In the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, inside the palace's inner halls, tension ran thick in the air.
"Has Lu Yuan returned?" Qian Renxue's voice came sharp and urgent as soon as Snake Lance Douluo and Swordfish Douluo stepped quietly into her chambers. "Did he suffer any injuries?"
Snake Lance Douluo exhaled, bowing slightly. "Don't worry, miss. He's perfectly fine."
That was true—but unlike him, both he and the Swordfish Douluo had nearly lost their lives in the process.
Qian Renxue's shoulders eased the instant she heard Lu Yuan was safe. A rare trace of relief softened her expression. "That's good."
These past nights she hadn't slept properly. Every time she closed her eyes, she imagined Lu Yuan facing Tang Hao, and every time she woke, panic gnawed at her. The thought of him failing to return haunted her.
Now that worry finally loosened its grip.
"Tell me in detail," she pressed, her calm mask sliding neatly back into place. "What exactly happened?"
Snake Lance Douluo carefully recounted the battle.
When he finished, Qian Renxue's brow arched slightly. "You mean… Lu Yuan obtained something?"
"Yes," Snake Lance Douluo nodded. "During the fight, he managed to bypass the battlefield. When Tang Hao returned, it was as if he had gone mad. But as for what Lu Yuan discovered or took, we can't say. We simply… don't know."
Inwardly, Snake Lance Douluo felt a twinge of unease. Personally, he hadn't dared press the boy. After all, Lu Yuan was terrifying even drunk. If he pushed too far and Lu Yuan's drinking habit flared again, both he and Swordfish Douluo would have been at risk of exposing themselves.
Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes but waved her hand delicately. "Alright. That's enough. Go rest."
Both Titled Douluos practically sighed in relief on the spot. They were still alive. That was already fortune enough. If possible, such missions should be fewer in the future.
After their departure, Qian Renxue sat back quietly, her golden eyes reflecting faint light.
"Something that could enrage Tang Hao that much…" she muttered to herself.
A thought bloomed in her mind. The only thing capable of driving Tang Hao into such madness would be related to her—Ah Yin. Even if the sacrifice of the 100,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor had left behind remnants, it was impossible for her to truly re-form into human shape again. Unless…
The idea formed, but she refused to confirm it without confronting Lu Yuan directly.
Still, another matter gnawed at her far more persistently. She let out a long sigh and rubbed her forehead.
Lu Yuan.
The boy who had even managed to make her belly swell—yet no matter which woman she had the scouts investigate, not a single one showed signs of pregnancy.
On her desk lay a full list of every close contact Lu Yuan had made recently. Yet not one among them was carrying his child.
Qian Renxue frowned deeply. "Just who is it…?"
She massaged her temples again. Perhaps she had been too careless observing him. But assigning more scouts to follow him wasn't an option; Lu Yuan's senses were sharp enough that he would discover them. And if he realized she had placed eyes on him, the relationship between them would collapse instantly.
For now… she would wait.
…
At Tianshui Academy, chatter and rumors spread endlessly.
After Shui Bing'er's accidental discovery that her cultivation rate could accelerate when training beside Lu Yuan, many girls had attempted the same. But no matter how desperately they tried, none of them experienced the same effect.
The only one who benefited was Shui Bing'er, thanks to her rare Ice Phoenix martial soul.
The dean of Tianshui couldn't help but sigh with regret. So much good wine had been wasted, all for nothing—every jar given to Lu Yuan, yet no harvest for the rest of the academy's disciples.
Meanwhile, Shui Bing'er and her younger sister Shui Yue'er sat together on a grassy hill behind the college. The sunlight warmed their backs, but the mood between them was mixed.
"Sister, don't wear that long face," Shui Yue'er teased, resting her chin in her hands. "Ever since Lu Yuan left, your soul also seems to have flown away."
Her playful tone, however, only made Shui Bing'er's face darken.
"Don't talk nonsense," Bing'er said, scolding coldly. "His leaving has nothing to do with me. What annoys me are the rumors."
