The afternoon sun cast a warm, golden glow over the tranquil grounds of the estate. In the sprawling, manicured courtyard, the air was filled with the sharp, distinct sounds of high-level combat training.
Ning Rongrong, her face a mask of intense concentration, moved in a dizzying, beautiful dance, evading a series of shadowy, ethereal clones that flickered in and out of existence around her.
Zhu Zhuqing, a blur of motion, was a silent, deadly predator, her every strike a test of her friend's newfound defensive prowess.
Inside the mansion, a different kind of work was being done.
In the large, airy kitchen, Ah Yin hummed a soft, contented tune as she prepared a lavish, late-afternoon meal for the three of them.
She moved with a quiet, efficient grace, her hands effortlessly dicing rare, spirit-infused vegetables, the scent of fragrant herbs filling the air. She was the perfect picture of a dutiful, loving housekeeper.
And in his private laboratory, a room filled with the strange, beautiful tools of a master alchemist, Zhang Tian was in a state of deep, profound concentration.
He stood before a large, bubbling cauldron, his spirit power a fine, intricate web that controlled the temperature, the pressure, the very molecular structure of the potent, glowing liquid within.
He was on the verge of a breakthrough, a new, more powerful version of his Spirit Ascension Pill, one designed specifically to help a Spirit Douluo like Ah Yin break through her bottlenecks.
And then, it happened.
It was not a sound. It was not a sight. It was a feeling. A sudden, violent, and incredibly powerful ripple that spread through the very fabric of their shared domain.
In the kitchen, Ah Yin's hand froze, the knife she was holding hovering a millimeter above a perfectly sliced mushroom.
Her crimson eyes widened, her head snapping up as she looked to the west, towards the distant Sunset Forest.
In the laboratory, Zhang Tian's concentration shattered. The intricate web of his spirit power wavered, and the glowing liquid in the cauldron began to bubble violently, a sign of an impending, catastrophic failure. He ignored it.
He and Ah Yin, the Emperor and Empress of the Blood Silver Grass, were connected to every single blade of grass in their ever-expanding domain. And at this moment, a million silent, terrified voices were screaming at them in unison.
It was the collective consciousness of the Blue Silver Grass in the Sunset Forest, a hundred-mile-wide network of life that had just borne witness to a battle of monsters.
They did not see the battle with eyes. They felt it. They felt the sudden, soul-crushing oppression of the Deathgod Domain.
They felt the raw, unadulterated, and explosive power of two different, yet equally terrifying, Super Douluo auras.
They felt the sharp, cutting sting of the wind, the heavy, gravitational pull of the earth, the final, apocalyptic boom that had turned a vast, ancient swath of their forest into a dead, smoking crater.
The information, a raw, undiluted stream of pure sensory data, traveled from blade to blade, from root to root, a silent, lightning-fast ripple that crossed the miles in a matter of seconds.
It flowed through the vast, interconnected web of Blue Silver Grass that carpeted the Heaven Dou Empire, a secret, living information network that was more efficient than any human spy could ever hope to be. It reached the city, it reached their estate, and it flooded into their minds.
Zhang Tian and Ah Yin looked at each other, their gazes meeting across the distance of the sprawling mansion. Their faces were a mask of pure, unadulterated, and utterly, completely, and profound shock.
They both knew, with an absolute, unshakeable certainty, what had just happened.
Tang Hao had been found. And he had fought two Super Douluos.
And somehow… he had won.
A moment later, they were both in the main living room, the half-finished meal forgotten in the kitchen, the bubbling, unstable concoction abandoned in the laboratory.
"He fought them both?" Ah Yin's voice was a low, disbelieving whisper. "Two Level 97 Super Douluos? And he escaped?"
"He did more than escape," Zhang Tian said, his own voice a grim, thoughtful murmur as he sifted through the chaotic, sensory data that was still flooding his mind. "He wounded them. Both of them. He used a technique… an explosion of all nine of his spirit rings… the power was… apocalyptic."
They stood there in a stunned, silent disbelief. They both knew the power of the Spirit Hall's Elder Hall. They knew the immense, almost insurmountable gap between a Level 95 and a Level 97 Super Douluo. For Tang Hao, a man they knew was already burdened by ancient, unhealed injuries, to not only survive an encounter with two such beings, but to actually wound them and escape… it was not just a miracle.
It was an impossibility.
Zhang Tian sank onto the sofa, a deep, thoughtful frown on his handsome face. His mind, a cold, brilliant chessboard, began to move its pieces, searching for an answer, for a variable that could explain this impossible equation.
