Night of Change

When the topic of Nana came up, the group lost their desire to continue shopping.

After finishing their meal, they each headed home.

During dinner, Luan Feng also arrived at Luan Yu's home.

Due to her official duties, Luan Feng rarely had the chance to dine with Liuxing and the others. Her arrival brought them great joy.

As they ate, Liuxing once again brought up the matter of Nana's family with Luan Yu.

"Auntie, how is the investigation I asked you to look into last time going?"

Luan Yu furrowed her brows and replied in a serious tone, "There is indeed a group of mysterious individuals appearing in Mingdu. They have been frequently taking away your classmate's mother, and not just her, others as well. However, their movements are extremely elusive, and the people I sent to track them were unable to keep up."

At this point, Luan Yu glanced at Luan Feng .

There was something else she didn't mention: she had initially wanted to investigate further, but her elder sister, Luan Feng, had stopped her.

Luan Feng put down her chopsticks and looked at Liuxing and Liuying with a gentle expression. "You two, don't worry about this matter for now. Let Auntie handle it. Mingdu might experience some turbulence in the near future. Aside from home and the academy, try to avoid going out too much. Rest assured, your classmate's mother will be fine. Auntie promises you that."

Liuxing's heart sank.

Turbulence in Mingdu? What kind of turbulence?

And what role did Nana's mother play in all of this?

Thinking of Xu Tianran, Shangguan Wei'er, and now Aunt Feng, three major figures,it seemed something significant was about to happen in Mingdu.

However, Aunt Feng's assurance did ease Liuxing's worries somewhat.

He didn't want to get involved in other matters, nor did he have the ability to do so.

But Nana was a close friend, and if he could help, he would.

"Sister, what exactly are you all planning?" Luan Yu's expression darkened.

She wasn't foolish and had noticed some unusual signs.

If it weren't for Liuxing asking her to investigate Nana's mother, she wouldn't have realized that Mingdu was already simmering with undercurrents.

It wasn't entirely Luan Yu's fault.

She was more of a free spirit, with some connections but no real power base.

In certain matters, she was bound to be a step behind.

"Your task for now is to take care of Liuxing and Liuying. Don't get involved in anything else," Luan Feng said, her tone carrying a warning as she stared at Luan Yu.

"You—" Luan Yu wanted to say more, but Luan Feng cut her off with a wave of her hand. Her expression was stern.

"You chose freedom, so there are some things you shouldn't ask about."

"I—" Luan Yu was left speechless. It was true, she had chosen freedom, and there were indeed matters she shouldn't meddle in.

Moreover, now that she had Liuxing and Liuying to look after, she couldn't afford to get entangled in such affairs.

But she was still worried about Luan Feng. While she could stay out of it, Luan Feng was clearly deeply involved.

"Don't worry. I am the leader of the Phoenix Soul Engineer Corps, a nine-ring soul engineer. As long as I don't make any mistakes, no one can touch me. Don't forget, our teacher is still here."

Hearing this, Luan Yu finally suppressed her anxiety.

That was true, as long as their teacher was around, and as long as they didn't make any mistakes, no one in the Sun Moon Empire could easily move against the sisters.

Luan Yu also believed that Luan Feng wouldn't make any mistakes.

After all, her sister was highly intelligent and commanded one of the five great protectorates of the Sun Moon Empire.

One needed considerable skill to hold such a position.

Liuxing and Liuying exchanged glances, both feeling somewhat helpless.

Being too young had its drawbacks.

Even if they wanted to know the specifics, Luan Feng wouldn't tell them.

After all, they were still just kids.

If even Luan Yu was kept in the dark, there was no way they would be informed.

All they could do was stay at home or at the academy, avoid going out too much, and not cause any trouble for Aunt Feng. That was the best way they could help.

•••••

Prince's Mansion. Xu Tianran gazed in the direction of the imperial palace and softly asked, "Has Tianzhen gone to sleep?"

A black-clad figure behind him bowed and replied, "Your Highness, the princess is in her room meditating and cultivating."

"Oh, so this little girl has finally started putting effort into her cultivation. It seems letting her interact with those children was the right decision."

"Your Highness, the princess has not given up on investigating that matter."

A glint of sharpness flashed in Xu Tianran's eyes as he spoke indifferently, "You know what to do. She's just a Soul Ancestor, after all. For Tianzhen's sake, we'll spare her life, but not right now."

Xu Tianran didn't particularly care about the life or death of Nana's mother.

That group of people was currently his father's honored guests, and it wouldn't be appropriate for him to demand her release at this time.

After all, she was just a Soul Ancestor. He could always ask for her later, and they would likely give him that much face.

Time passed slowly.

Nearly a year had gone by since Liuxing and the others joined the Mingdu Elementary Soul Engineer Academy, and they had smoothly advanced to the second grade.

Meanwhile, Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen had graduated and moved on to the intermediate academy.

Nana's mother still frequently left home, sometimes for as long as a month at a time.

However, with the help of certain individuals, Nana's father had received some financial support, which had significantly improved their family's situation.

Although Nana was still worried about her mother, the fact that she eventually returned home, coupled with her father's advice to focus on her studies and cultivation, had eased her mind.

As a result, Nana's demeanor improved noticeably, much to the relief of Liuxing and the others.

They followed Luan Feng's advice and spent most of their time either at the academy or at home, rarely venturing out into the city.

To them, Mingdu appeared as prosperous and stable as ever, with no signs of the so-called turbulence.

However, the events unfolding in the shadows were beyond their current understanding.

Then, on the day Liuxing and Liuying turned seven years old, something extraordinary happened.

In the midst of the brightly lit Mingdu night, a figure radiating terrifying energy boldly broke into the imperial palace.

At the same time, figures exuding sinister auras emerged from various corners of Mingdu and entered the palace, slaughtering every palace guard they encountered.

On a high tower, Gu Yuena, Di Tian, and Bi Ji gazed toward the palace from a distance. Gu Yuena murmured, "It's begun. It seems it's not the people from the original Douluo Continent's three empires after all."

Bi Ji shook her head and said, "Humans are always like this, fighting for power, betraying one another, and showing no mercy to their own kind."

Di Tian's eyes were cold as he spoke indifferently, "It's simply the law of the jungle. Unfortunately, this spectacle will end soon. Most of Mingdu's powerful figures have not made a move, and among the so-called 'Protectorate Hands,' only those guarding the palace are protecting their king."

Gu Yuena shook her head and turned to leave. There was nothing more to see, it was just a one-sided massacre.

Meanwhile, Luan Yu suddenly stood up and appeared on the rooftop in an instant, her gaze fixed on the direction of the palace.

She clenched her teeth and looked around Mingdu.

The camps of the several Protectorate Hands stationed around the city, tasked with guarding Mingdu, remained completely silent.

To the south, where the Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion, led by her sister, was stationed, there was also no sign of movement.