The next day.
As soon as Xu Cheng returned to the academy, he was stopped by Meng Hongchen.
"My grandfather wants you to go to his office," Meng Hongchen said with a bright smile, her eyes narrowing playfully.
Her silver-white hair draped over her shoulders, smooth and silky. Xu Cheng couldn't resist; he reached out and ruffled it like petting a cat, playfully messing up a few strands before finally letting go with satisfaction.
Meng Hongchen had stayed in the academy, furthering her studies in the Real-Control Soul Tool Department. Not long ago, she had just joined the Mingde Hall, preparing to become a teacher in the Real-Control Soul Tool Department after graduation.
With her family background, Jing Hongchen had already paved a bright future for her and her brother. Their social circle was filled with the elite second and third generations of the Sun-Moon Empire, ensuring that their future wouldn't be lacking.
Xu Cheng wore a warm smile.
A friend's little sister was like his own little sister, after all. Especially in the absence of Xiao, he had to take good care of her.
"Meng, if you ever have trouble, come find me. With me around, I'm sure Xiao will feel more at ease studying at Shrek Academy."
"My brother said that while he's away, I should stay as far away from you as possible…" Meng Hongchen gently played with her hair, her beautiful eyes filled with amusement.
Xu Cheng's mouth twitched.
Was it really necessary to be this wary of him?
They had been friends for so many years—didn't that warrant at least a little trust?
"Haha… Xiao was probably just joking, right?" Xu Cheng scratched his head.
"But Cheng-ge, I'm having some trouble with my soul tool studies," Meng Hongchen said, biting her lip. Her pale fingers twirled around her silver hair as her fair cheeks flushed slightly.
"Aren't you in the Real-Control Soul Tool Department?" Xu Cheng frowned slightly.
That department didn't require students to have strong manufacturing skills—just a general understanding of the process. With Meng's talent…
Meng Hongchen: "…"
I'm making it this obvious, and you're still this dense?!
The young girl fidgeted, her slender fingers gripping the hem of her light-blue dress. She looked up at Xu Cheng with teary eyes.
"But I just can't seem to learn it… Cheng-ge, do you have time to come to my dorm tonight and personally tutor me?"
"Your brother wouldn't have installed surveillance in your dorm, would he?" Xu Cheng asked nervously.
He was genuinely afraid that Xiao might find out and rush back from Shrek Academy in the middle of the night…
"Pfft~" Meng Hongchen burst into laughter and playfully rolled her eyes.
"My brother isn't that much of a pervert. Do you think he's some kind of voyeur?"
"Well… no," Xu Cheng chuckled dryly. "But… is it really okay for me to be in the girls' dorm?"
"I used to share a room with Xiaoya, but not long ago, she left to establish the Tang Sect. Since I joined Mingde Hall, I also moved into a smaller dorm closer to the lab," Meng Hongchen emphasized. "A single dorm room."
"Oh, I see…" Xu Cheng nodded.
Tang Ya had already talked to him about it.
She had even summoned the true eldest senior sister of the Tang Sect, Tang Wen, from within her body to discuss the true history of the sect.
As Xu Cheng had expected, the Tang Sect had originated in Sichuan, a region rich in talented individuals, and had always been shrouded in mystery. Its disciples were neither purely good nor purely evil. It wasn't a benevolent sect, but it certainly wasn't a notorious one either.
Hidden weapons were the hallmark of the Tang Sect, while techniques like the Mysterious Heaven Skill served as its foundation.
Tang San had been taken in by an outer sect elder, but because he secretly learned the sect's core techniques, he violated the rules and was pursued, ultimately choosing to jump off a cliff to prove his innocence.
Xu Cheng had always been curious about whether the Mysterious Heaven Skill had a limit—specifically, whether practicing it before awakening one's martial soul could raise innate soul power to the full level.
After testing it using special methods, he confirmed that the Mysterious Heaven Skill did indeed enhance innate soul power. However, reaching the full level was only possible for those already close to it—such as someone with seven or eight levels of innate soul power who started training at two or three years old. By age six, they might reach level ten. But for those with less than five levels, the improvement was minimal. The weaker the talent, the smaller the increase.
Later, with the approval of the Tang Sect's true eldest senior sister, the authentic training method of the Mysterious Heaven Skill quietly spread among the common people of the Sun-Moon Empire.
As for the so-called Tang Sect revival plan, the eldest senior sister had no intention of re-establishing the sect. Instead, she let Tang Ya continue as the sect master, traveling the world and integrating Tang Sect culture into the Sun-Moon Empire rather than remaining isolated.
