Time always passed so quickly. After Lin Nuo said goodbye to Na'er and Tang Wuling's family, he headed toward the Soul Guidance Bus. Na'er, who had been holding his hand the whole time, finally spoke. "Brother, you seem to care a lot about Tang Wuling."
Hearing his little sister's question, Lin Nuo could tell she was already on the road to jealousy.
"How should I put it?" Lin Nuo looked at Na'er. "After I awakened my Martial Soul, I felt that Tang Wuling's Martial Soul was extraordinary, but I couldn't quite explain why, so I said a few more words."
At that, the little expression of jealousy on Na'er's face vanished at once. She fell silent, as if she'd thought of something but didn't say it.
Seeing her like that, Lin Nuo asked curiously, "Do you know something, Na'er?"
In truth, Lin Nuo was testing her. He wanted to see what seeds he'd planted for the future by using time, and couldn't help wondering about it.
Na'er noticed Lin Nuo's searching gaze and immediately shook her head. "Na'er doesn't know~"
Lin Nuo watched the flash of panic that had just crossed Na'er's face and realized he'd guessed part of the truth. But he wasn't in a hurry to press her. "I understand. Let's go home."
"Okay, Brother."
Na'er fell right into Lin Nuo's rhythm, completely forgetting her earlier jealousy. All she wanted was to hurry home with her brother.
A figure in the shadows quickly followed the two of them, not daring to linger for even a moment.
They boarded the bus and soon returned to their apartment building.
Just as Lin Nuo was leading Na'er toward the apartment, several figures up ahead caught his attention, and he fell silent.
If he remembered correctly, those guys were the ones who bullied Na'er in the original story and brought Tang Wuling and Na'er together, weren't they?
Why were they here?
Could that guy Tang Hao have arranged this?
What was the point? He was already completely bound to Na'er. There was no way to break up their relationship. What did this accomplish?
He didn't understand, but silently pulled Na'er behind him. "Stay behind me, Na'er."
"Mm." Na'er nodded. She'd clearly sensed the malice coming from the people ahead, too.
"Well, well~ Kid, your sister's a real looker. How about you and your big bro—"
The ringleader hadn't even finished speaking when a bang rang out. He flew away like a kicked ball, and the other punks didn't even have time to react before their boss was sent soaring.
After awakening his Martial Soul, Lin Nuo could clearly feel that his body had undergone a complete transformation. He just felt a little hungry.
"You bottom-feeding trash, say that again if you've got the guts!" Golden light began to wrap around Lin Nuo, and the space around him started to flow slowly.
The moment the punks saw the golden light around Lin Nuo, they realized they'd provoked someone they shouldn't have. They immediately scattered, not caring at all about their boss, who had just been kicked away.
Just then, their boss struggled back to his feet. Watching his men abandon him without a second thought, he cursed, "Damn it~ No one out here has any loyalty!" But when he looked up and saw the golden light around Lin Nuo, he forgot all about the pain and ran off, too.
Young Soul Masters were important individuals under the Federation's protection. If you didn't want to die, it was best to run.
Lin Nuo watched the punks flee and looked away. "Sure enough, people like that are a waste of air."
He turned to Na'er behind him. "You weren't scared, were you, Na'er?"
Na'er seemed to be lost in thought. At Lin Nuo's concern, she came back to her senses at once. "I'm fine, Brother. But you were so cool just now!"
"Na'er wants to be like you when she grows up."
Na'er would never tell Lin Nuo that she'd just ordered Zi JI, hidden nearby, to burn those scumbags to ashes!
"Then I'll look forward to it." Lin Nuo put away his Martial Soul, feeling his stomach grow hollow. As expected, the Body Martial Soul burned through energy fast. He'd gotten hungry from just one kick.
It looked like he was going to become a glutton like Na'er and Tang Wuling.
In a shadowy alley, the punks who'd fled gathered together, watching their boss stumble back toward them in a sorry state.
"Boss, are you okay?" one of the punks asked, unable to help showing concern at the sight of him.
"You lot have no loyalty!"
"It's not that, Boss. That guy's a Soul Master. We don't want to die." One of his men spoke up.
Hearing that, the boss dropped the matter instead of arguing. He clamped a hand over his badly swollen cheek, his brows knitted together, and complained, "All right, all right, I get it! We'll go have a drink. Damn, my face really hurts~"
They had no idea that, in the dim shadows, a blurry figure stood motionless, eyes fixed on their every move like cold blades.
When the men's figures had gradually receded, dwindling into blurry specks in the night, the figure slowly raised a hand. A wisp of purple flame burned in her palm.
Without another movement, she blew gently, and the flame shot away like an arrow loosed from a bow, silently chasing after the men in the distance.
Meanwhile, the group was still chatting and laughing, completely unaware of the deathly aura quietly closing in behind them. They continued onward, step by step, toward the trap the Grim Reaper had laid.
That evening, Lin Nuo made a lot of food for dinner. There was no helping it; ever since awakening his Martial Soul, he'd become a glutton like Na'er and could really put it away. The food on his plate kept disappearing.
The television was showing the news from Aolai City, and Lin Nuo and Na'er were instantly drawn to it.
"Several unidentified individuals suddenly burst into flames and were burned to charcoal, leaving them completely unrecognizable. The official investigation has determined that Evil Soul Masters were responsible. We urge all Aolai City residents to protect themselves when going out and to avoid going out late at night whenever possible."
Listening to the presenter's report, Lin Nuo had already recognized the men. One of them had clothes that were simply too conspicuous. Maybe they'd only burned halfway, but what kind of material were those clothes made of to withstand the fire so well?
As he thought, Lin Nuo couldn't help looking at Na'er. She was busily eating, seemingly not concerned about the news at all.
He knew this was definitely Little One Na'er's handiwork, but he didn't call her out. He kept eating from his own bowl.
Only then did Na'er look up. Seeing that her brother wasn't asking any questions about it, she breathed a sigh of relief. The corners of her mouth lifted, and she secretly plotted away, feeling pleased with herself. "Why is the food Brother makes so delicious? I want to eat it for the rest of my life (╯▽╰) It smells so good~~"
Late that night, as Tang Wuling fell asleep, she thought about what Lin Nuo had said to her that day and drifted off feeling at ease. She had to work hard at cultivating. So what if her Soul Power Level was low? So what if her Martial Soul was no good? Surely there were other professions where she could shine.
But just as she fell asleep, a voice called out to her.
"Wu Ling..."
"Who is it? Don't bother me while I'm sleeping!" Tang Wuling was sleeping soundly. She snapped back in her sleep, and the other person instantly fell silent.
Old Tang: "..."
This wasn't right, was it? After awakening a Martial Soul like that, how could you still sleep so soundly? Shouldn't you be anxious, worrying about your future prospects?
How could you sleep?!
Before you continue