As Anpu was pondering, a clear and melodious sound suddenly came from a corner of the study, like the sound of a wind chime, mixed with soft music, melodious and lingering.

Anpu was slightly taken aback. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw that it came from a small, exquisite box placed in a compartment at the bottom of the bookshelf.

Filled with doubt, he stood up, slowly approached, and squatted down to take out the box.

The box was made of wood and carved with exquisite patterns. Anpu gently opened the box and found an object he had never seen before—a voice recorder.

Anpu gently stroked the recording pen with his fingers, his mind filled with suspicion.

He pressed play, and the familiar sound instantly filled the quiet study.

"Anpu, guess who I am? Hehe, it's me, Shen Chumo! When you hear this recording, it means you've finally discovered the little surprise I prepared for you!"

Happy birthday, you big dummy! In this new year, you're not allowed to secretly stay up late studying anymore, or you'll get dark circles under your eyes and won't be handsome anymore!

Shen Chumo's voice was crisp and playful, with a unique liveliness. Every word was like a gentle hand, softly plucking at Anpu's heartstrings.

"I've hidden a super big surprise for you in the study. You'd better look carefully, or I'll laugh at you for being such a scatterbrain!"

Just so you know, it's not in a very high or conspicuous place; it might be in some little corner you wouldn't normally notice.

Go look for it! When you find it, you'll jump for joy!

Anpu listened quietly, his thoughts drifting back to the past.

Back then, they were innocent and naive, sharing each other's joys and sorrows.

He had thought they would stay together like this forever, but fate played a cruel trick on him, and he never imagined that the day of separation would come so soon.

Even to the point of being separated forever.

“Chu Mo…” An Pu murmured softly, a hint of loneliness flashing in his eyes.

"Only you would remember my birthday."

But why is someone as important as you no longer by my side?

Under the strict upbringing of the An family, Anpu was always a rational person, and he gave all his irrationality to Shen Chumo.

Anpu's gaze slowly swept over every corner of the study, and the times the two of them had spent together played out in his mind like a slideshow.

He still remembered that they discussed ancient books together in the study. Shen Chumo would always tilt her head and listen to him tell those ancient stories with bright eyes, occasionally offering a few novel ideas that made him unable to help but laugh.

Now, everything has changed, and only his lonely figure remains in the room. Anpu slowly got up and began searching the study for the surprise Shen Chumo had left behind.

He first walked to the desk by the window, gently ran his fingers across the surface, and opened each drawer. Inside were the documents he usually used for handling affairs, but there was no sign of any surprises.

Next, he went to the bookshelf, his gaze wandering among the neatly arranged books. He carefully examined each book, trying to find the mysterious gift between the pages.

Suddenly, his gaze fell on an old book they had once read together.

The spine of the book was slightly worn, a sign of their repeated readings. Anpu gently pulled the book out, and just then, a slip of paper fluttered from between the pages.

He bent down and picked up the note, which had Shen Chumo's delicate handwriting on it: "Hehe, haven't you found the surprise I gave you yet? Here's another hint, it's related to the place where we first met."

Anpu's heart suddenly raced, and his thoughts instantly returned to the afternoon when they first met.

It was a sunny day when he was strolling in the family garden and happened to spot a small figure crouching by the flowers, intently watching a butterfly.

That was Shen Chumo. Her face was filled with an innocent smile. At that moment, he felt as if he had been struck by a ray of light, and from then on, her image was imprinted in his heart.

Anpu strode out of the study and into the garden.

He searched carefully around the flowerbeds and stone benches where they used to play together, leaving no corner unchecked. Finally, he found a delicate little box hidden in a crevice of the stone bench.

With trembling hands, he opened the box, inside which was a jade pendant engraved with their names. The jade was warm and lustrous, radiating a soft light in the sunlight.

On the back of the jade pendant is engraved a line of small characters: "May our friendship, like this jade pendant, be eternal and unchanging."

Anpu's eyes instantly welled up with tears. He gripped the jade pendant tightly, as if holding onto a beautiful time that could never be relived.

"Chu Mo, I miss you so much," he murmured to himself, his voice echoing in the quiet garden.

At this moment, loneliness and longing surged in his heart like a tide. He wished that time could turn back and they could return to their carefree days.

But he knew that all of that was in the past.

Now, he is at the center of the power struggle, burdened with the mission of his family, while Shen Chumo is no longer alive.

He took a deep breath and carefully placed the jade pendant in his bosom, as if this would preserve that precious memory forever.

.....

Months later, the Beast Realm was in turmoil, with various forces vying for power and tensions rising. The Battle of Spirit Lake, which would determine the future of the Beast Realm, finally broke out.

Spirit Lake, a mysterious body of water located in the center of the Beast Realm, emits a ghostly blue light all year round. Whoever obtains it can dominate the Beast Realm.

Now, the Pei family, the He family, the An family, and other families large and small have gathered at Linghu Lake, and a fierce battle is about to break out.

Under the oppressive aura of countless powerful figures, ripples spread across the surface of the Spirit Lake, and the dark light in the lake water became increasingly dazzling, as if foreshadowing an imminent great storm.

Anpu stood at the very front of the line, his gaze cold and stern.

"This battle at Linghu Lake is crucial to the rise and fall of our An family. Everyone must give it their all!"

Anpu's deep yet powerful voice echoed through the ranks: "Anyone who dares to offend my An family will be punished."

The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the sky above Linghu Lake.

Anpu looked past the crowd and toward the camps of the Pei and He families.

The two allied families suddenly turned against each other recently. Although Anpu had not yet fully figured out the reasons, it gave him an unexpected surprise.

On the battlefield, Pei Yan of the Pei family, dressed in a black robe that fluttered in the wind, exuded a powerful sense of oppression. The top of the black staff in his hand was inlaid with a blood-red gem, which faintly shimmered with an eerie light.

The orcs around him spread out in a fan shape, each one rubbing their hands together, exuding a murderous aura.

On the He family's side, Helen rode a lithe unicorn beast, holding a sharp spear with a gleaming tip. His face was resolute, and his gaze frequently swept towards the Pei family's camp, his hatred clearly evident.

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