Day broke the next morning, and the sun was already high in the sky.
Rose Hotel.
Rose Heaven.
Tang Yin and Xiao Wu gazed into each other's eyes, not even blinking.
At last,
they both burst out laughing at the same time.
"Tang Yin, why didn't you touch me last night?"
Xiao Wu said, snuggling closer into Tang Yin's arms with a sweet smile.
Tang Yin chuckled softly. "I was eager, but I knew I shouldn't rush."
How could Xiao Wu not know that Tang Yin was cherishing her? Her heart was as sweet as honey.
"It's almost noon. Time to get up!"
Tang Yin patted Xiao Wu's shapely bottom, then threw back the covers and got out of bed first.
Seeing him, Xiao Wu got up too.
"Tang Yin, we won't have anything to do when we go back anyway. We might as well stay out and have fun for a few more days."
"We work so hard at cultivating every day and hardly ever get to relax. We finally have a few days off."
As Tang Yin washed up, he pondered her suggestion.
After a while,
Tang Yin smiled. "In that case, why don't you come treasure hunting with me?"
"Treasure hunting?" Xiao Wu froze, then her eyes lit up. Excitedly, she shook Tang Yin's arm. "Where are we going treasure hunting? I'm in! I'm in!"
"I have a reliable source. In the next few days, a Man Faced Demon Spider capable of dropping an External Soul Bone will appear in Star Dou Forest," Tang Yin said mysteriously.
Although he already had an ability similar to an External Soul Bone—the Thunder God Whip he'd obtained from the Thunder Hell Vine—who would turn down another External Soul Bone?
Interestingly, after studying and experimenting with it, he'd discovered that the External Soul Bone he obtained from the Thunder Hell Vine could do more than transform into a Thunder God Whip. It could also change into the shape of other weapons at his command, such as blades, spears, swords, and halberds.
Based on this trait, Tang Yin had given his External Soul Bone a new name: Ruyi!
Ruyi, Ruyi, do as I will!
When Xiao Wu learned that Tang Yin was going to Star Dou Forest, she froze.
For a moment, she even forgot to answer him.
"Xiao Wu?"
Tang Yin waved his hand in front of her.
"Huh? What is it?"
Xiao Wu came back to herself and blinked.
"What's wrong?"
"You just froze all of a sudden."
Tang Yin asked softly.
But he had a faint idea what was going on.
After all, whenever Star Dou Forest came up, Xiao Wu always reacted this way.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking!"
"We're going to Star Dou Forest, right?"
"I'm coming too!"
Xiao Wu hurriedly said.
Tang Yin smiled. "It'll probably happen in the next few days. I'll let you know when the time comes."
Xiao Wu nodded. "Okay~"
After they'd both washed up, they got dressed.
By now, Xiao Wu had grown shy and insisted that Tang Yin turn away.
Before long,
the two of them walked out of Rose Hotel hand in hand.
The hotel receptionist was still the same employee as the day before.
Before leaving,
Tang Yin and Xiao Wu couldn't resist sneaking a thumbs-up to the receptionist.
The receptionist smiled knowingly.
He'd seen this sort of thing countless times and was already used to it.
"Tang Yin, can we stay here again sometime?" Xiao Wu looked back at Rose Hotel.
"Of course!" Tang Yin smiled.
"Hey, it's you two!" Ning Rongrong, whom they'd met yesterday, appeared before Tang Yin and Xiao Wu again, greeting them with a cheerful smile.
"You're Ning Rongrong from yesterday. I can't believe we've run into each other again," Xiao Wu said in surprise.
"Yeah! What a coincidence!" Ning Rongrong smiled. "Thanks for giving me directions yesterday. I've enrolled at Shrek Academy now."
"What do you think of it there?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
As far as she was concerned, Shrek Academy was nothing special—worse, even, than Notting Junior Soul Master Academy.
Aside from its stronger students, it had nothing going for it.
"It's all right..."
Ning Rongrong looked awkward.
She wanted to complain about all the things wrong with Shrek Academy.
But with Tang Yin there, she didn't feel like telling the truth. She decided to keep up her good-girl act, since she believed boys liked her better that way.
"All right?"
Xiao Wu looked surprised.
She gave Ning Rongrong another once-over, this time scrutinizing her carefully.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Ning Rongrong immediately felt uncomfortable.
Tang Yin smiled. "I didn't expect you to be so tolerant. Even Xiao Wu and I couldn't put up with an environment like Shrek Academy's."
It wasn't that they couldn't endure it.
After all, he'd grown up in Holy Soul Village. He knew what it was like to live in poverty.
But there was no need.
With better places to choose from, why go to a run-down academy like Shrek?
"Hehe~" Ning Rongrong laughed awkwardly. "Maybe I'm just good at adapting."
"Um, to thank you for helping me yesterday, why don't I treat you to a meal?" Ning Rongrong glanced at Tang Yin and Xiao Wu and smiled gently.
"No, thanks. We just had breakfast," Tang Yin said, glancing at Xiao Wu before politely declining.
"Right, we did," Xiao Wu said, nodding repeatedly.
"That's no problem. It'll just be some dessert. You should have a good breakfast, after all." As she spoke, Ning Rongrong took them by the hand, one hand holding Xiao Wu and the other Tang Yin, and led them toward a dessert shop by the street.
Tang Yin and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, both at a loss for words.
"Ning Rongrong, aren't you being a little reckless? Aren't you worried we might be bad people?" Xiao Wu asked in surprise.
"Not at all!"
"I could tell at a glance that you were good people!"
Ning Rongrong said with a beaming smile.
Inside the dessert shop,
Tang Yin and Xiao Wu sat together on one side, while Ning Rongrong sat opposite them.
"Order whatever you like."
Ning Rongrong handed Tang Yin and Xiao Wu a menu each, looking every bit like a rich young lady.
"Ning Rongrong, where are you from? You look like you come from a wealthy family in a big city!" Xiao Wu asked curiously as she looked over the menu.
"My family... We do business in the imperial capital, and we're quite a large operation!" Ning Rongrong said with a smile.
Xiao Wu paused, then leaned toward Tang Yin's ear and whispered, "Tang Yin, should we order something cheap to help her save money?"
Tang Yin leaned closer and whispered, "No need. I can feel Soul Power from her, so she's a Soul Master too. A little food won't hurt."
"Besides, she said her family is rich."
"Just look at her bearing. She doesn't seem like she comes from an ordinary family."
"Everything about the way she moves says two things."
Xiao Wu glanced up at Ning Rongrong, then looked away and asked, "What two things?"
Tang Yin whispered, "She's rich!"
Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow.
At that moment,
Ning Rongrong looked at Tang Yin and Xiao Wu whispering across from her, keeping her smile in place.
In reality, she was already concentrating, ears perked up. She even covertly used her Soul Power, trying to hear what Tang Yin and Xiao Wu were saying.
Unfortunately,
while Tang Yin and Xiao Wu whispered to each other, they were also using their Soul Power to block her out.