You've Been Targeted

"Hey, l-let go of me! This is so embarrassing." Xiao Wu struggled with all her might, but couldn't break free. In a panic, she reached out and clawed at Qian Yun.

As if Qian Yun would let her have her way. He slid backward, pulling Xiao Wu's long leg along with him. One of her little black leather shoes even flew off as she struggled.

Xiao Wu grabbed at empty air. Her legs were long and proud, but reaching them with her hands was a bit of a stretch.

"Oh?" Qian Yun was a little surprised. He'd meant to trip Xiao Wu, but hadn't expected her to be so flexible. She slipped into the splits without the slightest effort.

"Qian Yun, you jerk, let go of me! Xiao Wu's legs are stretched so far, it hurts." When Xiao Wu saw that fighting back wouldn't work, she could only plead with him.

Qian Yun watched the pitiful-looking Xiao Wu with interest, utterly unmoved. He didn't believe someone with such an impressive physique could be in any real discomfort after just a little while.

But then again... Feeling the slight dampness in his palm, Qian Yun caught a whiff of sour sweat and frowned. "Xiao Wu, how long has it been since you changed your socks?"

"!"

Xiao Wu's pleading expression turned crimson in an instant, and the blush deepened at a visible speed. Her eyes grew misty, as if they were about to overflow.

"You... you..." Xiao Wu trembled, biting her soft lips. Tears welled in her eyes, and at last she stopped struggling. Her long, supple legs seemed to lose all their strength, leaving Qian Yun free to do as he pleased.

Xiao Wu looked so aggrieved that anyone who heard her would feel heartbroken, and anyone who saw her would weep. Surely even a stone would soften a little at the sight?

But Qian Yun wasn't buying it. Xiao Wu hadn't given in yet! If he let her off now, all his efforts would be wasted, and he might even encourage her to get cockier.

That was what he told himself, but as he flared his nostrils, he still turned his face away.

Seeing this, Xiao Wu's toes curled tight beneath her pink stockings. But when she saw the disgust on Qian Yun's face—and that he still wasn't letting go—she felt she'd managed to get back at him a little. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn't help feeling a surge of satisfaction.

To be honest, Xiao Wu's feet didn't smell great at the moment. She'd spent the whole day running around in stockings and leather shoes, and with all that heat building up, well... you know how it is.

Still, for the sake of his goal, Qian Yun forced himself to endure the discomfort.

From their earlier contact, Qian Yun had found that Xiao Wu's stockings weren't especially good quality—just average. The little black leather shoes she wore weren't likely to be anything fancy, either. Otherwise, sweat wouldn't have soaked through and left black marks on the soles and heels of her feet.

And perhaps because the shoes had such stiff linings, the already delicate stockings had torn a little at the toes from all the rubbing, revealing the tender white flesh beneath. It was quite an eyesore.

Qian Yun narrowed his eyes and raised his hand as if to hit her. Xiao Wu quickly hunched her shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut in fear. After hesitating for a moment, Qian Yun finally lowered his hand without striking.

"What did you just call me?" Qian Yun asked with a cold smile.

Xiao Wu peeked through one eye and shook her head.

When she saw Qian Yun act as if he might hit her again, she hurriedly begged, "Boss, you're my one and only boss. Xiao Wu was wrong. I won't ever fight back again. Please let me go."

"Hmph." The regret in Xiao Wu's eyes seemed genuine. Seeing that he'd accomplished his goal, Qian Yun released her leg.

"Good. You understand."

Qian Yun had been supporting half his body weight, and when he suddenly let go, Xiao Wu's numb leg hit the ground. Caught off guard, she staggered forward.

"Whoa!" In her panic, Xiao Wu grabbed wildly at whatever was nearby, just managing to stop herself from falling.

"Phew, that was close..." Xiao Wu calmed her racing heart, then glanced at what her hand had grabbed. Her heart nearly stopped.

Xiao Wu stared blankly up at Qian Yun, then quickly pulled her hand away from his waistband and gave an awkward smile. "Hehe, B-Boss, I didn't mean to."

After a moment of surprise, Qian Yun smiled kindly and shook his head. "It's fine."

But inside, he thought, You little Xiao Wu, you actually dared to ambush me? Looks like I'll have to teach you a proper lesson today!

As he shook his head, he suddenly lunged forward without a word and brought his palm down hard on Xiao Wu's bottom.

"Smack!"

"Ah! That hurts! Boss, Xiao Wu was wrong. That was a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding!" Xiao Wu rubbed her bottom and pleaded nonstop.

