Jiahao, Will We Meet Again?

"Why don't you join the Spirit Pagoda?" Leng Yulai asked, looking puzzled and unhappy as she gazed at Lin Jiahao. "Jiahao, with your current One-Ring Soul Master cultivation, this is when you need resources the most. As long as you join, I can let you use Dad's secret stash."

Leng Yaozhu, who had just returned, glared at her younger sister. "If Dad knew how 'filial' you were, wouldn't he be furious?"

Nearby, Lin Xiu turned away, barely holding back his laughter. He even gave Lin Nuo a surreptitious thumbs-up. No wonder the main body was so awesome.

Lin Nuo hadn't expected Leng Yulai to come out with something like that. He shook his head. "No thanks. I'm afraid your dad would beat me to death."

"It's fine. I'll do it secretly."

"..." Lin Nuo didn't know what to say.

"Enough, Leng Yulai. That's far enough." Leng Yaozhu really couldn't bear to watch any longer. Then her gaze fell on Lin Jiahao—or rather, Lin Nuo. "Jiahao, thank you for saving my younger sister this time. I owe you a favor."

"And you." Leng Yaozhu looked at Lin Xiu. "Thank you for beating Qiangu Dongfeng to a pulp. I owe you a favor too."

"I don't need one." Lin Xiu shook his head and pointed at Lin Nuo beside him. "Give the favor to him."

He wanted to see whether Ano could use this favor in the future to help him grow stronger, so Lin Xiu chose this approach. It was a small experiment, too.

At this, Leng Yaozhu looked at Lin Jiahao beside her, then turned her gaze back to Lin Xiu. "Lin Xiu, we're alike. We both care about our younger siblings."

Lin Xiu nodded. He wouldn't deny it. Leng Yaozhu really did care a lot about her younger sister. It was just a shame that her sister had grown a little crooked.

At that moment, Leng Yulai was still pestering Lin Nuo, who was pretending to be Jiahao. "Um, Brother Jiahao, could you let me see your face without the mask?"

"Just once! Please?"

"Pretty please~"

"Just satisfy this tiny bit of curiosity I have!"

"Don't be so cold~"

"Brother Jiahao~"

"..."

Watching this, Leng Yaozhu finally couldn't take it anymore. She strode over and lightly tapped her younger sister on the head with a fist, her voice equal parts exasperated and helpless. "Leng Yulai, don't think your big sister really wouldn't hit you."

After tapping her sister, she immediately turned to Lin Nuo. A hint of apology appeared on her face, and her voice softened. "Sorry, Lin Jiahao. My sister's always been like this. I hope she hasn't caused you too much trouble."

Lin Nuo could only nod helplessly. Who could have guessed that the future Evil Soul Master big sister had been such an eccentric kid? The contrast was startling.

On the other side, Qiangu Dieting and Old Leng quietly walked toward the upper floors together, chatting as they went.

Qiangu Dieting glanced sideways at Old Leng, one brow lifting slightly as he probed, "Old Leng, I clearly felt the hair all over your body stand on end just now. Were you afraid? What exactly did you see?"

Old Leng's expression turned complicated. His voice was full of helplessness. "At first, I only meant to teach those two youngsters a lesson. I never expected there to be an existence of such terrifying power hidden behind them."

"Oh?" Qiangu Dieting's eyes immediately lit up with interest. Leaning forward, he pressed eagerly, "Tell me everything! The only one I thought could make you, Old Leng, afraid was someone over at Shrek. There are others like that?"

Old Leng lowered his eyes and fell silent for a long while before raising them again. His voice carried a barely perceptible gravity. "It was a pair of eyes. They simply drifted over me, calm and quiet. But I'm certain that if I took even one more step forward, I'd have lost my head the next second, with no chance to fight back."

Qiangu Dieting's eyes blazed. Far from being wary, he rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Now that you've put it that way, I'm even more curious. I wish I could go find them and meet them right now."

Old Leng hurriedly waved him off. "Forget it, big brother. The Spirit Pagoda can't afford to provoke an existence like that right now. Don't turn this into something we can't clean up."

As he spoke, he deliberately changed the subject, his tone turning more serious. "By the way, the Federation seems to have started secretly researching those 'big guys' again."

Qiangu Dieting knew Old Leng was changing the subject, but he didn't mind and followed his lead.

Lin Xiu and Lin Nuo took one last look at what they'd gained that day, then prepared to leave.

Time was almost up. Lin Nuo had to leave and return to his own timeline.

Seeing that the two were about to leave, the Leng sisters decided to see them off.

They escorted the two to the entrance of the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.

Lin Xiu and Lin Nuo turned side by side and began to leave at an unhurried pace.

Leng Yulai remained where she was, her gaze fixed on their retreating figures. In the end, the surge of emotion in her heart overwhelmed her reserve, and she took an involuntary half-step forward.

Beside her, Leng Yaozhu frowned, her eyes full of confusion. She couldn't figure out what her younger sister was up to now.

"Jiahao, will we meet again?" Leng Yulai's voice carried a faint tremble as she gazed intently at Lin Nuo's back, her words full of hope.

The words reached Lin Nuo, and he stopped abruptly. Slowly, he turned around.

His eyes met Leng Yulai's, filled with anticipation. He was silent for a moment before calmly and clearly saying two words: "See you."

Lin Nuo waved and left with Lin Xiu.

Leng Yulai heard only Lin Nuo's two words, "See you," and puffed out her cheeks. "What a hateful guy, acting so mysterious! As if I even cared about you!"

Standing nearby, Leng Yaozhu spoke slowly. "They might go to Shrek Academy. But it'll probably be Lin Xiu first, then Lin Jiahao."

"Are you sure, Sis?" Leng Yulai didn't believe her sister.

"You don't have to." Leng Yaozhu shrugged, turned, and walked away, no longer bothering with her competitive younger sister.

Watching her sister's back, Leng Yulai muttered, "So mysterious. Could it be that Sis wants to steal Jiahao from me?"

If Leng Yaozhu had heard that, she would have thrown another punch, just to teach her what it meant that the eldest sister was like a mother!

Back at the hotel, Lin Xiu lay down on the bed, exhausted, and sighed. "I'm so tired~"

"Can't be helped. We ran into a certain hopeless simp, and the whole plan went out the window." Lin Nuo took off his mask, quickly stripped off his clothes, revealing his stunning face, and chuckled.

"I'm sure something's wrong with the Qiangu Family's ancestors' graves. How else could they have produced such a simp?"

"Maybe." Lin Nuo nodded in agreement. Qiangu Dongfeng was nothing like his father, Qiangu Dieting. He was downright unbelievable.

Just then, a ripple stirred in the Sea of Consciousness. Lin Xiu and Lin Nuo both sensed it and exchanged a glance before immediately heading for the Sea of Consciousness. It seemed someone had run into serious trouble.