Life in the inner court was peaceful and uneventful. Every morning, Zhu Ziyang trained in Monarch Over The World under Elder Mu's guidance. The afternoons were more flexible — sometimes he exchanged combat techniques with senior students, other times he played around the academy grounds with Xingcai. As for the evenings, they were dedicated to cultivating necromantic magic and soul power. His schedule was tight but fulfilling.
One morning, after finishing his Monarch Over The World session, Zhu Ziyang went to report his progress to Elder Mu, as usual.
"Teacher, what exactly is your relationship with Beibei?" Once the report was finished, Zhu Ziyang didn't rush off. Instead, he finally asked a question that had been weighing on his mind for a long time.
"Hehe, what brought that on all of a sudden?" Elder Mu's wrinkled face showed a gentle smile.
"Curiosity," Zhu Ziyang admitted without hesitation. "I just always felt there was something unusual about Sister Lexuan's relationship with him."
"Oh, I see." A faint look of regret flickered through Elder Mu's aged eyes. He said, "You should know, both Beibei and I are descendants of Yu Xiaogang. He should be calling me his great-grandfather. As for Lexuan… I owe her deeply. When I first met her, she was just eleven or twelve, buried in hatred after losing her family. She was remarkably strong-willed, knelt before me, begging for vengeance. At the time, I had just lost someone dear myself, so I agreed. But… I had one condition."
"What condition?" Zhu Ziyang had a vague sense that Elder Mu was about to reveal a rather shameful part of his past, but he still couldn't help asking.
"Ah, I was foolish then." A trace of guilt crossed Elder Mu's face as he said, "I told her I wouldn't just help her take revenge, but would also have Shrek Academy nurture her fully. In return, she would have to make a lifelong vow — to protect Shrek Academy... and become Beibei's child bride."
"Child bride?!" Zhu Ziyang was stunned, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. He stared at Elder Mu in disbelief. He never imagined the old man would pull such a move. It turned out that everyone, no matter how upright they appeared, had some skeletons in their closet.
"Hehe~ You think I was despicable, don't you?" Elder Mu chuckled bitterly. "Lexuan was such a sensible girl. After I avenged her, she chose to stay at Shrek Academy, raising Beibei as her own until he was taken back to Heaven Dou City by his family at age ten.
I've regretted forcing her into that vow for a long time. Because of me, she's suffered more than she should have. I want her to let go of that promise, but I don't know how to bring it up. I've delayed for years. I thought maybe I'd just let it happen — when Beibei grew up, they'd marry. But who could've guessed Beibei would fall for that Tang Sect girl? And Lexuan... she truly gave her heart to Beibei. Ah, what a mess!"
"Teacher, does Beibei know about all this?" Zhu Ziyang asked. He was at a loss for words. Thinking of Beibei and Tang Ya, and then of Zhang Lexuan, he felt this whole thing was unbelievably ridiculous.
"He doesn't." Elder Mu shook his head. "Besides Lexuan and me, now you're the only one who knows. I don't want to tear Beibei and Tang Ya apart, but I also can't keep betraying Lexuan's trust. This guilt has been weighing on me for years."
"Then what will you do, Teacher?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
"The best option now is to convince Lexuan to release herself from that vow. She's still young, a genius of Shrek Academy, with a bright future ahead. She shouldn't have to live shackled by some cursed promise," Elder Mu said, uncharacteristically uttering a curse.
"But you're the only one who can tell her that," Zhu Ziyang said, sensing trouble looming over his own head.
Sure enough, Elder Mu confirmed his suspicion with his next words. "Of course, the mistake is mine, so I must correct it. But, Ziyang, you'll need to help talk to Lexuan as well. She's extremely stubborn. I'm afraid she won't change her mind easily."
"Ugh…" Zhu Ziyang smiled bitterly. "I'll try my best, Teacher."
He was definitely digging a hole for himself!
—
Three days after the conversation with Elder Mu, Zhang Lexuan was summoned to Sea God Pavilion. Zhu Ziyang waited outside, knowing she was likely to come out crushed. That vow had been a pillar for her all these years — letting it go wouldn't be easy.
Leaning against the wall, he gazed through the golden branches of the ancient tree at the stars twinkling in the distant night sky. A meteor streaked past just as the door behind him creaked open.
