Azure Eyes (3)

With Professor Jemison escorting Annie to settle into her dorm, the remaining students found their appetites curbed by the grim revelation of a month-long Intensive Training commencing in three days. Jason, sensing the somber mood, swiftly brought the banquet to a close.

Returning to Dormitory Number Eighteen, his private courtyard estate, Du Chen cast a fleeting glance at Dormitory Number Seventeen next door. Annie would soon be moving in. *Confound it*, he mused, *to be neighbors with such a beauty—isn't this just inviting more opportunities for transgression?*

Yet, there was something undeniably familiar about Annie's Azure Eyes.

Pushing open the main gate, Shieb Harry was already at the stone table in the courtyard, having meticulously arranged an array of delicacies. Upon Du Chen’s return, he scurried forward with a warm smile, “My esteemed Master, welcome back! Your gathering with your fellow students must have been most agreeable.”

With a solemn expression, Du Chen paid him no mind, striding directly towards his inner chambers. “Harry, I require some rest. If anyone inquires after me, tell them I am out. Oh, and of course, my Elder Brother and the Academy instructors are exceptions.”

“Understood, Master!” Harry scurried along behind Du Chen, his voice fawning. “While you were absent, Master, I took the liberty of making some inquiries. Several senior students informed me that the Intensive Training scheduled for three days from now is rumored to be quite brutal. You must exercise extreme caution, Master. They say last year…”

*Hmm? This Shieb is quite sharp-witted indeed!*

*Excellent! A capable servant deserves appropriate recompense.*

Du Chen drew several silver coins from his money pouch and tossed them to Harry. “You handled this matter well; consider this your reward. From now on, gather more general knowledge about the Academy, and report any significant news to me.”

“Oh, Master, permit me to sing your prai— *Heh heh*, Harry understands! You dislike idle chatter. I shall immediately go and inquire from the senior students what precautions to take during the Intensive Training. And if you prefer not to be disturbed, I will lock the gate.” He dashed off, but paused at the threshold. “Master, dinner has been laid out in the main hall, and the bathwater is ready in the back courtyard. Oh, and without your explicit command, I dared not enter your chambers, so I have placed your favorite nectar wine in the study.”

This Harry, he truly was an exceptionally good servant. Even the most demanding master would likely find themselves thoroughly catered to and content under his care.

Alas, he was a Shieb! Du Chen shook his head. The accumulated wisdom of the people in the Battle God Realm over more than a millennium could not be mistaken—Shiebs were synonymous with treachery. He still could not afford to trust him too implicitly.

Du Chen retreated to his inner chambers, resuming his research into the Lotus Sacred Artifacts.

His primary task was to determine if the sacred artifacts could be imprinted onto other parts of his body. Otherwise, one could envision a rather mortifying scenario: on the eve of a great battle, Du Chen facing a life-or-death struggle, his foe brandishing a formidable sacred artifact, only for Young Master Du to bellow, “Behold my sacred artifact!” and promptly reach into his crotch…

The mere thought of such a spectacle left Du Chen torn between laughter and despair. Having a sacred artifact secreted away on his backside was utterly impractical; he couldn’t possibly disrobe before every single battle, could he?

Or, perhaps, simply allow the lotus to burst through his trousers and fly out? No, that wouldn’t do either. Was he expected to fight bare-bottomed?

The indignity was unbearable.

Fortunately, Du Chen’s research revealed that the Triple Qian Trigram—those three already blossoming lotus flowers—could indeed be imprinted upon other parts of his body. He positioned two of them on his elbows, enabling them to spring forth from his cuffs when needed. The third, which he designated for storing items, he imprinted on his back, over his heart, simultaneously serving as a defense against sneak attacks from behind.

His second experiment delved into Du Chen’s long-cherished dream: flight.

Regrettably, this experiment ended in failure. He couldn't yet precisely control the lotus flowers to perform intricate maneuvers, thus preventing him from soaring upon them. For now, the three lotus flowers served merely as projectiles. One could imagine: people from Du Chen’s previous life could launch cannon shells, but who among them could *ride* a cannon shell through the sky?

