Inside the command tent, General Xu Sheng and his entourage entered, circling around Xu Tianxi as if observing some rare creature. The intelligence officer tactfully rose and yielded his seat.
Once seated, Xu Sheng turned toward the slightly nervous Xu Tianxi with a gentle tone:
"Child, here in the Sun Moon Empire, we always welcome talented individuals from beyond our borders. I can hear the determination in your voice to avenge your mother, but you must prioritize taking care of yourself first. Revenge can wait a few years."
"Truthfully, the standard of living in our empire far surpasses that of the Three Great Kingdoms. I hear you're already a three-ring Soul Master—an incredibly rare talent. You'll no doubt thrive here."
Xu Tianxi nodded earnestly, eyes brimming with eagerness. "I know the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy is the number one soul engineer academy on the continent. It's the only institution that can rival Shrek Academy. Uncle Xu, could you recommend me for admission? I know a bit about soul tools too."
Before Xu Sheng could reply, Lin Jiayi and the others visibly reacted.
Wait a second… This wasn't just some bystander? Was he actually targeting them?
Xu Sheng's heart skipped a beat, though his expression remained calm. He waved a hand in faux difficulty:
"That won't be easy. The academy is our empire's highest institution. And you're newly arrived from across the border—we barely know you. I don't have strong ties to them either, so recommending you wouldn't be appropriate."
"You say you're from a hidden sect in the Heavenly Soul Empire. Can you tell me your true background? Who are your parents? The more we know, the better I can help you. I might even be able to contact someone from the academy."
Classic deflection, Lin Jiayi thought.
Xiao Hongchen's mouth twitched—this General Xu sure could act. Meng Hongchen even let out a soft giggle, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
Xu Tianxi silently thought, If I hadn't recognized those two white-haired twins, I might've actually bought your act. Old man, you've got talent.
Still, he didn't expose Xu Sheng's bluff. Instead, he reached into his chest pocket and retrieved a purple-gold token, handing it to Xu Sheng.
"My father is the current patriarch of the Xuanming Sect. I'm third-ranked among my generation. This token belonged to my maternal great-grandfather—perhaps it can verify my identity."
Xu Sheng accepted the token casually with a friendly smile, but his gaze turned serious as he looked it over.
The moment he saw it, his pupils constricted. His hand holding the token trembled slightly.
Looking back at Xu Tianxi, his eyes were now wide with shock. He blurted out:
"Where did you get this token? How do you have it?! Who was your great-grandfather?!"
Lin Jiayi and the others immediately took notice. Those who recognized the token gasped, their expressions shifting to disbelief.
Though aged, the purple-gold token bore a finely-carved imperial dragon emblem—majestic and sacred. It was unmistakably the insignia of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, one of the Five Hands Protecting the Nation, representing the highest-level soul engineer corps under direct royal command.
And this kind of token? Only deputy commander-level officers and above could possess it.
Wait a minute… Xu Tianxi. He actually shares the Xu surname? And his name includes "Tian"—a Heaven-ranked generation name?
Xu Sheng and Lin Jiayi reached the same realization. Xu Sheng's thoughts raced—he combed through his entire family tree, but couldn't immediately link Xu Tianxi to any known branch.
"I've never met my maternal grandfather or great-grandfather," Xu Tianxi replied, shaking his head. "But the elders told me my great-grandfather's name was Zhen, surname Kong. He was from a cadet branch of the royal family."
"Senior Kong Zhen was your great-grandfather?!" Xu Sheng nearly lost his composure. He leapt forward and grabbed Xu Tianxi by the collar in excitement.
"Then what about your grandfather? Your mother? What happened to them?!"
Realizing that this boy might be the descendant of an old comrade, Xu Sheng couldn't hold back. He urgently pressed for answers.
Xu Tianxi's eyes welled with tears. His voice trembled as he choked back sobs.
"They're gone. All gone. I heard that my grandfather died long ago, slain by a sea soul beast while hunting for a soul ring. My mother… she entered Shrek Academy and was killed by those damned old men…"
The tear-triggering pill he swallowed earlier took effect. No longer suppressing his emotions, tears streamed freely down his face. He broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably. Xu Sheng froze, at a loss.
He looked to Lin Jiayi.
Xu Sheng: He doesn't seem to be lying. What do we do? Take him in?
Lin Jiayi: We still need to verify his background, but it's possible.
Xu Sheng: Understood. Let me press further.
He handed Xu Tianxi a tissue and gently wiped away his tears.
