Wang Dong's Secret

"Is anyone there?"

After finishing his dinner, Lin Feng knocked lightly on Huo Yuhao's dormitory door and asked aloud.

"Wait a second!"

A slightly hurried response came from within, the tone clear and bright, carrying the distinct, clean quality of a young man.

Wang Dong?

Lin Feng's gaze swept over the hygiene duty roster posted on the door panel, failing to notice that the door was actually only pulled shut.

Just at that moment, a draft of air swept through the corridor without warning, and the door swung open in response.

His line of sight involuntarily fell into the room.

The first thing to catch his eye was a head of wet, powder-blue short hair, with water droplets rolling down the tips, tracing a path across a...

Across a back that was overly fair and smooth, with firm lines that looked almost blindingly white in the dim, warm light of the dormitory.

This kind of scenery was something he had only ever glimpsed on that tomboy, Wu Feng.

"Ah--!"

A short, sharp cry rang out, followed immediately by an astonishing burst of soul power.

On the boy's bare back, a pair of enormous, magnificent butterfly wings bloomed without warning, shimmering with flowing light and vibrant color, as if facing a vast sea or gazing into the azure sky.

Using the barrier released by the butterfly wings, he was completely shielded within them.

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment; it was his first time seeing such a beautiful martial soul form.

By the time the butterfly wings dissipated like a phantom, the boy inside had already quickly put on his clothes.

Only then did Lin Feng truly see the other's appearance: a boy with feminine features, handsome to the point of being unreal, especially those powder-blue eyes that matched his hair, appearing both real and illusory.

"My sincerest apologies, that gust of wind just now..."

"I know." Wang Dong interrupted him, his tone having already returned to calm. "Who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for Huo Yuhao."

"Huo Yuhao? He's still at the track doing extra physical training; he should be back soon. Come in and sit for a while."

Lin Feng followed his words and walked into the dormitory, sitting down on a chair.

Wang Dong turned to grab a kettle to prepare tea, and just as he turned to the side, Lin Feng's gaze inadvertently swept across the other's chest...

The slightly protruding outline made his heart skip a beat, even though the clothes weren't particularly loose.

Could this young man's pectoral muscles... be developed a bit too excessively?

Could it be...

Lin Feng's gaze swept aimlessly across the somewhat cluttered dormitory, finally landing unintentionally by Wang Dong's bed.

A corner of a clean white bandage was slipping out from under the pillow, the texture fine and the style familiar...

It was exactly the same as the one Wu Feng used to bind her upper body every day.

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

Could Wang Dong also be...

"What are you peeking at?" Wang Dong's voice suddenly came from beside him, and a cup of hot tea was handed to him.

When Wang Dong followed Lin Feng's gaze, his expression changed drastically, and his hand trembled, nearly spilling the tea: "Oh no!"

"I didn't see anything." Lin Feng remained composed, taking the tea.

"W-what do you mean you didn't see anything? What nonsense are you spouting!" Wang Dong's earlobes turned red, and his voice rose involuntarily. "That was just... just medical bandages from a previous injury, it's not what you're thinking!"

"I didn't say anything, I don't know anything." Lin Feng looked up at her with an innocent expression, then immediately changed the subject. "I don't know your name yet, shall we introduce ourselves?"

"...You'd better not." Wang Dong turned his head away, his voice muffled. "My name is Wang Dong."

"I'm Lin Feng, from Class Nine."

"Lin... Feng? Could you be the new personal disciple Dean Yan just took in?"

"That's me. Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."

Unlike other freshmen, Lin Feng did not see a shred of admiration in Wang Dong's eyes; instead, he felt a sense of calm self-confidence.

"Is Senior Brother Huo doing well in your class?"

"Senior Brother Huo? You mean Huo Yuhao? He's ranked last in strength in Class One, while you are at least in the top three among the freshmen... This relationship seems a bit off, doesn't it?"

"I entered the sect later than him, so the seniority is as such."

"May I ask what your martial soul is? The butterfly wings I glimpsed just now were the most beautiful martial soul form I have ever seen in my life."

