Take Your Xiao Wu Along

Huo Yuhao did not agree just because Xiao Wu argued back. He shook his head and said, "No means no. This time is too dangerous. I can't take you with me."

Xiao Wu pointed at Huo Yuhao and said angrily, "You're such a heartless man. Now that you don't need me, you just..."

Huo Yuhao hurriedly covered Xiao Wu's mouth and glanced around. Seeing Wang Sheng and the others watching curiously, he explained, "It's nothing. Xiao Wu was just joking..."

Wang Sheng revealed a knowing smile and said, "Stop explaining, Yuhao. I get it... But as a man, I think you can't let Sister Xiao Wu down..."

Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes. What was this nonsense? Were kids these days really this precocious? He and Xiao Wu were only seven, while Wang Sheng was only twelve. Were their thoughts really this complicated already?

Huo Yuhao pulled Xiao Wu out of the dormitory building, and the two came to the training field.

Xiao Wu stubbornly turned her head away, refusing to look at Huo Yuhao out of spite.

Huo Yuhao did not explain himself. Instead, he said to Xiao Wu, "Let's fight. If I win, you listen to me. Deal?"

Xiao Wu thought for a moment and said, "Fine, but I have a condition. Take off all your Soul Tools. I won't use any either. We'll fight using only our Martial Souls and soul skills."

Huo Yuhao nodded. "Fine."

With that, Huo Yuhao removed all the Soul Tools from his body and set them aside.

Xiao Wu also took off her Soul Tools.

The two stood facing each other five meters apart.

Suddenly, Xiao Wu moved. Red light burst from her body as she charged at Huo Yuhao, completing her Martial Soul Possession along the way. Huo Yuhao closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, a faint glow had appeared within them.

Mental Detection activated. Every subtle movement Xiao Wu made was reflected in Huo Yuhao's mind. He calmly shifted sideways and dodged her flying kick.

Xiao Wu immediately leaped into the air and unleashed a flurry of kicks at Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao instantly raised his arms before his chest and blocked Xiao Wu's flying kicks.

Xiao Wu flicked her hair, and her Scorpion Tail Braid coiled toward Huo Yuhao's neck.

Huo Yuhao had fought Xiao Wu countless times and knew every one of her moves inside out. He calmly leaned his upper body back and evaded the Scorpion Tail Braid.

The Scorpion Tail Braid was only a feint. Her true killing move was her legs. Next, she would use them to clamp my neck... From Xiao Wu's movements, Huo Yuhao analyzed her next move.

Sure enough, using the force from her kick, Xiao Wu brought her legs level with Huo Yuhao's neck and moved to clamp down on him.

Huo Yuhao quickly raised both hands and grabbed Xiao Wu by the calves. Under her stunned gaze, he forcibly pulled her legs apart.

Xiao Wu was in midair with nowhere to brace herself, and Huo Yuhao had hold of her calves. She immediately fell straight down.

Thud!

Xiao Wu hit the ground.

Huo Yuhao immediately pounced on her, sat on her little butt, and twisted both her arms behind her back. "Do you admit defeat?"

"I do!" Xiao Wu said without hesitation. "I surrender!"

Only then did Huo Yuhao release Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu silently climbed to her feet, her lips pursed as her fingers poked together. She looked utterly aggrieved.

Huo Yuhao took a breath and was just about to turn away so he would not have to look at Xiao Wu. He truly could not handle this.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice suddenly rang out. "Yuhao, take your Xiao Wu along."

Huo Yuhao did not notice Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's form of address. He merely asked in confusion, "Brother Sky Dream, this trip to the Extreme North is so dangerous. Taking my... what did you say? My Xiao Wu?"

Only then did Huo Yuhao realize that Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had said "your Xiao Wu." He could not decide whether to be annoyed or amused.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm chuckled. "Why isn't she yours? In your previous life, weren't you two family?"

Huo Yuhao: "..."

Well, that was certainly one way to explain it.

Huo Yuhao could not argue with Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, so he simply dropped the subject and asked, "Wouldn't taking Xiao Wu make it even more dangerous? Brother Sky Dream, why do you want me to bring her?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said, "For me, whether you go alone or take Xiao Wu, the danger is about the same. Along the way, I can shield you from powerful soul beasts' senses. My Molted Shell can keep both of you warm without any problem. If you can persuade the Ice Empress, then naturally you'll be safe. If you can't persuade her, your chances of escaping will still be about the same..."

"So even if you bring Xiao Wu, she won't add to your burden. If you want, bring your mother-in-law too. After all, you're family..."

Huo Yuhao felt that whenever Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said "family," he had some ulterior motive.

But Sky Dream Ice Silkworm did not mind, and the danger had not increased. Huo Yuhao immediately decided to take Xiao Wu to the Extreme North.

"Enough, don't look so wronged. I'll take you with me," Huo Yuhao said to Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu seemed to have been waiting for Huo Yuhao to say that. She instantly jumped three feet into the air, grinning from ear to ear as she threw herself at him. "Yuhao, you're the best!"

Huo Yuhao could not help smiling. "But you have to listen to me along the way. You can't be willful. Can you do that?"

"Of course I can! Whatever you say, I'll listen to you!" Xiao Wu said obediently.

Huo Yuhao had no idea whether Xiao Wu meant it or not, but he would trust her for now.

The next day, Huo Yuhao and Xiao Wu slung their packs over their shoulders and left Nuoding Academy.

Xiao Wu first turned back to look at Nuoding Academy, then gazed northward. Happily pointing in that direction, she declared, "Destination: the Extreme North! Let's go!"

Huo Yuhao smiled and shook his head. "We're not going sightseeing this time. The journey will be very hard. If you've changed your mind, it's not too late."

In his previous life, Huo Yuhao had traveled at full speed the entire way. Other than eating, sleeping, and recovering Soul Power, he had spent nearly all his time on the road.

The trip to the Extreme North was not fun at all.

But Xiao Wu was not intimidated. She smiled as well and said, "Academy is boring anyway. At least being with you won't be so boring. As for whether it'll be hard, maybe you think it's suffering, but I might enjoy it instead?"

Huo Yuhao said nothing. It was good that Xiao Wu had that resolve. What he feared was that she would find the journey too difficult halfway through and demand to return. If that happened, he might as well not bring her at all.

Nuoding City was much closer to the Extreme North than Suotuo City was. Huo Yuhao and Xiao Wu reached the edge of the Extreme North after five days.

The journey had been difficult. They could not eat lavish meals, could only sleep out in the wilderness, and had to keep running every day. It was even harder than their previous trip to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Yet Xiao Wu remained excited. The hardship of the journey did not dampen her enthusiasm, and she did not complain even once.