"A real man must be tempered by blood and fire."
Xu Cheng smiled as he spoke to Xu Tianzhen, who was tugging on his arm, swaying side to side with tears at the corners of her eyes.
"But this time…" Xu Tianzhen pouted in dissatisfaction.
"Enough, everything else can be discussed—except this." Xu Cheng casually waved his hand.
"…" Xu Tianzhen drooped her head. "Alright…"
Though she had always been willful and spoiled by the royal family, she understood her older brother's limits. When he said no, it meant absolutely not. Even if the emperor himself came, it wouldn't change a thing.
Her brother's personality might seem easygoing on the surface, but deep down he was as stubborn as they come.
"Then… then at least protect him a little more." Xu Tianzhen took a step back, clinging to Xu Cheng's arm and pleading sweetly, "He's your brother-in-law—your real brother-in-law! If anything happens to him, I won't want to live either!"
Xu Cheng: "..."
His fists clenched involuntarily.
But in the end, he just sighed and patted Xu Tianzhen's head.
"He'll be fine. Treat it as a trial by fire. A talent like him, throwing him to the front lines as cannon fodder would be a waste."
He had already tested it: Huo Yuhao was a true chosen one.
Like a blank sheet of paper—clean and flawless. Whether it was personality or innate talent, he could be shaped and refined from the ground up.
If not for Xu Cheng's intervention, with Huo Yuhao's original talent—and without the super external buffs like Tianmeng, the Snow Empress, Ice Empress, Electrolux, etc.—he wouldn't have been able to achieve three martial soul awakenings, advance to Level 4 Soul Engineer in one year, and experience so many fateful opportunities (like being taken as a disciple by Xuan Ziwen, sacrificing an immortal herb, and attracting many girls at the academy due to his improved looks. But much like Ji Juechen, he focused solely on soul tools and was emotionally immature).
In the original story, Huo Yuhao was brainwashed by Shrek Academy from a young age—possibly orchestrated by Tang San—turning into a loyal dog by the end.
Xu Cheng believed that his moral compass was questionable in the original, but with the right environment, his worldview could be reshaped. Xu Cheng was confident he could "convert" him.
Besides, regardless of his flaws, Huo Yuhao was someone who repaid kindness with deep gratitude. As long as they stood on the same side, he was pretty dependable.
"Really?" Xu Tianzhen's eyes widened, her face lighting up with joy.
She then turned and began humming a tune, ready to leave.
"How far have you two gone?" Xu Cheng suddenly asked.
"I kissed his cheek…" Xu Tianzhen blurted out without thinking.
But the next second, she realized something was wrong. She slowly turned her head, trembling.
There stood Xu Cheng, now looming larger and shrouded in darkness. At some point, a long blade had appeared in his hand. His other hand gently stroked the blade's edge. His face was veiled in shadow, and when he lifted his head, his eyes gleamed with eerie light.
"Brotheeerrr!!!" Xu Tianzhen cried out in fear.
"Achoo!"
Huo Yuhao suddenly felt a chill down his spine and sneezed. He looked around and let out a sigh of relief.
"You okay? You're a prince consort—shouldn't you be enjoying life with the royals? Why are you out here risking your life with rough guys like us?" Xing Yi clapped him on the shoulder and sat down beside him with a sigh.
"My life belongs to Brother Cheng. Being a prince consort… doesn't matter to me. As long as I can help Brother Cheng, I'm happy to do my part," Huo Yuhao replied earnestly.
"You know His Highness?" Xing Yi asked with interest, then nodded. "Makes sense. His Highness has always been kind and compassionate. The number of people he's saved—be they civilians or soul masters—is uncountable. It's your blessing to be saved by him."
"Captain, what is His Highness like in your eyes?" Huo Yuhao suddenly asked, curious.
"A man worth dying for," Xing Yi's expression turned solemn.
He glanced at the young Huo Yuhao, his eyes softening.
"I was born a commoner. When my martial soul awakened, I entered the Royal Soul Tool Academy. But because Mingdu is near the Holy Spirit Church's territory, our village was often attacked by evil soul masters. Our village chief and elders tried to report it, but the next day their heads were delivered back to the village."
"My younger brother was quite talented. He was already studying at the Royal Academy, but one day a passing young evil soul master took a liking to him and devoured his soul. He died even younger than you are now."
As he spoke, Xing Yi gestured with his hand to indicate the height.
"That soul master was supposedly a genius in the Holy Spirit Church. Afterward, the church suppressed the incident with brute force."
"The Holy Spirit Church? How could they do such things?" Huo Yuhao looked dazed. After all, under Sister Xiaoya and Nana's arrangement, his missions had always involved helping people and aiding civilians.
"That was the Holy Spirit Church ten years ago." Xing Yi smiled faintly.
"What you're seeing now is the current church, reformed under His Highness. Over the past ten years, he's led purges of multiple evil soul master strongholds around Mingdu, wiping out thousands of them. The survivors now cower in dark corners, barely surviving…"
"I'm a commoner, so this change hit me hard."
"As an ordinary man, how hard do you think it is to fight back against the Holy Spirit Church? Even a single soul master could kill you like nothing. But His Highness gave us a path to live."
"He gave us a life with dignity. That's why we love him. Even if he gave a senseless order to die, I wouldn't hesitate."
"If you're asking about His Highness's prestige within the military—people like me, we're the majority. He's like the sun, illuminating countless lives… Do you think what he's done is easy? Have many other leaders done the same? Only he stepped up."
"He sees us as people. He sees every ordinary citizen of the Sun Moon Empire as a person."
Xing Yi's voice was gentle.
By the time Huo Yuhao came back to his senses, a crowd had gathered around them.
"Yuhao, if you ever meet His Highness, please… oh, never mind. He's always so busy—don't bother him."
"Yeah. If I could see the Crown Prince once before I die, I'd die without regrets."
"..."
Looking at these people, Huo Yuhao felt a deep tremor in his soul.
He had respected Xu Cheng before because Xu Cheng had saved him. His mother had taught him to repay even the smallest kindness. But now…
"All preparations complete? What are you loafing around for?" Xing Yi suddenly shouted.
"Yes, Captain! All four of the underground chain formations we're responsible for are ready!" a squad leader reported.
"Good. Make sure everyone rests well. Arrange the shifts and keep security tight!" Xing Yi nodded slightly.
"Come with me. You're sticking with me."
He waved to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao nodded.
They walked through a long corridor carved into the underground and entered a metal-filled chamber packed with weapons and several display screens.
The Underground Chains—
As the name implied, a network of connections buried deep beneath the ground.
(End of chapter.)