The Principled Xiao Wu

At the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, Lu Chen and Xiao Wu brought the unconscious girl to a secluded cave.

Lu Chen looked at the wound on the girl's abdomen and took out a small knife, cutting open the snug leather outfit she wore.

With a sharp rip, the leather split, revealing a hideous wound before Lu Chen and Xiao Wu.

A layer of dark scab had formed over the wound. Yellowish pus still seeped from beneath it, mixed with dark red blood that trickled down slowly. The surrounding skin was unnaturally flushed; this was clearly no fresh injury.

"Ugh..." Xiao Wu drew in a sharp breath. "With an injury that bad, how did she manage to hold on this long?"

Lu Chen took out a bottle of clean water and a fresh towel, carefully cleaning all the dirty blood from the wound.

Then he picked up the knife and slowly scraped away the grayish, dead flesh around it.

Although the Ink Scale Forest Python wasn't poisonous, its mouth was full of countless bacteria. A moment's carelessness could prove fatal even to a Soul Master.

Xiao Wu covered her eyes, unwilling to watch such a bloody scene.

"Mm..."

The girl's brows drew together, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on her forehead. Her teeth clenched involuntarily, and a barely audible moan of pain escaped her throat.

Half an hour later, Lu Chen set down the knife, now stained red with blood. He took out some white powder to stop the bleeding, sprinkled it evenly over the wound, then carefully bandaged it.

When he was done, Lu Chen put everything away. Looking at the still-unconscious girl beside him, he thought, I never expected to run into her here.

He had already guessed who she was. With her angelic face and devilish figure, she was probably Zhu Zhuqing, the Hell Spirit Cat!

Xiao Wu came over with a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Lu Chen's face. "Lu Chen, why do you think she came to the Star Dou Great Forest alone?"

Lu Chen gave Xiao Wu a sidelong glance, his tone teasing. "When my grandpa and I accompanied you to hunt for a Soul Ring, didn't someone run off as soon as we weren't paying attention?"

Xiao Wu's cheeks warmed at his words. Feeling guilty, she changed the subject and went to light the dry branches nearby.

Firelight fell across Lu Chen's face, lending his handsome features an even more captivating charm.

Xiao Wu stared at Lu Chen's face, thinking, Da Ming said the Soul Beast aura on me disappeared last time... If that's true, could I stay with him all along and go with him to Heaven Dou Royal Academy next year?

Lu Chen took out several cleaned fish, threaded them onto branches, and set them over the fire.

Before long, a rich aroma wafted above the flames. The fish slowly turned golden, and the savory scent made them especially tempting.

Xiao Wu could hardly contain herself. Her eyes shone as she stared at the fish on the rack. Ever since she'd tried the meat Lu Chen grilled at the academy, she'd been completely won over by his cooking. It was just a shame he cooked for them so rarely.

The fat sizzled in the flames, and a rich fragrance kept rising from the fish.

"They're ready. Eat up!"

Before Lu Chen had even finished speaking, Xiao Wu had already grabbed a skewer. Sitting to one side, she cried, "Hot!" as she carefully took a bite.

Just then, Zhu Zhuqing's brows twitched, and her long lashes fluttered.

Lu Chen noticed she was awake and handed her a bottle of water. "You're awake? Have a little water first."

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the bottle in Lu Chen's hand, suspicion in her eyes. In a cold voice, she said, "Thank you for saving me. I have my own water."

Seeing how wary Zhu Zhuqing was, Lu Chen didn't press her. He returned to Xiao Wu's side and continued grilling the fish.

Xiao Wu, however, brought her own grilled fish over to Zhu Zhuqing. "Hi, I'm Xiao Wu! The Wu means 'dance'!"

Looking into Xiao Wu's clear, pure eyes, Zhu Zhuqing slowly replied, "H...hello. Zhu Zhuqing."

No one knew what the two discussed, but Zhu Zhuqing eventually accepted the fish from Xiao Wu and cautiously took a bite.

As Zhu Zhuqing's teeth touched the grilled fish, it gave a faint crunch. The crisp skin cracked, and tender flesh inside spilled out with steaming juices.

A flicker of surprise crossed Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes. She hadn't expected a boy around her age to be such a good cook.

Watching the two girls gradually grow closer, Lu Chen sat off to the side with a gloomy expression, thinking, Do I really not look like a good person?

As she chatted with Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing gradually let down her guard around Lu Chen, too. "Lu Chen, I'm sorry about earlier..."

Lu Chen smiled faintly and said nothing.

Looking at the wound on Zhu Zhuqing's body, Xiao Wu asked curiously, "Zhuqing, why did you come to the Star Dou Great Forest alone?"

"To get stronger!" Zhu Zhuqing's voice was quiet, but her resolve was unmistakable.

Seeing how close Zhu Zhuqing was to becoming obsessed, Lu Chen sighed helplessly.

As Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing chatted, they learned that Zhu Zhuqing was searching for an academy said to "accept only monsters, not ordinary people."

When Xiao Wu heard that, she scoffed. "That school sounds like a scam. It reminds me of that hypocrite, Yu Xiaogang!"

Curious, Zhu Zhuqing asked, "Who is Yu Xiaogang?"

Thinking of Yu Xiaogang's hypocritical face, Xiao Wu spoke with disdain. "Yu Xiaogang's a lunatic who does nothing but fantasize, spending all day dreaming about becoming a 'Grandmaster.'"

Xiao Wu suddenly said, "Zhuqing, why don't you come with us to Heaven Dou Royal Academy? That Shrek Academy sounds completely unreliable!"

Lu Chen nodded repeatedly at Xiao Wu's suggestion. After spending so much time around him, Xiao Wu had developed a remarkably sound worldview.

What good could Shrek Academy be? Its dean was a money-grubbing old businessman, and its vice-dean was a fugitive wanted by Spirit Hall. The students under them were a mixed bag, too: a lecherous tiger and a lecherous chicken. By comparison, Oscar was the most normal one there.

Watching Xiao Wu's carefree manner, Zhu Zhuqing hesitated. Thinking of the fiancé she had never met and her family's cruel rules, a trace of loneliness flashed in her eyes. She slowly said, "I have...a reason I have to go there."

"I don't believe those so-called geniuses could measure up to Lu Chen!"

Xiao Wu ate her grilled fish and said casually, "If you want to get stronger, why not ask Lu Chen to train you? I've fought him many times over the years, and I've never beaten him once!"

She had spoken without thinking, but Zhu Zhuqing took her words to heart.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Lu Chen, her eyes suddenly brightening with urgency and eagerness. She blurted out, "Would that really be all right?"

She hadn't forgotten how Lu Chen had gravely wounded the Ink Scale Forest Python with a single strike the day before.

"Come outside with me."

Lu Chen stood and led Zhu Zhuqing out of the cave.