Douluo Continent: Starting with the Tiger Emperor Template

Meng Hongchen looked at him without saying a word; she knew her brother all too well.

Proud, stubborn, and never willing to admit defeat.

Lu Ren's appearance was like a blow to the head, waking him from his dream of being "the greatest genius in the history of the Sun Moon Empire".

"Keep going," she whispered. "I believe in you."

Xiao Hongchen nodded, turned to leave, but suddenly stopped and turned to look at her.

"Grandpa told you about it last night, didn't he?"

Meng Hongchen paused for a moment, then lowered her eyes and nodded gently.

My thoughts involuntarily drifted back to last night.

The ward was filled with the smell of herbs and disinfectant. Xiao Hongchen was lying in bed receiving treatment, while Jing Hongchen was sitting in a chair by the window.

"That child is someone you can't catch up to right now."

That's what he said at the time, without any blame in his tone, only a calm statement of facts.

"But you can follow behind him, see the path he took, see the obstacles he overcame, and then find your own direction."

"Not only that, if you want to become the strongest in the future, you must follow in Lu Ren's footsteps."

"His path is different from yours. The heights he can reach are beyond your reach. If you don't want to be left too far behind him, put away your pointless arrogance."

She listened silently without asking any further questions.

Looking back now, it seems that what Grandpa meant by "following behind" wasn't just about spiritual cultivation...

Meng Hongchen's cheeks flushed slightly.

Lu Ren is indeed good-looking and strong. Although he is a bit cold towards her, he is never arrogant.

He also maintained just the right amount of respect when it came to girls. When he helped her off the stage yesterday, his hand only touched her sleeve, without overstepping any boundaries.

This kind of person perfectly fits her standards.

"Sister? Sister!"

Xiao Hongchen's voice pulled her back to reality.

"Huh?" Meng Hongchen blinked. "What's wrong?"

"I've called you several times. What are you daydreaming about?"

"It's nothing... I just didn't sleep well last night and my mind wandered." She raised her hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to hide the blush on her face.

Xiao Hongchen glanced at her suspiciously, but didn't ask any further questions. He simply told her, "You should also hurry up and cultivate, and try to break through to the Soul King realm as soon as possible," before turning and leaving.

Meng Hongchen watched his figure disappear at the end of the corridor and sighed softly.

Defeating Lu Ren... is not that easy.

……

Under the shade of a tree not far from the cafeteria, another pair of eyes were also watching the direction Lu Ren had left in.

Wang Shaojie leaned against a tree trunk, the bruises on his face not yet completely faded, and a medical soul guide patch to fix the bone position was attached to the bridge of his nose. He looked extremely disheveled.

His teeth were grinding together.

"Even those two freaks from Mingde Hall, Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan, are no match for him..." he muttered to himself, his eyes filled with resentment. "Then who can possibly deal with him?"

He thought and thought, but only one person came to mind.

"Cousin...yes, looking for my cousin!"

He sprang up from the tree trunk, turned and walked quickly out of the academy, as if afraid he would change his mind.

"So what if you're so capable? Just wait until I call my cousin over, and you'll be in deep trouble!"

"Anyone who dares to harm the royal family, no matter how strong they are, is useless!"

Wang Shaojie had never suffered such injustice in his life.

From childhood, relying on his status as a member of a collateral branch of the royal family and his cousin's power in the disciplinary team, he could do whatever he wanted in the academy without anyone daring to stop him.

Now, however, he was publicly humiliated by a wild boy of unknown origin, who stepped on him to rise to power, making him the laughingstock of the entire academy.

Without Wang Shaojie, who would know of Lu Ren's existence?

To be used as a stepping stone for no reason like this, Wang Shaojie could not swallow this insult!

Lu Ren, who was not far away, suddenly stopped.

He turned his head and his gaze fell on the departing figure in the distance.

Wang Shaojie.

Although the face was not clearly visible, the negative emotions conveyed by that figure were like a burning black flame, filled with anger, resentment, and hatred, so intense that they almost solidified into a tangible form.

"I see. It's normal for them to harbor resentment towards me, after all, I stepped over them to get to the top."