"Child, if you really are the great-grandson of Elder Kong Zhen, I might've known your grandfather. Tell Uncle Xu—how exactly did your mother die? How was she harmed by Shrek?"
"My mother's name was Kong Xiyue. She was the former top student of Shrek's Inner Court—a former member of the Shrek Seven Devils three generations ago. Years ago, during a soul beast hunt in the Star Dou Great Forest, twelve Inner Court students were ambushed by a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. My mother was among them."
"But the team leader, that old bastard Xuanzi, failed to act in time. Eight students, including my mother, died. When Shrek's dean, Yan Shaozhe, came to apologize to our sect, he had the nerve to shift the blame onto my mother."
"My master's master beat him to a pulp. I even slapped Yan Shaozhe myself. After that, he returned to Shrek full of hatred and colluded with the sect leader's wife—Princess Xue Lingxun of the Douling Empire—to oppress me from within."
"I had no choice… I had to flee and seek shelter with my granduncle…"
At this point, a clear female voice cut in, tinged with sympathy.
"Then why did you cross Mingdou Mountain Range to come here?"
Xu Tianxi turned to see the complicated expression of Meng Hongchen. Without hesitation, he replied:
"My granduncle treats me like his own and trains me diligently… But that's not enough. If I want revenge against Shrek, this is the only place with that power… Only your empire can make it happen…"
As he spoke, his voice broke. His body trembled, vision darkened, and he collapsed forward in a faint.
"Watch out!"
Xu Sheng hurried to catch him, then barked at the intelligence officer:
"Clear out a top-tier room for this child! If anything happens to him, I'll hold you personally responsible!"
"Y-yes, sir!" The officer scooped up Xu Tianxi and ran off to settle him in.
Back in the command tent, Xu Sheng was all seriousness now. He turned to Lin Jiayi:
"Director Lin, if what this boy said is true, then there's at least a 70% chance he's Elder Kong Zhen's descendant. If his story checks out, I hope you'll accept him into the academy and give him the best cultivation support—on my account."
Xu Tianxi's tale was too intricate to fabricate easily—linking the Xuanming Sect, Shrek's top Inner Court student Kong Xiyue, Dean Yan Shaozhe, and even the Douling Empire's princess. There was too much at stake.
Lin Jiayi nodded, then added cautiously:
"His story seems credible… but we must consider the slim possibility that he's an undercover agent planted by Shrek or one of the three kingdoms."
"If that's true, their intent must be monumental."
Xu Sheng's expression grew grim. "That's a fair point. We'll question him further once he wakes up. I'll also dispatch scouts to investigate the Three Kingdoms. Director Lin, I'll need you to remain for now."
"Of course," Lin Jiayi agreed. "He doesn't seem older than twelve, yet he's already a Soul Ancestor—and not just newly advanced. That level of talent is top-tier even by Shrek's standards. We can't afford to be careless."
"Cough, Director Lin," came a slightly untimely voice. "Is being under twelve and reaching Soul Ancestor really that shocking?"
They didn't need to look—both men knew it was Xiao Hongchen.
Lin Jiayi threw up his hands with a wry smile.
"Yes, yes, I know you hit Soul Elder at twelve. But you had enough pills and resources to fill a warehouse! Even if his granduncle's a Titled Douluo, he wouldn't be able to match the dean's investment in you."
Xiao Hongchen opened his mouth to protest—his achievements weren't just from pills!
But before he could speak, his sister Meng Hongchen interjected sweetly:
"Of course! But Brother also loves absorbing metallic elements for cultivation~"
Xiao Hongchen was left speechless, thoroughly shut down.
Then Meng Hongchen turned back with a dazzling smile.
"By the way, Director Lin, General Xu, my brother and I find this boy fascinating. How about we help you question him when he wakes up?"
Her playful gaze sparkled with interest.
Xiao Hongchen blinked. Wait—when did I agree to that?
Before he could object, Lin Jiayi slapped a hand on their shoulders like a general assigning a vital mission.
"Excellent! You're the dean's grandchildren. The academy's future lies with you. Vetting new students is your responsibility."
Meng Hongchen accepted with a cheerful grin.
Xiao Hongchen's bewildered face quickly shifted to a look of familial pride. He stood straight, puffed out his chest, and declared,
"Don't worry, Director Lin! Leave it to us!"
For the future of the Hongchen Clan—I fear nothing!
Lin Jiayi chuckled to himself. Finally got those two brats assigned. Time for some peace and quiet.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin