"Xiao Wu, are you really going to be good and listen to me?" Ye Qiu leaned close to her ear and asked softly.
"Y-yes, of course I'll listen to you. As long as you don't bully me." Xiao Wu didn't know where to put her hands and looked a little flustered.
"Then be good and listen to me. Go back to Holy Soul Village for the holiday." Ye Qiu's voice suddenly turned serious. He looked at Xiao Wu earnestly and gently let her go.
"But I don't want to."
Xiao Wu froze. Her little mouth puckered, and she looked at Ye Qiu with a pitiful expression.
"You have to go, whether you want to or not."
Ye Qiu frowned and spoke firmly. With no other choice, he grabbed her hand. Their fingers intertwined, and a black fluid wrapped around Xiao Wu's hand.
With their hearts connected, Ye Qiu immediately told Xiao Wu that a Titled Douluo lived in the place he was going.
Xiao Wu trembled, her face paling as fear crept into her heart.
Ye Qiu sensed her terror and gently pinched her cheek. "Can you behave and stay in Holy Soul Village now?"
Xiao Wu stared at Ye Qiu and nodded blankly. She looked at him with concern and asked in confusion, "Ye Qiu, why are you going to a place like that?"
"I can't tell you yet, but I promise I'll bring you a present when I get back." Ye Qiu smiled gently, released her hand, and pinched her cheek. "All right, be good. Pick up my towel for me."
At the thought of Ye Qiu leaving her behind, Xiao Wu was unhappy. She didn't even seem to hear his promise about the present. Gritting her teeth, she slapped his hand away and said in a soft, petulant voice, like a wronged wife being abandoned, "Pick up your own things! I'm Sister Xiao Wu! I'm not here to serve you!"
With that, Xiao Wu glared at Ye Qiu, then briskly returned to her bed. She lay there without moving, curled up into a ball like a wounded kitten.
"You've got quite a temper."
Ye Qiu shrugged and didn't bother with her. He turned and took out his little stash, counting out several dozen Gold Soul Coins.
Soul Masters could claim one Gold Soul Coin each month, Soul Grandmasters ten, and Soul Elders one hundred. Over the years, he had saved quite a bit. Every year when he returned to Holy Soul Village, Ye Qiu would give Old Jack several dozen Gold Soul Coins.
After setting aside the money, he took out the little cloth pouch holding his lollipops and put everything together. Just as he was about to get up and go over to Xiao Wu, a figure appeared at the door, a jeweled belt around his waist.
Still standing in the doorway, Tang San greeted Ye Qiu. "Ye Qiu, I heard you broke through to level thirty-two?"
"Little San, I didn't know you were so well-informed. No need to envy me, bro. You'll get there sooner or later, too!" Ye Qiu said, giving Tang San a light pat on the shoulder as he came over.
His smile was brighter than ever. He was still hoping Tang San would give him more Hidden Weapons someday, so he could draw all the designs.
"Even though I'll become a Soul Elder sooner or later, I'm still far behind you and Xiao Wu." Tang San smiled wryly. At first, his cultivation had clearly been ahead of theirs.
But Ye Qiu really had worked hard, dragging Xiao Wu into bed to cultivate day and night.
"By the way, what's wrong with Xiao Wu?" Tang San looked at Xiao Wu, lying motionless on the bed. He'd never seen her like this before, except when Ye Qiu had beaten her up. But Ye Qiu hadn't hit her in a long time.
"Oh, maybe cultivating so hard lately has worn her out." Ye Qiu chuckled, offering a fairly plausible excuse.
Lying on the bed, Xiao Wu heard Ye Qiu's voice and gritted her teeth, fuming inwardly. She was happy to cultivate with Ye Qiu and help him. She didn't find it tiring at all!
"Hmph!"
A cold snort came from Xiao Wu's bed.
"Ye Qiu, don't tell me you bullied Xiao Wu again?" Tang San gave them both a strange look and smiled knowingly. They must have fallen out again.
"No, I didn't!" Ye Qiu waved a hand. He really hadn't bullied Xiao Wu this time.
"Then why does Xiao Wu look so unhappy?" Tang San asked in surprise. Whenever Ye Qiu hit Xiao Wu, he always admitted it.
"Maybe she's unhappy because I can't keep her company this holiday." Ye Qiu answered casually, stuffing his stash into the bundle Xiao Wu had prepared for him.
"I see." Tang San nodded, then quickly noticed something was off. "Wait, Xiao Wu isn't coming back to Holy Soul Village with us this year?"
"It's not her. It's me."
"You?!" Tang San stared at him in astonishment, utterly confused.
"Yeah, me. I want to use this last holiday before graduation to travel around and see the world." Ye Qiu spread his arms like an ambitious young man about to set off in pursuit of his dreams, his face full of conviction.
Tang San's mouth twitched. Ye Qiu looked completely different from his usual frivolous self. Somehow, it just didn't seem right.
"Then I'll wish you a pleasant journey in advance!" Tang San didn't try to stop him. He knew Ye Qiu had always been very independent. Instead, he began wondering what Xiao Wu would do. "Speaking of which, what about Xiao Wu?!"
"That's up to Xiao Wu herself." Ye Qiu shrugged casually and turned to look at her. She had sat up, her eyes full of grievance.
In the end, Xiao Wu decided to go along with Ye Qiu's wishes and spend the holiday in Holy Soul Village. At least there, she could eat and drink well at Old Jack's house and be the big shot of the village!
Night fell, cloaking all of Notting City in darkness. Light still shone from Dorm Seven.
Xiao Wu quietly packed her things by herself.
Ye Qiu and Tang San sparred outside the dormitory.
Since he wanted to keep some of his abilities hidden, Ye Qiu didn't fight at full strength.
Tang San likewise held back.
But even if Tang San went all out and used his Hidden Weapons, Ye Qiu wouldn't be worried. Tang San's Hidden Weapons couldn't hurt him at all.
Not only did Tang San lack any powerful Hidden Weapons at the time, he didn't even have any decent poison.
And Ye Qiu's third Soul Skill
happened to counter all kinds of poison Tang San could use.
Third Soul Skill, Myriad Devouring Venom Fang!
Ye Qiu had only told Tang San and Yu Xiaogang that his teeth were simply poisonous. In truth, his third Soul Skill could devour any poison from every direction, then transfer it and store it in several rows of pearly white fangs.
If any powerful poison was stored in them and someone got bitten, they could only pray for the best.
That was also why Ye Qiu dared to go alone to Sunset Forest and tug on Dugu Bo's whiskers.
Wishing everyone a happy life!
Before you continue