Jenna Summers and the Second Prince

Xiao Yi's throat bobbed, but in the end he just shot Xiao Chen a sidelong glance and didn't say a word.

......

Lucy Luan and her two companions arrived at the spot Serena Tang had designated—a bare, low hillside.

On the hillside was a shepherd boy, maybe eleven or twelve, herding sheep and gnawing the ground down to stubble.

Other than that, there was nothing else to see.

Lucy tried contacting Serena again, and Serena just told them to wait.

So they went invisible and waited there.

The shepherd boy had a flute and sat down to play.

But he was far from skilled—the notes were harsh and awkward, pure noise that drove Adrian Drake up the wall.

He cast a spell and chased all the sheep away.

The shepherd boy saw what happened and darted off after his sheep.

"Finally, some peace!" Adrian dug at his ears. "That noise could kill."

Lucy teased, "Everyone sounds like that when they're first learning music, you know? Aren't you a bit old to be picking on a kid? Shame on you!"

"Who says everyone? You never sounded that bad when you started!" Adrian protested. "Come on, big sis, since we're free right now, play us something! Cleanse my ears!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at him, but still took out her Entwined Heart flute and began to play softly.

She played 'Ode to Peace,' a gentle and beautiful melody.

Adrian looked utterly blissed out, eyes half-closed, sprawled on a clean rock, legs crossed and swinging.

Ian Yan, though, was nothing like him—he stayed tense, scanning the area the whole time.

When Lucy finished her song and saw how uptight Ian was, she couldn't help teasing him: "Ian Yan, I really think you should change your name!"

"Huh? Why?" Ian looked confused.

"Your name sounds like 'drowning,' you know—not exactly lucky!"

Ian scratched his head, looking clueless.

"She's right!" Adrian chimed in. "Lucy, if he did change his name, what should it be?"

Lucy thought for a moment. "How about Yan Cai or Yan Rou?"

Ian blinked. "Why those?"

"Because they sound like 'pickled veggies' or 'cured meat,' which totally fits your dark, spooky Underworld vibe!"

Ian's dark face actually blushed. He muttered, "Your body, your name, everything comes from your parents. You can't just change it on a whim."

"Just kidding," Lucy said. "How's Lord Hades doing?"

Ian's expression dimmed. "Not great. Once this round of training ends, I probably won't be able to stay in the Barracks. I'll have to go back to the Underworld..."

Lucy said, "I might not be able to stay either."

Adrian sighed. "If you both leave, what's the point of me sticking around?"

Ian said, "All good things must end. No matter where we are, the bond we share as comrades will never be forgotten."

Lucy nodded.

Adrian sighed again and asked, "Ian, are you really going to take over the Underworld and become King Hades one day?"

Ian nodded. "Honestly, I owe that to you two. If you hadn't helped me recover my Yin Core, the Underworld would probably be in chaos right now."

Adrian paused, then asked quietly, "Hey, have you heard this bit of gossip?"

"What gossip?" Both Lucy and Ian looked confused.

"Jenna Summers—the one who stole your Yin Core—she's gotten together with Second Prince Victor Xiao," Adrian said.

"What!" Lucy was shocked. "Second Prince? Isn't he already married? He even has kids!"

"Apparently after Jenna was kicked out, things got rough for her at home, so she went down to the lower realm. Somehow she hooked up with Second Prince, and he likes her enough that he might even take her as a consort."