章節 62: Rising Tension

"So… we're visiting the Spirit Pagoda?" Xie Xie began, a mix of hesitance and disgust on his face. He heard a little bit of what was happening underneath the surface from Wu Zhangkong and while he wasn't aware of anything he could make his own conclusions.

From what he was aware of Shrek and the Tang Sect, two forces notorious for being staunchly on the side of good, were against the Spirit Pagoda and Federation whose intentions were more ambiguous.

It didn't tell much of the inner workings but when combined with Gu Yuena's desire to take over the Spirit Pagoda and change it from the inside it allowed him to realize that the Spirit Pagoda wasn't the paragon of good he believed them to be.

For that reason, he was slightly hesitant to enter the building. Naturally, he wouldn't go around making his disgust obvious, that would kill him, but he wouldn't hesitate to make his emotions clear around his class.

"It seems that way. I'm not all that excited about it either but I'm sure Teacher Wu knows what he's doing." Mu Xi said simply. As a blacksmith, she wasn't happy about the underlying war soon to come.

The war will mean more work which is a good thing however it will force the neutral blacksmith association to make a choice, which side do they ally with? Logically, Shrek and the Tang Sect would treat them better but even blacksmiths need Spirit Souls.

It wasn't an easy choice to make and it may split their organization in half, something nobody wants. Blacksmiths were solitary individuals but they treasured their bonds, having those bonds split because of differing ideologies wasn't something any of them wanted.

But it wasn't something they could truly choose. Some would value their treatment more than their potential and some would want the opposite, it's only natural. They would be split in two factions, two groups of comrades of the forge forced to battle one another.

"He does." Wulin said confidently, breaking the group from the depressing thoughts. The war would soon begin in small skirmishes however it wasn't something that would involve them just yet, that would take a few more years.

By that time they would hopefully be able to protect themselves and even if they couldn't, they have people behind them that would protect them until they could. Xie Xie had the Tang Sect, Mu Xi the blacksmithing association, Wulin had FUG, and Gu Yuena had the Spirit Pagoda.

They were split into various sides of the issue however they would all be protected and in all likelihood, they wouldn't become enemies. Their backers may fight one another but it's unlikely they'll enter the battlefield as enemies.

"Our teacher understands the situation better than we do, if he thinks we can be here we can be here." Gu Yuena said simply, supplying some much needed logic to her other half's short explanation, her fingers intertwined with Wulin's own.

[So this is the Silver Dragon King?] The voice of the Sea God resounded in Wulin's mind, a clear analytical tone in his voice. In his mind, the girl in front of him had the highest chance of being his son's bride in the future and therefore must be closely observed.

His childhood love was decided early, Wutong's was decided even earlier, and it seems his son was following the trend. His son may not realize it himself but the old Sea God had a good deal of experience in love, he knew it when he saw it and his son had it in spades.

The girl his son had chosen, Gu Yuena, was purely a good influence on his son. She took the blank canvas that was his son and painted him into a functional member of society. She was the one to thank for his son being a good man.

She was the one who taught him what he felt, she was the one who made him into a healthy man, and she was the one who taught him what it meant to love. For that, Tang San was infinitely grateful.

But at the same time, she had to be observed. She held such a strong grip on his son's heart, a hold so powerful she could destroy it practically whenever she pleased. He was grateful to her however she was also a risk and therefore a certain degree of caution was needed.

'[Luckily it seems Wulin inherited my charm.]' Tang San thought to himself in relief. While Wulin was hopelessly in love himself the same could be said for Gu Yuena, maybe even more. They loved one another so deeply that it reminded him of himself and his wife.

"Stop delaying and enter." A cold and callous voice they were all well accustomed to sounded out in their ears. Their teacher had entered beforehand to ensure nothing would be waiting in store for them inside.

It was unlikely that anything would happen yet but with his group of talents, he had to be sure, especially with the Spirit Pagoda's recently revealed track record with talents such as the four under his protection.

He had even enlisted the help of the Tang Sect under vice sect master Zang Xin's orders, though their presence was minor. It was all information rather than physical help but it was more than Wu Zhangkong expected to get from them for something so small.

'It seems the Tang Sect sees the Spirit Pagoda as an enemy already.' Wu Zhangkong thought to himself as he watched his students enter the building. None of them looked all that excited to enter the building despite the benefits it would bring them.

However, that was a result of war. Things that children should be able to enjoy are now events full of stress and soon the underlying conflict will force them to battle. It's a thing no child could experience however there is little he could do.

In a way, this was inevitable. When the Spirit Pagoda became so corrupt to use innocent children as test subjects it was inevitable that the more gentle Tang Sect and Shrek would be angered beyond the limit of their tolerance.

As a result, the battle would soon be born from the actions of the Spirit Pagoda. It wasn't something Wu Zhangkong desired, no children should be forced into that battle, but he had no input in the matter. Ultimately it wasn't his choice to make.

Instead, he'll put his trust in Gu Yuena to stop the battle before it truly begins.