She didn't press Yu Shuangbai about his background.
She could make her own guesses.
Since Yu Shuangbai had no intention of volunteering anything, prying into his past would have been rather rude.
After spending half her life in the Soul Master World, Shui Rou'er knew how to keep a proper sense of boundaries.
The deal was done, money and goods exchanged.
Yu Shuangbai had no intention of lingering.
Even with two pretty young girls there—and one of them was absorbing a Soul Ring while gazing at him with infatuation—he could probably win her over with just a little effort.
But Yu Shuangbai had spent nearly five years with the Ice and Snow Emperors, two peerlessly beautiful women.
Compared to them, the Shui sisters...
Well...
They were too green.
So green that they held no appeal for him.
"Where are you headed, young master?"
Shui Bing'er suddenly spoke, and Shui Rou'er hurriedly shot her a glare.
Asking a stranger where he was going without warning was rather presumptuous.
It could easily be mistaken for having ulterior motives.
Fortunately, neither Yu Shuangbai nor his companion seemed to mind.
Perhaps because he had just casually taken down a Soul Beast and earned thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins for it, Yu Shuangbai was still in a fairly good mood.
He replied casually:
"Heaven Dou City."
More precisely, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
But he wasn't going there to enroll.
Yu Shuangbai wasn't bored enough to join a Soul Master Academy full of spoiled young masters.
He was going to get close to Dugu Yan.
Through Dugu Yan, he could make contact with Dugu Bo.
And then he could scheme for the Immortal Herbs at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, as well as the Ice and Fire Dragon Souls beneath it.
The latter was really the main prize.
After all, Yu Shuangbai only knew that Immortal Herbs could be found at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. His own knowledge of them was practically nonexistent.
He might be able to identify the herbs that had been described in detail in the original story by their characteristics.
But when it came to most Immortal Herbs, Yu Shuangbai was as clueless as Dugu Bo, who sat on a treasure trove without knowing how to use it.
So his real focus was the Ice and Fire Dragon Souls hidden beneath the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Yu Shuangbai had a feeling.
The benefits those two Dragon Souls could bring him might far surpass those of the Immortal Herbs.
So he planned to strike a deal with Dugu Bo through Dugu Yan.
Well...
The key to acquiring Immortal Herbs was practically a must-have for every transmigrator.
He could always take them by force.
Dugu Bo was one of the weakest among the Titled Douluo. Before Snow Empress, a Limit Douluo-level Ferocious Beast with a cultivation base nearing seven hundred thousand years, he'd be utterly helpless.
But Yu Shuangbai did have some principles.
A deal would be best.
He didn't want to be so overbearing unless he had no other choice.
"Heaven Dou City?"
Hearing Yu Shuangbai's answer, Shui Rou'er paused.
What a coincidence.
They were headed to Heaven Dou City as well.
The Four Elements Academies and the Heaven Dou Royal Academy were among the top Soul Master Academies in the Heaven Dou Empire.
They often held Friendship Matches.
This time, their match was being held at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
The other members of the Skywater Team had already arrived in Heaven Dou City.
Because Shui Yue'er had made a sudden breakthrough, Shui Rou'er had brought her and Shui Bing'er to the Far North alone to hunt a Soul Beast for Shui Yue'er's third Soul Ring.
After helping Shui Yue'er obtain her third Soul Ring, Shui Rou'er was supposed to head to Heaven Dou City and meet up with the rest of the Skywater Team for the Friendship Match.
She hadn't expected the two people they'd run into, Yu Shuangbai and his companion, to be headed to Heaven Dou City too.
If they hadn't approached Yu Shuangbai themselves, and if she hadn't asked where he was going, Shui Rou'er might really have thought they were deliberately trying to get close to them.
It was simply too much of a coincidence.
"We're going to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy in Heaven Dou City for a Friendship Match."
"If you don't mind, Young Master Yu, why not come with us?"
Shui Bing'er was the one to make the invitation.
"Our carriage is waiting outside the border city. It's quite spacious, so there's room for you and your companion."
"And it's all along the way."
Shui Rou'er gave her disciple a strange look.
Bing'er seemed unusually lively.
She'd never seen her disciple invite another boy to go somewhere with her before.
Of the Four Elements Academies, the Skywater Academy was the only one made up entirely of pretty young girls.
The other three academies, including the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, had no shortage of boys who pursued her disciple.
Quite a few of them were outstanding, too.
But Shui Bing'er had never given them so much as a second glance.
Much less invited them anywhere so eagerly.
But on second thought, Shui Rou'er decided it made sense.
Those talented young men simply couldn't compare to Yu Shuangbai.
Whether in looks or in talent and strength, Yu Shuangbai was utterly dominant.
Even Feng Xiaotian, the top genius of Godwind Academy, fell far short.
She'd thought Shui Bing'er just wasn't interested in boys yet.
Now it seemed that wasn't the case.
The girl was at the age when young hearts began to stir.
She just hadn't met anyone who could take her breath away before.
Now she had, and the girl's feelings were already stirring.
Of course, that didn't mean Shui Bing'er had already fallen for Yu Shuangbai.
She was simply very interested in him, which was why she'd acted so differently from usual.
So although Shui Rou'er was surprised by her disciple's unusual initiative, she didn't say anything.
In truth, she approved of Shui Bing'er's choice.
Yu Shuangbai and Snow Empress were clearly no ordinary people.
It was only natural to seize the chance to build a friendly connection with them.
Yu Shuangbai had no suspicions that Shui Bing'er and the others might have ulterior motives.
With Snow Empress there, even the entire Skywater Academy combined couldn't pose the slightest threat to him.
Therefore,
after a moment's thought, Yu Shuangbai nodded and accepted.
"Then I'll trouble you all."
His reasoning was simple.
Neither he nor Snow Empress knew the human world very well.
Although Yu Shuangbai had been born into the human world, his low standing in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had meant he'd never had the chance to visit Heaven Dou City.
The two of them would have to ask for directions along the way.
Since Shui Bing'er and the others had a carriage going to Heaven Dou City and had invited them along, why not accept?
Besides, going through the Skywater Academy would save them a lot of unnecessary trouble getting into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Snow Empress furrowed her brow almost imperceptibly, seeming displeased that their time alone together was being interrupted.
But she didn't want Yu Shuangbai to think she had a terrible personality, so she didn't object.
"No trouble at all!"
Shui Bing'er waved her hand, her heart lifting with delight.
Then she noticed the amused, teasing look in her teacher Shui Rou'er's eyes and realized she might have been a little too forward.
She flushed with embarrassment and quickly reined herself in.
Her cheeks faintly red, she lowered her head and stopped looking into her teacher's eyes.
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