Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Chapter 28 Return
The carriage swayed gently, and Dugu Yan leaned lazily against the window. After Feng Yao's treatment, the green in her hair and eyes had faded, leaving her purple hair cascading down like a waterfall. She caught a glimpse of Feng Yao's fingertips unconsciously stroking the strings of his zither, and a mischievous smile curved her red lips. "We're already three miles out of town, and our talented Feng Da is still obsessed with that little wild cat from Shrek?" She deliberately stretched out her voice. "Could it be that the heir of the Nine-Hearted Begonia is no match for a little girl with agility and attack skills?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Lingling's ears instantly turned red, and the crabapple flower in her hand snapped its petals together: "Yanyan!" There was a rare panic in her voice, which caused a burst of laughter in the carriage.

Yufeng played with his folding fan and jokingly replied, "That's right, our Lingling is a beauty that many noble men in Tiandou City have come to seek." He deliberately tapped his palm with the fan bone, "Last month..."

"Yufeng!" Ye Lingling glared at him in embarrassment. Feng Yao finally came back to his senses, and the strings on his fingertips vibrated clearly. "You guys..." He shook his head helplessly, but his eyes looked through the swaying curtains at the outline of Soto City, which had long disappeared from his sight.

Feng Yao's slender fingers gently stroked the strings of the zither, and he said slowly, "I was just thinking..." He raised his eyes to look at the crowd, his amber eyes reflecting the light and shadows from the car windows, "I'm afraid Teacher Qin's future will not be easy."

The carriage suddenly fell silent. Yu Feng's folding fan snapped shut, Dugu Yan straightened up, and even the Nine-Hearted Begonia flower in Ye Lingling's arms stopped swaying.

"What do you mean?" Yufeng leaned forward, his brows full of confusion.

Feng Yao tapped his fingertips lightly on the zither. "Don't you find the actual combat training these past few days strange?" He lowered his voice very low. "Different teams are mixed together for combat, and tactics are repeatedly honed. Teacher Qin is clearly preparing for Shrek's integration into Tiandou."

"But Teacher Qin has the support of three members of the Education Committee." Ye Lingling interrupted softly, a look of worry appearing on her delicate face. "It should be fine, right?"

Feng Yao shook his head, a strand of hair falling in front of his eyes. "If Shrek really enters Tiandou, it will not only squeeze out the places for the children of nobles, but also tear off the last fig leaf of Tiandou Royal Academy. This situation is no longer something that a Soul Emperor can control."

Yu Feng was silent for a moment, his folding fan tapping out a dull rhythm in his palm. "Indeed. How could those dandies who got in through family connections tolerate a group of 'country spirit masters' stealing the limelight?"

Ye Lingling's slender white fingers gently stroked the petals of the Nine-Hearted Begonia, and her sigh was like the wind blowing through the orchids. As a student of Yuexuan, she knew very well what the final outcome should be.

Feng Yao's fingertips hovered over the strings, and he let out a barely audible sigh. "As nobles, you are the ones most at the mercy of your own destiny." He raised his eyes, filled with emotion. "If Shrek students were allowed to enroll based on their abilities, it would be like tearing open the first crack in the aristocracy's monopoly. By then, I'm afraid even the three members of the Education Committee wouldn't be able to suppress their wrath."

Dugu Yan seemed to have thought of something, and a fierce look flashed in her purple eyes: "Oh, even Xiaofeng and I have been gossiped about a lot. If we weren't afraid of Grandpa, I'm afraid we would have been arrogant too."

"If the people from Shrek are squeezed out, then Teacher Qin's departure is inevitable. I can only wish Teacher Qin good luck." Feng Yao spread his hands helplessly.

Ye Lingling's fingertips unconsciously twisted the crabapple petals, her voice so soft that it almost disappeared in the wind: "Should we remind Teacher Qin?"

Feng Yao said softly: "Some things are harder to do once they are revealed. For the sake of their children's future, what means will those noble lords not use? Unless..." He suddenly raised his eyes, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Shrek can find a supporter like Senior Dugu first, just like I did when I entered school. Otherwise, relying solely on Teacher Qin's enthusiasm..."

The carriage was momentarily silent, the only sound remaining was the sound of wheels grinding over gravel. Feng Yao looked out the window, a look of emotion on his face. After entering the Tiandou Royal Academy, he realized that the Tiandou Royal Academy was not just an academy, but also a wrestling arena within the Tiandou faction. A group of spirit masters without a specific stance would only be excluded.

Ten days later, the morning light was dim.

The Royal Fighting Team's carriage slowly stopped in front of the gilded gates of the Tiandou Royal Academy. Yufeng leaped from the carriage, opened his arms, and took a deep breath, his robes rustling in the morning breeze. "Ah—the familiar scent of canary flowers. Even the grain of the cobblestones feels so familiar!"

