A Jealous Wang Dong'er

As they walked, Jiang Wu recounted the whole sequence of events: Ma Xiaotao losing control and charging at him by Sea God Lake yesterday, how he had knocked her out with a chop of his hand, how she had come looking for him at noon today and hauled him into the woods for a spar, their fight with her strength suppressed, and finally the eruption of her Evil Fire.

Wu Ming's eyes grew wider and wider as she listened. When she heard the part about Jiang Wu knocking Ma Xiaotao out with a chop, she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. "What did you say? You knocked Xiaotao out with one chop? She's a Soul Emperor, at least. Even if she'd lost control, surely she wouldn't be knocked out in one hit by someone with three rings?"

"Luck," Jiang Wu said. "Her Soul Power was unstable at the time, and I ambushed her from behind. I had the advantage."

Wu Ming stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly broke into a grin, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "Well, I'll be damned. I've known Xiaotao for years, and this is the first time I've heard of someone with three rings knocking her out. No wonder she had a 'don't mess with me' look on her face when I ran into her yesterday."

Jiang Wu recalled how unwilling Ma Xiaotao had been to admit defeat when she came looking for him today, and could picture what she had looked like yesterday.

Once Wu Ming had laughed enough, she continued walking, a hint of wistfulness in her voice. "Xiaotao might have a fiery temper, but she responds to kindness, not force. You fought her today, and even though it ended in a draw, she'll definitely remember you. She can't stand anyone being stronger than her, especially someone younger."

"I'm not stronger than her," Jiang Wu said honestly. "I only held out because she suppressed her strength."

"There's no point telling me that. You need to tell her." Wu Ming waved a hand. "But knowing Xiaotao, she'll probably come looking for a rematch. You'd better be ready."

Jiang Wu was silent for two seconds. "Senior, could you help me talk her out of coming back? She nearly stripped me today. I can't take another round of that."

Wu Ming stopped and turned to look at him, then burst out laughing. She rocked back and forth and had to brace herself against a tree trunk to stay upright. "Stripped you? Xiaotao stripped you? Hahahaha—I can't take it! I'm going to laugh at her about this for the rest of my life!"

Jiang Wu watched her laugh with a blank expression.

Wu Ming laughed for quite a while before she straightened up and wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll definitely find a chance to bring this up with Xiaotao in front of everyone in the Inner Court. The mighty Ma Xiaotao, cornering a freshman in the woods, stripping him and kissing him when her Evil Fire flared up. Just picturing it makes me laugh."

Jiang Wu's mouth twitched. "Senior, if you do that, won't Senior Ma fall out with you?"

"So what if she does? You think I'm scared of her?" Wu Ming waved a hand dismissively.

The two continued walking out, and Wu Ming asked Jiang Wu a few more questions about himself: his Martial Soul, his rank, and what he was learning from Xian Lin'er.

Jiang Wu answered each question.

Wu Ming nodded after hearing him out. "Dean Xian has always had a discerning eye. None of the disciples she takes a liking to are lacking. Study hard under her, and I might even run into you on the field during the Inner Court assessment someday."

"Please go easy on me then, Senior."

"No can do," Wu Ming replied without hesitation. "Once I'm on the field, I don't care who you are."

Jiang Wu smiled and let the remark pass.

When they reached the boundary between the Inner Court and the Outer Court, Wu Ming stopped and pointed down the road ahead. "The Outer Court's just ahead. You can go on by yourself."

Jiang Wu nodded and looked at Wu Ming. "Thank you, Senior. I'll treat you to a meal next time."

Wu Ming's eyes lit up. She waved a hand with a cheerful smile. "Sure, I'll hold you to that. The Inner Court cafeteria isn't cheap, so don't complain about how much I eat when the time comes."

Jiang Wu smiled. "Don't worry, Senior. I've fought a few matches in the Soul Fighting Zone. I can still afford a meal."

Wu Ming nodded in satisfaction and looked him up and down again. She muttered that it was a pity he was a little young. She hadn't spoken loudly, but Jiang Wu had sharp ears and heard her clearly.

He pretended he hadn't heard, cupped his fists at Wu Ming, and turned toward the passage between the Inner Court and the Outer Court.

Once he emerged from the passage, the view opened up before him. The Outer Court's low buildings and the freshmen coming and going immediately made the surroundings feel lively.

Jiang Wu followed the stone-paved road toward the dormitory. As he passed the teaching area, several classmates spotted him from a distance and huddled together, whispering a few words with strange looks before quickly scattering.

Jiang Wu paid them no mind. All he wanted now was to return to the dormitory, straighten his collar, and wash the lipstick mark off his face completely.

When he reached the dormitory building, Jiang Wu had just raised his hand to push the door open when it was pulled open from inside.

Wang Dong'er stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. Her pink-and-blue eyes swept over him from head to toe, then settled on the lipstick mark on his face that hadn't been completely wiped away.

Jiang Wu's heart skipped a beat.

"Wang Dong'er, let me explain-"

"What's that on your face?" Wang Dong'er's voice was calm, unnaturally calm.

Jiang Wu raised a hand and touched his face. A faint reddish mark rubbed off on his fingertip.

He looked down at his finger, then back up at Wang Dong'er's tightly drawn face, and decided to tell the truth. "It's Senior Ma Xiaotao's. Her Evil Fire flared up, and she kissed me. I tried to dodge, but I couldn't get away. Then Dean Xian came and knocked her out with a chop."

Wang Dong'er said nothing.

She stared at Jiang Wu for three seconds, then slowly lowered her gaze to his crooked collar.

The second button at his neckline was missing, and the fabric bore several creases from being pulled. Anyone with eyes could tell it had been yanked hard.

"Where's the button?" Wang Dong'er's voice sank even lower.

"It got pulled off," Jiang Wu answered honestly. "She was especially strong when her Evil Fire erupted. I couldn't push her away-"

"She pulled at your clothes?"

"She tried to, but she didn't manage it. Dean Qian pulled me away."

Wang Dong'er took a deep breath. Her cheeks puffed up little by little, and her face began to redden from the base of her neck, the color burning all the way to the tips of her ears.

Jiang Wu had known her for five years and knew that expression all too well. It was a sign she was about to explode.

"Wang Dong'er, calm down first-"

"Calm down?" Wang Dong'er's voice rose a pitch, and several students passing in the corridor turned to look in unison. "What am I supposed to be calm about? I watched that woman in red haul you away at noon, and I waited all afternoon. Then you come back with a lipstick mark on your face and a missing button, and you want me to calm down?"

Jiang Wu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Wang Dong'er had already moved closer.

Wang Dong'er stood on tiptoe and brought her face close to his, her nose almost touching his chin. She stared at the lipstick mark for several seconds, then reached out and rubbed his face hard twice.

"Ow, ow, ow-" Jiang Wu turned his head away.

"Don't move." Wang Dong'er gripped his chin, turned his face back, and continued rubbing.

When two more rubs failed to get it clean, she turned and headed into the room. After two steps, she came back, seized Jiang Wu by the sleeve, dragged him inside, and pressed him into a chair. She rummaged through her Storage Soul Tool for a damp cloth and scrubbed his face with it.

"I'll do it myself-"

"Shut up."

Jiang Wu shut his mouth and sat obediently, letting her wipe his face.