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Yu Xiaogang's dormitory.

When the door was pushed open, Yu Xiaogang was still sitting at his desk, maintaining the same posture as several hours ago.

Tang San didn't enter. He stood at the doorway, looking at the hunched figure.

This was the master he had taken.

He thought it was father and son, a legacy, his only reliance in this world.

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

It turned out to be just a thatched hut, the leftovers from someone else's choice.

Tang San lowered his eyelids and closed the door again.

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

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

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

It was slightly taller than ordinary Blue Silver Grass, and the edges of its leaves had faint golden patterns.

"Ah Yin, I haven't seen Xiao San in a long time."

His voice was very low, as if afraid of startling something.

"You don't need to go see him every day."

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

"Someone spread the word from who knows where, saying a Titled Douluo has arrived in Nuoding City."

He chuckled, as if mocking himself.

"It's not wrong, though."

The laughter quickly dissipated into the darkness.

"They investigated for a while but found nothing."

"But the people haven't left."

Tang Hao lowered his head.

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

He didn't finish, then changed the subject.

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

"His strength isn't much, and his theories are plagiarized."

"But at least Xiao San has someone looking after him."

He spoke as if reporting, or perhaps convincing himself.

"Xiao San is better off with him than with me."

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

"I don't understand."

He didn't continue.

Silence fell in the cave again.

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

"So I think I'll go see him after he leaves Nuoding City. With Yu Xiaogang there, he won't be bullied."

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

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

He lowered his head, and the moonlight couldn't find his face.

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

Skywater Academy dormitory.

Shui Bing'er sat cross-legged on the bed, cultivating. The moonlight from outside the window spilled in, casting a layer of silver-white onto her sky-blue hair.

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

Her little finger stuck out.

Then she put it down.

Shui Yue'er pushed the door open and saw her like this, letting out a chuckle.

"Missing someone?"

Shui Bing'er immediately hid her right hand behind her back, her face tense.

"No."

"I haven't said anything yet, why are you in such a hurry, Bing'er?"

Shui Bing'er fell silent.

The tips of her ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, spreading from her earlobes to her auricles.

She pulled her small face taut, trying to maintain a serious expression.

Seeing her like this, Shui Yue'er's heart softened completely.

She grinned and sidled over, producing an envelope from behind her back.

"Whose is this? I just passed by the gatehouse and saw it right away. It says..."

"'Skywater Academy, To Shui Bing'er.'"

Shui Bing'er's eyes brightened slightly, but she resisted the urge to reach out, maintaining her composure.

"A letter for me? Who sent it?"

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

"Let me see the sender... Hmm~ Nuoding City, Lin..."

The envelope was snatched away.

Shui Yue'er looked at her empty hand, froze for a moment, then burst into laughter, unable to straighten up.

"Bing'er, that move just now was faster than a speed-type Soul Master."

Shui Bing'er ignored her, turned her back, and opened the envelope.

Inside was a piece of paper.

To Senior Sister Bing'er,

I am Lin Ming. I have safely returned to Nuoding Academy.

The ring is very useful, thank you.

Level twenty will come quickly. I will come to Skywater then.

Lin Ming

Shui Bing'er read the letter three times.

Then, she put the letter back into the envelope, retrieved a small box she had brought from home from under her pillow, and placed the envelope inside. She closed the lid, tucked it back under her pillow, and ignored Shui Yue'er, whose shoulders were shaking with laughter. She sat down cross-legged again, closed her eyes.

Her Soul Power flowed quietly within her body, and a very small curve appeared at the corner of her lips.

Shui Yue'er lay on the edge of the bed, her chin resting on her arm, the smile on her face gradually fading.

She looked at Shui Bing'er and suddenly remembered many things.

When she was six, her Martial Soul awakened. The moment the Ice Phoenix spread its wings, Bing'er's future seemed to be set in stone.

Everyone in the family surrounded her, calling her a once-in-a-century genius, saying she would definitely become a Titled Douluo in the future.

Bing'er stood in the middle of the crowd, her face expressionless.

But that night, back in her room, she hugged her pillow and asked in a very small voice, "Sister, what is a Titled Douluo?"

At seven, Bing'er was specially admitted into the Skywater Team's reserve squad. On the training grounds, her Soul Power was already overdrawn, yet she still had to maintain a small, serious face and say she was fine.

Last year, for her birthday, the elders in her family gave her that Soul Tool ring. Bing'er thanked them politely and accepted it. That night, she quietly placed the ring beside her pillow and looked at it for a long time. After returning from the Star Dou Great Forest, the ring was gone. Shui Yue'er had asked her about it, and she had said she gave it away. When asked who she gave it to, she remained silent, her ears turning red.

Shui Yue'er withdrew her thoughts.

She looked at Shui Bing'er before her.

Nine years old, level twenty-one.

The youngest and most stable core member of the Skywater Team.

Everyone said Shui Bing'er was taciturn, astute, and intelligent, naturally suited to be a captain. No one remembered she was only nine years old. No one knew that she, too, would secretly stick out her little finger at night.

No one knew that after she received a thin letter, she would read it over and over again three times.

Then she treasured the letter like a precious gem.

Shui Yue'er watched the small curve at the corner of her mouth.

That curve was very cautious.

As if afraid of being discovered, yet unwilling to hide it away.

Nine years old.

She was only nine years old.

She held herself taut like a string.

Only in the night, when no one could see, did she dare to let her little finger quietly perk up.

Only then did she dare to let a small curve belonging to herself escape the corner of her mouth.

Her small shoulders bore pressure unimaginable to ordinary people.

She could only force herself to grow, to mature.

Like a qualified captain, a qualified future of the family.

But never herself.

Shui Yue'er suddenly felt like crying.

She buried her face in her arms and blinked her eyes hard.

A long time passed.

Shui Yue'er gently stood up without making a sound.

She walked to the door and looked back at Shui Bing'er one last time.

She gently closed the door.

She leaned against the wall outside the door, tilted her head back, and forced the moisture in her eyes back.

"Silly Bing'er."

She said very softly.

Then she stood up straight, took a deep breath, and walked toward her room.

That brat named Lin Ming, it would be best if he could really reach level twenty quickly, it would be best if he would really come to Skywater.

She lowered her head and kicked at a non-existent pebble in the corridor.

"Otherwise, I won't let you off."

She mumbled softly, like a threat.