Shui Bing'er
After finishing their meal, the two tidied up quickly and set off immediately. Moreover, this time, Tang San did not plan to return.
Before leaving Nuoding City, Tang San and Xiao Wu returned to Holy Soul Village to visit Old Jack and the villagers.
Tang San also left a letter for Tang Hao at the Blacksmith's Shop, explaining that he was going to the Shrek Academy in Suotuo City and his possible plans for the future.
"I hope he sees this!" Tang San thought to himself. Old Bi Deng had been gone for over four years without a word. Perhaps he had come, but hadn't shown himself.
After returning to Nuoding City, the two rented a carriage and headed towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
Ten days later, Tang San and Xiao Wu arrived at a small town on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. It was already evening.
The two found a guesthouse that looked fairly clean and booked two superior rooms. After settling in, they went downstairs to the restaurant for a meal.
The restaurant was on the first floor and was quite spacious, with more than a dozen tables. It was dinnertime, and most of the tables were occupied, mostly by weary Soul Masters, with a few business travelers among them.
Tang San and Xiao Wu sat down at a table by the window, ordered a few dishes, and waited while drinking tea.
The two discussed their plans for entering the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow.
Tang San's goal is to Plant-type Soul Beast that is around 20,000 years old, which requires venturing deep into the forest, and the risks are considerable.
To be honest, Tang San had no confidence at all. First, high-age Plant-type Soul Beasts were extremely difficult to find. Second, even if they found one, the two of them might not be able to defeat it. A 20,000-year-old Plant-type Soul Beast, even without offensive power, possessed terrifying defensive and regenerative abilities.
The food was served quickly.
During the meal, seven girls entered the next table. When they pushed open the door, the lights in the entire restaurant seemed to brighten up.
The oldest looked to be seventeen or eighteen, and the youngest to be about twelve or thirteen. They were all dressed in matching light blue outfits with silver wave patterns embroidered on the collars and cuffs, and white boots, clearly students of some academy.
The seven girls were all strikingly beautiful, each with their own unique charm; some were innocent, some were radiant, some were lively, and some were quiet. Their arrival immediately drew the attention of all the male Soul Masters in the restaurant.
The most eye-catching was a girl with long, light blue hair. Her face was delicate, her skin was as white as snow, and her ice-blue eyes were calm as water. Her facial features were perfectly proportioned, with a high nose bridge, beautiful lips, and a smooth jawline. She was tall and slender, and her light blue outfit accentuated her shapely figure.
She walked among the seven, her steps unhurried, her demeanor aloof and noble, like a snow lotus blooming on an icy cliff, beautiful to behold but untouchable. The other six girls, though also very beautiful, automatically became mere background figures standing next to her.
Tang San's pupils contracted slightly.
Shui Bing'er, Skywater Academy.
Tang San roughly guessed the identities of this group of people and also recognized the girl with light blue hair.
When reading the original novel, Shui Bing'er was a genius Soul Master whom I greatly admired.
Shui Bing'er's Ice Phoenix Martial Soul is a top-tier Martial Soul, possessing both control and explosive power, making her one of the most dazzling stars in that year's Soul Master Tournament.
She was less than a year older than him, and without any Soul Bones or Immortal Herbs, she defeated Tang San from the original story so badly in the Soul Master Tournament that he questioned his existence. This shows just how monstrous Shui Bing'er's talent was.
Tang San observed for a moment and couldn't see the other team's teacher. They must be resting in their guest room, probably eating upstairs or already resting.
Xiao Wu followed Tang San's gaze to the table of girls, her rabbit ears twitched, and she asked in a low voice, "Third Brother, do you know them?"
"I don't recognize them." Tang San shook his head, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "Judging from their clothes, they're probably students from some academy, here in the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for Soul Rings. The light blue outfit with silver wavy patterns suggests they're from the Skywater Academy. Skywater City isn't far from here, so it makes sense for them to be hunting for Soul Rings in the Star Dou Great Forest."
Xiao Wu simply said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions. She didn't care much about other people's affairs; as long as they weren't there to cause trouble for Tang San, it was none of her business.
As the two were eating, several more people entered the restaurant.
They were three middle-aged men, burly and clearly Soul Masters who had spent years licking blood from the edge of a knife. The leader was a bald, burly man with a scar running diagonally from his forehead to his chin, giving him a fierce appearance.
After the three entered, their gazes swept around the restaurant, finally settling on the group from the Skywater Academy next to Tang San's. The bald, burly man's eyes lingered on the girls for a few seconds, especially on Shui Bing'er, a slightly unsettling smile playing on his lips.
"Hey, which college are these young ladies from? They're really pretty." The bald, burly man swaggered over to a table next to the Skywater Academy and sat down. His voice was loud enough to be heard throughout the entire restaurant.
The bald, burly man plopped down on a stool, crossed his legs, rested one hand on the back of the chair, and slammed the other hand on the table, shouting gruffly, "Waiter, bring the wine! The best wine! The finest wine!"
His two companions joined in the laughter, their vulgar and grating sound jarring in the quiet restaurant.
Several male Soul Masters frowned, but remained silent. When traveling, it's better to avoid trouble.
Seeing that the girls from the Skywater Academy didn't react, the bald, burly man grew bolder. He picked up his wine glass, stood up, walked to the Skywater Academy table, and brazenly scanned Shui Bing'er with his eyes.
"Little girls, don't be so cold." The bald, burly man slammed his glass on the table. "Let me treat you to a drink, how about we become friends? If you run into any trouble in the Star Dou Great Forest in the future, just mention my name, Iron Wolf, and I guarantee no one will dare to mess with you."
Shui Bing'er didn't even glance at him, and the other six girls exchanged helpless looks, ignoring him as well.
When the bald, burly man saw that the other party still ignored him, his smile vanished. His face turned from ruddy to ashen, and his lips twitched.
The burly man rushed over, passing by Tang San 'Tang San dining table. He casually smashed the table with a single blow, sending wood chips flying everywhere. Bowls and plates shattered on the ground, and soup and shards flew all over the place.
"Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" The bald, burly man's voice rose several octaves.
Tang San didn't want to get involved. Skywater Academy definitely had teachers in charge, and it wasn't his place to play the hero and save the damsel in distress.
The food was just served, and I hadn't even had a few bites before it was gone. What did I do to deserve this?
Xiao Wu reacted even faster than Tang San. Although Tang San had been guiding Xiao Wu to be patient and avoid trouble for the past few years, he himself couldn't tolerate this situation any longer. This was intolerable.
Xiao Wu slammed her chopsticks on the ground with a "bang," stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with anger. Her rabbit ears stood straight up, and she looked like a rabbit with its fur standing on end.
"Why did you slam your hand on our table?" Xiao Wu's clear and loud voice silenced the entire restaurant. "You've ruined all our food! Apologize! Pay up!"
The bald, burly man turned his head, his gaze falling on Xiao Wu, and looked her up and down.
Xiao Wu's pretty face was slightly flushed with anger. She had delicate features, a hot figure, and a pair of long, straight legs.
The bald, burly man's eyes lit up, and a smile returned to his lips, even more unrestrained than when he had looked at Shui Bing'er earlier.
"Hey, another beauty's here, this one's even hotter than the last." The bald, burly man licked his lips. "Pay up? Sure, I'll pay you. You just have to have a drink with me, and I'll take ten meals, not just one."
One of the big man's companions laughed and reached out to grab Xiao Wu's arm.