Heavenly Soul Empire.
Xuanming City.
Xuanming City was the Xuanming Sect's base camp; all of the sect's heritage was hidden away within the city. After the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire split, because Xuanming City lay within Heavenly Soul territory, the then sect master of Xuanming Sect refused the Dou Ling king's enticements and pledged allegiance to the Heavenly Soul Empire.
In the city, no one noticed a tall and a short figure walking down the street, looking around as if searching for something.
Su Wen frowned.
Though it was broad daylight, lanterns hung thick along both sides of the streets, bright with festive colors, as if some joyous occasion were underway.
No doubt, if he wasn't mistaken, this was likely all for Xu Sanshi's martial soul awakening. For this most gifted rising star within Xuanming Sect, the sect master had really gone all out…
Su Wen grabbed the hem of a passing peddler's garment and asked what was going on.
Sure enough, it was about what he'd suspected.
Yan Shaozhe's face had gone completely dark, and he was feeling extremely aggrieved. Regardless of whether Jiang Nannan had been set up by Xuanming Sect, Shrek Academy didn't look any better here. When the Xuanming sect master brought it up—if Shrek had given even a bit of help, she wouldn't have been forced to take the bait—then this dean of the Martial Soul Department would have nowhere to put his face.
Su Wen was silent.
Only afraid that once they returned to the academy, that Yang He fellow wouldn't be having a good time.
But that had nothing to do with him.
"Let's go, Dean. We'll check Jiang Nannan's home first. If we can, let's get her out without bloodshed." Su Wen shook his head.
In fact, it wouldn't come to bloodshed.
With Yan Shaozhe personally present, Xuanming Sect would only swallow their broken teeth and hand Jiang Nannan over themselves. Maybe there'd be some grumbling, a few rounds of argument, but there was no way it would come to blows.
"Why? I'm going to meet Xu Jiangliu. He actually dared scheme against a student of Shrek Academy! I want to ask where he found the guts!" Yan Shaozhe snapped.
As dean of Shrek's Martial Soul Department, with disciples spread all over the world, his prestige within the department was considerable.
"Give it a rest. Do you want the whole world to know Shrek forced a poor student to offer herself to a noble to beg medicine for her mother?" Su Wen rolled his eyes.
"First time I've seen someone slap his own face so hard."
"Hmph… and doesn't that Xuanming Sect pride itself on its face? They even claim these girls volunteer, and that after the deed they'll marry them as concubines or even as wives?" Yan Shaozhe's mouth twitched; he muttered sourly.
"It is voluntary, technically. Not wrong." Su Wen shrugged.
Yan Shaozhe: "…"
They'd simply nailed human nature. Xuanming Sect had likely long since found out that Jiang Nannan was deeply attached to her mother and very filial.
The two asked for directions as they went.
They arrived at a ramshackle tile-roofed house.
When they knocked, a pale but still somewhat charming beauty opened up, staring at them blankly. She spoke timidly, "I don't know who the two of you are…"
"I'm Yan Shaozhe, dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department. He is… Nannan's friend. Are you Nannan's mother?" Yan Shaozhe showed a warm smile.
"So it's Dean Yan—please, come in. The house is a bit messy, please don't mind." Madam Jiang looked flustered. With such a big figure from Shrek Academy coming in person, she had the humble air of someone long used to being a commoner, and she hurried to tidy the room.
Perhaps she was also afraid of embarrassing her daughter…
Yan Shaozhe quickly stopped her and helped her sit on the bed himself.
Su Wen clicked his tongue inwardly. Though this Dean Yan could be stingy at times, he was extremely professional in matters like these—no trace of a dean's airs, and not a hint of impatience in his expression.
Su Wen looked around.
The room was thick with the scent of medicine. On the table sat a bowl of black decoction and some loose herbs.
Though the family was poor, the place was neat and clean, with a faint fragrance of gardenia mingled with herbal notes.
"Please don't be nervous. We're here on behalf of Shrek Academy. Nannan previously applied to the academy for relief funds, but her teacher put the letter aside and never reported it, so the academy never received the news. By chance, this child Su Wen brought it to my attention, and only then…"
Yan Shaozhe pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his expression solemn.
"The academy guarantees Nannan that this will never happen again. Her teacher Yang He will be dealt with severely. We will not tolerate this!"
"Thank you, thank you…"
Upon learning the truth, Madam Jiang burst into tears, thanking them over and over—especially taking Su Wen's hand and, choking up, thanking him, this good friend of Jiang Nannan.
"May I ask where Senior Sister Nannan is right now?"
Su Wen waited a bit but didn't see Jiang Nannan.
"That girl went to buy groceries. She should be back by now…" Madam Jiang said hesitantly.
"…"
Su Wen and Yan Shaozhe exchanged a look.
Their eyes narrowed.
They excused themselves and left.
Su Wen looked at Yan Shaozhe, silently asking with his eyes.
Yan understood. His face cooled as he gave a slight nod. "It's true…"
"Can she be saved?" To be safe, Su Wen still asked.
"She's just an ordinary person. Even a teen-level healing-type soul master could treat her. Besides, this illness isn't that serious—it only worsened because it went untreated and was dragged out until now. What do you think?" Yan Shaozhe raised an eyebrow.
"Then let's go. Any later and the raw rice will be cooked." Su Wen cradled his head in his hands.
…
"This is the place."
Yan Shaozhe pointed at a side room up ahead, faintly relieved. They weren't late—if they'd missed it, he might have regretted it for the rest of his life.
Such a fine seedling, well worth Shrek's effort to cultivate—if she were defiled by the Xu family, he'd drag Xu Jiangliu out and thrash him.
"You bring her out."
Su Wen pushed the wooden door open.
The light inside was dim.
Jiang Nannan was seated in the innermost part. At the sound of the door, her fair hands clenched in an instant. She bit her lip, a flash of fear crossing her stunning face, and she unconsciously shrank back.
"Nannan?"
Su Wen spoke softly.
Jiang Nannan, sitting on the bed, froze for a moment. In the dim light she could still make out Su Wen's appearance—a child of eleven or twelve. But hadn't that Chen Wen said their young master was Xu Sanshi? She couldn't possibly fail to recognize Xu Sanshi…
"Dean Yan is right outside."
Su Wen didn't waste words. One sentence steadied Jiang Nannan's mind.
"Yang He abused his power. Because you didn't give him gold soul coins as payment, he privately withheld your plea for help, so the academy never knew."
"Ah…"
Jiang Nannan went weak all over, covering her mouth as she sobbed softly.
From hell to heaven—that was about the size of it.
"Come on, Sister Nannan. The dean is waiting for us. He'll bring you and Auntie back to the academy." Su Wen said gently.
"Mm."
Jiang Nannan hummed softly in assent, wiped her tears, and followed Su Wen out.
"You two go back first. I'm going to settle accounts with that Xu Jiangliu!"
Seeing that Jiang Nannan was unharmed, Yan Shaozhe finally exhaled. Face filled with fury, he turned and left.