Ma Xiaotao

When Jiang Che left Sea God Pavilion, night had already fallen.

The lights on Sea God Island were sparse. Only a few soul-guidance streetlamps cast their gentle glow, dimly illuminating the bluestone path.

"Little Uncle, what are you thinking about?"

A cool yet familiar female voice called out from behind, stopping Jiang Che.

Jiang Che turned around and saw an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl standing beneath a willow tree not far behind him. She had her arms folded across her chest and leaned against the trunk, her fiery red hair fluttering gently in the evening breeze.

After hearing Ma Xiaotao's question, Jiang Che smiled and teased her. "I was wondering why Xiaotao, whom I haven't seen for a month, still hasn't come to see me now that I'm out of seclusion!"

At his words, the tips of Ma Xiaotao's ears turned faintly red. She smoothed her wind-tousled red hair and shot Jiang Che a sidelong glance. "That's because you were in seclusion for so long this time. You didn't even tell me when you came out. I only found out you were out just now, when I ran into Bei Bei and heard it from him."

"Haha, my fault. I had too much to deal with right after coming out," Jiang Che said sheepishly.

"Hmph!" Ma Xiaotao gave a delicate snort and walked over to him.

Jiang Che and Ma Xiaotao strolled slowly along the path until they reached the edge of Sea God Lake.

Looking at the familiar scenery before him, Jiang Che suddenly asked Ma Xiaotao, who was beside him, "Xiaotao, do you remember when we first met?"

"Of course I do. It was here, too. The Evil Fire in my body flared up for the first time, and I came here to try to calm down. Then I ran into you." Ma Xiaotao had no idea what her Little Uncle was getting at, but she still answered him.

"Yeah. I remember you'd just joined the Inner Court and didn't know who I was. And yet, the first time we met, you tried to beat me up!"

"Oh, why are you bringing that up again!" Ma Xiaotao punched Jiang Che on the shoulder. "I've told you eight hundred times already—I wasn't even conscious back then."

After that, she punched Jiang Che several more times, asking as she hit him, "Are you going to bring it up again or not?"

"Haha, I won't, I won't! Have mercy!" Jiang Che laughed with delight at Ma Xiaotao, who was red-faced with embarrassment and anger.

At the same time, his thoughts drifted back to the scene of their first meeting.

Back then, Jiang Che had also just come out of seclusion. He'd wanted to relax by Sea God Lake and calm his restless heart after recently breaking through to Soul Saint.

But then he suddenly sensed a surge of scorching, feverish Soul Power heading in his direction.

With a splash, Ma Xiaotao had flown over using her Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul, then leaped into the lake.

The teenage girl's figure was graceful in the water, but her face was contorted with pain and struggle. The flames around her weren't the warm red they usually were. Instead, they were a heart-stopping, pitch-black Evil Fire that refused to die out even in the water.

She clenched her teeth, her once-clear eyes now veined with red. Her hands clawed wildly at the air, as if she were trying to grab hold of something that could dispel the searing heat consuming her heart.

Jiang Che could see it clearly: this was a sign that her Martial Soul's Evil Fire had completely spiraled out of control. If she was left thrashing about in the lake like this, the agony of the backlash would burn through her meridians in less than a quarter of an hour. She might even suffer cultivation deviation.

"Ah!" Ma Xiaotao cried out in pain. In the end, she completely lost control of her senses. Spotting Jiang Che on the shore, she lunged at him.

The punch carried the frenzied force of Ultimate Fire. If it struck an ordinary person, it would scorch their bones and sinews in an instant. Even a Soul Master of the same rank would have to avoid meeting it head-on.

But Jiang Che was already a Soul Saint, and he possessed the Ultimate Ice Martial Soul. Faced with that frenzied punch, he simply raised a hand calmly. A wisp of gentle yet bitterly cold Soul Power flowed from his fingertip and lightly touched Ma Xiaotao's fist.

The chill of Ultimate Ice spread in an instant, precisely suppressing the raging flames around her fist. It also flowed along her meridians, slowly soothing the Evil Fire running rampant inside her.

Ma Xiaotao, who had been crazed and out of control, felt a refreshing coolness envelop her. The burning pain throughout her body abruptly eased, and her chaotic Soul Power gradually steadied. Her bloodshot eyes slowly regained a trace of clarity, and at last, she collapsed limply into Jiang Che's arms and fainted.

"Little Junior Brother, what happened?" Just as Ma Xiaotao lost consciousness, Yan Shaozhe hurried over.

After learning what had happened, Yan Shaozhe looked at Jiang Che differently. At Yan Shaozhe's insistence, Jiang Che became Ma Xiaotao's personal "fire extinguisher."

Every so often, the Evil Fire inside Ma Xiaotao would flare up. At its mildest, she would feel unbearably hot all over; at its worst, she would lose her senses and rampage destructively. Every time it happened, Jiang Che had to use his Ultimate Ice to suppress it.

As time passed, the two grew closer and closer.

Ma Xiaotao was like a clingy little sister, following Jiang Che around all day.

When Jiang Che cultivated, she would sit quietly beside him and watch. When he left the island to carry out a mission, she would insist on going with him. When he went into seclusion, she would run to the door of his cultivation chamber every day and squat there, waiting for days on end.

Yan Shaozhe had once teased Ma Xiaotao. "Xiaotao, you've never paid this much attention to your teacher."

Ma Xiaotao had blushed and glared at him. "Master, what are you talking about! I... I'm only doing this to suppress the Evil Fire! If something happened to Jiang Che, who would put my fire out?"

Yan Shaozhe had only smiled without saying a word. His expression clearly said: Who are you trying to fool?

As Ma Xiaotao grew up, she became more and more beautiful. Her fiery red hair was like a blaze, and with those proud phoenix eyes of hers, she drew attention wherever she went.

Her attitude toward Jiang Che also began to change, little by little.

She went from shamelessly clinging to him to expressing concern while insisting she didn't care.

Her lips would say, "Who cares about you?" while her body honestly inched closer to Jiang Che.

Every time Jiang Che came out of seclusion, she was the first to appear at the door, pretending to pass by casually when in fact she'd been waiting for days.

Jiang Che could feel Ma Xiaotao's feelings for him. After all, he wasn't a saint, nor was he some eunuch in charge of the palace.

He had his own joys, sorrows, and desires. Of course he was happy to be liked by a beauty like Ma Xiaotao.

But in the past, Jiang Che had lacked any sense of security, so he'd had to cultivate desperately. After all, he didn't have Huo Yuhao's cheat, nor a system to hand him a golden finger. Jiang Che knew that when the great war began in the future, even Super Douluos wouldn't be able to stay out of it.

He was also worried about being caught by the Supreme God, the River Crab Deity, for some infraction. (Ma Xiaotao is only 19 at this point!!! I don't need to say anything about two years earlier, do I?)

But things were different now. Not only had he broken through to Titled Douluo, but his system had finally arrived, late as it was. Jiang Che believed it wouldn't be long before he stood atop the continent.

Now, Jiang Che had earned the right to take a little rest.