Lu Ren immediately figured out the reason.

"Looks like I'll have to deal with you first before you'll settle down."

Lu Ren withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.

Soon after, Lu Ren arrived at Mingde Hall.

After entering, they arrived directly at Jing Hongchen's office.

He raised his hand and tapped it.

"Come in."

Jing Hongchen's voice came from inside.

Lu Ren pushed open the door and entered, but paused for a moment.

Meng Hongchen stood beside the desk, holding a cup of tea, talking to Jing Hongchen.

The two of them turned to look at him at the same time.

"Did I disturb you?" Lu Ren asked.

"No." Jing Hongchen waved her hand, gesturing for him to come in and sit down. "What is it?"

Lu Ren did not sit down, but stood there and calmly recounted Wang Shaojie's story.

"I suspect he'll drag the Royal Scouts into this," he added at the end. "His cousin is the captain of the Scouts; he has power and resentment, and he won't let this go easily."

After hearing this, Jing Hongchen frowned deeply.

"The royal family..." He rubbed his temples, his tone clearly irritated, "That kid is such a worry."

Dealing with Wang Shaojie himself is not difficult; the difficulty lies in his royal background.

The royal branches of the Sun Moon Empire are deeply intertwined, and a single move can have far-reaching consequences.

Even though he was the head of Mingde Hall, he was unwilling to easily confront those people head-on.

"Should I go and teach him a lesson?"

Meng Hongchen put down her teacup, her eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.

"Although he is a Soul King, my poison can keep him lying down for ten days to half a month."

Jing Hongchen glanced at her, pondered for a moment, and slowly nodded.

"Sure, but you absolutely cannot be the one to start trouble, otherwise we'll be in the wrong."

"The royal family will give face to the Hongchen family. Besides..."

He paused, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"As the head of Mingde Hall, I still hold some weight in the Sun Moon Empire."

"Even His Majesty the current emperor would have to address me respectfully as Hall Master."

These words, spoken in a calm tone, exuded an undeniable confidence.

That's for sure. Within the Sun Moon Empire, his status is equivalent to that of the Imperial Advisor.

Jing Hongchen turned to look at Lu Ren:

"From today onwards, you will stay by Meng Hongchen's side 24 hours a day. If Wang Shaojie dares to cause trouble, with her here, the disciplinary team won't dare to touch you."

"If they still dare to touch you, then we have a reason to take them out. Mere disciplinary team, humph."

Lu Ren thought about it and thought the method was not bad:

"clear."

Meng Hongchen quietly turned her face to the side, her ears turning slightly red.

24 hours...to be together?

She quickly shook off the jumbled thoughts in her mind, picked up her teacup, and pretended to drink tea.

Lu Ren, completely oblivious to her odd behavior, continued speaking to Jing Hongchen:

"There's one more thing. I suggest raising the academy's security level a bit more. People from Shrek Academy might sneak over at any time."

Jing Hongchen's face instantly darkened.

"You still have the nerve to bring this up?" He sneered, his tone filled with undisguised disdain. "If you hadn't caused trouble by flashing your spirit ring over there, why would I have gone to all this trouble to clean up your mess? Get lost, I have my own plans for this."

Lu Ren stood up with a grin and walked towards the door.

Meng Hongchen quickly put down her teacup and followed behind him.

Inside the office.

Jing Hongchen leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on the tightly closed metal door, and remained silent for a long time.

He still hasn't figured out one thing.

Why did Lu Ren expose himself at Shrek Academy first, and then come to the Sun Moon Empire?

With his talent, he would receive the best treatment whether he stayed at Shrek Academy or came to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.

Why go through all that trouble?

"So annoying." He snorted, picked up the teacup on the table and drank it all in one gulp. "This brat left behind a mess that I have to clean up. He, on the other hand, just pats his butt and walks away, so carefree."

The teacup slammed heavily on the table, making a crisp sound.

"However, at least something good has happened. This kid has finally put aside his arrogance and is working hard to cultivate in seclusion to try and break through to the Soul King realm."

Jing Hongchen smiled.