He turned quickly and saw Zhang Lexuan step out with an expressionless face. But the subtle tremble in her fingers and the dark despair in her eyes revealed that she was anything but calm.
"Sister Lexuan," Zhu Ziyang called out, hesitating slightly.
"Huh?" Zhang Lexuan responded absentmindedly, then looked at Zhu Ziyang with a smile that seemed like it could collapse into tears at any moment. "Ziyang, why are you here?"
"Sister Lexuan, I know you're hurting. If you feel like crying, then cry. Letting it out will make you feel better," Zhu Ziyang said.
"Will you walk with me?" Zhang Lexuan didn't cry. She simply asked, then turned and began walking before he could reply.
Zhu Ziyang had no choice but to follow.
Along the way, Zhang Lexuan said nothing, and Zhu Ziyang had no idea what to say either. This whole situation was the result of an impulsive man pushing a wounded girl too far — both bore some responsibility, though Elder Mu's share was greater.
They reached the edge of Sea God Lake. Zhang Lexuan sat down, dipping her feet into the water, staring blankly at the moon's reflection. Her expression shifted from smiles to anger, sadness to sorrow — a complex tangle of emotions.
"Sister Lexuan!"
Zhu Ziyang opened his mouth, but Zhang Lexuan cut him off.
"Ziyang, why would Elder Mu ask me to break my vow? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, her voice as gentle as ever, but now laced with traces of despair.
"Sister Lexuan, you didn't do anything wrong," Zhu Ziyang said, taking a deep breath. "It was Teacher who was wrong."
"Uuuu..." Zhang Lexuan suddenly broke down in sobs. "He's the one who made me swear that vow. How can he just regret it now? I don't understand, I don't understand!"
Zhu Ziyang didn't know how to comfort her, so he just watched in silence. This was a knot in her heart that only she could untangle.
"I kept that vow for ten years. Is it worth nothing now?" Zhang Lexuan sobbed, her voice full of heartbreaking pain. "I've already given my heart to Beibei. How can he expect me to let go like it means nothing?"
Her sobs gradually faded, until only silent tears streamed down her face.
"Sister Lexuan, are you sure what you feel for Beibei is really love?" Zhu Ziyang knew it was time to act. He had to strike while her heart was vulnerable and get her to let go of that unnecessary promise.
"Huh?" Zhang Lexuan looked up, confused, only to see Zhu Ziyang had already summoned his martial soul — the Stillness Fate Ending Scythe. The aura of ultimate light was on full display for the first time. Holy, radiant light bathed her face, beautiful and awe-inspiring.
"Sister Lexuan, what you feel for Beibei isn't love. It's twisted affection. You've been too stubborn for too long!" Zhu Ziyang's voice was like a great bell, shaking her already fragile heart and plunging her into a daze.
"Too... stubborn?" she murmured blankly.
"Yes, you've been too stubborn!" Zhu Ziyang pressed on, encouraged. "You deserve your own life, your own future! Elder Mu has broken your chains — it's time to let go!"
"Yes… too stubborn… I should let go..." Zhang Lexuan's eyes slowly shifted from dazed to resolute. The divine light of ultimate radiance continued shining through her heart's shadows.
Eventually, she drifted into sleep.
Seeing her fall asleep, Zhu Ziyang collapsed to the ground, unable to sustain his martial soul any longer. The Stillness Fate Ending Scythe vanished instantly. What he had used just now was the fully unleashed ultimate talent of his ultimate light — the Righteous Light.
At its full power, Righteous Light could dissolve a person's obsessions and beliefs, making them release their attachments. It was perfectly suited for Zhang Lexuan's stubborn nature.
Of course, with his current strength, he couldn't directly erase her feelings. Instead, he used the moment her heart was shaken to amplify her truest emotions, allowing them to consume the ones he needed to dissolve. Fortunately, her feelings for Beibei were more like familial love — the romantic part was shallow enough for him to eliminate.
The real root of this entire mess was her identity as Beibei's child bride. As long as her feelings were pure affection, the problem would resolve itself.
"So this is the true potential of an ultimate light innate talent? Remarkable!" Elder Mu appeared silently beside them, awe written all over his aged face.
"Teacher, it's done now," Zhu Ziyang said.
(End of Chapter)
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