"Cheng-ge~"
Inside the Mingde Hall.
Meng Hongchen clung tightly to his arm, pouting and acting all coy and reluctant.
No reason, no goal—just pure desire to spend more time with Xu Cheng. Like a pair of love-struck young lovers, they were glued to each other at every opportunity. Even the most boring topics could be talked about endlessly with joy.
"You don't have class this afternoon?"
They were in the lab of Lin Jiayi, the supervisor of the Control Department, inside Mingde Hall.
But at the moment, the lab was empty. Lin had left early after seeing the two getting all lovey-dovey.
Wang Qiu'er had also gone to Elder Cheng's research lab—not because she had to fulfill her duties as an inspector, but because she was genuinely interested. She even offered her own blood essence multiple times, leaving Elder Cheng sighing in admiration—this girl really has a sincere heart.
"I do~ And it's a combat class." Meng Hongchen sneakily glanced around, then went to shut the lab door. With her hands behind her back, she bounced over and pushed Xu Cheng down into a chair.
"If it's a combat class… you should rest up a bit." Xu Cheng twitched his mouth.
"Alright~ I'll listen to you." Meng Hongchen gathered up her skirt and straddled Xu Cheng's lap, a playful smile blooming on her face.
Rustling softly, her delicate hands cupped his face and—without waiting another second—she started kissing him.
Xu Cheng: "…"
A beauty in his arms, sweet fragrance and soft jade—what was unattainable in his past life now came so easily in this one.
"What if I take some interest now? What if I can't find you later?" A few minutes later, Meng Hongchen lifted her head, panting slightly, her flushed face radiant as she gently poked his chest.
Xu Cheng swallowed hard. Where did this girl learn to be like this? Like a little fox—utterly enchanting.
Especially those long, narrow eyes looking down at him—it gave a… very particular kind of thrill.
Meng Hongchen wiped her glistening red lips, her eyes seductive.
Seeing Xu Cheng slightly entranced made her all the more pleased.
The magazine was right—men do like this kind of thing…
She had even specially picked up the latest Young Lords of the Sun Moon Empire magazine, bought all sorts of perfumes, outfits, and even some… racier clothing. She didn't get the chance to wear it here, but tonight at home, she definitely would.
Knock knock knock~
Just as the atmosphere in the lab was heating up—
A knock came at the worst possible time.
Meng Hongchen lifted her head in a panic. A silver strand of saliva still connected their lips.
"Who is it…" Even her usually good-natured self couldn't help but sound annoyed. But considering this was Lin Jiayi's lab, it could only be Lin himself, Wang Qiu'er, or a senior student who had gone to the military for training.
So despite her reluctance, she quickly helped Xu Cheng tidy their clothes and the slightly messy surroundings.
Several minutes later.
When they finally opened the door—
The lab looked completely normal again. Both were composed, showing no signs of earlier intimacy.
But Meng Hongchen froze when she saw the visitor. Her lips parted, and her voice faltered with guilt, "Grandpa, w-why are you here?"
"I'm here to talk to this kid. You still have training this afternoon, so go rest for now…" Jing Hongchen smiled warmly.
As she turned to leave, he sighed softly.
Looking at the properly-dressed Xu Cheng, his mouth twitched. With his strength as a Rank 9 soul engineer, he could easily sense what had gone on in the lab, even with the concealment soul devices outside.
But since it involved his granddaughter, he only gave a subtle reminder.
Even if Xu Cheng was talented and outstanding, there was still that feeling of watching your precious cabbage being eaten by a pig.
Heartache…
"Please sit, Elder Jing," Xu Cheng said with a smile.
"Aren't you going to ask what I came for?" Jing Hongchen plopped into a seat casually.
"Probably about Shrek, right…" Xu Cheng said calmly.
"Hahahaha! I knew it! Those arrogant guys think they'll always be number one, but in the end, you played them like a fiddle." Jing Hongchen laughed heartily, clearly in a good mood.
"Here, a secret letter from Shrek." He handed Xu Cheng a letter.
"It came by a ten-thousand-year-old Thunderbird—extremely fast, even a Hyper Douluo would struggle to catch it. But unfortunately, it doesn't understand how our 'walls' work in the Sun Moon Empire. I always know who comes and goes in the capital. The only question is whether I want to know—not whether I can."
