Refusal

"Sorry."

"Tang San, I've decided to do solo soul fighting after all."

"If you want to form a two-person team for soul fighting, you should find Rongrong instead. Her Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, after all."

Xiao Wu refused tactfully.

She believed Tang San could understand what she meant.

Bringing up "Ning Rongrong" was merely an excuse. Ning Rongrong had just decided to team up with Zhu Zhuqing, and there was no way such news could be kept from Xiao Wu.

Of course, there was no need to keep it from Xiao Wu either.

Zhu Zhuqing wanted to avoid Dai Mubai, that shameless White Tiger, while Ning Rongrong was a Support-type Soul Master who happened to need someone to lead her.

Xiao Wu supported such a mutually willing arrangement after learning of it.

But when it came to Tang San, that demon wearing human skin, Xiao Wu still chose a "well-intentioned lie," doing her utmost to avoid provoking him.

After all, the sudden appearance of a Titled Douluo that night had been far too terrifying.

Xiao Wu knew that Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and even that fat man Ma Hongjun all believed the Clear Sky Douluo had come to avenge his son.

But only Xiao Wu vaguely suspected another possibility: Tang Hao had appeared that night to warn her!

To warn her not to entertain any Small Thoughts!

Otherwise, there was no need for the mighty Clear Sky Douluo to block the road personally.

When could he not have a One-on-One with Lu Yuan?

Why did he have to stop Lu Yuan in front of everyone that night?

And their group had even included her, a Ten Thousand Year transformed Soft Bone Rabbit!

The more she considered it, the more suspicious it seemed!

Especially after Xiao Wu returned to the dormitory and thoroughly questioned Ning Rongrong about the history of the Clear Sky Sect, her heart turned completely cold.

According to Ning Rongrong, at the height of the Clear Sky Sect's power, it had four major affiliated clans beneath it.

The Strength Clan, the Breaking Clan, the Speed Clan, and the Defense Clan.

No matter how down-and-out Tang Hao was, he should still have been capable of commanding a clan, right?

How could Tang San possibly have spent six years muddling through the Primary Soul Master Academy under the title of a Work-study Student, just like her!

The only son of a Titled Douluo had spent six years working and muddling through the Primary Soul Master Academy.

Even using her rabbit ears to think, Xiao Wu could guess why!

Wasn't it simply because he coveted her!

A risk-free Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone were enough to make the son of a Titled Douluo willingly lie low.

The benefits were simply too great!

Hearing how Xiao Wu addressed him, Tang San's thoughts were struck as though by lightning. His mind went blank, unable to turn. His face darkened as he asked with difficulty:

"Why?"

Xiao Wu was baffled by the inexplicable question and asked in return:

"What do you mean, why?"

"You always used to call me Third Brother."

Tang San looked at Xiao Wu mournfully. Only after a moment did he add the rest of his sentence. "Instead of calling me 'Tang San'!"

Xiao Wu's delicate body stiffened for an instant. She awkwardly brushed back her hair and said with a smile:

"Men and women should keep their distance!"

"If I keep calling you Third Brother, people will think I'm your little sweetheart."

"We've both grown up. There are some things we should avoid now."

Tang San's face went pale, and his heart felt as though it were being twisted by knives.

At that moment, how badly he wanted to say to Xiao Wu's face:

I like you!

I don't care that your first kiss was taken. I don't care whether you're still pure.

I only hope that you can return these feelings of mine!

But Tang San swallowed those words with tears and blood, burying them in his chest. He did not dare say a single word.

If he said nothing, his feelings would remain unspoken.

At the very least, they could still be friends on the surface.

If he said it, they would not even be able to remain surface-level friends.

Although he did not know whether Xiao Wu had said those things of her own free will, Tang San knew that, at this point, it no longer made much difference whether she had done so willingly!

If she had been willing, he was powerless to change it.

If she had not, he was still powerless to change it!

Hatred fermented within his heart, brewing seeds of anger; nourished by the spring of resentment, those seeds of anger sprouted and grew.

What would come next?

Tang San did not know.

But the wheel of fate had already begun to turn silently.

"Avoid."

"Avoiding is good."

"Avoiding is good indeed."

Tang San murmured the word as if lost.

It was familiar, yet strange.

He had never imagined that one day, this word would be used between him and Xiao Wu.

Seeing that something was wrong with Tang San, Xiao Wu fearfully took several steps back, putting distance between them.

This was to prevent Tang San from jumping the wall in desperation, subduing her on the spot in his panic, then killing her to take her ring or bone.

Although Tang San definitely could not absorb a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, and it would dissipate automatically after a certain time, a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone could still be taken away!

Compared with her running away, Xiao Wu felt that taking her bone was a good option.

From a certain perspective, it would indeed prevent even greater losses.

But.

She would rather sacrifice herself to another great demon than sacrifice herself to Tang San!

Although Lu Yuan liked to tease her, provoke her, show her off, and had an especially strong possessive streak that required her to stroke him the right way rather than against the grain.

At the very least, that demon Lu Yuan had never deceived her!

From the moment they met, he had laid everything out clearly. He had come for her Soul Ring and Soul Bone.

Even from opposing positions, Xiao Wu had to praise him: frank and magnanimous!

Tang San lifted his eyelids slightly and gave a self-mocking smile.

"Since when have you become so afraid of me?"

Xiao Wu pursed her lips and gave no answer.

But.

Sometimes, not answering was clearer than any answer.

Tang San smiled stiffly and turned away, forcibly directing his gaze toward the battle in the Soul Fighting Arena below. At the same time, he asked distractedly:

"Can you tell me? What exactly did I do wrong?"

This was Tang San testing her.

He believed that throughout all these years, he had never done anything to wrong Xiao Wu.

Precisely because of that, he was confident he could test whether Xiao Wu's answer truly came from her heart.

If she could answer, he could slowly make amends in the future.

If she could not answer.

A cold glint flashed through Tang San's eyes.

Better to tear down ten temples than ruin one marriage.

Xiao Wu and he loved each other. How could Lu Yuan, that despicable person, be allowed to meddle between them!

One day, he would use Lu Yuan's Heart Blood as an offering!

After observing for a moment and noticing the determination in Tang San's eyes, Xiao Wu took a deep breath and suppressed the surging emotions in her heart.

Even at this point, he still had not given up.

What tenacity!

But on second thought, Xiao Wu felt that it was only natural.

After all, he had begun pretending at the age of six. After so many years, even if he was not good at pretending, he must have developed strong mental fortitude.

If she had truly detected guilt in him, it would instead prove that Tang San had not become rotten to the core.

At the very least, he still possessed normal emotions.

Six years.

Forget people—even a dog would have developed feelings after being raised for that long!

But this was good too.

At least it had allowed her to give up completely.

Her slender fingers played with her beloved braid as Xiao Wu stood where she was. Her crisp, tender voice rang out and reached Tang San's ears.

"You did nothing wrong."

"But neither did I!"

"I simply chose another way."

"If even that counts as a mistake, then perhaps I was wrong."

Her voice suddenly stopped.

Then she said firmly:

"But I don't regret it!"

Tang San closed his eyes.

He understood everything now.

He had done nothing wrong, but Xiao Wu had also said that she had done nothing wrong.

Another way?

What way?

Her words were vague, yet they had made Xiao Wu willingly choose this way.

"Lu Yuan!"

Tang San ground out those two words through clenched teeth.

That bastard who never played by the rules had actually dared to threaten Xiao Wu with his safety!

Even dying eight hundred or a thousand times would not be enough!

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