"Alright, I'm free in the evenings," Xu Cheng said after a moment of thought.
Senior Sister Zhang Lexuan had gone back to the Xu family and was still immersed in reuniting with her relatives, so he didn't want to disturb her.
Juzi had joined the military, leaving all her administrative duties to Nana, who was now overwhelmed with work.
As for Ma Xiaotao… he had no idea where she had run off to.
"Then it's settled!" Meng Hongchen cheered, bouncing away like a little deer, vanishing before Xu Cheng had any chance to back out.
"What does Hall Master Jing want with me this time?" Xu Cheng mused.
Minutes later.
At the core of Mingde Hall.
Xu Cheng stared at a cold, stunning beauty before him, his mouth twitching as he cautiously asked, "Can you repeat your identity again?"
"I am Wang Qiuer, the inspector sent by the Star Dou Forest! I came to the Sun-Moon Empire to supervise you—to ensure that your actions align with your promises to us!" The beauty's voice carried a hint of impatience.
"I've repeated it several times already." She wrinkled her nose.
"So you're…" Xu Cheng's eyes widened.
"Heh, human, it's been months since we last met. I didn't expect you to still remember me," Wang Qiuer said, a rare smile flashing across her flawless face before she quickly concealed it.
"Enough chatter. Take me to see those soul beasts. If your actions don't match your promises… hmph!" Wang Qiuer's golden eyes bore into him.
Though she had a slight inclination to trust Xu Cheng due to their shared memories, she still had to strictly follow her master's orders.
Xu Cheng glanced at Jing Hongchen, who looked equally dumbfounded.
"Well, Uncle Jing, I'll take it from here."
"Haha, go ahead. Just don't disappoint the lady," Jing Hongchen said with a knowing smile.
Forming ties with the Star Dou Forest was a great opportunity for the Sun-Moon Empire. Its vast resources, both material and soul beast-related, were akin to a gold mine.
Xu Cheng led her into an elevator.
As he keyed in a password, the elevator descended rapidly, revealing various underground levels.
Wang Qiuer's breathtaking face showed a hint of surprise.
She had seen this scene in Xu Cheng's memories, but witnessing it firsthand was still shocking.
"This… is the power of soul tools?" she murmured.
"This is the power of technology—the power of knowledge," Xu Cheng corrected with a chuckle.
"Soul tools are just their manifestation. No matter what kind of power exists in this world, if we analyze its patterns and refine it over generations, it becomes what you see now. Ultimately, the true source of power is the human brain—wisdom." He tapped his temple.
"The soul tools are merely the form they take. No matter what kind of power exists in this world, as long as one finds the pattern of its operation and refines it through generations of summarization and improvement, it eventually becomes what you and I see before us today. So, in the end, it all comes back to the human brain—the crystallization of wisdom." He pointed to his head.
Xu Cheng observed Wang Qiu'er, who seemed deep in thought, while also taking a closer look at her appearance.
To be honest, if Wang Dong were also here, outsiders would immediately assume the two of them were siblings.
In the original work, the Auspicious Beast transformed into Wang Qiu'er—a perfect replica of Wang Dong'er—largely because of the soul fragment hidden within her body. Back then, in Huo Gua's* eyes, Wang Dong was always a boy.(*Huo Yuhao's nickname)
But now, with the soul fragment crushed, yet…
Could this mean that the Wang Qiu'er created by the Auspicious Beast was actually shaped by his inner thoughts?
As a transmigrator, the moment he saw Wang Dong in his male form, he would naturally be curious about what she looked like as a girl in the original work. After all, in the original, both Dong'er and Qiu'er were stunningly beautiful, ranked among the top, comparable to elite school beauties like Jiang Nannan.
So, on the foundation of Wang Dong's male form, did his own imagination add the finishing touches… resulting in the Wang Qiu'er before him?
Xu Cheng smacked his lips.
Well, whatever. What's done is done. Nothing to regret—after all, Dong'er and Qiu'er… double the happiness.
It's just that they're really hard to tell apart, and their age gap is a bit big.
In the original, Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er were "the same age," but in this life, Qiu'er had taken on human form a full four years earlier. Right now, Wang Dong was still just a little shota (or a little beauty), younger than Wang Qiu'er by a full four years.
"Ding-ding~"
As the elevator doors opened, the two stepped inside.
On either side of Elder Cheng's laboratory, the corpses of soul beasts were displayed. Inside transparent liquid-filled glass cases, some soul beasts were nearing the end of their lives, eyes closed, awaiting death.
Wang Qiu'er glanced at them, and the tension in her delicate face instantly eased.