"We'll run into each other during the freshman assessment anyway, so it doesn't matter if I tell you. Listen well, my martial soul is the Radiant Goddess Butterfly, the most beautiful beast martial soul on the continent."

"Radiant... Goddess... No wonder you're so pretty, but shouldn't this martial soul be on a wom..."

"What are you imagining? I am a man, and this martial soul is the genuine article!"

Wang Dong interrupted him in a rush, but his earlobes uncontrollably flushed a light red, like a child caught in a lie; though his tone was sharp, his eyes subconsciously darted away.

"I apologize, it was my ignorance that made me so presumptuous."

"It's good that you know."

Wang Dong lifted her chin slightly, attempting to use her habitual haughtiness to mask that momentary flicker of panic.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Huo Yuhao walked in, carrying the damp heat of sweat and the exhaustion of his training.

Seeing Lin Feng, his slightly pale face revealed a hint of surprise: "Lin Feng? Why are you here?"

"You two talk, I'm going to water those flowers," Wang Dong interjected, then stood up and walked away.

"I came to see you, Senior Brother Huo," Lin Feng said with a smile, pushing a parcel on the table toward him. "The semester is halfway over, and the Freshman Assessment is coming up soon. Teacher Xiao Ya knows how hard you've been cultivating, so she specifically asked me to bring you some herbs to strengthen your foundation and nourish your essence; you must accept them. There is one more thing: I've already cleared it with the old hag Zhou Yi, allowing you to apprentice under Fan Yu. Your Martial Soul is simply too well-suited for the Soul Tool Department."

Huo Yuhao looked at the parcel overflowing with care, and his nose stung slightly.

At Shrek Academy, he was without support, relying entirely on his own desperate efforts; this warmth from the Tang Sect felt exceptionally precious.

"Thank you... I, I truly don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Since we are of the same sect, why the need for thanks?" Lin Feng patted his shoulder, his tone sincere.

He looked at the youth before him, sweat still drying and breath still uneven, and couldn't help but feel a complex sense of emotion.

Huo Yuhao had a decent character and was willing to work hard, but it was a pity his talent was limited and his fortune seemed thin. Especially having missed out on the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

However, Lin Feng thought to himself.

An innocent man is innocent, but his treasure makes him guilty.

Perhaps, just being steady and ordinary, living life as a common Soul Master, and passing through life peacefully was not necessarily a bad kind of happiness.

Senior brother, the waters of this Douluo are too deep. You cannot grasp the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm; in the end, it must be left to your junior brother to...

Lin Feng said: "I should head back to cultivate as well. We shall see the real results at the Freshman Assessment; I hope you do not let Teacher Xiao Ya's expectations go to waste."

Huo Yuhao nodded solemnly: "I will give it my all!"

Wang Dong, standing to the side, watched this scene and interjected: "What deep brotherly love. Lin Feng, does your Tang Sect still take people? How about I become your junior brother too?"

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow at him: "Are you serious?"

"Hehe, just kidding!" Wang Dong immediately returned to her carefree demeanor. "I already have a sect. But... I suppose I could go visit your Tang Sect to look around in the future."

Lin Feng nodded slightly, his tone calm: "The doors of the Tang Sect are always open to you."

Huo Yuhao quickly added, his tone sincere: "That's right, Wang Dong, you are welcome to come and learn more anytime. Next time, I'll take you to meet Teacher Xiao Ya... and Senior Brother Beibei."

Lin Feng's voice dropped a notch: "Beibei... he has already left the Tang Sect. From now on, there is no need to mention him again."

As the words fell, a brief silence permeated between the three.

"If there is nothing else, I will be going now." Lin Feng broke the silence, his tone returning to normal. "See you at the Freshman Assessment. I hope to see you both on the field in the semifinals."

Hearing this, Wang Dong let out a defiant huff: "Who are you looking down on? If we're going to meet, it'll be in the finals!"

Lin Feng smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

He was looking forward to this Freshman Assessment more and more, especially the prospect of facing Wang Dong, and for Mu Jin, slapping the face of that old hag Zhou Yi hard.