Xiao Wu: I'm Facing Three Titled Douluo?

At the west gate of Suotuo City.

"We'll say goodbye here."

"I won't come with you to find a place to stay."

A little while later, Chen Xin slowly descended with the group at a spot not far from the city gate, speaking as they landed.

But when he saw Rongrong holding Tang Wulin's hand, he could not help frowning. In the end, he let out a long sigh.

He didn't know when Rongrong had become afraid of heights, but since she'd said it, then afraid she was, but...

Tang Wulin wasn't holding her hand alone!

"Okay!"

Ning Rongrong quietly slipped her little hand free, her face flushing red. Seeing that neither Tang Wulin nor Zhu Zhuqing had opened their eyes, she wore a sly little smile.

I got to hold his hand, ehehe!

But when Tang Wulin soon opened his eyes and looked at her, she froze, then grew even more embarrassed and immediately turned her head away.

"Oh, this city gate really does look like a gate."

Ning Rongrong looked at the gate and muttered earnestly, completely oblivious to Xiao Wu's aggrieved gaze. Xiao Wu's little face was scrunched up in misery.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully holding Ning Rongrong's hand]

[Reward obtained: +2,000 years to all Soul Rings]

[Current ages: purple (6,780), purple (8,522), black (12,000), black (31,000)]

[As the host was the passive party this time, achievement completed: Guest Becomes Host]

[Reward obtained: 100 Gold Soul Coins]

"..."

That achievement was pretty useless, then.

"Zhu Zhuqing, we're here."

Tang Wulin gave Ning Rongrong a long look, then turned his attention to Zhu Zhuqing beside him and spoke softly.

"Mm, I know..."

Zhu Zhuqing answered softly, her face red and an indescribable emotion in her eyes.

She had been visibly shy even with her eyes closed, but now her feelings were on full display, and...

Why didn't I want to let go?

"Big Brother Tang, thank you."

"I'm not scared anymore..."

Shyness showed on Zhu Zhuqing's face as she gazed at him, but she said nothing about letting go. If Big Brother Tang wanted to, they could actually keep holding hands...

"That's good. Let's go into the city and look around, and find somewhere to stay while we're at it."

Tang Wulin smiled gently and naturally released her delicate hand, then turned his gaze to Suotuo City before them.

"Mm..."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly, but her expression froze.

The hand he'd been holding only moments ago now felt empty, and something in her heart didn't feel quite right.

"Come on, let's go to Suotuo City!"

Ning Rongrong noticed the little change in Zhu Zhuqing's expression, then smiled faintly and looked toward Suotuo City.

After all, the group had only recently explored almost all of Suotuo City, so they weren't nearly as interested on their return. More importantly...

"We've barely eaten anything today."

"We'll have to look around Suotuo City properly..."

Ning Rongrong couldn't help muttering. She'd run so many laps that morning without eating anything!

"Hm?"

At that, the others immediately understood. Including Tang Wulin, they'd all had only a little something that morning.

"Damn Shrek Academy..."

At that moment, even the dispirited Xiao Wu couldn't help gritting her teeth. It was bad enough that the academy was no good, but she'd also been terribly unlucky to run into a Titled Douluo, and she hadn't even eaten.

Even if she had to die, she, Xiao Wu, would be a rabbit who died with a full belly, no matter what, and eat lots and lots of carrots.

"Today's meal is on me."

"Let's eat something delicious!"

Xiao Wu took a deep breath and pulled her purse from her Soul Tool. It was stuffed full of Gold Soul Coins.

She wouldn't have another chance to spend them anyway, so she might as well spend them all in one go today, and then...

Then she'd leave it to fate! Either way, she'd eat her fill.

As she thought this, she looked toward the most eye-catching restaurant in Suotuo City, the one she'd seen when she first arrived but hadn't been willing to spend the money to visit with Wulin.

"Let's go to the Huangbai Grand Hotel. It looks like it'll be really good!"

