"Fuck, where the hell did I end up? Am I even still in my own country?"
In the Star Dou Great Forest, Su Zui stared at the towering ancient trees around him, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
Only now did Su Zui fully shake off his hangover. He shook his head hard, piecing together what he remembered from before he passed out.
He vaguely remembered sneaking a jar of Qian Daoliu's wine the night before. Qian Daoliu had chased him, trying to beat him, and after he fled all the way into the Star Dou Great Forest, he remembered nothing else.
"Damn, the old man was serious? All I did was sneak a jar of his wine! He actually drove me out of Spirit Hall!"
Su Zui sat on a branch, his face full of disbelief.
It seemed he really was homeless.
Was he going to be an orphan again, just like in his previous life?
In his previous life, he had grown up in an orphanage, subjected to disdainful looks from childhood. He ate other people's leftovers and wore their hand-me-downs.
After finally making it through the college entrance exam, Su Zui had been ready to head to Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai and spread his wings, only for a hundred-ton truck on the national highway to treat him like a speed bump.
He had finally been reborn, and although he was still an orphan, at least he had a family around him, as well as innate talent that surpassed the entire continent.
What was more, Spirit Hall, the organization he belonged to, was the largest in this world, something like the church in ancient Rome.
A background like that sounded like a textbook protagonist setup.
Su Zui had originally thought that heaven had finally opened its eyes and let him experience what it was like to be the protagonist.
Who would have thought that, in the space of a single night, he had been sent right back to the days before liberation? How could he stand for that?
Had the secure position he had worked so hard to land vanished overnight?
Still, Su Zui really didn't believe Qian Daoliu would dare leave him alone in the Star Dou Great Forest.
After all, today was his birthday! Snow Sister and Sister Pope had both promised to celebrate with him. If he still hadn't returned by evening, Snow Sister would probably tear the whole Worship Hall down.
So Su Zui concluded that Qian Daoliu was definitely hiding in some corner, secretly watching him. Otherwise, how would he face Snow Sister's wrath?
How did that saying go? Those who were favored had nothing to fear. As the recipient of the boundless affection of Spirit Hall, Su Zui was naturally no exception.
At that thought, Su Zui felt inexplicably reassured. That's right, how could Grandpa Qian possibly abandon me? He must be hiding in some corner, watching me.
A trace of helplessness flashed in Su Zui's eyes.
Honestly, Grandpa Qian is really something. He's already so old, so why does he still like playing this kind of joke on me?
But when all's said and done, I was in the wrong first. Maybe Grandpa Qian is just waiting for me to apologize.
Su Zui cleared his throat and called out, "Grandpa, when all's said and done, this really was my fault. After all, it was wrong of me to steal the wine."
"But I couldn't help it! You know I've loved the stuff since I was little, Grandpa. I started drinking at three, and I've kept drinking ever since."
Su Zui gathered his thoughts, his face full of righteous conviction.
"But Grandpa, you know I have my reasons for loving wine! My First Martial Soul is the Chaos Wine Gourd, so it makes perfect sense for me to love drinking! Besides, my Soul Power grows fastest when I'm drunk, so my drinking is entirely for the future of Spirit Hall!!"
Su Zui didn't know whether this speech had moved Qian Daoliu, but he was almost moved to tears himself.
Su Zui wiped away his tears and continued passionately, "So I haven't drunk a single drop in vain! Didn't you say that Spirit Hall's future would depend on us? I'm drinking now to improve my strength quickly. In conclusion, every drop I drink is for the future of Spirit Hall~"
It had to be said, Su Zui was a good comrade, a dab hand with words. His brilliant speech had already moved him to tears, his voice choked with emotion.
Yet Su Zui cried for a long time, and Qian Daoliu still didn't show himself.
Forget the man himself—he hadn't even seen a single one of Qian Daoliu's feathers.
Su Zui's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition suddenly rose within him.
This isn't right. The moment's already here, so why hasn't Qian Daoliu come out yet?
By rights, shouldn't Qian Daoliu appear next, give me a smiling scolding, and then have me write a pledge? After that, we'd go back to being a loving grandfather and an obedient grandson, wouldn't we? Why is something off today?
No, this joke really isn't funny at all! He couldn't have actually abandoned me, could he?
I even had an outfit custom-made for my birthday today, and I arranged to watch the moon with Sister Xuexue and the others. How did I end up a wild man in the Star Dou Great Forest overnight?
After waiting for half an hour without seeing Qian Daoliu, Su Zui felt a chill sink into his heart.
It looks like I really do have to wander the world!
Su Zui's face filled with grief and indignation. He jerked his head up, pointed an accusing finger at the sky, and cursed, "All I did was drink one jar of your wine! How could you really drive me out?!"
"Qian Daoliu, just you wait! If you won't come get me, I'll go back myself! And when I do, I'm definitely telling Snow Sister on you. I'll pull out every hair of your beard and turn you into a braised egg!"
With a surge of determination, Su Zui set off alone for Spirit Hall.
Meanwhile, in a place completely hidden from Su Zui's sight, Ghost Leopard Douluo was struggling to hold back his laughter.
As everyone knew, Su Zui had absolutely no sense of direction. So his chances of telling on Qian Daoliu were next to none; after all, he couldn't find his way.
And that was indeed the case.
The road Su Zui was taking didn't lead to Spirit Hall at all. It led to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Ghost Leopard Douluo followed Su Zui, speechless. The boy was good in every other way, so why did he have no sense of direction?
The two traveled through the Star Dou Great Forest, one in the open and the other in hiding. Only when dark clouds swallowed the last ray of sunlight did Su Zui realize he was lost!
At night, the Star Dou Great Forest was so quiet it sent chills down his spine.
Walking alone through the forest, Su Zui could even hear the thump of his own heartbeat.
Apart from his heartbeat, the clearest sound was the rustle of leaves beneath his feet.
The trees around him bared their fangs and brandished their claws. A cold wind swept past, howling from every direction, and Su Zui felt as though his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
Whether in his previous life or this one, Su Zui was quite afraid of supernatural things.
Although he now had Martial Souls and Soul Power, the fear carved into his DNA had not changed.
Su Zui shrank his neck and immediately summoned his Second Martial Soul, the Great Luo Sword Embryo, while constantly trying to bolster his courage.
"They're just a few trees! What's there to be afraid of? I'm a dignified Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster now, a level-thirty expert! Even if a ghost really does come, I, Su Zui, can cut it down with one sword strike!"
Su Zui seemed encouraged by his own words and grew a little braver, though he still quickened his pace without realizing it. He summoned the Chaos Wine Gourd, intending to take a drink to calm his nerves.
But the instant Su Zui picked up the wine gourd, the wind blowing toward him from ahead seemed to be cut off by something.
At the same time, the Great Luo Sword Embryo in Su Zui's hand began to tremble slightly.
It seemed something extraordinary was approaching...