"A misunderstanding? Why don't you take another moment to make sure?" Qian Yun asked, raising his hand.

"Mm-hmm. I swear to the gods, it really was a misunderstanding. How could Xiao Wu dare offend Boss?" Xiao Wu nodded quickly.

Qian Yun stared at her evasive, clear eyes for a long moment. "All right. I'll forgive you this time."

Xiao Wu had just breathed a sigh of relief when Qian Yun—who'd only just said he forgave her—stepped over her and knelt astride her.

Looking at the menacing expression on Qian Yun's face, Xiao Wu asked in terror, "What are you going to do?"

Qian Yun looked down at Xiao Wu beneath him, his eyes lingering especially on her delicate features. He said quietly, "You said this was a contest, didn't you? If it's a contest, we should decide the winner and see who's better, right?"

"So..." As he spoke, Qian Yun blew on his fist. A hint of reluctance entered his eyes, as if he regretted that his fist was about to ruin Xiao Wu's pretty face.

"I'm sorry." Qian Yun said softly, then his fist rapidly grew larger in Xiao Wu's vision!

Faced with danger, Xiao Wu's mind raced. She truly believed Qian Yun had no intention of holding back. Fear spread through her.

"Xiao Wu admits defeat! Boo-hoo, Master, Xiao Wu was wrong. I won't ever defy you again!" Xiao Wu turned her face away in terror. She finally cried out "Master" just as his fist was about to touch the tip of her nose.

Qian Yun silently got to his feet. Xiao Wu, however, seemed to have opened the floodgates inside her. Lying on the grass and gazing up at the blue sky, she remembered one thing after another from her past. Feeling deeply aggrieved, she covered her face with her arm and began to cry. She really had been frightened.

Hearing the sobs behind him, Qian Yun remained unmoved. Xiao Wu wasn't like other girls. She was a Soul Beast Transformation, and her understanding of human emotions was still shallow. Kind words were far less effective than physical pain.

When the crying behind him gradually subsided, a rustling sound followed. Xiao Wu passed by Qian Yun and bent to pick up the little leather shoe from the ground. She pouted and shot him a resentful look, but couldn't be bothered to feel embarrassed anymore. She openly showed the dirty soles of her feet as she slipped the shoe back on.

Then she stood up and lowered her head before him. "Master."

"Mm." Seeing that Xiao Wu had finally settled down, Qian Yun nodded in satisfaction. Now that he'd given her a whack, it was time to offer her a sweet date.

Qian Yun walked up to her. Under her uneasy gaze, he reached out and plucked a blade of grass from her hair. Then he cupped Xiao Wu's face in his warm palm and wiped away the tear tracks.

Xiao Wu trembled slightly, letting Qian Yun do as he pleased. She had never been this close to him before, and quietly admired his stunningly handsome face.

It didn't take long for Qian Yun to tidy her up. Xiao Wu looked prettier again. "At least you have a little conscience. You didn't use your hair to tie me up, and even though you lost, you didn't use the Hidden Weapon at your neck against me."

Xiao Wu stared at him in shock. Not only did Qian Yun know about her trump card, but... what surprised her most was that he'd actually used the term Hidden Weapon!

Hadn't Tang San promised her that Hidden Weapons were absolutely unique to the Douluo Continent? Then why did Qian Yun know about them?

Though she knew she shouldn't ask, Xiao Wu couldn't contain her curiosity. "Master, how did you know..."

As if he didn't care, Qian Yun cut in and spelled out her hesitation. "You want to ask how I knew about the Hidden Weapons Tang San gave you, right?"

Xiao Wu pursed her lips and nodded.

Qian Yun smiled, but instead of answering directly, he pointed to his Golden Eyes. "Look."

Xiao Wu blinked and stared into Qian Yun's eyes for a long while, but couldn't figure out what he meant. "What about them? They're pretty."

Qian Yun explained, "I wasn't born with these eyes. They changed after my Martial Soul Awakening."

"Oh." Xiao Wu listened obediently. Qian Yun didn't seem to be lying to her.

"Since then, these Golden Eyes have given me several special abilities. One of them is the power to foresee the future. In other words, I can predict anything before it happens."

Hearing Qian Yun say something so astonishing, Xiao Wu stood there in a daze, unable to calm down for a long time. Foreseeing the future! Could such an ability really exist in the world? How could a mere Soul Elder have such a heaven-defying power?

"Really?"