Ye Lingling got out of the car gracefully, holding up the hem of her skirt. Dugu Yan, who was standing not far away, glanced at him sideways and said, "Are you thinking about the earl's daughter who can play the harp, or the marquis's daughter who always sends you snacks?" A wisp of green phosphorus snake venom suddenly shot out from her fingertips, shining dangerously in the sunlight.

"It's unfair!" He opened the Yufeng folding fan with a "swish" and hurriedly covered half of his face. "This is my sincere love for the college!" The eye revealed behind the fan glanced guiltily towards the teaching building.

Feng Yao's fingertips lightly brushed the strings of the zither, and he asked in confusion, "Strange, I don't think I've ever seen any girl come to him on her own initiative?"

Dugu Yan scoffed, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her emerald, snake-green eyes. "Which of those noble ladies isn't a cunning person?" She entwined a strand of purple hair between her fingers. "On the surface, they offer handkerchiefs and boxes of snacks, but behind the scenes, they're calculating more than anyone else – either they're after his Yu family title or his superior martial spirit bloodline. How could any powerful female spirit master be interested in him?"

"Has it really come to this?" Feng Yao's face was filled with surprise, his amber eyes slightly widening. Feng Yao's worldview was refreshed at this moment, but when he thought about it carefully, wasn't Liu Erlong's product like this?

Feng Yao continued in disbelief: "Can it be like this?"

Dugu Yan laughed disdainfully and said, "It's not just him. As long as it's a direct descendant of a sect, there are many people rushing to join." She suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Why do you think the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has to recruit outsiders?"

Feng Yao stroked the body of the zither thoughtfully, secretly sighing in his heart: "That Yu Xiaogang is really innocent. Although his ability is not great, he has not sown any seeds in all these years."

Dugu Yan narrowed her dangerous snake eyes, and a faint light of green phosphorus snake venom flowed between her fingertips: "Xiaofeng, don't learn from some butterflies." There was a hint of chill in the ending tone.

Feng Yao suddenly came back to his senses, felt a chill on the back of his neck, and quickly waved his hand: "Sister Yan, you're joking." His dry laugh and the movement of scratching his head froze in mid-air, because Dugu Yan's nails had turned a strange green color.

"What's wrong with imitating me?" Yu Feng just stiffened his neck to retort, but his temper instantly withered when Dugu Yan glanced at him. "It's really hard to imitate such an excellent role model like me." He shrank his neck and muttered softly: "If you protect me like this, people who don't know would think..."

"What nonsense!" Dugu Yan's voice suddenly rose, "I'm speaking for Lingling." She suddenly got stuck, and a suspicious blush appeared on her cheeks.

Ye Lingling, who was holding the Nine-Hearted Begonia in the distance, paused, then quickened her pace and left, but the tips of her ears were so red that they seemed to be bleeding.

"If you dare to talk nonsense again," Dugu Yan said, the snake venom on her fingertips condensed into a sharp blade, and gestured at Yufeng's crotch, "I will let grandpa perform a 'minor operation' on you."

Yufeng quickly closed his folding fan to block his vitals, cold sweat oozing from his forehead: "Lady, please spare my life!" He looked at Feng Yao for help, but found that the other party had already hidden three feet away with the guqin in his arms, looking up at the clouds in the sky, pretending to be indifferent to the world.

Qin Ming clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention. His gentle gaze swept across each young face. "Thank you all for your hard work during this exchange." A faint smile played on his lips. "You will be given a special day off tomorrow to rest up." He waved to everyone, "Meet at the training ground at noon the day after tomorrow."

"Yes, Teacher!" Yu Tianheng was the first to respond, cupping his fists. Dugu Yan stretched, her purple hair glistening like satin in the sunset. "Finally, I can sleep in~"

Feng Yao held the guqin and nodded slightly, then opened his folding fan with a "swish" of his hand. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly met Dugu Yan's warning eyes. He quickly made a gesture to shut his mouth and slipped away in shame.

Qin Ming watched the students scatter, the smile on his face gradually fading. He looked towards the Education Committee, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.

Feng Yao, unhurried and unhurried, strolled to the Tiandou Royal Academy's simulated training grounds, his fingertips gently tracing the soul-guiding lampposts along the way. After days of contemplation, he had grasped the mysteries of the Xuantian Gong. He also understood its unique characteristics compared to normal meditation methods.

Feng Yao came to a place he was familiar with, and then slowly closed his eyes. He closed his eyes and felt the soul power surging around him, meditating on using his martial soul as a bridge to communicate the energy between heaven and earth. How much he could absorb depended entirely on his personal qualifications, absorbing the energy of heaven and earth like scooping water with a spoon. The higher the talent, the bigger the scoop would naturally be.