'The Great Sumeru Hammer… the Exploding Ring technique… they are powerful, yes,' he thought, his mind racing through the ancient texts he had read in the Clear Sky Sect's library. 'They are the ultimate, life-risking techniques of his clan. But even they should not have been enough. Not against two healthy, fully-powered Level 97s. The power gap is too immense. For him to have generated that level of power, to have survived the backlash… something else must have been at play. Something… or someone.'
And then, it hit him. A cold, hard, and deeply unsettling possibility that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
'The Asura God.'
The thought was a lightning bolt in his mind, a single, brilliant flash of insight that suddenly, terrifyingly, made everything make sense.
'Why would the Asura God intervene?' he mused, his mind a whirlwind of new, dangerous calculations. 'Why would he help Tang Hao? Is it because he sees him as a potential inheritor of his mantle?'
He thought of the three known inheritors of the Asura God's power in this generation. Tang Chen was the primary one, the one who wielded the Asura Sword itself. But he was now a lost, broken thing, a puppet of the Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King in the Slaughter City, a tragedy orchestrated by the subtle, poisonous machinations of the Rakshasa God.
'The Asura God must know this,' Zhang Tian thought, his frown deepening. 'He is a being of immense, almost omniscient power. He would not be blind to the influence of his greatest rival. So why has he allowed Tang Chen to remain in that state for so long?'
A new, cold, and incredibly cynical theory began to form in his mind.
'Unless… unless Tang Chen is no longer the candidate. Unless he has been… demoted from an inheritor. To the role of a High Priest. A sacrifice. A stepping stone for the next, true inheritor.'
He remembered the original story. He remembered how Tang San had received the Asura God's inheritance. It had been Tang Chen's final, selfless sacrifice, the offering of his own immense, Level 99 power, that had allowed Tang San to bypass the first eight trials and directly challenge the ninth.
'It was a calculated plan,' Zhang Tian concluded, a cold, hard knot of understanding forming in his gut. 'The Asura God willingly sacrificed his most loyal, most powerful follower, just to fast-track a new, more promising candidate. How… ruthless. How… pragmatic.'
He then considered the other candidates. Bibi Dong had the Deathgod Domain, yes. But she was already walking the path of the Rakshasa. She was tainted, unavailable.
Which left only one other person who possessed the Deathgod Domain, the key to the Asura God's inheritance.
'Tang Hao.'
Zhang Tian's mind raced, 'He possesses the domain. He has the raw, untamed power and the deep, abiding hatred that the Asura God seems to favor. Moreover, for now at this moment, since Tang San has not yet been to the Slaughter City. He has not yet acquired the domain. Tang San is not yet a candidate for becoming an inheritor of the Asura God's divine position.'
The conclusion was a simple, and deeply terrifying, one.
'This means that at this moment, in this world, Tang Hao is the Asura God's chosen one. His potential inheritor.'
The realization was a bucket of ice water dumped over his own, carefully laid plans. He had been playing a game of chess with mortals. He had not realized that a true, living god was also a player on the board.
'To continue to target Tang Hao directly,' he thought, a new, profound sense of caution settling over him, 'would be to openly challenge the will of the Asura God. And that… that is a battle I am not yet ready to fight. He would not hesitate to tear apart all pretense of non-interference and simply… erase me.'
He knew he had to change his strategy.
'I cannot defeat him with force,' he concluded, his gaze turning cold and hard. 'Not yet. But a god's favor is a fickle thing. The Asura God requires a successor of immense, unshakeable will. If Tang Hao's will were to be broken… if he were to fall into a deep, profound despair from which he could never recover… then even the Asura God would be forced to abandon him as an unworthy successor.'
He would not kill Tang Hao. He would destroy him. Indirectly.
He was so lost in his deep, profound thoughts that he didn't even notice Ah Yin until she was sitting beside him on the sofa, her hand gently, soothingly, playing with the long strands of his two-toned hair.
"What is it, my love?" she asked, her voice a soft, concerned murmur. "What are you thinking about so deeply?"
He looked at her, at her beautiful, concerned face, and a slow, weary sigh escaped his lips.
"Dealing with your ex-husband," he said, his voice a low, grim sound, "is going to be a bit more troublesome than I thought."
He did not explain the reasons. He did not speak of gods or of their cruel, cosmic games. He simply stated the conclusion. "We have to stay low. We cannot approach Tang Hao. Not anytime soon."