Through the vision of her Third Eye, she could see that these soul beasts had not been mistreated. There was no resentment in them, and they had all passed away peacefully. This proved that these humans had not done anything underhanded and had indeed treated the soul beasts as they had promised.
"Elder Cheng."
Xu Cheng greeted with a smile.
Not far away, an elderly man slowly turned around, casually setting down the research-type soul tool in his hand. A warm smile appeared on his face. "Ah Cheng, and this… Inspector Envoy, welcome."
"Mm." Wang Qiu'er put on a serious expression. "Can you tell me about your research findings?"
"Of course, this way please…" Elder Cheng chuckled.
He led them down the corridor, heading straight to the innermost section.
Xu Cheng glanced around as they walked. It had been a long time since he last came here.
Looking at the displays on either side, he saw one soul beast corpse after another, their internal organs hollowed out. Each specimen was labeled with information—species, age, and a note stating that they had sacrificed themselves for science and the continuation of soul beasts.
Clearly, Elder Cheng had risen from the grassroots level; he knew how to best handle upper management. Of course, it wasn't difficult, and to gain the trust of the Great Star Dou Forest for deeper collaboration, it was well worth the effort.
"Not bad. They have given their lives for the continuation of soul beasts." Wang Qiu'er's expression was solemn.
She bowed to the surroundings.
As the Auspicious Beast, she had benefited from their sacrifice. This bow was only right.
During the subsequent explanation from Elder Cheng, she listened attentively.
After two hours of discussion, she finally let out a long breath. "So, Elder Cheng, what you're saying is that the current key difficulties lie in the conversion between spirit energy and gray energy, how to accumulate enough spirit energy to reach the desired age limit, and how to accelerate the process… I see. The Great Star Dou Forest can afford to wait. If you ever need assistance from us in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Hehe, I wouldn't say 'ask'—it's mutual cooperation." Elder Cheng maintained a humble demeanor.
And so, the first meeting concluded successfully.
On the way back.
Wang Qiu'er's attitude toward Xu Cheng had noticeably improved.
In truth, because of the memory exchange, she had instinctively wanted to be close to Xu Cheng. However, due to her master's mission, she had deliberately held back. Now that the inspection was complete and Xu Cheng had proven to be a good person, she could no longer fully restrain herself.
"Miss, aren't we standing a little too close?" Xu Cheng's mouth twitched.
"Cough, cough… Your scent is really pleasant. You know, we soul beasts don't really care about these things." Wang Qiu'er shrugged, her pretty face slightly flushed.
"Well, since it's noon… Inspector Envoy, have you had lunch?" Xu Cheng changed the subject.
"I haven't, but I'm really curious about human food. I've always wanted to try it…" Wang Qiu'er's throat moved slightly as she swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
But…
From her memories, Xu Cheng's cooking seemed even more delicious.
From his perspective, all his companions had praised his cooking endlessly.
She licked her lips, hesitant to speak.
Xu Cheng instantly understood and chuckled. "How about I cook for you personally, as a treat for the Inspector Envoy?"
"You're a prince of a nation, isn't it a bit…" Wang Qiu'er pretended to hesitate, looking left and right, but the drool threatening to escape betrayed her true thoughts.
"Hehe, I never hold back when it comes to cooking for my friends." Xu Cheng smiled warmly.
The Auspicious Beast froze for a moment, then murmured softly, "Friends…?"
Ever since she was born, she had never had any friends. She wasn't worthy of having anyone who could be called her friend, someone to accompany her as she grew up. The ones around her were either strict elders like Di Tian or caretakers like the Red King. Other soul beasts were always extremely respectful toward her, never daring to overstep.
The word "friend" was something she was hearing for the first time.
"Yes, since we've exchanged memories, we could even be called the closest of friends," Xu Cheng said with a faint smile.
"Close…" Wang Qiu'er was momentarily stunned. Her face quickly turned red.
You're a soul beast! Why are you blushing?!
Wait, could it be that there really can't be romance between humans and soul beasts?
Didn't Tang San and Xiao Wu prove otherwise ten thousand years ago…? No! Stop thinking about this! This is so embarrassing, Auspicious Beast!
But… if we really had children… would they be human? Or soul beasts? Or… a whole litter of little Auspicious Beasts?
Damn it! I need to stop thinking about this!
If we really had a whole litter of little Auspicious Beasts, what would we name them…?
Under Xu Cheng's gaze, Wang Qiu'er's fair cheeks turned completely red, the blush spreading to the tips of her ears. Her expression shifted unpredictably.
Xu Cheng: ???(End of chapter)