Zhu Zhuqing looked at Jiang Siming, stepped closer, and asked, "Have we met somewhere before?"
Everyone caught the scent of gossip, and their gazes shot toward Jiang Siming. A hint of warmth softened Ning Rongrong's usually cool gaze as she looked at Zhu Zhuqing. The corners of her lips unconsciously curled upward.
Jiang Siming wore a bitter smile. "Zhuqing, don't scare me. When have I ever met you? Don't make Mubai misunderstand."
Everyone's eyes widened again, and they turned to look at Dai Mubai.
"Holy crap, Fatty, this is way too juicy. Give me a hand—I need to sit down. Is this a love triangle?" Oscar asked Ma Hongjun with a lecherous look.
Ma Hongjun was just about to chime in when Jiang Siming's sharp gaze stopped him cold.
"Hey, Xiao Ao, I'll give you extra training tonight. How can a support-type Soul Master get by without learning to take a beating?" Jiang Siming cracked his knuckles, making them pop. Oscar immediately shut his mouth.
Zhu Zhuqing was about to speak, but Dai Mubai cut in first. "Siming, don't drag me into this! What does it have to do with me? We've known each other since we were kids, but that doesn't mean this has anything to do with me, does it?"
Jiang Siming stared at Dai Mubai in disbelief. "It has nothing to do with you? Damn it, aren't you her fiancé? How could it not?"
Everyone let out another chorus of "Ooh~"
"Zhuqing, think carefully. When did we ever meet?" Jiang Siming asked cautiously.
Everyone stared at the rapidly unfolding drama, utterly bewildered.
"Siming, are you guessing this because you saw our Martial Souls? Yes, I admit our elders arranged things that way in the past. But Zhuqing passed the trial, which gave her the chance to choose. She chose to give up competing, along with a few other things. In short, she gained her freedom," Dai Mubai said.
Everyone except Jiang Siming understood what competition Dai Mubai meant. The rest were completely lost.
Dai Mubai sighed and continued on his own. "Honestly, I envy Zhuqing. At least she's ruthless enough with herself. The trial was a certain death sentence, yet somehow she survived. I don't have that kind of courage."
Jiang Siming was still bewildered. Even if he had set off a butterfly effect, he genuinely couldn't remember ever meeting Zhu Zhuqing. So why was she so certain?
Zhu Zhuqing took a light breath, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to stay calm. Confusion and indecision weren't like her. "Since you won't admit it, I won't force you." Then she turned and walked away, leaving behind a beautiful, proud figure.
Jiang Siming watched her retreating silhouette and cursed inwardly.
The others hurried over and bombarded Jiang Siming with questions from every direction.
"Brother Siming, you're incredible! A cool beauty like her is chasing after you. You're my idol from now on. Teach me a few tricks sometime, since I'm still single!" Ma Hongjun said with a cheeky grin, patting his chest.
"Exactly! Siming, brothers should have each other's backs!" Oscar joined in.
"Got nothing better to do? Is that it? Come on, let's fight again." Jiang Siming gritted his teeth in anger.
A chorus of groans rang out across the training grounds. It took a long while for things to quiet down. In the end, the girls carried Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Dai Mubai back to the dorms. Only Tang San could still limp back on his own.
"Brother Siming, I didn't say anything. Why did you beat me so badly?" Tang San complained.
"You didn't say anything, but your eyes told me you were just like them. You don't believe me, and you're making things harder for me." Jiang Siming wagged a finger.
"But, Brother Siming, did you really never do anything to Zhuqing? I noticed a while ago that ever since you gave her that pill, she's looked at you differently. At first, I thought it was gratitude. But now, it doesn't seem to be," Tang San analyzed.
"Brother Siming, did you really come across that pill by chance, or did you make it yourself?" Tang San asked cautiously. It wasn't polite to pry into someone else's secrets. Tang San didn't believe for a second that such a miraculous pill had been obtained by chance. There was no way a pill that extraordinary could leave not a trace across the entire continent, yet remain completely unknown. It simply didn't make sense. Tang San had been curious before, so he'd looked through ancient texts, but there was no record of any such pill. Sometimes, he even wondered whether Jiang Siming had also been reincarnated from another world. If Jiang Siming could hear Tang San's thoughts, he would probably have praised him. Most people wouldn't dare even consider it.