She was surprised. The fiery, vengeful light that had been a constant, simmering presence in her eyes for the past few months faltered, replaced by a flicker of confusion. "But… why?" she asked. "He is wounded. Now is the perfect time to strike."
He just shook his head. "There are… divine forces at play," he said simply, his voice a low, final sound that brokered no argument.
She was still confused, but she trusted him. Absolutely. She gave a slow, reluctant nod.
She was silent for a moment, and then a new, different kind of fire, a cold, hard, and deeply personal hatred, entered her eyes. "And what about… the imposter?" she asked, her voice a low, venomous hiss. "What about the creature that wears my son's face?"
Zhang Tian's expression, which had been grim and serious, suddenly softened. A slow, predatory smile spread across his lips.
"Oh, him," he said, his voice a low, amused purr. "Tang San can indeed be tormented. Quite a bit."
He looked at her, and his eyes were gleaming with a dark, mischievous light. "In fact," he said, his smile widening, "it is almost the end of the week. Which means I have a delivery to make. To a certain… Vice-Dean of the Shrek Academy."
He stood up, a new, confident energy in his movements. "And I believe," he said, holding out a hand to her, "that I will need a beautiful, powerful, and utterly, completely, and terrifyingly invisible guardian to accompany me. Just in case our dear Vice-Dean, or her companions, have any… foolish ideas."
Ah Yin looked at his outstretched hand, and then at the dark, playful, and incredibly dangerous light in his eyes. The last, lingering vestiges of her disappointment vanished, replaced by a brilliant, beautiful, and utterly, completely, and terrifyingly eager smile.
She took his hand. "I would be delighted," she purred.
The two days that followed their decision passed in a blur of quiet anticipation. The estate settled into a new, comfortable rhythm. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing continued their intense, daily training, their skills growing sharper, their teamwork becoming a thing of flawless, instinctive beauty.
And Zhang Tian… he waited.
On the morning of the third day, Ah Yin, dressed in her simple, elegant maid's uniform, approached the trio as they were finishing their breakfast in the sun-drenched courtyard.
"Master, Young Misses," she said, her voice a soft, respectful murmur. She gave a slight, formal bow. "I must ask for a leave of absence for the day. I… I need to go and check on my husband. To make sure he has not drunk himself into a gutter."
The lie, so practiced, so believable, was delivered with a flawless, heartbreaking sadness.
Ning Rongrong's heart immediately went out to her. "Oh, of course, Ah Yin!" she said, her voice filled with a genuine, sympathetic warmth. "Take all the time you need. Don't worry about us. We can manage for a day."
"She is right," Zhu Zhuqing added, her own voice a low, gentle sound. "Go. Take care of your family."
Ah Yin gave them a grateful, teary-eyed smile, a masterpiece of subtle, manipulative acting, and then she was gone, a silent, graceful figure disappearing down the long, winding path.
A few hours later, after he had finished a light, morning sparring session with his two fiancées, Zhang Tian made his own announcement.
"My loves," he began, his voice a casual, almost offhand sound, "I think I will be going out for a bit as well. I am curious to see how our dear friends at the Shrek Academy are faring. I think it is time I paid them a little… visit. To see if I can mess with them a little."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing immediately looked at him, a flicker of concern in their eyes.
"Alone?" Ning Rongrong asked, her brow furrowed. "Is that wise? What about… him?"
The name, Tang Hao, was a silent, unspoken shadow that still lingered between them.
Zhang Tian just smiled, a calm, reassuring expression on his handsome face. He raised a hand, and a thin, almost invisible film of crimson light flickered around his body for a single, breathtaking instant before vanishing completely.
"Don't worry," he said, his voice a low, confident murmur. "With my Blood Silver Domain's camouflage ability, no one will be able to see me, or even sense me, if I do not wish them to. I will be a ghost. I will not be in any real danger."
The two girls looked at each other, and then back at him. They saw the absolute, unshakeable confidence in his eyes, and their worries subsided. They trusted him. Completely.
He left the mansion alone, a solitary, handsome figure walking down the sunlit path. He met Ah Yin in a bustling, crowded market on the eastern side of the city. She had changed out of her maid's uniform and was now dressed in a simple, elegant set of traveler's robes, her magnificent, mature beauty a stunning, head-turning sight.
Together, a silent, powerful, and utterly, completely, and terrifyingly invisible pair, they made their way to the new Shrek Academy.
