In the tiny Nuoding City.
Tang Hao stared at Rui Mengmeng in despair. What had he heard? He had heard Rui Mengmeng say that he had captured someone belonging to Xiao Feng—and that person seemed to be a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that had rebuilt herself into a human. For a moment, he was completely numb.
"Um, Senior, I think there may have been some misunderstanding here."
Tang Hao felt it was necessary to explain himself. If he explained, he might still get to see tomorrow's sun. If he did not, he probably would not even see tonight's moon.
Rui Mengmeng said indifferently, "I don't care about that. You can explain it to Young Master Xiao Feng yourself. My responsibility is only to rescue that little girl below and bring you before the young master. Still, I don't think it would be appropriate for you to go like this."
Hearing Rui Mengmeng's words, Tang Hao asked tentatively, "Then..."
Rui Mengmeng smiled faintly.
"Same old rules. One incense stick. I'll try to hit you lightly."
Then, before Xiao Wu's utterly disbelieving eyes, Rui Mengmeng began giving Tang Hao a beating so brutal that even Xiao Wu could not bear to watch.
Who would believe such a scene if it were told aloud? One Title Douluo pinning another Title Douluo to the ground and beating him senseless? The kind of beating where every punch made someone cry, "Yamete!" The scene was so beautiful that even the mosaic censoring needed censoring.
Although Rui Mengmeng knew through the system that Tang Hao had not intentionally captured Xiao Wu, she did not care about that. If anything, she was already showing mercy. If Yue Guan had captured Xiao Wu instead, she would have chopped off all four of his limbs the instant she appeared.
Rui Mengmeng was only beating Tang Hao because she knew him. As she pinned him to the ground and hammered him with her fists, she looked at Xiao Wu and said, "All right, little rabbit, you can go."
Xiao Wu asked in disbelief, "You're letting me go?"
Xiao Wu had not heard the conversation between Rui Mengmeng and Tang Hao just now, so she did not know who this woman was or whether her words were true. She was a living Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring and spirit bone—yet this woman was letting her go so easily?
Sitting on Tang Hao, Rui Mengmeng punched him squarely in the face, then looked at Xiao Wu and said, "I really am letting you go. You're just a little Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. I'm not interested in you."
Still half-doubtful, Xiao Wu turned and fled. Sprinting all the way, she returned directly to Nuoding Academy. In Dorm Seven, she hid beneath her blanket and trembled. She had originally wanted to flee Nuoding City outright, but then she thought of Xiao Feng and ultimately chose to return here.
On the other side, after Xiao Wu left, Rui Mengmeng stopped holding back and began beating Tang Hao with all her heart.
"Senior, go easy! Don't hit my face!"
"Ah!!!!"
After one incense stick, Tang Hao lay on the ground with lifeless eyes. At that moment, he felt like a cripple. His entire body hurt terribly, and even moving a finger was difficult. Yet Tang Hao bore no resentment toward this. Instead, he even felt a trace of gratitude.
"You should be glad you didn't hurt that little rabbit just now, Little Hao. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been as simple as beating you up. After the young master learned that Xiao Wu had been captured, he sent me to bring back the culprit. Whether I brought back someone half-dead or half-crippled was up to me."
That was what Rui Mengmeng said. Tang Hao felt both lingering fear and utter exasperation. He had thought today was his lucky day, but he had nearly lost his life instead. Luckily, he had not laid a hand on Xiao Wu. Otherwise, this time next year, Tang San would be burning incense for his father.
After beating Tang Hao, Rui Mengmeng grabbed him and said, "The final judgment will still be up to the young master. But I don't think he'll make things difficult for you. After all, you did save Xiao Wu to some extent."
As she spoke, spatial ripples surged forth, and Rui Mengmeng vanished instantly with Tang Hao.
When the two appeared again, they were already standing before Xiao Feng and Tang San. At first glance, Tang San did not recognize that pig Rui Mengmeng was carrying as his own father, and Xiao Feng likewise did not recognize the man as Tang Hao.
Xiao Feng asked in confusion, "Is this Yue Guan?"
Though he said so, the more Xiao Feng looked at the man before him, the more familiar he seemed. Finally, after seeing those familiar clothes clearly, he suddenly turned to Tang San and asked, "Little San, do you think this is your father?"
