Douluo Dalu 1: The Tang Family Rebel

Time quietly passed amidst the rigorous daily training.

In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.

Yun Chuan had finally gotten used to running around the dirt track while wearing a heavy vest. At first, he was completely tired after one lap, but now he could do it easily. His progress was truly impressive! Next, his training would slowly get harder—he would go from running one lap to two, then three—until he reached a certain level, and then he would wear an even heavier vest.

One day, Yun Chuan was unexpectedly given a day off.

After all, even training requires a balance of effort and relaxation. Overexertion can lead to not only physical exhaustion but also mental fatigue. Taking a break to unwind and loosen up was a welcome reprieve.

In the early morning, after he finished washing up, Yun Chuan opened his door. He wanted to enjoy his free day by exploring Spirit City. But as soon as he opened the door, he saw a servant waiting outside. The servant was holding a letter. The envelope had four big letters on it: "To Xiao Chuan."

Yun Chuan was surprised for a moment, but his face quickly brightened with happiness when he saw the sender's name, Qian Renxue. "A letter from Sister Xue again!" he said excitedly, grabbing the envelope before shutting the door.

In his room, Yun Chuan sat at his desk by the window, eager to open the envelope. He carefully took out the letter, which had beautiful handwriting, and started reading it closely.

The letter was mostly about Qian Renxue venting her frustrations about how boring her life was as a prince hiding in the Heaven Dou Empire. It also had parts about her daily routine and questions about whether Yun Chuan missed her.

Yun Chuan read each word carefully, enjoying the feelings behind her words, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. In the morning light coming through the window, his otherworldly look seemed too lovely for the human world.

Qian Renxue was ten years older than Yun Chuan. When he was a baby, she played with him a lot and kept him company. In a perfect world, they could have grown up together and become childhood sweethearts.

When Yun Chuan was two years old, Qian Renxue chose to sneak into the Heaven Dou Empire to show her mother, the Supreme Pontiff, that she was capable. She planned the murder of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and used a spirit bone ability to make herself look like him, taking on his identity.

For the last four years, Qian Renxue lived secretly as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe. During this time, she went back to Spirit Hall every three to four months and stayed for just two or three days before continuing her mission. Being away for too long would make people suspicious and put her cover at risk.

However, letters did not have such limits. Qian Renxue often sent letters to Yun Chuan, sometimes up to twenty in a month, and other times just one every two or three months, depending on how busy she was. These letters had updates about her life and shared her worries and frustrations. Yun Chuan always replied, sharing details about his life and his thoughts.

This frequent communication made their relationship closer with time. Instead of getting weaker because they were apart, their bond got stronger, supported by the distance and the feelings they shared through writing.

After reading the latest letter from Qian Renxue, Yun Chuan folded the paper and put it back in the envelope. He took out a pretty box from his storage soul tool and opened it, revealing a neatly arranged set of envelopes—all the letters written by Qian Renxue over the past few years.

He placed the new letter in the box, shut the lid, and returned it to his soul tool. Then he removed a blank sheet of paper from his desk drawer and picked a thin brush from the neatly arranged set on the table.

Because his hands are small, larger brushes are hard to use and cause much mess while writing.

After dipping the brush into the ink I had ready, Yun Chuan thought for a moment before he started to write:

To my most adorable, beautiful, gentle, and kind sister Xue:

The summer flowers are not as beautiful as you; the warm summer sun is not as bright as you; the gentle summer rain is not as soft as your kiss. I miss you so much—when can we see each other again?

No artist can show how beautiful you are, and no poem can truly express how much I love you. My dear, I would become an angel just to protect you forever.

It has been two months since you last came. Even though it has only been sixty days, it feels like sixty years have gone by. Now I finally get the saying: "A day apart feels like three autumns."

I think of you on the most beautiful nights, feel you next to me when I take deep breaths, and hold on to memories of you in my happiest times. Even when I am feeling down, just knowing you're in this world makes everything worth it.

I miss you so much, and it's really hard for me to fall asleep at night. No matter whether it is sunny, cloudy, or rainy outside, every day in which I see you feels sunny. Whether it was yesterday, today, or will be tomorrow, any day with you is just great.

I miss the fun times we spent together. It doesn't matter if you are near or away; it is just knowing you are there, which makes the world a safe and soothing place.

I wish I could come to your city—to feel the wind touching you, to breathe in the same air, to walk on the same roads, to see the same sights, to feel the warmth around you, and hold you tight.

(Several more heartfelt lines omitted.)

Meeting you has been the best thing that ever happened to me. Your kindness often makes me cry, so I've decided to spend my whole life with you.

After working hard for an hour, Yun Chuan finally finished the loving letter. Happy with it, he read it again but felt embarrassed by how sentimental it was.

"Ugh. That's so annoying."

Yun Chuan shook his head while rubbing his arm that had goosebumps. "Even if I think it's silly, girls really like this kind of thing. Sweet words always work."

He folded the letter carefully, put it in a blank envelope, and wrote on the front: To Sister Xue.

Yun Chuan finished the letter and opened his door. The servant who brought the last letter was still waiting outside.

"Please take this to Sister Xue," Yun Chuan said as he gave the envelope to the servant.

"Yes, young master."

The servant took the letter with both hands, bowed, and used his spirit rings. Four rings appeared, and with the third and fourth shining brightly, he disappeared in a flash. That was not teleportation but very fast movement, making it look like he moved instantly.

Yun Chuan recalled that this man's martial soul was not good for fighting but very useful for sending messages. People said he was from the Agility Clan, but he had been ostracized because of a mutation in his martial soul. In the end, he found refuge in Spirit Hall.

(End of the Chapter)