Qian Yun nodded, his expression unchanged. "Really."

"Then..." Xiao Wu finally believed him a little, but still had her doubts. "Master, tell me what Xiao Wu had for breakfast this morning."

Qian Yun answered without hesitation. "I don't know."

"Then do you know what Xiao Wu had yesterday?"

Qian Yun still shook his head and replied as if it were only natural, "I don't know that, either."

Xiao Wu felt somewhat reassured. Looking at Qian Yun, who was still so confident, she said helplessly, "Then why are you bragging that you know everything?"

Qian Yun shook his head and explained, "It's true that my ability lets me foresee things with uncanny accuracy. But Xiao Wu, you have to understand that a person's power has its limits."

Over the years, Qian Yun had figured it out. As he became more and more involved in this world, the various strange abilities he possessed were bound to be discovered sooner or later. So instead of worrying about it, he might as well show them openly.

When people asked about them, he could attribute them all to those Golden Eyes that had changed after birth. If they asked why he couldn't know absolutely everything, he could explain that his abilities had limits. Perfect!

"Oh..." Xiao Wu nodded, seeming to understand but not quite. The idea that there were things he could and couldn't do was all too complicated.

"Don't overthink it. I can't guarantee I'll know about major events, but you can ask me about other things." Qian Yun patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder and smiled mysteriously. "Since you've been so obedient, how about I tell you another secret?"

"Oh, what secret?" Xiao Wu leaned closer to listen.

Qian Yun moved close to her ear, catching the faint fragrance from Xiao Wu's neck, and said, "You've met Tang San's father, haven't you?"

Xiao Wu glanced at him, greatly surprised. She shook her head. "I haven't. Isn't Tang San's dad just a blacksmith?"

Qian Yun nodded. "Exactly. Tang San's father is Tang Hao, and he's a blacksmith in Holy Soul Village. But his true identity is... a Titled Douluo!"

The words "Titled Douluo" struck Xiao Wu like a heavy hammer, leaving her dazed and bewildered. She forced a smile. "How is that possible? Tang San's dad is a Titled Douluo? Xiao Wu is timid, Master. Don't scare me."

Qian Yun's eyes were clear and his expression serious. "Why would I lie to you? We're on the same side. If I weren't worried about your safety, I wouldn't risk offending a Titled Douluo."

"Worried about my safety?" Xiao Wu finally understood. Her voice trembled as she asked, "That means Tang Hao has already set his sights on me?"

Qian Yun scratched his head and replied uncertainly, "Probably? I'm not sure."

Seeing how unconcerned Qian Yun looked, Xiao Wu grew anxious. "Don't just say you're not sure. Master, check again, please."

Qian Yun shook his head again and said helplessly, "I really don't know. But if you want to make sure, I can teach you a way."

Her identity might be exposed, and her life was in danger. Xiao Wu didn't dare take this lightly and hurriedly said, "Master, tell me!"

Qian Yun said quietly, "You'll be reaching level thirty soon, won't you? Then you'll have to go to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. That place is your territory. You can secretly contact Er Ming and have him keep watch. If there's a Titled Douluo around, Er Ming will naturally sense it."

Xiao Wu listened in a daze. It really was a good method... no, it was the only method!

After Qian Yun finished speaking, he saw that it was getting late and stood to leave. He told Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, I'm leaving. Make sure you focus on your cultivation. If I catch you slacking off again next time, heh."

As he was leaving, Qian Yun glanced at a window on the second floor but chose not to call anyone out. Not long after he left the girls' dormitory, he found Hu Liena. Qian Yun hurried over to her.

Hu Liena was clearly in an excellent mood, her face beaming. "Did everything go well?"

"Mm, it went pretty smoothly."

"Good. Let me say goodbye, then we'll head out." As she spoke, Hu Liena waved enthusiastically toward the other side.

Qian Yun looked over and saw Ning Rongrong, dressed in blue, smiling and waving back.

"Take notes." Hu Liena raised an eyebrow and nudged Qian Yun with her elbow. Then she blew Ning Rongrong a kiss, and Ning Rongrong returned it without hesitation.

Qian Yun was dumbfounded. He pointed at Hu Liena, then at Ning Rongrong, and asked in confusion, "What's going on with you two?"

Still waving, Hu Liena replied, "Her name's Ning Rongrong. She's from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but now she's my good sister. She's so sweet. She even kissed me goodbye."

Qian Yun was stunned. "But you only just met!"

"Exactly! That's why I told you to take notes!"