He looked smug. The Sun Moon Empire had no city walls—because it didn't need them. They were "in the way." In times of war, unless you were an Ultimate Douluo, it was nearly impossible to sneak into the city.
And the moment that bird crossed the "walls," the message simultaneously appeared on his desk.
"'Mu En critically ill. Return urgently?'"
Xu Cheng read aloud, then chuckled.
"Do you believe this, Elder?"
"I don't. It's pure bluffing. But… Shrek calling Zhang Lexuan back so anxiously—could it be that you and she…?" Jing Hongchen looked nosy.
"She's of royal blood. Technically, you should call her Princess," Xu Cheng said with a grin.
"Huh???" Jing Hongchen blinked in confusion.
"You know Xu Jiangnian? The head of the Royal Soul Engineer Legion? She's his younger sister. I'm sure you've heard about what happened thirty years ago." Xu Cheng smiled faintly.
Hiss… Jing Hongchen sucked in a breath.
No wonder she could perform a martial soul fusion with Xu Cheng—turns out it was due to shared bloodline.
Even though it was distant—about five hundred years back—it still counted. All from the same soul lineage.
"No wonder Xu Jiangnian suddenly became super friendly with you. I thought you bribed him or something. Turns out you hit his weak spot." Jing Hongchen chuckled and shook his head.
The Xu family were all infamous for spoiling their daughters—especially Xu Jiangnian.
Right now, within the Sun Moon Empire, what once seemed like a fierce imperial power struggle was now clearly tilting toward Xu Cheng. Even the only real rival—the Fourth Prince—had his claws pulled out (losing both his Soul Engineer Legion and the Prime Minister).
With near-complete military support and Mingde Hall backing him, Xu Cheng's succession was practically guaranteed in a few years.
The only real threat was the Holy Spirit Cult—but with Xu Cheng's methods, he had likely already prepared a counterplan.
"If Meng marries you in the future, then the entire Mingde Hall will be her dowry." Jing Hongchen suddenly said.
"What about Xiao Hongchen?" Xu Cheng asked, puzzled.
Jing Hongchen waved it off: "He's part of the dowry too."
[Lmao. I can't stop laughing at this]
Xu Cheng: "…"
Xiao Hongchen inherits Mingde Hall… and becomes Meng's dowry.
Makes sense.
Well, wonder how Xiao would react if he knew…
It seemed Jing Hongchen was determined to tie himself to Xu Cheng—not as a mere ally, but as true "family."
Of course, maybe he also hoped to aim for the title of Empress rather than Imperial Consort. After all, one word makes all the difference in status.
But truth be told, this old man was a real "angel investor." Even earlier than Elder Cheng. He'd arranged for Xu Cheng and Xiao Hongchen to room together from the start—his intentions had always been clear.
But Xu Cheng didn't really care about the whole "empress or not" thing. He was destined to become a god anyway—why get hung up on worldly titles?
"What do you think of Ning Tian from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?" Jing Hongchen asked.
"Ning Tian? That little girl's pretty sharp. Has real talent for soul tools too. Advanced to the first rank in just a few months." Xu Cheng was surprised. "Why are you suddenly asking?"
"Well, many reclusive sects have sent disciples to the Sun Moon Empire, but they'll likely return home someday. I'm thinking of finding a few key ones to cultivate—people we can really rely on." Jing Hongchen mused.
"You're overthinking it. Serving the Empire doesn't conflict with serving one's sect." Xu Cheng replied. "You're worried that this current prosperity is just an illusion, that once things change, all these talents we trained will only benefit their own sects, right?"
"Mm…" Jing Hongchen nodded.
They had lived through too much hardship. Now that life was good, it almost felt unreal.
"Take Shrek Academy for example. A bunch of sects—including the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—recently pulled out their disciples. But even so, about a third of the inner court disciples chose to stay."
"Do you know what that means? It means cutting ties with their families, losing all support, and even facing scorn—but they didn't hesitate. They stayed."
Xu Cheng's voice grew soft.