Xiao Wu giggled. She still had several hundred Gold Soul Coins, so even after paying back what she'd borrowed from Wulin, she would surely have enough.

"Hm? Sure, sure!"

Ning Rongrong was taken aback to hear Xiao Wu offer to treat them, but she was still the first to respond with a smile.

That said...

She was so poor she had almost nothing left but money, so she certainly couldn't let Xiao Wu pay. She'd just secretly settle the bill herself later!

"..."

"Welcome. What would you like? Our house specialties include steamed clear fish, stir-fried piglet, spicy rabbit..."

When Tang Wulin and the others arrived at the restaurant, they had barely sat down in a private room when a server entered with a menu and spoke politely.

"We'll have this, this, and this... spicy rabbit head? Not that one. We'll have one of every other specialty."

"And bring me a plate of carrots too!"

Xiao Wu ordered a whole host of dishes, but when she saw spicy rabbit head, she couldn't help feeling a jolt. How could anyone eat bunnies?!

"Xiao Wu, can we eat that much?"

Ning Rongrong was a little taken aback and couldn't help asking. It wasn't that she thought so many dishes would be expensive, but could they really finish them?

Neither she nor Zhu Zhuqing ate much, and Xiao Wu didn't look much different. Apart from Big Brother Tang, none of them could eat all that much!

"Hehe, it's fine. We can eat it all."

"All right, that's what we'll have."

Xiao Wu smiled and handed the menu to the server as she spoke.

"Certainly. Please wait a moment."

The server respectfully accepted the menu and left the private room.

"Oh, you..."

Seeing Xiao Wu like this, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but both thought to themselves:

Xiao Wu must be really hungry.

"Where is everyone planning to go afterward? Big Brother Tang is the Spirit Hall Holy Son, so he'll definitely return to Spirit City. I'll probably go back to my sect first."

"If you don't have anywhere in mind, maybe you could come to Heaven Dou City with me. There's an academy there that's really close to my home, Heaven Dou Royal Academy..."

During the meal, Ning Rongrong asked softly, a curious look on her face.

"I..."

Xiao Wu was the first to start speaking, only to stop and shake her head. A Titled Douluo had appeared, and perhaps the only reason he hadn't captured her yet was that she was with Rongrong and the others.

Once they found somewhere to stay and split up, she'd probably be parted from her friends by life and death tonight.

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing. Or rather, she had nowhere she wanted to go, and simply focused her attention on Tang Wulin beside her.

Wherever Big Brother Tang wanted to go, she would go.

"I'll be going to Heaven Dou City too. I plan to have a look around, so Rongrong and I are headed the same way."

"What about you, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu?"

Tang Wulin smiled faintly, as though he'd seen through something, and looked at Zhu Zhuqing as he asked softly.

"I'm going to Heaven Dou City too."

Zhu Zhuqing spoke indifferently, though her face flushed slightly. Could Big Brother Tang have seen what she was thinking?

"Then..."

"I'll go to Heaven Dou City too. Are there many powerful people in Heaven Dou City? I mean Titled Douluo-level people."

Xiao Wu took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

If she could live through today, perhaps she could go to Heaven Dou City with everyone too!

"Titled Douluo? Xiao Wu, there are only a handful of Titled Douluo-level experts in the whole Heaven Dou Empire. Just three in all."

Hearing that, Ning Rongrong immediately answered with a smile.

"Huh!?"

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. In that case, surely there wasn't a single Titled Douluo in Heaven Dou City!

That meant the Heaven Dou Empire was still very safe.

"But even though there are only three Titled Douluo experts in the Heaven Dou Empire, all three are in Heaven Dou City, hehe!"

"..."

Xiao Wu's smile instantly froze.

"Then..."

"Heaven Dou City really is great..."

She had to face three Titled Douluo?

Seriously?!

P.S. Still 7,000 characters today, but I heard that a higher word count actually hurts the stats. Sigh, looks like I'll have to make some adjustments in the future. (So even posting more isn't okay.)