"She couldn't have known about the Body Strengthening Pill before. I've never given one to anyone outside our group," Jiang Siming said, not answering Tang San's question directly.
"All right, Xiao San, don't overthink it. I think this is just a misunderstanding." Jiang Siming patted Tang San on the shoulder and walked away.
"Also, have you always thought your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was a Trash Martial Soul? There's something else I noticed today, but I didn't say it in front of everyone. From the very beginning, you had no confidence at all that you could beat me." Jiang Siming looked straight at Tang San.
Tang San didn't answer. During the five years they'd been apart, he had always believed that there were no useless Martial Souls, only useless people. But when he saw Jiang Siming again, he realized that Jiang Siming had far surpassed him. Tang San had begun to waver. If not for the Grandmaster's constant reminders, he might already have given his Second Martial Soul a Soul Ring.
Tang San had always been cautious. Even if something had only a one-in-ten chance of success, he would at least try to raise that chance to five in ten. But during today's battle, Tang San, who should have been the core of the team, hadn't played any role at all.
Jiang Siming felt helpless. He had been too dominant, and now he'd left the original protagonist feeling defeated. That could easily affect the story to come.
Jiang Siming had become the Grandmaster's disciple because he wanted to follow the protagonist and claim every treasure in the world. But instead, growing close to Tang San had gradually made Tang San dependent on him. So who would move the story forward now? Today's incident with Zhu Zhuqing had also made Jiang Siming realize that his presence had already changed a great deal without him noticing. He felt a faint twinge of guilt toward Tang San. Tang San was supposed to become a god—what would happen to him now?
"Xiao San, you're the leader of the team. If even you lack confidence, what are the other members supposed to do? Do you know that your Second Martial Soul is the Clear Sky Hammer, the greatest tool-type Martial Soul in the world? Your father came to see me and asked me to take good care of you. Do you know what kind of person your father is?"
Tang San still didn't know that his father was the Clear Sky Douluo, so shock showed on his face.
"Where is my father?" Tang San asked loudly, his eyes reddening slightly.
"Xiao San, I can only tell you that your father is the Clear Sky Douluo. Think about it: could the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent, the mighty Clear Sky Douluo, have joined with someone who had an ordinary Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul? As for the rest, grow stronger first, and then we'll talk!"
With that, Jiang Siming patted Tang San on the shoulder and left, leaving Tang San standing there, stunned and lost in thought.
The next morning.
"Little Monsters, have you packed everything?" Flender kept urging them.
"Ready, Dean!" Ning Rongrong giggled.
The others had arrived as well.
Jiang Siming stood off to the side, taking his time with his arms folded as he watched everyone, fully equipped.
"Brother Siming, what did you bring?" Ma Hongjun couldn't help asking.
"Just enough food and water to last a week. And those defensive helmets, armor, and underwear you're wearing? At best, they'll help you leave a complete corpse." Jiang Siming tried to scare Ma Hongjun.
After hearing that, everyone looked at one another, decked out in full gear. Flender spoke up. "Siming is right. The Star Dou Great Forest is the biggest gathering place for Soul Beasts on the entire continent. If anything goes wrong, hmph, probably only Old Zhao and Siming will make it back. Maybe Xiao San too. All that defensive gear is just there to fool you inexperienced Soul Masters."
Of course, the Shrek Seven Devils couldn't be entirely blamed. The Heaven Dou Empire had its own captive-bred Spirit Beast Forests, and Soul Masters didn't need high-year Soul Rings early on, so they hunted in those breeding grounds. It was only natural to feel nervous on a first trip to the Star Dou Great Forest, a place filled with danger.
"This time, Mubai, Xiao San, Oscar, and Xiao Wu—you've all done very well. For your age and strength, you could set records in the academy that will be hard to surpass." Flender looked at them, his eyes revealing undisguised pride. After all, he had personally trained these Little Monsters.