Fishing Entrapment

After hurriedly finishing dinner, Fatty ate two more of Oscar's Recovery Sausages before the five of them quietly headed out of the academy.

Ma Hongjun had not planned to tell anyone else about it.

After all, getting beaten up in that shabby den was hardly something to be proud of.

Just as the five of them reached the academy gates, a black shadow suddenly flashed out from the side, blocking their path.

Having just been beaten up, Ma Hongjun was already jumpy. Almost immediately, he summoned his martial soul.

Purple-red flames lit up the darkness, allowing the others to see who stood in their way.

Ma Hongjun sighed in relief and withdrew his Phoenix flames. "Why is it you? Are you trying to scare us to death?"

The one who had suddenly appeared before them was Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu wore brown trousers today, paired with a simple white camisole. Though she did not have Zhu Zhuqing's particularly full figure, her slender, graceful body had its own charm.

Especially her astonishingly slim yet supple waist, along with the glossy black scorpion braid hanging down behind her almost to her feet, gave her a touch of the approachable girl-next-door air.

Her pitch-black eyes held a trace of confusion as she stared at Tang San and the others.

"What are you guys sneaking around for? Fatty, why is your face swollen? Did someone beat you up?"

Ma Hongjun gave a dry cough. Bai Ge and the others were all men like him, so he had not been particularly embarrassed around them.

But Xiao Wu was a girl, and she had always disapproved of how he dealt with his Evil Fire.

For a moment, Ma Hongjun did not want to tell her how he had gotten beaten up.

Xiao Wu stepped closer and, under the moonlight, saw the injuries on Ma Hongjun's face clearly. She immediately jumped up in indignation.

"Who was so ruthless? They beat you up this badly?! Dai Mubai, it wasn't you, was it?"

Dai Mubai curled his lip. "Would I be that hard on one of my own brothers? Fatty got beaten up while fighting over a woman. We were just about to go get payback for him."

"Then what are we waiting for? Count me in. Anyone who dares hit my brother—I, Sister Xiao Wu, will beat him until he can't take care of himself."

Xiao Wu had always been the sort who feared the world was not chaotic enough.

When she had first arrived at the academy, she had held some prejudices against Fatty.

But after so many days, during which they had looked after one another through this period of devilish training, those prejudices had long vanished.

Besides, she had been the big sister at Notting Academy, and she had done plenty of fighting to stand up for others.

When they sparred normally, everyone knew their limits. Now that they finally had a chance for a real fight, she looked even more anxious than Ma Hongjun.

"Xiao Wu, you're too good to me. How about I offer myself to you?"

Seeing that Xiao Wu not only did not stop them from seeking revenge, but immediately joined them, Fatty was deeply moved. The gloom in his heart dissipated somewhat as well.

That last line, however, clearly exposed his usual lecherous nature.

"Offer yourself to whom?"

Tang San looked at Fatty, his voice carrying a chilly murderous intent.

It was as though, if Fatty dared say it again, Tang San would not mind returning to his old profession from his previous life for a little while.

Well, Bai Ge rolled his eyes at the sight. If his Xue Er was a vinegar jar, then this fellow villager of his was a whole vinegar factory that had exploded.

Fatty glanced at Tang San and quickly chuckled. "Pretend I didn't say anything, Third Brother. Let's get going."

The group of five became six. Under the cover of the dark, windy night, they followed a route Fatty knew like the back of his hand. Channeling their Soul Power, they raced toward Suotuo City like the wind.

Half an hour later.

"Fatty, this is where you usually come to deal with your Evil Fire?"

Dai Mubai's brows had knotted tightly together.

Before the group stood a row of single-story houses.

This was a particularly remote corner of Suotuo City. The houses before them were barely over three meters tall, and many parts looked badly damaged.

Several pink lanterns hung outside. Beneath them stood a few heavily made-up, clearly no longer young women of the night, soliciting passing pedestrians.

Oscar's mouth twitched. "No wonder you always say that even a shabby den can have a golden phoenix. This really is a shabby den!"

Dai Mubai and Oscar truly could not bring themselves to praise Ma Hongjun's taste.

It was Xiao Wu and Tang San's first time visiting such a place. Aside from curiosity, they did not feel anything in particular.

Bai Ge, meanwhile, was speechless. Fatty's tastes were seriously extreme.

Fatty merely let out a strange chuckle and said in a low voice, "It's cheap here. Low prices and generous service—one Silver Coin gets you one visit, two Silver Coins get you three. Great value for money. And you have to believe that even a shabby den can have a golden phoenix. That depends on your luck."

Dai Mubai shot him an irritated glare. "Don't ever say you know me when we're out."

Though I knew you weren't picky about what you ate, I never imagined you were this hardcore.

You actually came to a trashy place on this level.

Those Golden Phoenixes of yours are old enough to be your mothers."

The fat man said with some embarrassment and anger, "Boss Dai, you didn't come here just to mock me, did you? Let's handle business first.

Wait here. I'll go ask whether that bastard has left."

As he spoke, the fat man hurried toward his "nest."

A short while later, Ma Hongjun ran back excitedly. "Great! That guy hasn't left yet, but he's already paying the bill.

He'll probably come out any moment now.

Brothers, if you help me get revenge this time, I'll treat everyone to a good meal afterward."

Dai Mubai waved him off. "Enough nonsense. We wouldn't dare accept a meal from you.

With your taste, forget it."

After hearing Dai Mubai's words, even Xiao Wu could not help nodding. She and Tang San had seen Dai Mubai bring a pair of twin sisters to a hotel before. Those stunning twin sisters were practically heaven and earth compared to the "aunties" in front of them.

As they spoke, someone emerged from the nest.

Tang San's group of five stood in a dark corner across from the nest. By now, night had fully fallen, making it difficult to see them from the other side.

"That's him." The fat man spoke through gritted teeth.

Just as the fat man had described, the man who emerged from the "nest" was a middle-aged man in his forties.

His skin was dark, and he stood just over 1.6 meters tall. A satisfied, lecherous grin hung on his face. His right hand was wrapped in bandages, and he wore loose shorts with several holes in them and a pair of flip-flops. Swaying his head as he walked toward the street, he looked utterly pleased with himself.

As he walked, he hummed a little tune. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll take my little bird out for a stroll."

"Should we go?" The fat man's clenched fists crackled.

"Wait."

Xiao Wu grabbed Ma Hongjun's thick shoulder with one hand and tossed the scorpion braid in front of her over her back with the other. A harmless smile appeared on her pretty face. "You come out later. Watch me."

As she spoke, Xiao Wu took small steps toward the lecherous uncle named Bu Le from the side.

"What is Xiao Wu going to do?"

Ma Hongjun looked at Tang San in confusion. Everyone knew that Tang San understood her best.