"..."
"Elder Xiong Yue, if you're trying to earn credit with me over this matter, there's no need to be in such a hurry. We can wait until the Second Worship gives his orders before deciding what to do."
"After all, just as you said, that Soul Beast is only a Soul Master of around level ten. She can't get away."
Luo Chen spoke quietly. All he could say was: don't go looking for trouble and drag him into it.
With Xiongyue Douluo's level 92 cultivation, he couldn't possibly be a match for Tang Hao. If something really happened, Luo Chen was the one who'd get caught in the crossfire.
He valued his life, but that was all he could say.
If Xiongyue Douluo followed his orders, then everything would be just fine.
If he didn't...
He couldn't simply tell Xiongyue Douluo not to go because Tang Hao, a great enemy of Spirit Hall, was nearby.
If a six-year-old said something like that, it would be impossible to explain. It wouldn't make any sense at all.
So if Xiongyue Douluo still insisted on going through with it, Luo Chen would have to try to run.
Hearing how resolute Luo Chen sounded, Xiongyue Douluo hesitated.
His excitement and eagerness to claim credit gradually subsided, and he looked at Luo Chen with a complicated expression.
"Then, Young Master, should I report this to the Second Worship and the others now?"
He knew how to read the room. He was doing this for Luo Chen in the first place. Now that Luo Chen had said this, if he continued, he would only offend Luo Chen and accomplish the opposite of what he intended.
He was simply eager to earn credit, not a fool.
And thinking it over, Luo Chen was right. The Soft Bone Rabbit couldn't get away anyway, and Luo Chen had already spoken up, which meant the Young Master had accepted that this was his achievement. There really was no need to rush.
"I'll follow your arrangements, Young Master."
Having reached this conclusion, Xiongyue Douluo hurriedly clasped his hands toward Luo Chen and added that.
In short, Xiao Wu already belonged to Spirit Hall in his eyes. Since Luo Chen wanted her, it made no difference whether they acted sooner or later.
"Let's wait. I'll report it myself later."
Luo Chen waved a hand lightly. As long as he didn't get caught in the crossfire right now, he didn't care much about anything else.
Xiongyue Douluo obediently nodded, clasped his hands, and withdrew, once again concealing himself in the shadows.
Luo Chen said nothing more and turned to leave with Xiongyue Douluo.
Not long after the two of them left, a middle-aged man in a tattered, foul-smelling black robe appeared where they had just been.
This man was Tang Hao.
He had been watching Xiongyue Douluo ever since the latter appeared near Xiao Wu. Only now, after Luo Chen had led Xiongyue Douluo away, did he finally let his guard down.
However, since he had followed them from too far away—after all, they were both Titled Douluo, and he feared being detected if he got too close—Tang Hao hadn't heard their conversation.
He assumed that the ancestor of some sect among the Seven Great Sects had brought a talented junior out to gain experience.
So he didn't think much of it. A mere level 92—if that man really dared to interfere, Tang Hao could reveal his Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and scare him off.
Before long, Luo Chen and Xiongyue Douluo were back at his residence.
Neither of them mentioned Xiao Wu again. Without Luo Chen's orders, Xiongyue Douluo didn't show himself, either. And so the rest of the day passed, until the next morning.
Early the next morning, Luo Chen had just walked out of his room when he saw Xiongyue Douluo sitting on the living room sofa, waiting for him.
"Morning, Elder Xiong Yue. What brings you here so early?"
Luo Chen smiled and greeted Xiongyue Douluo as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
When Xiongyue Douluo saw Luo Chen emerge from his room, he stood and returned his smile.
"Good morning, Young Master."
"After you retired for the night, I received a letter from the Second Worship."
As he spoke, Xiongyue Douluo took out a letter that had already been opened and handed it to Luo Chen.
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow but didn't reach for it.
"This is for you to read, isn't it, Elder?"
Xiongyue Douluo didn't deny it and nodded.
"What did the Second Worship say?"
Luo Chen kept smiling.
"The Second Worship wants me to take you back to Spirit Hall."
Luo Chen: "..."
"When are you planning to leave, Elder?"
He had known this day would come from the moment he met Xiongyue Douluo.
All he could do now was leave it to fate. It was a gamble.
If he won, the road ahead would be smooth, and he'd never have to worry about lacking resources for cultivation again.
If he lost, Luo Chen couldn't even imagine what would happen.
But there probably wouldn't be a next chapter for him.
Seeing Luo Chen's reaction, Xiongyue Douluo said nothing more. He simply put the letter away and gestured toward him.
"That depends on you, Young Master. We can leave any time today."
"Then let's set out in a little while."
Luo Chen said no more. After the two of them had eaten breakfast, they boarded a carriage out of the city.
Nuoding City was quite a distance from Spirit City, where Spirit Hall was located. Even a Titled Douluo like Xiongyue Douluo would need several days to make the round trip.
After leaving the city and traveling by carriage for most of the day, they changed their mode of transport.
Xiongyue Douluo carried Luo Chen into the air and flew, greatly speeding up their journey to Spirit City.
Five days later.
Spirit City.
Even though he'd already learned about it in the original story, Luo Chen was still deeply shocked on his first visit.
This place was far too prosperous. Nuoding City couldn't hold a candle to it.
In this enormous, thriving city, which was like an empire's capital, Nuoding City seemed as run-down as a little village in the countryside. They weren't even on the same level.
"Young Master, we can take our time before meeting the Worships."
Seeing Luo Chen's astonishment, Xiongyue Douluo smiled and spoke to him.
He wasn't surprised by Luo Chen's reaction. Having risen from humble beginnings himself, he understood that sense of shock better than most.
Luo Chen might have learned plenty from Qian Renxue, but surely it had all been about matters inside Spirit Hall. He figured Young Master Luo Chen knew nothing at all about Spirit City.
That had been his guess over the past few days. He'd already attributed Luo Chen's knowledge of Spirit Hall to Qian Renxue.
After all, the Second Worship had told him that Qian Renxue had visited Luo Chen some time ago.
Luo Chen was tempted when he heard Xiongyue Douluo, but in the end, he restrained himself and shook his head.
"That's all secondary. We both know what's going on, Elder Xiong Yue. There's no need to beat around the bush. I can experience all this after my background has been verified."
Xiongyue Douluo fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"You're right, Young Master. But don't worry too much. The young mistress should have already told you much of what happened, so I won't say more."
Before you continue