They arrived in the early afternoon. The academy was a proper, respectable institution, a world away from the shabby hovel in Suotuo. A high, stone wall surrounded the sprawling grounds, but to the two of them, it was not an obstacle.
They simply… walked through it. Their Blood Silver Domain, a silent, invisible cloak, bent the very light and sound around them, making them perfect, untraceable phantoms.
They stepped onto the grounds of the academy, and Zhang Tian smiled.
'Welcome to my new playground,' he thought, a dark, amused light in his eyes.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and his spirit, the Blood Silver Emperor, reached out. It connected with the thousands, the millions of blades of common, unassuming Blue Silver Grass that carpeted the grounds of the academy.
And the grass… it sang to him.
It told him everything. It was a silent, living, and utterly, completely, and terrifyingly perfect information network. It told him the layout of the academy, the location of every student, every teacher, every hidden corner.
And it told him of the ones he was looking for.
It told him that Tang San was on the main training field, in the middle of an intense, one-on-one sparring session with a powerful, middle-aged man with a brutish, ape-like spirit.
It told him that Xiao Wu was in a quiet, secluded garden, lounging on a stone bench, chatting happily with a gentle-looking girl with a healing scepter spirit.
And it told him of the others. Dai Mubai, the arrogant, blond-haired guy, was in a different part of the grounds, two moderately beautiful female students draped on his arms. Ma Hongjun, the fat, lecherous phoenix, was in a heated, and very loud, argument with an average-looking girl who was clearly his girlfriend. And Oscar, the sausage-making food-type spirit master, was on a quiet, romantic date with a different, far more gentle, girl.
'How… predictable,' Zhang Tian thought, a faint, dismissive sneer on his lips. He ignored them. They were irrelevant.
He focused his senses, his connection to the grass, on the more important targets.
The grass told him of Yu Xiaogang. It told him that the Grandmaster was in his office, as usual, hunched over a pile of books and scrolls, developing new, and likely equally ineffective, training methods for his students. The old, familiar methods of weight training, of running, of gravity training… they were all still there.
'He is a man of limited imagination,' Zhang Tian thought with a sigh of profound, academic disappointment.
The grass then told him of Tang San's progress. It told him of the miraculous, healing power of the Ye Family matriarch. And it told him of the pills. It told him that Tang San had consumed one of the Heavenly Water Pills, and that his cultivation had soared, his body expelling a thick, black layer of impurities, his rank jumping two full levels, from thirty-four to thirty-six. And it told him that Xiao Wu had consumed the other, and that her progress had been even more dramatic, her rank jumping from thirty-three to thirty-five.
And it told him of Yu Xiaogang. It told him that the Grandmaster had consumed another of the Stormbolt Spirit Pills, and that his Luo Sanpao had, once again, transformed, its form becoming even more serpentine, its aura more crackling, more unstable.
The grass told him of Dean Flender. It told him that the money-grubbing dean was currently in a meeting with a group of wealthy merchants, trying to secure new sponsors for his increasingly expensive academy.
And finally, the grass told him of her.
It told him of Liu Erlong.
It told him that she was not with Xiaogang. She was not with Flender. She was not with the other teachers.
She was alone.
She was in her small, secluded wooden cabin by the edge of the lake. The same cabin she had lived in for twenty long, lonely years.
And she was afraid.
The grass could feel it. It could feel the deep, profound, and utterly, completely, and soul-crushingly miserable aura of shame and self-loathing that radiated from her.
It told him that she had not spoken to Yu Xiaogang, not really other than handing over those three pills, since her return. She avoided him. She hid from him. It was as if she was afraid to even look him in the eye.
She felt… she had betrayed him. The act she had been forced to perform, the feeling of another man's essence in her mouth, it was a stain on her soul, a secret shame that she could not wash away.
And the grass told him of her new, strange, and deeply masochistic routine.
Every morning, without fail, she would wake up. And she would put on the chains.
She would sit in her cabin, from dawn until noon, shackled, her power suppressed, a prisoner in her own home.
And she would wait.
She would wait for a man she both hated and, on some deep, dark, and terrifyingly treacherous level, craved.
And then, in the evening, she would take the chains off. And she would roam the academy, a restless, fiery, and deeply, profoundly, and utterly, completely, and heartbreakingly lonely ghost.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels like "Harem Master: Seduction System" and the "Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist" and I hope you like this story and those stories as well.
Check out more chapters on my P.atreon. The P.atreon will have 20+ Chapters ahead for this story. I hope you like it.
The link of p.atreon is: bit.ly/evildragon