The words alone made her blood boil.
The academy had been buzzing with gossip. That she and Lu Yuan were secretly involved. That they had shared a bed. The most outrageous one claimed that the morning after, she walked out of his room bracing herself against the wall.
Ridiculous!
She had leaned on the wall, yes—but only because her body was trembling after cultivating too intensely beside him. There had been nothing improper. Yet somehow the rumors twisted into scandal.
Shui Yue'er giggled mischievously. "Dead duck with a stiff beak. If it's really nothing, then why look so flustered?"
Her elder sister snapped, flushing. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'm leaving!"
Shui Yue'er sighed dramatically. Truly a stubborn sister. She could clearly sense how Shui Bing'er's feelings toward Lu Yuan had changed—yet Bing'er guarded her heart too tightly to admit them even to herself.
But Bing'er's mind wasn't just clouded by rumors.
Lu Yuan had gone for so long without a word. Would he return?
She clenched her fists. She still needed him—for training, for power. With his help, she could reach the forty-sixth level before the upcoming Continental Soul Master Elite Tournament. Without him, all her careful plans might crumble.
…
And elsewhere, at Lu Yuan's own home…
"Little one, from now on this will be your home," Lu Yuan said with unusual gentleness. "Do you like it? Lots of sunlight here—it'll help you grow."
From his soul guide, he carefully pulled out the sprouting Blue Silver Grass and looked around.
"Where… should I put you?" He scratched his head, feeling awkward. He was an expert at drinking wine and fighting battles, but caring for plants? That was a different matter.
Finally he waved it off. "Forget it. This will do!"
After some fumbling, a pot sat on the windowsill, holding the tender little grass. A warm breeze stirred it, making its delicate blades sway back and forth.
The room, which once only smelled of alcohol, now carried a refreshing aura of life.
Lu Yuan chuckled. "Hah. I used to think drinking was fun. But growing flowers isn't too bad either."
He leaned against the sill, watching the grass with serious eyes. Then he smirked faintly. "Hey, little grass… do you drink?"
The blades swayed gently.
"Alright, alright. A drink, then."
With a grin, Lu Yuan poured wine into the pot.
At that exact moment, Shui Bing'er's voice drifted from the doorway.
"Lu Yuan… what are you doing?"
Lu Yuan turned around, startled. "Binger? How did you know I was back?"
"I was passing by," she said vaguely, brushing aside her long blue bangs as if to hide her fluster. "Your door was ajar, so I… looked in."
Her eyes shifted, surprised by what she saw.
On Lu Yuan's windowsill, where a plant should have been in a proper vase, a Blue Silver Grass swayed drunkenly out of a jar reeking of alcohol.
"Don't tell me… you're soaking Blue Silver Grass in wine?"
Lu Yuan coughed and glared. "Nonsense. I'm cultivating a plant. Can't you see it's green?"
To him, it was a simple matter. To Shui Bing'er, however, her jaw nearly dropped.
Flowers? Flowers? Who even used wine jars to raise them?!
"Lu Yuan… you're… seriously raising it this way?" She covered her forehead, speechless. "You're pouring wine into the pot? That's at least eighty percent liquor!"
But Lu Yuan just beamed, completely earnest. "Look how happy it is! Ever since I placed it here, it's been swaying more cheerfully than ever."
Shui Bing'er rubbed her temples. She couldn't tell if the grass looked lively because it was thriving… or because it was already drunk.
"That's not growing plants," she sighed under her breath. "That's murder by alcohol."
Yet when she looked again, the grass swayed in the sunlight, almost like it truly was enjoying itself.
"Strange… when did Lu Yuan develop such a hobby?" she murmured.
"Don't touch it," Lu Yuan warned, planting himself protectively in front of the jar. "This is my green plant. You mustn't ruin it."
Shui Bing'er gave a long, resigned sigh.
This Blue Silver Grass… was doomed.
--
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