As for the Xuantian Gong, he slowly assumed the stance of "five hearts facing heaven," his breathing gradually synchronizing with the surrounding soul energy fluctuations. This inhalation and exhalation, combined with the circulation of soul energy within his body, drew the energy between heaven and earth into his body, using the ever-increasing energy to nourish and open up his meridians. Using his body as a cauldron and his soul energy as a guide, his meridians lit up with dark blue traces, like the veins of a galaxy.

Feng Yao suddenly opened his eyes, a gleam of brilliance flashing in his eyes: "Wonderful! Meditation is like drinking from a stream alone, but internal energy is like drawing rivers into the body!"

The simulated environment in the training ground suddenly fluctuated violently. Feng Yao chuckled and thought to himself, "Looks like I'll have to test the depth of this 'river' today."

A ripple of icy blue soul energy suddenly erupted from Feng Yao's body. He was surprised to find that, under the blessing of the simulated environment, the efficiency of the Xuantian Gong was over 50% higher than usual.

"Interesting." Feng Yao muttered to himself, his soul power fluctuating, flickering with the rhythm of his breathing.

Time passed quickly like flowing water, and two months had passed in the blink of an eye.

"call--"

In the simulated training field, Feng Yao suddenly opened his eyes, and a sharp wave of soul power swept across him like a tidal wave. He slowly exhaled, a sharp gleam in his eyes: "Level 39."

Over the past two months, since replacing conventional meditation with Xuantian Gong, his cultivation speed has skyrocketed. Without the aid of any spirit bones, relying solely on the unique nature of the technique, he's achieved four consecutive levels in just two months. If word of this progress were to spread, it would likely shock many.

After a quick wash, Feng Yao strolled toward the college cafeteria. Morning light filtered through the Gothic arched windows, casting dappled shadows across his shoulders. As he reached for his food, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from the corner of his eye—a girl in black sitting alone in a corner, her cat ears trembling slightly in the morning light.

"Miss Zhuqing?" Feng Yao approached with some surprise.

Zhu Zhuqing looked up, a flicker of emotion flashing across her cold eyes. "Good morning," she explained briefly. "I just arrived yesterday."

Feng Yao suddenly realized something and thought to himself, "According to the time, the Shrek group should have arrived at Tiandou City."

Feng Yao's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of the plate, but his eyes remained fixed on the cafeteria entrance. Zhu Zhuqing keenly noticed his abnormality and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Feng Yao came back to his senses, a faint smile appeared on his lips, but the complex emotions in his eyes were not revealed: "Nothing, I just didn't expect to meet you here."

Feng Yao's fingertips gently plucked the strings of the zither, and he looked at Zhu Zhuqing thoughtfully, and said slowly: "Is everyone from Shrek settled?"

Zhu Zhuqing's tone was as calm as if she was talking about the weather: "Yeah. It's just that Mu Bai beat up a noble yesterday evening." She picked up the teacup, and her cold eyes were reflected in the water.

"It seems that Miss Zhuqing had anticipated this?" Feng Yao raised his eyebrows slightly and gently stroked the "Fuxi" in his arms.

"The Xingluo royal family's dealings are much more filthy than this." Zhu Zhuqing's lips curled up in a sarcastic arc, and her nails unconsciously left a few fine marks on the table. "At least the nobles here will pretend to go through the formalities."

Feng Yao chuckled and said, "I'm worrying too much." He looked at the falling leaves outside the window and his voice gradually lowered. "It's a pity that my words are not influential. I'm afraid I can't be of much help."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Feng Yao, her cold eyes softening slightly: "It's okay."

Feng Yao watched Zhu Zhuqing's departing back. The black-clad girl quickly vanished into the morning light and the crowd. He glanced down at the slightly cool breakfast on his plate, a hint of resignation forming at the corner of his mouth.

After dinner, Feng Yao did not go to the place where he used to play the piano. Instead, he found a secluded place at the gate of Tiandou Royal Academy and played the piano silently.

Soon, Feng Yao stood quietly in a secluded spot near the academy's entrance, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the strings of his zither, his gaze following the receding figures of Qin Ming and the Shrek group. The scorching sun stretched their shadows long, casting a crisscross of dark shadows in front of the gilded gate.

"He's someone that even the three Education Committee members couldn't protect." Yu Feng approached, fanning himself, and suddenly lowered his voice. "I heard that Prince Xue Xing personally showed up, bringing Poison Douluo with him."

"Grandpa owes Prince Xuexing a favor, so he asked me not to get involved in these matters." Dugu Yan appeared beside him at some point, with a complex light flashing in her eyes.

"We can't change anything anyway. Just practice hard. We will meet on the field in the future." Feng Yao said with a smile.

Dugu Yan and Yu Feng nodded, and the three of them looked at the backs of the Shrek people leaving with sighs on their faces.

I just went to take a shower and forgot to set the timer. Sorry.
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(End of this chapter)