"Is anyone there?"
After dinner, Lin Feng knocked lightly on Huo Yuhao's dorm room door and called out.
"Just a moment!"
A slightly hurried reply came from inside, the voice clear and bright, with a boy's distinctive youthful purity.
Wang Dong?
Lin Feng glanced over the duty roster posted on the door, not noticing that it was only ajar.
Just then, a sudden draft swept through the corridor, and the door swung open with a creak.
His gaze fell involuntarily into the room.
The first thing to catch his eye was a head of damp, pink-blue hair. Water droplets ran from the tips, tracing a path across a...
A back so pale and smooth it was almost dazzling, its lines firm beneath the dormitory's dim yellow light.
He had only seen a sight like that on Wu Feng, that tomboy.
"Ah—!"
A short cry rang out. In the next instant, an astonishing burst of Soul Power erupted.
A pair of enormous, resplendent butterfly wings suddenly unfurled from the boy's bare back. Their colors shimmered like the vast sea and the boundless blue sky.
The barrier released by the wings shielded him completely.
Lin Feng froze. He had never seen such a beautiful Martial Soul form.
When the wings vanished like an illusion, the boy had already hurriedly dressed.
Only then did Lin Feng get a proper look at him. He had a pretty, almost unreal face, and those pink-blue eyes, matching his hair, seemed both real and dreamlike.
"I'm really sorry. That gust of wind..."
"I understand." Wang Dong cut him off, his voice calm again. "Who are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for Huo Yuhao."
"Huo Yuhao? He's still at the training field, working on his physical conditioning. He should be back soon. Come in and sit for a while."
Lin Feng did as he was told and sat down in a chair.
Wang Dong turned to fetch the kettle and make tea. As he turned sideways, Lin Feng's gaze happened to pass over his chest...
The slightly raised outline made Lin Feng's heart skip a beat. His clothes weren't even particularly loose.
That young master's chest muscles... Had he built them up a little too much?
Could it be...
Lin Feng's gaze wandered over the somewhat messy dorm room and eventually landed, by chance, beside Wang Dong's bed.
A strip of white bandage peeked out from beneath the pillow. Its fine texture and familiar style...
It looked exactly like the kind Wu Feng usually used to bind her chest.
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
Could Wang Dong be...
"What are you staring at?" Wang Dong's voice suddenly came from beside him as he offered Lin Feng a cup of hot tea.
When Wang Dong followed Lin Feng's gaze, his expression changed. His hand jerked, and he nearly spilled the tea. "Oh no!"
"I didn't see anything," Lin Feng said calmly, taking the tea.
"W-what do you mean, you didn't see anything? What are you talking about?" Wang Dong's ears flushed red, and her voice rose despite herself. "That's just... just a medical bandage from an old injury. It's not what you think!"
"I didn't say anything. I don't know anything." Lin Feng looked up at her with an innocent expression, then changed the subject. "I don't know your name yet. Shall we introduce ourselves?"
"...You'd better not." Wang Dong turned her face away, her voice muffled. "My name's Wang Dong."
"I'm Lin Feng, from Class Nine."
"Lin... Feng? Are you the personal disciple Dean Yan just took on?"
"That's me. Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."
Unlike the other new students, Lin Feng saw no admiration in Wang Dong's eyes. Instead, he sensed a quiet confidence.
"How's Senior Brother Huo doing in your class?"
"Senior Brother Huo? You mean Huo Yuhao? He's at the bottom of Class One, while you're at least among the top three new students... Doesn't that make your relationship a little unusual?"
"I joined later than he did, so that's how the seniority works."
"May I ask what your Martial Soul is? The butterfly wings I glimpsed just now were the most beautiful Martial Soul form I've ever seen."
"We'll run into each other at the new student assessment anyway, so I don't mind telling you. Listen carefully: my Martial Soul is the Light Goddess Butterfly, the most beautiful Beast Martial Soul on the continent."
"The Light... Goddess... No wonder you're so pretty. But shouldn't that Martial Soul belong to a—"
"What are you thinking? I'm a man, and this Martial Soul is the real thing!"
Wang Dong hurriedly cut him off, but her ears turned an uncontrollable shade of red, like a child caught in a lie. Her words were sharp, but her eyes darted away.
"Sorry. I was ignorant and spoke out of turn."
"Good. At least you know it."
Wang Dong lifted her chin, trying to use her usual haughty air to mask that moment of panic.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Huo Yuhao walked in, damp with sweat and worn out from training.
When he saw Lin Feng, surprise crossed his slightly pale face. "Lin Feng? What brings you here?"
"You two talk. I'm going to water those potted flowers." Wang Dong cut in, then got up and walked away.
"I came to see you, Senior Brother Huo." Lin Feng smiled and pushed a package across the table. "The semester's halfway over, and the new student assessment is coming up soon. Teacher Xiao Ya knows how hard you've been training, so she sent me with some herbs to strengthen your foundation and nourish your body. Make sure you accept them. There's one more thing: I got permission from that old hag Zhou Yi for you to take Fan Yu as your teacher. Your Martial Soul is especially suited to the Soul Tool Department."
Huo Yuhao looked at the package full of care, and his nose stung.
At Shrek Academy, he had no one to rely on. He had struggled on his own, and the warmth from the Tang Sect felt all the more precious.
"Thank you... I-I really don't know how I could ever repay you."
"We're fellow disciples. There's no need to thank me." Lin Feng patted him on the shoulder, his voice sincere.
Looking at the boy in front of him, still sweaty and breathing hard, Lin Feng couldn't help feeling conflicted.
Huo Yuhao had a decent character and worked hard. It was just a shame his talent was limited, and luck seemed to have passed him by too. Especially when it came to missing out on Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.
But then Lin Feng reconsidered.
The common man was not guilty, but he was guilty of possessing a treasure.
Perhaps living an honest, steady life as an ordinary Soul Master, and making it safely through, wasn't such a bad kind of happiness.
Senior Brother, the waters of Douluo ran too deep. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was too much for you to handle. In the end, you'd have to leave it to your junior brother...
Lin Feng said, "I should get back to training too. We'll settle things at the new student assessment. I hope you won't let Teacher Xiao Ya down."
Huo Yuhao nodded solemnly. "I'll give it everything I've got!"
Watching them, Wang Dong chimed in, "You two really are close. Lin Feng, is the Tang Sect still taking members? Maybe I should become your junior brother too."
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you serious?"
"Hehe, I'm just kidding!" Wang Dong immediately returned to her carefree manner. "I already belong to a sect. But... I could always go check out the Tang Sect sometime."
Lin Feng nodded slightly, his tone mild. "The Tang Sect's doors will always be open to you."
Huo Yuhao quickly added, sincerely, "That's right, Wang Dong. You're welcome to come learn about it anytime. Next time, I'll take you to meet Teacher Xiao Ya... and Senior Brother Beibei."
Lin Feng's voice dropped. "Beibei... He's already left the Tang Sect. There's no need to mention him again."
A brief silence settled between the three of them.
"If there's nothing else, I'll get going." Lin Feng broke the silence, his tone returning to normal. "See you at the new student assessment. I hope to see you both in the semifinals."
Wang Dong gave an indignant huff. "Who are you looking down on? If we're meeting, it'll be in the finals!"
Lin Feng smiled and said no more. He turned and left.
He was looking forward to the new student assessment more and more, especially the match against Wang Dong, where he could give Zhou Yi a good, hard slap in the face on Mu Jin's behalf.
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