"Of course, this might be due to Shrek's brainwashing. Fighting for Shrek's glory—even betting their lives in tournaments—for nothing but a reputation."
"Well then, let's offer something bigger. A vision of unity, peace, and a new world order. Trust me, Elder Jing—these kids join us at age eleven, graduate at sixteen, then go to the army or Mingde Hall. Their sense of identity will be strong, born from friendships, love, and years of shared experiences."
"It won't take generations. In just six years, I believe half of them will stay in the Empire. They won't want to leave—because this place is their youth…"
"..."
Jing Hongchen stayed silent for a long time.
"Phew… You really gave me a lesson, kid." He exhaled, visibly feeling enlightened.
"I wouldn't dare. As for Ning Tian—she may be a clan heiress, but if nurtured, she won't betray us. Merchants care about profit, but not only profit."
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had relocated their whole family here. Clearly, Ning Hao had gone all in—betting everything on the Sun Moon Empire.
And for good reason. If the clan didn't want to fade into obscurity, they had to make a bold move. They were lucky this gamble was paying off.
Ever since Ning Rongrong ascended to the Divine Realm ten thousand years ago, she left behind little more than a name. The clan had given so much—two elders had even died in service—without any reward. Their decline began from there.
Today, aside from their wealth, they barely made the top ten powers on the continent.
Back in the day? They were top three!
So of course, Ning Hao wouldn't burn his bridge with the Empire.
"Mm."
Jing Hongchen finally relaxed.
He was about to leave—but Xu Cheng called out, "Elder Jing, about Xue Ling'er—she's decided to participate in the trial."
"She's too eye-catching…" Jing Hongchen frowned.
"She may be in human form, but she's retained at least fifty percent of her power." Xu Cheng said, sipping his tea.
"Fifty… fifty percent?!!"
Jing Hongchen's shocked voice echoed through the lab.
-----------------
Shrek Academy.
Xiao Hongchen was voraciously absorbing knowledge about martial souls. Shrek Academy's research into martial souls could be said to be extremely thorough—especially with Wang Yan, who had read the Seagod Pavilion's hidden archives, pointing out several of Xiao Hongchen's weaknesses with sharp precision. It made him want to bow down on the spot in admiration.
The Sun Moon Empire, on the other hand, leaned more toward the study of soul tools. For them, martial souls could just be boosted with medicine to raise soul power—nothing else mattered much.
But in reality, that only applied to most ordinary soul masters, whose potential in a lifetime might never rise above the level of Soul Sage.
For a genius like Xiao Hongchen, someone with the potential to lead an entire era, this approach was a complete waste of talent. In fact, this issue had been realized by Jing Hongchen in the original work—he came to understand that focusing solely on soul tools wasn't enough. That's why he personally promoted the exchange between the two academies.
Ma Rulong, and even Ji Juechen, had also gained a lot over these past few days from attending Wang Yan's lectures. They now had a much deeper understanding of their own martial souls.
"Sigh, where's Old Ji? He's gone to the dueling arena again?" Lin Xi draped an arm over Xiao Hongchen's shoulder, smirking mischievously.
"Probably. He's practically living there now. Ever since he defeated a sixth-year outer court student with a single sword strike not long ago, it's like he's discovered a new continent. When he actively challenges others, most people tend to refuse—after all, everyone's busy with their cultivation. But if he just acts a little cold, a little arrogant, then stronger students start lining up to fight him…"
Xiao Hongchen shook his head helplessly as he recalled the past half month.
"And up to now, he's still undefeated, which has only made the Shrek students even more upset."
"Most of the strong inner court members of Shrek have gone on exchange to the Sun Moon Empire. The ones left behind are either too old to make a move, or they're just Soul Kings and Soul Emperors—not really a match for Old Ji. So he's been having a blast," Lin Xi said with emotion.
"Old Ji definitely isn't happy. Even if he wants to win, he wouldn't want to win like this—taking shortcuts. So… he's forcing the stronger inner court members to come down and fight him," Xiao Hongchen said, arms crossed over his chest, speaking with a quiet sigh.
Just then, Ji Juechen's challenge announcement echoed through the loudspeakers.
"Wanna go check it out?"
"Let's go."
(End of chapter)