The most irritating thing was that he not only refused to feel ashamed, he even used this as an excuse to mock the forty or so Spirit Masters with Spirit Bodies, while flattering the ten elders who had long served as pillars of the academy. He had become the youngest elder in the Spirit Hall, his status second only to the Hall Master.
"Forget Spirit Hall. I don't even want to think about it. The King of Pirates has been in charge of the academy for twenty years. Even as one of the first Spirit Masters with a Spirit Body, he still hasn't reached level thirty-two. A Ghostly Demon with a Spirit Body who's only level thirty-two—no matter how much he wants it, he'll never get there."
At last, the young woman seemed to remember the Ghostly Demon she had started talking about. She opened her mouth and began to criticize him. "Then there's the most annoying one of all: the King of Pirates, the dean of the academy. He always brags about how amazing he is. He's a Spirit Master with a Spirit Body, but he only has twenty-nine levels of Spirit Power. He's already so old, and now that his students have surpassed him and taken his title as the academy's top Spirit Master, it won't be long before that old fool gets kicked out of the academy."
"But do you know what that old fool taught his disciples? A genius born with a tremendous amount of Spirit Power, and he turned him into a child who would never amount to anything."
The girl standing beside him was stunned. She looked deeply distressed. "How did I never notice this before? When I first met Han San, he was such an impressive young man. It's been more than five years, and he still looks like a boy of seven. So the academy's muddleheaded old fool was the one who did this."
After listening to the young woman's words, Tang Qinghe could no longer keep his composure. His face, already pale from his injuries, grew even paler.
He was so upset that he almost spat blood.
That Wo Xixian was only an eight-year-old girl, someone he had personally rescued.
For the past three years, he had thought she would become a good cultivator. He never expected that she would run into a place like that and be mixed up with a group of people who were waiting to die.
How could she possibly be happy there?
Even if her older sister had left her behind on purpose, what about next time?
Even if her sister had deliberately abandoned her, Wo Xixian would be the one who suffered.
Wo Xixian was completely unaware that she was playing with the lives of her friends.
The young woman looked at Tang Qinghe, who had no intention of correcting the King of Pirates' nonsense. Worried, she tried to talk him out of it. "Qinghe, you're only eight. If you join that awful academy, they won't just try to make you stronger—they might even get you killed."
Tang Qinghe looked at the girl who had suddenly spoken up for him, then at Wo Xixian, who had helped him out. He gave a faint smile. Her gentle manner was just as he remembered.
Tang Qinghe took a deep breath and said firmly, "Thank you for your concern, Sister Xixian, but I have my reasons for going."
"No way. You're going to that death trap of an academy? Aren't you afraid they'll take advantage of you, just like those forty or so students? Even if you graduate from the academy, there's no guarantee you'll get into a better one. If you have somewhere else to go, come with me to the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy. My father's the strongest Ghostly Demon. He's an elder of the Heavenly Ghost Empire, and even the emperor has to show him respect. Once you join the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, you can even get rid of that awful marriage contract."
Maybe she was thinking about how her father had poisoned her, too. The young woman felt as though she understood what Wo Xixian was going through. She couldn't bear to watch this lovely and gifted girl walk into a trap, placing her life in danger.
For a moment, she had completely forgotten that Tang Qinghe and Tang Qinghe might see through her.
Her sincere, well-meaning attempt to persuade him—
It seemed to have worked. Tang Qinghe had never cared much about anything, and he didn't want to become a prince or harm his older sister. All he wanted was to live.
As for Wo Xixian, the two of them had only spent eight years together before their marriage was arranged. They had met only once.
There was no real affection between them.
Especially since Wo Xixian had first tried to kill him. He had escaped alone to the Star Luo Empire.
At most, they were a pair forced together by fate.
He would live out his days in the remote countryside, and she could protect her own life without being cut off from her family.
That was the best outcome.
"Is that really all right?"
Tang Qinghe sounded doubtful.
Wo Xixian pursed her lips and replied confidently, "Of course. My father may not be the strongest Ghostly Demon, but he's definitely among the most powerful in the group. Even if your Star Luo Empire gathered all its Spirit Masters together, they couldn't defeat my father alone. I'll have him turn you all into poison. The Star Luo Empire won't risk offending my father for your sake."
Tang Qinghe had told her all this before. Thinking it over, she realized she had never imagined that her father's poison would be so powerful.
"Thank you, Sister Xixian." Tang Qinghe put on a radiant smile.
Tang Qinghe saw this scene with his own eyes and couldn't help feeling surprised. He, too, had wondered whether Tang Qinghe would stay behind by Wo Xixian's side.
"No need to thank me. Anyway, I'm not the kind of person who likes seeing others suffer." Wo Xixian rubbed her hands together, looking pleased with herself. Then she suddenly remembered the girl she had first met. She pulled Tang Qinghe aside and said, with a gentle look that belonged to a girl, "Tang Qinghe, you've been busy helping me all this time. Can you do me one more favor?"
"Go on," Tang Qinghe said, then glanced at Wo Xixian in confusion. He didn't understand.
"It's about Little Han. My father thinks highly of him and wants him to marry Little Tang, but Little Han is stubborn, and it's been hard to make him agree. You seem to be getting along with him lately. Could you help me persuade him?"
As soon as he heard that, Tang Qinghe—who had always been calm and collected—became flustered. His face reddened, and he didn't dare look at Tang Qinghe.
Hearing this, Tang Qinghe laughed. "Sister Xixian, don't worry. I promise I'll stay by your side for the rest of my life. I won't betray you."
"B-but you like that Little Tang..."
Wo Xixian ducked her head, unable to meet his gaze. She began to fidget with her fingers.
Seeing her embarrassed expression, Tang Qinghe smiled and comforted her. "What you're saying is nonsense. You're just worried that Little Tang and I might be attracted to each other because we share a Spirit Body, and that he might spend too much time looking at me."
"A shared Spirit Body? Wasn't that what you called Spirit Body Fusion?" The young woman was startled.
"That's the theory." Tang Qinghe answered without thinking.
Wo Xixian laughed. "Little Tang's Spirit Power is already so strong. If you form a Spirit Body Fusion with him, then the full group of elite Spirit Masters at the academy, who are at least half your age, won't stand a chance. I'm just saying Little Tang is hurt, and this might be your chance to help him recover..."
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