Your Man?

Early the next morning.

Zhu Zhuqing lay in bed and slowly opened her eyes, her expression still somewhat dazed.

"You're awake?"

Yu Xiaowei's voice reached her. Startled, she instantly woke up completely.

When she saw that this was not the room she usually stayed in, she abruptly sat upright and lowered her head to check whether her clothes were intact.

"Stop looking. I have a fiancée, and I'm not interested in you."

Yu Xiaowei said irritably, "Thanks to you, I rented a room and still had to sleep on the sofa myself."

Zhu Zhuqing's face immediately flushed red. She threw back the covers and jumped out of bed.

"Come over. Breakfast has been delivered. Have something to eat before you leave."

Smelling the fragrance of the food, Zhu Zhuqing shuffled out step by step, looking at Yu Xiaowei with some hesitation.

"I'm not charging you. Hurry up and eat."

At that, Zhu Zhuqing's face turned even redder, and she said softly,

"Thank you."

"What did you say? Speak louder."

Yu Xiaowei said impatiently, "Hurry up and eat. Stop dawdling. You can leave once you're done—I have things to take care of."

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing more. She picked up her chopsticks and began eating in huge mouthfuls.

The waiter had seen Yu Xiaowei carry a woman back last night, so today's breakfast was especially lavish.

The starving boy and girl exchanged no words, quickly wiping out every last bit of food.

Yu Xiaowei sat sideways in his chair, picking his teeth with a toothpick as he studied Zhu Zhuqing.

Three months apart had left her dressed even more shabbily. Still, it was clear that she cared about her appearance, but the worn patches on her clothes could not hide how difficult these past few months had been for her.

After eating her fill, Zhu Zhuqing stood across from Yu Xiaowei, at a complete loss.

"Why haven't you left yet? I didn't ask you to pay for that meal. If you don't leave now, I'm going to start charging you."

Yu Xiaowei bluntly showed her the door.

"Um... um..."

Zhu Zhuqing rubbed the hem of her clothes, so nervous that she could not get the words out.

"Why are you hemming and hawing? Say what you want. It's not like I'm going to eat you."

"Um... can you give my Soul Tool back to me?"

Zhu Zhuqing took two shining Gold Soul Coins from her pocket and held them out to Yu Xiaowei, looking at him expectantly.

"If I remember correctly, I said you owed me ten thousand Gold Soul Coins, didn't I?"

Yu Xiaowei clasped his hands beneath his chin and scrutinized Zhu Zhuqing, his face full of a teasing smile.

Hearing that, Zhu Zhuqing panicked even more. Tears welled in her eyes as she said,

"I... I've already done my best. I only managed to save this much."

"Alright, alright, I was only joking. Here, take it."

What Yu Xiaowei could not stand most was seeing women cry. Because of that, he had no idea how many times Liu Erlong and Ning Rongrong had tricked him.

He took out a bracelet from his Soul Tool and casually tossed it over.

"Money and goods settled. You can leave now."

After catching the Soul Tool in a fluster, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly checked it. When she found that all her belongings were still inside, untouched, she lowered her head and said again,

"Thank you."

"Heh, I robbed your money and you're thanking me? Get going."

As though granted a pardon, Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly ran out.

"Tsk, tsk. In the end, she's just a twelve-year-old girl."

Yu Xiaowei sighed as he watched her fleeing back.

After telling the waiter to clean the room, he headed out as well. He had wasted some time that morning and needed to hurry to the city gate to keep watch.

As soon as he reached the stairs, he saw Zhu Zhuqing standing at the landing, staring downstairs with a complicated expression.

"Why are you still here?"

As if she had not heard him, Zhu Zhuqing did not turn around.

Yu Xiaowei walked over in confusion and discovered that her body was trembling slightly, two long trails of tears hanging down her face.

He followed her gaze.

Two groups of people downstairs were arguing.

One side consisted of a boy in a light-blue fitted outfit and a girl in a small pink outfit, her long hair tied into a neat ponytail.

The other was a tall blond man with mismatched eyes, accompanied by a pair of flamboyantly dressed seventeen- or eighteen-year-old twins.

Well, well. After searching everywhere to no avail, he had found them without even trying!

Yu Xiaowei was overjoyed.

Damn it, because he had no idea when Tang San would enter the city, he had been afraid of missing him if he stayed at the hotel. That was why he had been squatting in the restaurant every day to watch the city gate, and he was nearly exhausted.

