Douluo Continent: I can nurture soul beasts and even perform super evolution.

Chapter 242 Return to the Sun and Moon, Those Who Betray Can Never Be Trusted Again
Empire of the Sun and Moon.

Previously, the royal family, and even the entire Royal Academy, had been "trying their best" to suppress the news of Su Wen's disappearance. Of course, in reality, they had been spreading rumors behind the scenes. Otherwise, the fact that such "top secret" news could spread not only throughout the campus but also beyond Mingdu would indicate the attitude of the higher-ups towards this matter.

What angered the royal family was Shrek Academy's attitude. After all, they longed for a real victory to wash away the empire's past shame. By forcing Shrek to provoke a war, they would benefit greatly from being the "passive party" in the conflict.

But now, Shrek Academy is strangely calm. After sending another high-ranking member of the Martial Soul Department, Cai Meier, to replace Fan Yu and take over the remaining Shrek students in the Sun Moon Empire, things started to develop in the direction they least wanted to see.

This feeling of being stuck in the middle was like a fishbone stuck in their throat, making them extremely uncomfortable.

But even Jing Hongchen, despite suffering some humiliation to this day, has not shown the slightest intention to resist. Like a salted fish lying around doing nothing, this nearly 100-year-old man can still eat and drink, and even asks the guards in the prison to bring him a bottle of vodka every day, a very strong liquor from the southern part of the empire, so he can eat and drink to his heart's content.

This infuriated the royal family members who made the decision, because they had thoroughly offended them. Restore relations? They knew exactly how outrageous their previous actions had been; they were all adults, how could they still be so childish?

It's gotten to the point where it's a life-or-death struggle...

However, the empire's pillar of stability is Jing Hongchen's teacher, and as the head of the Mingde Hall, he still retains prestige and connections within the empire. It's already excessive for the royal family to detain and imprison him without any reason; if they were to secretly execute him as well...

This will likely discourage many people in Mingdu.

"That's all the information we could get." Nana looked at Su Wen with teary eyes, sat on his lap, and leaned her upper body softly against him, wishing she could melt into him.

"Master, you had a premonition before you left, but you didn't even tell Nana. You took Ju Zi and Ke Ke back to Shrek Academy, but what about me?" Nana said resentfully.

“You are safer here…” Su Wen pondered.

"After all, I didn't know if I could come back alive. I had to prepare for the worst. If the Sun Moon Empire came out in full force, Kong Deming, Ye Xishui, and even the four Beast Soul Mentor Groups would most likely be doomed."

"After so many days of no news, I was thinking of finding a place to go..." Nana sobbed softly.

"It's okay. I'm back."

Su Wen's eyes narrowed slowly.

The Sun and Moon Empire, and the Holy Spirit Cult...

We'll settle this score slowly.

……

Inside the Dean of Students' office.

Fan Yu's eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at Lin Jiayi, who remained calm and composed, as if it were none of her business: "I passed on the information to Shrek Academy as you instructed, without holding anything back! Didn't you see how they treated me? Cai Meier, who had just arrived, stripped me of all my powers without saying a word and treated me coldly."

"Heh, then how do you explain the complete lack of activity at Shrek Academy? Su Wen is dead, but nothing has happened? Is that normal?" Lin Jiayi said calmly, "The higher-ups have already suspected you. Who knows if you added any coded messages that the Empire can't understand to that letter?"

"How is that possible!" Fan Yu gasped for breath, slamming his fist on the table. "Right under Shrek Academy's nose, I brought my beloved here, and I told the Empire everything about Shrek Academy, revealing all its secrets. You've verified it all, and there's no problem! Everything I said is true! Doesn't that prove my loyalty to the Empire?!"

“If you want to infiltrate the enemy, you naturally need to offer some tokens of loyalty. Besides, you couldn’t answer many of the truly core questions either,” Lin Jiayi said with a smile, shaking his head.

"I told you, Su Wen's martial soul is for capturing soul beasts. He can capture one soul beast with each level he advances, and his soul beasts can even evolve as his strength increases! Aren't all of that important?!" Fan Yu nearly went berserk. "You ask me what kind of soul beasts he has, and what forms they've evolved into? How the hell would I know? Wind Baboon, Ice Jade Scorpion, and a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear! I've told you everything I know! What more do you want from me?!"

His wife had been missing for months, but the Sun Moon Empire clearly didn't take his pleas seriously. Every time, they told him to go back and wait, but how could he afford to wait?

My wife has clearly been kidnapped by our enemies!
He was extremely anxious and lost his temper with Lin Jiayi for the first time.

"Su Wen has performed well in these competitions..." Lin Jiayi adjusted his glasses, his eyes still calm and composed behind them.

"In conclusion, I have reason to suspect that you are merely feigning surrender, or that you have betrayed the Empire due to interference from other interests."

"How could I possibly betray the empire!" Fan Yu's blood rushed to his head, and he stood up, pointing at Lin Jiayi, trembling with anger.

"But you've already betrayed Shrek Academy, haven't you?" Lin Jiayi said with a contemptuous smile.

"..."

The scene was eerily quiet.

Fan Yu stood frozen in place, looking at Lin Jiayi who was casting a mocking glance at her, feeling utterly hopeless.

He has already jumped into a dead end.

If he is truly an undercover agent, then the Sun Moon Empire has no obligation to help him. If he has truly surrendered, then why wouldn't an eighth-level Soul Master, who has little intelligence value and has already been drained of his resources, betray the Sun Moon Empire for profit?
Only now did he begin to regret leaving Shrek Academy.

This continent is so vast, yet it seems there is nowhere left for him to belong...

……

"As long as it's okay..."

Seeing Mu Qiu'er dribbling the ball and then collapsing into Su Wen's arms with teary eyes, Cai Mei'er finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked Su Wen up and down.

"He's grown taller and more handsome."

"Aunt Cai, how's the situation on the Sun Moon Empire?" Su Wen smiled and reassured Mu Qiu'er before sitting down on the soft living room sofa.

Mu Qiu'er pressed her delicate body close to his side, her slender legs draped over Su Wen's, her arms wrapped around him, clinging to him like a sloth. When she first learned of Su Wen's death, her world had collapsed. Fortunately, the academy quickly sent Teacher Cai to the Empire to take control of the situation and tell her the truth...

“Over the course of several months, I met with the Emperor of the Sun and Moon, as well as several high-ranking military officials. I visited and talked with almost every high-ranking official, and I have roughly figured out the details.” Cai Meier ignored Mu Qiu’er, the sloth who was whining and clinging to Su Wen’s neck, and her expression became serious.

"They want war, even at the cost of sacrificing Jing Hongchen. Moreover, the imperial power of this country is far above other forces. Although it is called the Sun and Moon Empire, it is actually ruled by someone surnamed Xu, and there are no nobles with enough power to get involved."

"A single dominant player."

"Of course, Xiao Wen, you understand what I mean. Jing Hongchen... perhaps we can try to get him."

(End of this chapter)