second Elder, hardly anyone can break through his defenses. His stamina is incredible, and his offensive power isn't weak either. But after bringing us to Heaven Dou City, he left on his own. He must've gone to meet the key figure involved in this mission."
Yin Zhang waved his hand and laughed. "Alright, you must be busy. By the way—how's Yuanyuan doing?"
Zhou Yuanyuan had been the healing-type Soul Master on Yin Zhang's tournament team. She was slightly chubby, a bit clumsy, but extremely kind-hearted.
Yin Zhang vaguely remembered her appearance—and remembered that she had once harbored feelings for him.
When Zhou Wu heard Yuanyuan's name, his expression immediately darkened.
"Xiao Zhang… you still remember Yuanyuan?"
"Of course," Yin Zhang replied honestly.
Zhou Wu sighed heavily. "She's missed you a lot these past few years. I only found out a few months ago, after returning to Spirit City, that she'd liked you for so long—waited for you for so long. And you just pretended not to notice. You scoundrel."
Yin Zhang's eyes widened immediately. He stood up in protest.
"Hey, don't slander me! I didn't even know she liked me! And aren't you her older brother? You only found out a few months ago too, didn't you? I haven't been back to the academy for two years—I've only occasionally talked about things with Uncle Qian Gu!"
Admitting anything under these circumstances would've been sheer madness.
He already had three women by his side. If Zhou Yuanyuan joined in, Yin Zhang couldn't even imagine how chaotic things might become. On top of that, Qian Gu Yunying had been gone for months. Even if she wouldn't object, Yin Zhang himself would feel deeply guilty.
Zhou Wu looked at him helplessly and sighed. "I know you're special. Besides Sister Yunying, you've got Hu Liena too. If you can be with two women, why not one more? And she's my sister—she's a genuinely good person. Because she's so kind, she's always kept her feelings to herself, never daring to say anything. If possible, I hope you'll give her a chance."
Yin Zhang felt completely powerless.
Why was someone else's brother so eager to push his own sister toward him?
In the end, Yin Zhang could only nod. "Let's talk about it after I return to Spirit City. I'll meet her—but I can't promise anything."
Zhou Wu glanced at Yin Zhang, resigned. The gap in their strength and status was simply too wide. All he could do was sigh and accept it.