Called out by Xiao Feng, Tang San looked over. At first glance, Could that pig-headed man be my father? At second glance, That pig does look a little like my father. At third glance, Wait, this guy really seems to be my father!!
After recognizing Tang Hao, Tang San rushed to his side and helped him up. With a deeply sorrowful expression, he asked, "Father, who did this to you?"
Tang San's question was also Xiao Feng's question. He had never expected that the Title Douluo the system had mentioned, the one who captured Xiao Wu, would be Tang Hao. Naturally, he had not imagined that Tang Hao's injuries had been inflicted by Rui Mengmeng.
"Someone from Spirit Hall captured Xiao Wu. Little Hao saved Xiao Wu. Although he killed the other party, he was injured in the fight."
Rui Mengmeng's explanation was simple, but Xiao Feng did not believe a word of it. With Tang Hao's strength, could Yue Guan really injure him?
After thinking it over, Xiao Feng figured Yue Guan must have died at Tang Hao's hands. Given the relationship between Tang Hao and Spirit Hall, Tang Hao would never spare a lone Yue Guan. But then another question arose: Yue Guan was dead, so why had Rui Mengmeng brought Tang Hao here? Suddenly, a bold guess emerged in his mind.
"Mengmeng, don't tell me..."
Under Xiao Feng's gaze, Rui Mengmeng nodded. "That's right. He also had his eye on Xiao Wu's Spirit Ring and spirit bone. He intended to capture her and offer her to you, Young Master. But he did not harm Xiao Wu, so I merely taught him a little lesson before bringing him here."
Tang San also understood why his father looked like this. Part of his injuries had come from fighting someone else, while the other part had come from Rui Mengmeng beating him up. What he did not know was that every single one of Tang Hao's injuries had been inflicted by Rui Mengmeng.
As for his father's current state, setting aside the first part Tang San believed, he could only feel helpless about the second part. There was nothing he could do. Over the past few days, he had come to understand just how important Xiao Wu was to Xiao Feng.
So getting beaten up was already considered light punishment. However, that was not Tang San's greatest question. His greatest question was: what did Xiao Wu's Spirit Ring and spirit bone mean?
But he did not ask. He figured that when the time came for him to know, Xiao Feng would tell him.
Looking at Tang Hao's bruised and swollen face, Xiao Feng felt speechless. At the same time, a hint of vigilance rose within him. Because of his actions, things that had never appeared in the original story had begun appearing.
For example, Yue Guan, who should not have appeared in Nuoding City; Xiao Wu, whose identity should not have been discovered so early. Although Xiao Wu had ultimately emerged safe and sound, everything had already changed. The gears of fate seemed to have deviated from their original course.
Faced with these altered trajectories, Xiao Feng felt that he needed to make some preparations. He did not care about anyone else. He only needed to protect those he considered important.
"System, can you secretly protect Xiao Wu for me?"
[No problem, dear host. The Invincible Shield has been arranged. Once Xiao Wu encounters an attack she cannot withstand, the Invincible Shield will automatically activate, reflect all attacks, and amplify the damage by one thousand percent.]
"Thanks."
[You're welcome. Fulfilling requests is my duty as a system!]
In the end, Xiao Feng did not make things difficult for Tang Hao. Considering that ignorance was not a crime, that Tang Hao had not acted intentionally, that he had saved Xiao Wu to some extent, that he had not hurt Xiao Wu, and that Tang San was there, Xiao Feng had Rui Mengmeng spare Tang Hao.
Although Tang Hao looked severely injured, they were only superficial wounds that would heal in a day or two. Still, Tang Hao's experience made Tang San deeply understand one thing: he absolutely could not provoke Xiao Wu, or his days would definitely become miserable.
Why, you ask? I don't want to experience what happened to my father!
Thus, Xiao Feng and the others set out on the road back to the city. Rui Mengmeng left once more, though no one knew where she went. Tang Hao, meanwhile, stayed behind to chat with Tang San for a while.
That night, close to dawn, the three finally returned to Nuoding City. Tang Hao bid Tang San farewell and departed, while Xiao Feng and Tang San returned to Dorm Seven.
Before you continue