The gate burst open with a thunderous crash, the heavy metal door slamming out a dull echo.
The guards' faces went pale in an instant, hands hovering over the alarms at their waists, not daring to act rashly.
To carry on like this at Spirit Pagoda headquarters, whoever it was, they were no ordinary person.
Inside, the hall opened up wide, and the Spirit Masters working there paused at the sound, every gaze snapping toward the entrance.
When they made out Na'er's familiar silver hair and her domineering stride, some faces filled with shock and confusion, while others quickly ducked their heads down.
"How dare you! Causing such a scene at the Spirit Pagoda!" An elderly man in a purple uniform, a badge pinned to his chest, strode over quickly. He was a Soul Douluo tier expert.
But the moment he got a clear look at Na'er's face, the fury on his own froze in place.
In the next instant, he bowed so fast the motion blurred. "This subordinate greets the young mistress!"
As the personal disciple of Leng Yaozhu, Na'er more than deserved the title of young mistress.
As for whether the Qiangu family would have any objections to that title, well, there just happened to be no one from the Qiangu family present.
If there had been, the old man wouldn't have called her that at all.
Just office politics.
That single word, "young mistress," sent an immediate uproar through the group from Class Zero. Xie Xie's eyes went wide, his mouth open enough to fit an egg inside.
Xu Xiaoyan's reaction was the biggest of all. She clapped a hand over her mouth, staring at Na'er in disbelief.
Her heart sank with dread.
How was she supposed to compete with Na'er for Arthur now?
She had already begun spinning out a whole drama in her head: in the future battle for Arthur, one word from Na'er, and she'd have the Spirit Pagoda tear the Xu family apart, root and branch.
"Brother, Father, please go in peace." Xu Xiaoyan sank into a private moment of mourning.
This baffling reaction left Wu Changkong, who had been quietly observing his students, utterly at a loss.
Na'er straightened her back, radiating authority. "Yes, at ease. Clear out a few rooms for me. I'm bringing friends to stay."
"Yes! This subordinate will see to it right away!" The old man didn't dare show the slightest hesitation and hurried off to handle it.
Na'er's reputation within the Pagoda was well known to everyone. Cross her, and she really would call Leng Yaozhu down to deal with it herself.
And Leng Yaozhu doted on Na'er so much that she really would bully the weak on her behalf without a second thought.
"Hmph, come on, let me show you around the upper levels." Na'er lifted her chin and puffed out her chest, every bit the boss lady, leading the group toward the elevators.
The elevator was built from special spirit-guided materials, its speed staggering, the scenery outside the windows rushing past in a blur. Before long, they arrived at the upper floor.
They pushed open the door, and a massive floor-to-ceiling window came into view, the entire panorama of Shrek City laid out before them.
The room's furnishings were luxurious without losing their taste, all manner of rare spirit-guided instruments arrayed within.
"This is way too extravagant!" Tang Wulin's eyes went wide, dazzled by the sight.
Xie Xie crowded over too, clicking his tongue in amazement. "This view is incredible! Even better than I imagined!"
Wu Changkong walked to the window, his gaze sweeping toward the distant direction of Shrek Academy, lost in thought.
Arthur, meanwhile, sat on the sofa, watching the others horse around, a faint smile rising at the corner of his mouth.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, the voice arriving before the person. "Little sister Na'er, why didn't you tell me you were back? I would have come to welcome you."
After a knock, Qiangu Zhangting walked in.
Qiangu Zhangting wore the formal silver-and-gold-trimmed attire of the Spirit Pagoda, his posture upright, his brow carrying a touch of deliberate warmth. His eyes swept past everyone else and landed directly on Na'er.
"What the hell." Na'er's temper flared instantly, and she was about to lunge at him without a second thought, then suddenly remembered Arthur was right there and that she ought to mind her image a little.
She paused, then said irritably, "Who are you calling little sister? Is that a title you've earned? Go ahead and try."
"Haha…" The warm smile on Qiangu Zhangting's face froze for a beat before smoothing back over as though nothing had happened.
Qiangu Dongfeng, in pursuit of a better relationship with Leng Yaozhu, had told him to build a good rapport with Na'er.
And so, the moment Na'er got back, Qiangu Dongfeng had sent him over.
Qiangu Zhangting's tone carried a note of ingratiating tolerance. "My apologies for the presumption, Na'er."
Then his gaze finally swept over the others in the room, and when it landed on Gu Yue, his pupils contracted slightly.
Qiangu Zhangting's eyes fixed on Gu Yue's face, his throat bobbing involuntarily.
The girl's long hair draped over her shoulders, her plain robes setting off skin fairer than snow, and her eyes, cold and clear as a frozen pool, sent his heart lurching, his breath stumbling out of rhythm.
In over twenty years of life, he had seen countless daughters of noble houses, yet none had ever struck him with an impact this strong.
That aloof, cold pride of hers held his gaze fast, drawing him forward almost without thinking.
He'd been staring a beat too long. Gu Yue's brow furrowed slightly, and she was on the verge of snapping at him when Arthur stepped in front of her, blocking his line of sight.
Arthur rose unhurriedly, yet carried with him an air that brooked no argument. He positioned himself between Gu Yue and Qiangu Zhangting, his gaze level as he looked at the other man. "Buddy, that's a bit rude."
Whenever anyone in the group ran into trouble, Arthur was always the first to step up.
In the original story, Qiangu Zhangting fell for Gu Yue at first sight, an outcome that couldn't be avoided.
Watching the back in front of her, the tension in Gu Yue's brow eased, and an odd feeling stirred in her chest.
"My apologies." Qiangu Zhangting snapped back to himself, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face before the deliberate warmth reasserted itself.
Only now his gaze toward Arthur carried a touch more scrutiny as he turned to Na'er and asked, "Na'er, and this friend of yours is?"
Na'er ignored him entirely, too busy staring, a little jealous, at the sight of Arthur standing guard in front of Gu Yue. She was so envious.
Getting no answer, the atmosphere sank into an awkward, uncomfortable silence.
Qiangu Zhangting's eyes flicked back and forth between Arthur's back and Gu Yue, and bit by bit, his forced warmth started to crack.
He cleared his throat, trying to break the tension. "Since you're friends of Na'er's, that makes you honored guests of the Spirit Pagoda. Why don't I play host and arrange a banquet at the Pagoda, to welcome you all properly?"
Then he turned, aiming his next words precisely at Gu Yue. "And if Miss Gu Yue is interested, I could also show you around the Pagoda's various soul spirit exhibition halls. There are quite a few rare soul spirits on display there."
"No need." Gu Yue's voice stayed as cool and clear as ever, and she shifted another half-step behind Arthur. "We still have matters to discuss."
That small detail was more than Na'er could stand to watch. She flapped a hand impatiently. "Scram, scram, scram, this has nothing to do with you, quit being an eyesore."
In that instant, two competing thoughts warred inside Qiangu Zhangting's head: his grandfather's orders to win Na'er over, and his own desire to get closer to Gu Yue.
Utterly hopeless at reading a room, he simply short-circuited.
Having devoted himself to cultivation since childhood, and being Qiangu Dongfeng's grandson besides, he had no clue whatsoever when it came to social matters.
Caught between the two halves of his brain warring against each other, his face flushed red. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then finally just turned and walked toward the door, his steps flustered, almost like a retreat.
"What happened?" Tang Wulin, having just finished admiring the view of Shrek City, turned around, scratching his head at the strange atmosphere in the room.
"Alright, that's enough." Wu Changkong cut through the moment, his voice cool. "I've already contacted Shrek Academy. The rest of you had better get ready for the assessment."