By the time they left Holy Soul Village, it was already deep into the night. Lu Jing and Wang Dong'er did not take the main road. By moonlight, they moved through forest paths, their figures like two wisps of smoke as they silently slipped back into Nuoding City.
Nuoding City's gates had long since closed. The guards dozed while hugging their spears, and torchlight swayed in the night wind.
Lu Jing and Wang Dong'er scaled the wall and entered, not even disturbing a fallen leaf when they landed.
"Where are we going now?" Wang Dong'er asked in a low voice, her powder-blue eyes especially bright in the darkness.
The spirit bone in her arms gave off a gentle warmth, making everything still feel somewhat unreal.
"To Nuoding Academy," Lu Jing replied.
"Nuoding Academy? What are we going there for?" Wang Dong'er asked in confusion.
"You'll find out when we get there!"
Nuoding Academy stood in the northeastern corner of the city. Its lights had long been extinguished, with only a few patrol lanterns swaying within the walls.
The two avoided the patrolling guards, climbed over the wall like nimble cats, and swiftly moved through the shadows cast by the school buildings.
Lu Jing's spiritual power had already locked onto his target—the student dormitories on the academy's eastern side.
He remembered clearly that Tang San and Xiao Wu lived in the little room at the very end.
When they reached the dormitory window, Lu Jing signaled for Wang Dong'er to keep watch outside. Holding his breath, he gently pushed open the half-closed window.
The room was pitch-black. He could only vaguely make out two crude wooden beds. On one of them, a petite figure lay curled up in deep sleep, her long scorpion braid hanging over the bedside. It was Xiao