A Reply

Yu Xiaogang's dormitory.

When the door opened, Yu Xiaogang was still sitting at his desk, holding the same pose he'd been in several hours earlier.

Tang San didn't enter. He stood in the doorway, looking at that hunched back.

This was the master he'd chosen.

He'd thought they were like father and son, that he was passing something down to him, that he was his only support in this world.

When he'd moved in, he'd thought it was a palace.

It turned out to be nothing more than a thatched hut someone else had rejected.

Tang San lowered his eyes and closed the door again.

Not far outside Holy Soul Village, there was an extremely secluded cave.

There was no light inside. Tang Hao sat on the ground, his back against the rough stone wall.

A few steps in front of him stood a Blue Silver Grass.

It was a little taller than an ordinary Blue Silver Grass, and faint golden patterns traced the edges of its leaves.

"Ah Yin, I haven't gone to see Xiao San in a long time."

His voice was low, as if he were afraid of disturbing something.

"I don't need to go every day, either."

"There are more people from Spirit Hall in Nuoding City now."

"I don't know where the rumor came from, but people are saying a Titled Douluo has come to Nuoding City."

He gave a self-mocking smile.

"They aren't exactly wrong."

His laughter quickly faded into the darkness.

"They investigated for a while but didn't find anything."

"But they still haven't left."

Tang Hao lowered his head.

"I can't take that risk. What if they find Holy Soul Village, find Xiao San..."

He left the sentence unfinished, then changed the subject.

"I found him a teacher. His name is Yu Xiaogang, and he's from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

"He's not very strong, and he plagiarized his theories."

"But at least someone is looking after Xiao San now."

He sounded as if he were giving a report, or trying to convince himself.

"Xiao San's better off with him than with me."

"His Martial Soul... Blue Silver Grass."

"I don't understand it."

He said no more.

Silence returned to the cave.

After a long while, Tang Hao slowly let out a breath.

"So I thought I'd wait until he's left Nuoding City before visiting him. With Yu Xiaogang there, he won't be bullied."

"When he's a little older and can handle the Clear Sky Hammer, I'll bring him back to see you."

"Ah Yin, you don't have to worry about him. He's doing well."

He lowered his head. The moonlight couldn't reach his face.

Nor could it reach the Blue Silver Grass hidden in the cave.

Skywater Academy dormitory.

Shui Bing'er sat cross-legged on her bed, cultivating. Moonlight spilled in through the window, silvering her water-blue hair.

She opened her eyes and looked down at her right hand.

Her little finger lifted.

Then lowered.

Shui Yue'er pushed open the door. When she saw Shui Bing'er like that, she let out a giggle.

"Thinking about him?"

Shui Bing'er immediately hid her right hand behind her back, her little face set in a tense expression.

"No."

"I haven't even said anything yet. Why are you getting so worked up, Bing'er?"

Shui Bing'er fell silent.

Her ears reddened at a visible speed, the blush spreading from her earlobes to the outer rims.

She kept her little face tense, trying to maintain a serious expression.

Seeing her like this made Shui Yue'er's heart melt.

Grinning, she came closer and pulled an envelope out from behind her back.

"Guess who this is for? I just passed the gatehouse and spotted it right away. It says:"

"To Shui Bing'er, Skywater Academy."

Shui Bing'er's eyes brightened a little, but she held back from reaching for it and kept her expression calm.

"A letter for me? Who sent it?"

Shui Yue'er deliberately turned the envelope over and over in her hands.

"Let me see who sent it... Hmm, Nuoding City, Lin..."

The envelope was snatched away.

Shui Yue'er stared at her empty hand for a moment, then burst out laughing so hard she could barely stand.

"Bing'er, you moved faster than an agility-type Soul Master just now."

Shui Bing'er ignored her and turned away to open the envelope.

There was a sheet of paper inside.

Senior Bing'er,

I'm Lin Ming. I've returned safely to Nuoding Academy.

The ring works great. Thank you.

I'll reach level 20 soon, and then I'll come to Skywater.

Lin Ming

Shui Bing'er read the letter three times.

Then she put the paper back in the envelope, took a small box she'd brought from home out from beneath her pillow, and placed the envelope inside.

She closed the lid and slipped the box back under her pillow.

Ignoring Shui Yue'er, whose shoulders were shaking with laughter, she sat cross-legged again and closed her eyes.

Soul Power flowed quietly through her body, but the corners of her lips lifted just a little.

Shui Yue'er leaned against the side of the bed, her chin still resting on her arms. Little by little, the smile faded from her face.

As she looked at Shui Bing'er, many memories suddenly came back to her.

When she'd been six, her Martial Soul Awakening had taken place. The moment the Ice Phoenix spread its wings, it was as if Bing'er's future had been decided.

Everyone in the family had crowded around her, calling her a once-in-a-century genius and saying she was sure to become a Titled Douluo one day.

Bing'er had stood among them, her face expressionless.

But that night, after returning to her room, she'd hugged her pillow and asked in a tiny voice,

"Big sister, what's a Titled Douluo?"

When Bing'er was seven, she'd been admitted early to the Skywater Team's reserve squad.

On the training field, her Soul Power had already been exhausted, yet she'd kept her little face tense and said, "I'm fine."

Last year, when she celebrated her birthday, the elders in the family gave her that Soul Tool ring.

Bing'er had thanked them politely and accepted it, but that night she'd secretly placed the ring by her pillow and stared at it for a long time.

After returning from the Star Dou Great Forest, the ring had disappeared.

Shui Yue'er had asked her about it, and she'd said she'd given it away.

When Shui Yue'er asked who she'd given it to, she said nothing.

Only the tips of her ears had turned red.

Shui Yue'er returned from her memories.

She looked at Shui Bing'er in front of her.

Nine years old, level 21.

The youngest member of the Skywater Team, and its steadiest core.

Everyone said Shui Bing'er was quiet, clever, and born to be a captain.

No one remembered she was only nine.

No one knew she would sometimes lift her little finger in the middle of the night.

No one knew that after receiving a thin letter, she'd read it over and over three times.

Then she'd treasured the letter as if it were a precious keepsake.

Shui Yue'er watched that tiny curve at the corners of her mouth.

It was a cautious little smile.

As if she were afraid someone would notice, but couldn't bear to hide it.

Nine years old.

She was only nine.

She kept herself taut as a bowstring.

Only at night, when no one could see, did she dare let that little finger lift in secret.

Only then did she dare let a hint of a smile, one that belonged to her alone, slip onto her lips.

Her slight shoulders bore a burden beyond what most people could imagine.

She could only force herself to grow up, to mature.

To become a capable captain, a worthy future head of the family.

Anything but herself.

Shui Yue'er suddenly felt like crying.

She buried her face in her arms and blinked hard.

A long while passed.

Shui Yue'er rose quietly, without making a sound.

She walked to the door and glanced back at Shui Bing'er.

Then she gently closed it.

Leaning against the wall outside, she tilted her head back and forced the moisture from her eyes away.

"Silly Bing'er."

She spoke in a tiny voice.

Then she straightened up, took a deep breath, and walked toward her own room.

That brat named Lin Ming had better reach level 20 soon. He'd better really come to Skywater.

She lowered her head and kicked at a pebble that wasn't even there in the corridor.

"Otherwise, I'll never forgive you."

She muttered softly, as if making a threat.