Chapter 54: A Near Miss

Chapter 54: A Near Miss

"Aunt Yu Hua, get some good rest. I hope you'll be able to face reality when you wake up." Wang Si gently comforted Tang Yu Hua, rubbing her furrowed brows to ease her pain.

Tang Yu Hua merely curled up, turning away from Wang Si, unwilling to face him.

Wang Si could only smile at her reaction.

Aunt Yu Hua had indeed fulfilled her role dutifully, but some things were just too difficult to conceal.

Now that Tang Yu Hua knew about the situation with the Haotian Sect and the true identity and background of Qian Renxue, it was impossible for her to act natural, no matter how hard she tried.

Qian Renxue had been working undercover in Tiandou City since she was nine years old; it was impossible for her not to see through Tang Yu Hua's thoughts.

Wang Si wanted Qian Renxue to be able to let go, and there was a crucial factor that could assist in this: Zhu Ye.

Unlike Tang Yu Hua, who desperately tried not to disappoint Qian Renxue, Zhu Ming gave Zhu Ye no hope at all.

Zhu Ye's life was remarkably similar to Qian Renxue's once was: a desperate longing for a mother's love and a desire to be acknowledged by her.

But the mother had never responded to the child, even going so far as to hurt her and force her to do things she didn't want to do.

It was only through Zhu Ye's reflection that Qian Renxue realized the love she was experiencing was false, merely a fabricated beautiful dream.

And when one woke up from the dream, they had to face the cruel reality...

...

Time flew by, and four years passed in the blink of an eye.

"San, do we really have to go to that crappy academy? The name itself is disgusting."

On the road from Noding City to Soto City, a girl in pink was leaning on a young man in blue, boredly tugging at his hair.

The two were Tang San and Xiao Wu, who had just graduated from Noding Academy and were on their way to report to the advanced Soul Master Academy.

Hearing Xiao Wu's complaint, Tang San felt helpless.

"Xiao Wu, it's called Shrek Academy. Remember the name when we get there."

Ignoring Tang San's nagging, Xiao Wu continued to tug at his hair, swaying back and forth.

"Okay, San. Shrek, Shalek, Rollie-pollies..." Xiao Wu trailed off, unable to resist veering off-topic, and burst into laughter.

As if remembering something, Xiao Wu's mood turned glum.

"San, can we take a detour to the Tianwu Academy? It's not far from Shrek, I think.

I heard they have a Mimic Cultivation Arena or something. It sounds so fancy; I want to see it!"

Tianwu Academy, a Soul Master Academy established four years ago by the Tianwu Duchy, was located between Tianwu City and Soto City. Its founder was the ruler of the Tianwu Duchy.

Although it was a new academy, it was said to have a Mimic Cultivation Arena, something that only the Royal Sky Battle Academy was equipped with.

Having followed Master around, Tang San had some understanding of the Mimic Cultivation Arena.

He was curious about the so-called arena, but he trusted his teacher's recommendation of Shrek Academy. There must be a good reason for his insistence.

Additionally, there was another reason why Tang San didn't favor Tianwu Academy.

Rumor had it that the ruler of Tianwu Duchy, the founder of Tianwu Academy, had unclear relationships with some female students.

With Xiao Wu's beauty, she would undoubtedly be...

Seeing that Tang San wasn't responding, Xiao Wu knew his stance on the matter.

"San! I turned down the invitation from the Royal Sky Battle Academy because of you. How can you refuse me this? We're just going to visit, just take a look! We won't join!"

Xiao Wu grabbed Tang San's head and proceeded to scratch, tug, and choke him.

Unable to withstand Xiao Wu's assault, Tang San finally gave in, promising to make a trip to Tianwu Academy once they arrived in Soto City while prying her legs apart.

"Your stamina should be mostly recovered by now, so how about you climb down from my neck?"

Little Dancer looked at Tang San, whose cheeks were flushed, and finally hummed in satisfaction.

"Let's see if you dare go against your Little Dancer's wishes again."

Tang San quickly waved his hands, indicating that he would never dare do such a thing again.

"Little Dancer, as a young lady, you should pay attention to your image. Running around with your legs wrapped around people all day is not a good look."

Hearing Tang San's reprimand, Little Dancer pouted angrily, clearly tired of his nagging.

"Little San, let's hurry to Soto City. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can rest, and the sooner we can go check out Tianwu Academy!"

Little Dancer ran backwards with small steps, giving Tang San a playful smile.

As Tang San and Little Dancer were fooling around, a horse-drawn carriage approached them, heading in their direction.

The carriage was moving at a fast pace, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Seeing this, Tang San quickly stepped in front of Little Dancer and extended his hand to protect her in his embrace.

Little Dancer obediently snuggled into Tang San's arms, minimizing her presence.

As the carriage passed by, Tang San keenly sensed a gaze being directed at them from within.

The gaze initially seemed focused on Little Dancer, but then shifted to him.

That gaze was incredibly oppressive, causing Tang San's hairs to stand on end in an instant.

Although it was retracted quickly, it still left him startled.

The carriage soon disappeared into the distance, leaving Tang San and Little Dancer standing there, leaning against each other.

"Little San, the person in the carriage earlier seemed really strong."

Little Dancer poked her head out, speaking cautiously. Tang San pursed his lips and nodded firmly.

"The person in the carriage was indeed powerful, but I don't think we've done anything to offend them. They were probably just surprised by our current realm, so they took a second glance at us."

Tang San's explanation caused Little Dancer to nod gently, her eyes still fixed on the departing carriage.

She was also feeling relieved: "The person in the carriage should be a Douluo of the Soul. They didn't seem to have any intention of stopping, so they probably didn't discover my identity."

"I'm just glad we didn't cause any trouble." Little Dancer murmured softly.

"What do you mean 'glad'?" Tang San asked, puzzled.

"Oh, nothing... I'm just glad they left in a hurry. If they had stopped to ask about our cultivation qualifications, it could have been a whole mess." Little Dancer quickly explained.

Tang San was a bit perplexed, but he didn't dwell on it, and the two continued on their way to Soto City.

Inside the carriage.

Seated within were three people: Wang Si, Zhu Ming, and the seemingly asleep "Xue Qinghe."

This Xue Qinghe was the genuine article, as Wang Si had stuffed his soul into a brand-new body, bringing "Xue Qinghe" back to life.

"Master, there was something off about that little girl and the boy earlier. And that young man, there's something not quite right about him."

Zhu Ming looked at Wang Si, who was perusing some documents, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Wang Si put away the envelope and gently shook his head.

"Did you sense the presence that has been following them? That rabbit already has an owner."

Zhu Ming was taken aback by Wang Si's words, her eyes widening in surprise.

"It's not that my perception is better than yours; I'm just guessing."

Wang Si explained.

Although Zhu Ming didn't believe him, she nodded admiringly.

Putting away the letter, Wang Si also closed his eyes to rest, and Zhu Ming casually pulled him into her embrace, snuggling up to him as she, too, pretended to rest...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end