Seeing Aotian and Vina Again

After chatting for a few more minutes, Wang Qingya returned to her suite to take a bath.

Zhou Huan and Wen Xiaoshuai also returned to their respective rooms to enjoy the luxury of the premium soft-bed rooms.

Though there were no entertainment facilities like televisions or game consoles, the comfortable oversized bed still made Zhou Huan reluctant to leave.

On top of that, the top-tier guest rooms had all kinds of exquisite, delicious fruit and fine wine. It gave Zhou "Hardworking Commoner" Huan a taste of being rich.

It suddenly made Zhou Huan feel the idiotic swaggering urge to shout, "Big soft bed, a table full of finest food and wine!"

The three rested until around six in the evening before leaving their rooms together, preparing to eat at the hotel restaurant.

Rather than having food delivered directly to their rooms, Zhou Huan and the other two all felt that experiencing the restaurant of such a top-class hotel would be worthwhile.

But the moment they entered the restaurant and Zhou Huan sat down, he saw two familiar faces approaching from ahead.

Why were they here?

This was not how they were supposed to appear.

Before Zhou Huan could think any further, the two had already arrived at the table where the three of them sat.

"Brother Zhou, it really is you?" The tall, burly, extremely fair-skinned man looked both surprised and delighted.

"Brother Long, long time no see," Zhou Huan said with a smile.

These two were Long Aotian and Vina, whom he had run into outside the Snow Forest Sea before.

Zhou Huan remembered that according to the original timeline, the Body Sect had indeed sent people to this competition, but they had not come to compete, and they had not been Long Aotian and Vina. Instead, they had sent two Soul Douluo who had wanted to forcibly take away Huo Gua, who possessed a Body Martial Soul.

The outcome was predictable. Xuanzi had taught those two Soul Douluo a lesson with a chicken bone.

But why had Long Aotian and Vina appeared here now?

So Zhou Huan asked, "Brother Long, Miss Vina, why are you here?"

Vina was a little displeased when she heard that. "If you can be here, why can't we?" Clearly, she had misunderstood what Zhou Huan meant.

However, Long Aotian quickly explained, "We came to watch the Soul Master Competition. An event of this scale is worth seeing. Brother Zhou, you came for the same reason, didn't you?"

Zhou Huan paused slightly, then nodded. "...Yes."

He had overthought things and made them too complicated. The reason was so obvious, yet he had overlooked it?

What he had been thinking was that the "madmen" of the Body Sect had always been both righteous and sinister, and their actions were difficult to explain with common sense. For one thing, they regarded every person on Douluo Continent with a Body Martial Soul as a member of their sect. It was utterly ridiculous; they did not care whether the person involved was willing.

If you were unwilling to return to the Body Sect, fine. They would personally drag you back.

Wasn't that just abducting men and women by force?

Especially at a time like the All-Continent Soul Master Competition, when geniuses gathered from everywhere.

So when Zhou Huan had first seen Long Aotian and Vina here, his immediate thought had been: Did these two come with orders to look for people with Body Martial Souls?

As a result, he had not considered the simplest possibility—that they might really just be here to watch the excitement. After all, the Body Sect had plans for their futures as well.

Vina, standing beside him, had no idea Zhou Huan had thought through so much in an instant. She only saw the hesitation on his face, then suddenly recalled something and asked, "Did you lie to us before?"

Zhou Huan was a little baffled. "What? What did I lie to you about?"

Vina's focus was as novel and precise as ever. "You said you had no money and needed to become a Hunter. But is this a place people without money or status can enter?"

Vina was right.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary people could stay at the Crown Luo Grand Hotel as long as they paid. But during the Soul Master Competition, there were simply too many visitors. Anyone who was not either wealthy or influential would never be received by the Crown Luo Grand Hotel.

But Vina's question made Zhou Huan understand why the girl had looked unhappy from the moment she saw him. So this was what she cared about.

Thus, Zhou Huan pointed at Wen Xiaoshuai and Wang Qingya. "Doesn't one rely on friends when traveling? I forgot to introduce you. The handsome one is Wen Xiaoshuai, and this beautiful lady is Wang Qingya. They're both Shrek students."

"From Shrek Academy?" Long Aotian and Vina said in unison. They were somewhat surprised. But shouldn't competition participants be staying at the Star Emperor Hotel?

Moreover, judging from their appearance, these two were younger than them. Perhaps they were part of the Reserve Team?

Wouldn't that make them opponents in the next competition?

For a moment, Long Aotian and Vina both had countless thoughts running through their minds.

However, Zhou Huan did not care what the two were thinking. Although he knew that the Body Sect and Shrek had a grudge, since the previous Body Sect Master, Du Bisi, had died at Mu En's hands, he had been severely injured in an open and honorable duel before dying. Therefore, the Body Sect would not start shouting about killing whenever they saw Shrek. Besides, the Body Sect was not powerful enough to contend with Shrek.

Furthermore, since they were here to watch the competition, they would inevitably discover later that he was a Shrek student. Rather than that, it was better to make it clear now.

So Zhou Huan continued the introductions. "Qingya, Old Wen, these two are Long Aotian and Vina. I met them by chance while traveling last year. Brother Long is incredibly strong."

Naturally, Wang Qingya spoke first. "Hello, it's nice to meet you."

Wen Xiaoshuai merely nodded coolly without speaking. His social anxiety meter had exceeded its limit, and he wanted some peace and quiet.