To fly, he first needed mastery over the lotus flowers—a feat Du Chen had yet to achieve.

Nevertheless, he firmly believed that as he accumulated more good deeds, flight would eventually be within his grasp.

By the time Du Chen’s research reached a temporary conclusion, dusk had already begun to settle. He stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard, intending to stretch his limbs, but no sooner had he emerged than he recoiled back inside.

Du Chen’s dormitory was a private courtyard estate, featuring a flower garden hall in the front, modest training grounds in the back, and a two-story pavilion at its center. All surrounding courtyards shared the same architectural blueprint. As Du Chen ascended to his second-floor balcony, he discovered a figure standing on the neighboring balcony—Annie!

Blast it, she had already moved in.

“Master, I’ve unearthed some splendid news!” Shieb Harry scurried back along the riverbank. The moment he entered and found Du Chen, he exclaimed as if presenting a priceless treasure, “Master, I overheard something! Since the day before yesterday, numerous Academy faculty and staff have been marking out routes around the island. It appears the first component of this year’s Intensive Training will be running!”

*Excellent! Harry truly is impressive!* Du Chen nodded in silent approval, bestowing upon him a few more silver coins.

The Shieb accepted the silver coins, and just as he was about to express his gratitude, his expression suddenly shifted. He cupped his hands over his nose and sniffed intently.

“Harry, what do you smell?” Du Chen asked curiously.

Harry’s eyes darted around. “Master, I’ve spotted many interesting things by the river. Come, let me show you!” he said, covertly winking at Du Chen.

The master and servant made their way to the riverbank, putting a good distance between themselves and the dormitories. Only then did Harry speak, his voice laced with fearful unease. “Master, a moment ago, I detected a peculiar scent. It was clearly masked by other substances, but my nose is the keenest among all Shiebs, and I still detected it beneath layers of interference! Master, that Demoness you encountered at Antwerp Port… she is nearby!”

Demoness Helen!?

A flash of insight struck Du Chen. *Heavens, those Azure Eyes… they belong to Helen!* Blast it! Helen has disguised herself as Annie and infiltrated the Battle God Academy!

“Master, by no means display any astonishment,” Harry said with feigned composure, though his plump, snow-white face was etched with terror. “I brought you to the river precisely because I feared the Demoness might overhear our conversation. Who knows, she might be watching us even now!”

Du Chen glanced at Dormitory Number Seventeen, where Helen now resided. *If I could recognize Helen by her eyes, is it possible she could recognize me?* he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, inside Dormitory Number Seventeen, Helen sat in a chair, her eyes closed in contemplation. Beside her stood a middle-aged woman, ordinary in both appearance and attire, resembling any one of the countless maidservants found on the streets.

“Milady, what occupies your thoughts? Today, I’ve noticed you frequently peering towards the neighboring courtyard. Have you perhaps taken a fancy to that handsome young man?”

“Sulan, cease your jesting and let me be! Francis’s eyes are identical to those of the Battle God who saved me!”

“Is that truly possible? He is merely an ordinary student, only fifteen years of age this year!” Sulan asked in astonishment. “Furthermore, one cannot identify a person solely by their eyes; human eyes are notoriously mutable.”

“No, do you not recall? I told you that before the Battle God saved me, I cast the Soul-Ensnaring Art upon him!”

Sulan stuck out her tongue in a peculiar display of surprise. “So, you mean to say Francis could potentially be that very Battle God?”

“I cannot be certain. After all, a powerhouse of that caliber could very well interfere with my Soul-Ensnaring Art. I need to interact with him more to confirm further!”

Sulan licked her lips. “What if I were to test him tonight?”

“Are you insane!?” Helen gasped, grasping Sulan’s hand tightly. “This is the Battle God Academy! To say nothing of the numerous experts surrounding us, do you truly understand Francis’s temperament? If he genuinely is that Battle God, and you dared to attack him, I have no doubt he would kill you without hesitation!”

After carefully weighing the pros and cons, Sulan reluctantly abandoned this audacious idea. She sighed regretfully. “Alas, if only I had caught the scent of that Battle God during the siege. It’s a pity my attention was entirely focused on Zigurd at the time…”