"Whinny—whinny!"
From the horse sheds in the forest, the panicked cries of the Hanover white horses echoed, sharp and desperate.
On the ivy bridge connecting Lake Island to the forest, Xiao Wu tossed handfuls of flowery grains into the water, laughing as colorful fish leapt after them. Suddenly her rabbit ears twitched, and she grabbed Subei's sleeve.
"Brother, did you hear that? That's Big White and Little White crying!" Without waiting, she dragged him toward the sound, her feet tapping urgently against the wood.
Behind them, Liu Erlong set her kitchen knife gracefully down, thin slices of meat stacked like translucent jade petals under her precision. Shaking her head at the children's haste, she called out gently, "Wu, slow down! The forest is slippery after the rain—don't fall!"
At that moment, another figure stepped out from the fairy-tale house: Xue Qinghe, clad in elegant scholar's robes, golden crown glinting faintly in the light.
Ever since the coronation had ended, Qinghe's mind had been restless. The palace was a thorn-thicket where even sleep carried daggers. Father, Emperor Snow Night, schemed constantly, balancing ministers against ministers. At court, a single look could mean death or favor.
Here, near Lanba Academy, Qinghe found solace. He had even purchased a villa nearby. To miss a single day here felt like enduring three years of longing. Each chance to see Subei, his "Imperial Brother," was an unspoken addiction.
"Ha… Aunt Liu," Qinghe greeted with courteous warmth, sliding smoothly into place like a son-in-law. "Your knife work shames the chefs of the palace. Every dish I've tasted here surpasses the banquets of the royal kitchens."
It was a line perfectly poised. To win the heart of Subei, he must also tie threads of goodwill to Subei's godmother. Liu Erlong was, after all, his fiercest guardian. Balancing the "mother-in-law and daughter-in-law" bond—that, too, was imperial strategy.
Erlong's eyes softened despite herself. The words, though flowery, pierced through loneliness rooted in years of painful memory. She gave a small smile. "If you like it, I'm satisfied."
But in her heart, she muttered coldly: This hand… was once perfected for another man. For him who broke my heart. He never deserved it. But my Bei'er—he will.
—
Meanwhile, deeper into the forest, Subei and Xiao Wu nearly tripped over the sight that greeted them.
Two stately white horses quivered in their pen. And crouched around them—two middle-aged men with imposing presence, one pressing his massive palm against the horse's hindquarters, the other peering intently where no mortal should.
Subei's brain snapped blank. Oh heavens above! The world is ruined, morals are gone! I can't watch this, I can't! He slapped his hand over Xiao Wu's eyes. "Not for children. Don't look, don't look!"
Unfortunately, Xiao Wu had already seen plenty. She stamped her foot with righteous fury, ears bobbing. "They're bullying Big White and Little White! Shameless! What are your hands doing back there?! Why are you inserting things?!"
The Hanover horses whinnied pitifully, hooves scraping as though crying out for deliverance.
Yu Yuanzhen straightened instantly, his weathered face tightening, withdrawing his white-gloved hand. "Misunderstanding! Don't get the wrong idea. We heard them struggling with back pain, so we… came to treat them."
"To treat them—like that?!" Xiao Wu crossed her arms, glaring daggers.
Yu Luomian opened his mouth, but the Hanover steed beside him suddenly kicked and groaned. Yu Yuanzhen slapped it on the rear to demonstrate.
"See, it's alive and well!"
But before he could elaborate, the frightened stallion squealed, its hindquarters clenched tight. PFFFFFT!
An eruption echoed like thunder. The unfortunate blast soared directly into Yu Luomian's face.
"Blaugh—!" The aged Douluo staggered back, nearly dropping to his knees. His complexion shifted from pale to green as foul stench and sticky residue clung to his cheeks. Squeezing his throat, chest heaving violently, he staggered toward the lake and dove in, gagging as he scrubbed his face.
Even Subei felt sympathy. Even a Soul Douluo can't withstand that…
"Pffft…" Subei pressed his lips together, shoulders shaking as he barely held laughter back. Xiao Wu, merciless, shouted, "Serves you right for bullying them!"
Yu Yuanzhen's jaw twitched. A Super Douluo, a man famed for unleashing lightning dragons, humiliated by a farting horse under two children's eyes! His pride screamed to summon rings, unleash a dragon roar, and punt the animal into the sky.
But he endured, burying his dignity. Cloaked in power, he chose calm.
He stood tall again, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve, and addressed Subei smoothly. "You must be Erlong's child. Nephew by blood, a grandson-in-line to us. Then consider this an offering. Join us, boy. Thunder Academy is the jewel of our clan, funded and fortified beyond Lanba. Only there will your potential shine fully."
His tone made it sound like no request at all, only decree.
—
In truth, the Blue Lightning tyrants had not come to harass the horses in lust or ignorance. Their intentions were pragmatic.
The palace whispers Yu Yuanzhen bought with blood-price weighed in his hand. A boy—seven years of age—subduing a thousand-year Hanover horse through aura alone, bearing a martial spirit of dragon-head and fish-body. The story seemed impossible.
So they had tested it themselves. Wanting to confirm age, they provoked the beasts subtly, observing the aura they released when resisting suppression. The violet shimmer told no lies. These were indeed millennium-tier warhorses.
And yet those horses had trembled, shackled not by their strength or his, but by the aura of the child Subei.
Impossible. And yet undeniable.
Now, Yu Yuanzhen saw with his own eyes. This child—their clan's niece's boy—was touched by fate.
"Lanba College is only a branch," Yu Yuanzhen pressed, his eyes glowing sharp with pride and calculation. "Thunder Academy belongs to our line, with resources unmatched. We will raise you beside Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng as siblings—three stars to bring glory to Blue Lightning once more."
Behind him, Yu Luomian emerged dripping wet, face still twisted with humiliation, but his eyes hardened as well. The brothers spoke together with unspoken accord.
A thousand-year prodigy. This is no ordinary nephew. He belongs to us.
But across from them, Xiao Wu clung to Subei's arm and hissed, "Brother, don't listen to them! They bully horses and stink of lies!"
Subei held her close, his smile faint and sharp. Behind his handsome eyes flickered thoughts of mischief.
So, the Blue Lightning clan extends its hands, does it? Wants me in chains of glory? Hmph. You old foxes think to use me? Let's see who puppeteers whom…
The Hanover horses whinnied quietly, pressing close to Xiao Wu as though thanking their savior.
The forest fell silent. Two generations of the Lightning Tyrant Dragons squared eyes against the boy who had already shaken Crown Princes and palaces alike.
--
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