Now this was perfect. Everyone was here.

Tang San and Dai Mubai's first battle.

Grinning happily, he sat down on the stairs and even tugged at Zhu Zhuqing's clothes.

"Why are you crying? I just returned your Soul Tool. Are you really that happy? Come on, sit down. Watching people fight is the most fun."

Zhu Zhuqing, her face streaked with tears, hesitated for a moment. Then she wiped her tears, pressed her lips together, and sat beside him.

The conflict downstairs was rapidly escalating, and both sides had begun shouting at each other.

Manager Wang from the hotel hurried out from the back. Yet after trying to mediate for a few words, he only made their argument even fiercer.

Watching Xiao Wu point at Manager Wang's nose and curse him out, Yu Xiaowei licked his lips.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Right before his eyes.

Then he mocked himself. What the hell am I thinking? If I absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring now, wouldn't I just be waiting to explode and die?

Tang San and Dai Mubai had already begun fighting during that brief interval.

They started by exchanging a punch. Dai Mubai merely had his attack blocked, while Tang San staggered back four or five steps in a row.

Dai Mubai had won the first exchange completely.

Watching Tang San's right hand turn white as jade, Yu Xiaowei thoughtfully rubbed his chin. He recognized it as Mysterious Jade Hand.

It was said to be immune to all poisons and hard as stone.

He just did not know whose fist was harder, Tang San's or his.

The two began their second exchange.

This one was much more exciting. They used both fists and kicks, with all kinds of subtle little techniques emerging one after another.

This round ended when Dai Mubai was sent flying five meters away. Tang San had gained a slight edge.

Yu Xiaowei could not help applauding them in his heart.

All flashy moves, fighting like a martial arts movie. It was pretty good.

The hand-to-hand combat ended there. Next came the clash between Soul Masters.

The horn of battle sounded as Dai Mubai used Martial Soul Possession, and Tang San also revealed his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.

"Tsk, tsk, so this is Blue Silver Grass? It doesn't look like much. Is that a White Tiger? Kind of interesting."

Yu Xiaowei offered his merciless commentary, completely failing to notice that Zhu Zhuqing beside him had begun crying again upon hearing the words White Tiger.

"Dai Mubai, Martial Soul: White Tiger. Level thirty-seven Battle Soul Elder. Please advise."

"Tang San, Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Level twenty-nine Tool Soul Master. Please advise."

The fight inside the hotel became even more entertaining.

Tang San perfectly demonstrated the qualities of a Control System Soul Master, while Dai Mubai fully displayed the fearless ferocity of an Assault System Soul Master—and his stupidity.

When Tang San bound Dai Mubai, Yu Xiaowei curled his lip and sneered.

"What kind of brain is that? Just because the other guy has Blue Silver Grass, he doesn't treat him like a real opponent. If he didn't have one more soul skill, it'd be a miracle if he didn't get slaughtered like a pig."

As Dai Mubai's Third Soul Ring lit up, he used White Tiger Vajra Transformation.

Having completed his second transformation, he instantly turned the situation around. Yet after defeating Tang San, he did not continue attacking. Instead, he beckoned to the twins and headed for the door.

Yu Xiaowei's assessment of their fight was simple.

Fancy moves, useless as hell.

A suppressed sob came from beside him. Yu Xiaowei turned to Zhu Zhuqing. Though he knew what was going on, he still put on an act and asked,

"Why are you crying again? Could one of those two be your man?"

Zhu Zhuqing had not wanted to answer, but when she thought of Dai Mubai openly holding the twins while she had spent the past two years traveling rough in search of him, even being bullied by bad people, waves of grievance welled up in her heart.

"Yes. The one with blond hair is my fiancé."

"Oh—"

"That bastard sure knows how to have fun!"

Dai Mubai, who had just stepped out of the hotel, inexplicably turned back for a glance.

When he saw Zhu Zhuqing sobbing with her head lowered and Yu Xiaowei staring at him from beside her, an unprovoked irritation rose in him. He immediately pointed at Yu Xiaowei and cursed,

"You! Who the hell are you looking at? Looking to get beaten up?"

Tang San and Xiao Wu, who were checking in, along with Manager Wang, all looked over in the direction he pointed with stunned expressions.

They saw a boy about as tall as Dai Mubai walking down the stairs, cracking his knuckles as he went.

"In all my life, this is the first time I've seen someone come begging for a beating."

There'll be another chapter tonight.