A Secret Rendezvous in the Grove

The punishment for Dai Mubai and the others had already begun at the academy gates.

Yu Xiaogang watched their retreating figures grow farther and farther away, his face dark.

"So you're not planning to care about Gu Yi and the other two anymore, Xiaogang?"

Flender suddenly appeared behind him and asked with a frown.

Though he did not know what Yu Xiaogang had said to Gu Yi, Yu Xiaogang's current reaction gave him a bad feeling.

"Hmph! They have no sense of teamwork and refuse to obey instruction. Why should I still care about them?"

"Besides, they said themselves that they didn't need me to teach them. Then let them study on their own!"

The moment Flender brought up what had happened earlier, Yu Xiaogang grew angry. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became!

"You... sigh, forget it. I'll teach those three myself."

As he spoke, Flender's Owl Cat Martial Soul appeared behind him, and he chased after Dai Mubai and the others who were being punished.

However, he did not notice just how ugly Yu Xiaogang's expression became after he said that.

"Teach them? An academy doesn't need two peerless geniuses. One is enough."

Time passed quickly. Before long, the sun had set. Not only had Gu Yi and the other two finished their training, but everyone else's punishment had ended as well.

Just like in the original story, nearly everyone had collapsed from exhaustion. By the time they were carried back to their dormitories, their entire bodies were soaked in sweat.

By then, Gu Yi and the other two were cultivating their Soul Power in the dormitory, while Xiao Wu eagerly anticipated her conversation with Gu Yi that night.

What she did not notice was that Zhu Zhuqing's wary gaze drifted toward her from time to time.

Time flew by again, and it was now deep into the night. In the girls' dormitory, aside from Ning Rongrong, who was asleep, Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu were still cultivating.

But suddenly, Xiao Wu stopped. She glanced at the night sky beyond the window, then at Zhu Zhuqing, who was still cultivating. After that, she quietly opened the door and slipped outside.

Yet the moment she closed the door, Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes as well.

She had felt somewhat uneasy all along and had been unable to enter meditation. Now, seeing Xiao Wu sneak out so furtively only confirmed her suspicions.

Though she still did not know why Xiao Wu was leaving in the middle of the night, she already had a vague feeling about it.

Without any hesitation, she got up and followed.

Fortunately, her eyes could see unusually clearly even in the dead of night, so she quickly caught up to Xiao Wu. She kept her distance and did not get too close.

But after the two of them left, another figure quietly followed them out of the dormitory.

What are they planning to do?

The devilish training during the day had left Ning Rongrong aching all over, her stamina already at its limit. Although the Medicinal Bath had made her feel somewhat better, she was still terribly uncomfortable and unable to sleep.

When Xiao Wu left, Ning Rongrong had not paid much attention. She only wanted to fall asleep as soon as possible. But Zhu Zhuqing leaving right after her caught her attention.

The intense curiosity in her heart instantly drove her body forward, making her follow as well.

The three of them followed one another out through the academy gates.

Why is she leaving the academy so late? Could I have been wrong?

Seeing that Xiao Wu was not heading to the boys' dormitory to find Gu Yi, Zhu Zhuqing was somewhat surprised and began to wonder whether she had misunderstood.

But since she had already followed this far, she would not simply give up. At the very least, she had to find out why Xiao Wu had come out.

She followed Xiao Wu all the way out of the academy and into the grove. Only when Xiao Wu stopped beneath a towering tree did she stop as well.

There was a figure beneath the tree. With the moonlight blocked by the leaves, most people would have found it difficult to see clearly, but Zhu Zhuqing recognized him at once. It was Gu Yi.

Xiao Wu had really come out in the middle of the night for a secret rendezvous with Gu Yi!

What are they doing? Why did they arrange to meet here in the middle of the night?

"Why is Gu Yi hiding this from me? Did something happen between them?"

At the same time, countless questions surfaced in Zhu Zhuqing's mind, and the unease in her heart grew even stronger.

Her heart was pounding wildly. The violent thumping made it impossible for her to hear what the two were saying.

Behind her, Ning Rongrong could only see the two silhouettes beneath the towering tree. If not for the faint moonlight filtering down, she would not even have been able to see the path.

What exactly are they doing? Who did Xiao Wu come out to meet in secret? Tang San?

Then why did Zhu Zhuqing follow her? Doesn't she only care about Gu Yi?

A confused tree bore confused fruit, and beneath the confused tree stood you and me.

Both girls' little heads were filled with questions, though Zhu Zhuqing was clearly far more agitated.

But just as they were wondering, the two figures beneath the towering tree suddenly vanished!

There was no warning whatsoever, not even giving Zhu Zhuqing a fraction of a second to react.

"This!"

Zhu Zhuqing could not help crying out. With several rapid leaps, she arrived beneath the tree where Xiao Wu and Gu Yi had been standing.

She anxiously looked around, but could not find a single trace of them.

Did Gu Yi use a Soul Skill to teleport away? Did he discover me?

Why would he have to teleport away just because he discovered me? What are they trying to do?

Could what Ning Rongrong said be true?

Zhu Zhuqing felt as though her head was about to explode. Her emotions were in complete turmoil, and every action Gu Yi took could indirectly affect her mood.

Should I wait until tomorrow and ask Gu Yi about it? Could it really have been a misunderstanding?

I... where should I go now?

She stood there blankly, not knowing what she should do. Other than agonizing over it in her mind, she truly could not think of anything else to do.

Endless Bone Domain.

Just moments ago, Gu Yi had pulled Xiao Wu into his domain. This was the best place for him to discuss matters with Xiao Wu; not even the slightest bit of information could leak out!

Feeling the changes in her Soul Power and observing her surroundings, Xiao Wu finally understood just how domineering Gu Yi's domain was.

She looked up at Gu Yi on the throne atop the mountain of bones and asked with a frown, "Who exactly are you? Why do you know Er Ming? And what is your relationship with Er Ming?"

After weighing her options, these were the questions she felt she should ask first. This would not only confirm whether he was friend or foe, but also allow her to judge whether he could be trusted.

"My identity is simply this: I am Gu Yi, grandson of Bone Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. There is nothing false about that."

"I met Er Ming in the Star Dou Great Forest, when we went to obtain Soul Rings last time."

"As for my relationship with it, you may not believe this when I say it, but it calls me Big Brother now."

A smile hung on Gu Yi's face as he explained calmly.

"Impossible! You're lying! Er Ming would never acknowledge you as its Big Brother. It hates Soul Masters and... and humans to an extremely deep extent."

Just as Gu Yi expected, Xiao Wu became agitated. Her little face flushed red as she said angrily.

"I know you won't believe me, because even I find it hard to believe. But with this, everything is different."

As he spoke, Gu Yi took Ah Rou's soul from the system storage and held it in his hand.

Xiao Wu froze at once. The aura she had longed for day and night for more than ten years had finally appeared before her again!

"Th-that's... Mom?"