At that moment, Vina came back to her senses as well. "Hello to you too. I didn't expect to meet Shrek's outstanding students in advance."

She was a disciple of the Body Sect, but she was also a princess of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The Heaven Dou Empire needed the Body Sect, but it also needed Shrek's support. It could be said that without Shrek, the Sun Moon Empire would have long since destroyed the Original Three Great Empires of Douluo.

Therefore, as the Heavenly Soul Princess, Vina had to maintain a good relationship with Shrek. Even if the Body Sect made things awkward, at the very least, the imperial family could not become hostile toward Shrek.

Vina then looked at Zhou Huan again. "So you're a Shrek student too?"

As she said this, dissatisfaction appeared on Vina's face again. Yet it was not genuine unhappiness, but more like the teasing reproach between friends. "Then you did lie to us."

As expected of an imperial princess!

The speed and naturalness with which her attitude and expression changed—could anyone believe a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl could manage that?

Though she was still somewhat immature, Princess Vina's performance was already outstanding.

Still, Zhou Huan explained, "It's true that I'm a Shrek student, but I didn't lie about being a Hunter either. I really am poor. Besides, we're just ordinary students, not outstanding students or anything. And Miss Vina, you never told me your identities either, did you?"

Hearing that, Vina introduced herself openly and generously. "Let's get acquainted again. My name is Vina, princess of the Heaven Dou Empire."

As she spoke, she extended her slender hand.

Zhou Huan was helpless, but he still shook Vina's hand out of courtesy. Then he smiled. "Then... greetings, Your Highness? Come to think of it, I'm from the Heaven Dou Empire too."

Though he said that, Zhou Huan did not make any gesture of greeting.

Leaving aside the fact that Zhou Huan did not care much about imperial authority, even when away from home, he did not need to perform any kneeling rites as a Shrek student.

Wang Qingya and Wen Xiaoshuai were somewhat surprised. This girl they had just met was actually a princess?

However, one of them belonged to Shrek City, while the other was from the Star Luo Empire. Naturally, neither cared much about Vina's identity as the Heavenly Soul Princess.

Seeing the calm expressions on all three of them, Vina was not displeased in the slightest. Instead, she thought more highly of them. Looking at Zhou Huan, she smiled. "With your personality, you're greeting a princess? Besides, when we first met, there was no princess or anything. I'm still Vina."

At this point, Long Aotian, who had been silent for a long time, spoke. "Body Sect, Long Aotian."

He extended his hand as well.

Zhou Huan was speechless. So this was a ritual both of them liked? It was not as though they had only met today.

Still, Zhou Huan cooperatively shook his hand and chuckled. "Brother Long, you suddenly got so serious. You're not planning to fight me, are you?"

Long Aotian said, "...Brother Zhou is overthinking it."

Fight? That was certainly not going to happen. Although the Body Sect and Shrek were not on good terms, Long Aotian had no grudge against Zhou Huan or Shrek. It was merely that, given his identity, it was not appropriate for him to act as close to Zhou Huan as before.

This was where Vina's usefulness showed. "Brother Zhou, Aotian and I won't disturb your meal. We're staying at the Guan Luo Hotel during this time as well, on the top floor, room 606. If you need anything, you can come find us."

Zhou Huan replied, "All right. Then, Brother Long, Miss Vina, goodbye."

Afterward, Long Aotian and Vina left.

At that moment, Wang Qingya sighed deeply in helplessness. "Zhou Huan, were you socializing? Why didn't it feel at all like you were meeting friends?"

Zhou Huan had no choice. Long Aotian and Vina's identities were different, after all. "When you grow up, you'll understand that society is just like this. It's not as good as you imagine, nor is it as bad as you imagine. But somehow, it can still leave you exhausted and unable to love it, yet you still have to desperately pursue the things you cannot bear to give up."

"I don't understand. You're talking in circles," Wang Qingya said, curling her lips. "You theory people always have so many grand principles. So pretentious."

"Haha, yes, that was pretentious," Zhou Huan said with a laugh.

"Is the Body Sect coming out into the open?" Wen Xiaoshuai suddenly asked. By now, he had recovered from his social anxiety.

Hearing that, Zhou Huan shook his head. "Probably not. Otherwise, they should be staying at the Star Emperor Hotel. That's where the competition teams are being received."

Wen Xiaoshuai nodded and asked no more, while Wang Qingya beside him looked confused. "What kind of sect is the Body Sect? Why have I never heard of it? Is it powerful?"

Zhou Huan answered, "Very powerful. It's a powerful sect that specializes in taking in Soul Masters with Body Martial Souls."

Wang Qingya nodded like a pecking chick. "Oh, I see. Right, are we going to find Xiao Xiao later?"

Zhou Huan said, "No rush. We'll go the day after tomorrow, the day before the competition begins. If we go too early and they haven't arrived yet, we'll have to use Shrek's name, which wouldn't be good."

After all, if you wanted to find someone at a hotel—especially the Star Emperor Hotel at a time like this—you had to state your identity as a Shrek student. Otherwise, you would most likely not even be allowed inside.

Because of the Evil Soul Master matter, Zhou Huan had reminded Xiao Xiao before. But he did not know what their outcome would be this time, so he could not determine whether Wang Yan and the others would still arrive on the last day, just as they had in the original timeline.

So it was better to wait.

When Wang Qingya heard that they could not go find Xiao Xiao now, she unhappily stuffed a large meatball into her mouth and chewed like a little hamster.

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