Tang San's Plea for Help Rejected, Su Hang's Single Sentence Protects Xiao Wu to the Death

In the low-lying ground, the Mandala Snake's offensive grew increasingly urgent.

Its body pressed several long furrows into the muddy ground, and the poisonous mist spread along the grass blades; wherever it passed, the tips of the grass turned black, and a pungent odor rose from the soil.

Tang San shifted his footwork repeatedly, a piece of his sleeve shredded by the sweep of the snake's tail.

He could dodge, he could stall, and he could use his sleeve arrows and pebbles to disrupt the Mandala Snake's lunges.

But he could not break its defense.

That layer of ink-green scales was too hard; the sleeve arrows merely grazed them, bringing away only a few tiny fragments.

Pebbles struck the softer flesh, but they only caused the Mandala Snake to pause for a brief moment.

He could not reach the truly lethal spots.

Yu Xiaogang had been forced back to the base of a tree by the poisonous mist, Luo Sanpao lying by his legs with its belly heaving violently; it was already difficult for it to unleash another soul skill.

"Tang San, don't force a head-on fight!"

Yu Xiaogang raised his sleeve to cover his nose and mouth, shuffling backward.

"The age of this Mandala Snake exceeds our estimates. If we can't take it down head-on, we should retreat first!"

Tang San did not retreat.

Retreat?

If he retreated now, Su Hang would be standing on the high ground watching him make a fool of himself.

More importantly, this Mandala Snake was truly suitable.

Toxicity, toughness, binding ability.

As long as he took it down, the direction for his Blue Silver Grass's first soul ring would be set.

Tang San tapped his toes against a tree root and shifted his body horizontally. After dodging the snake's maw, he flicked three thin needles from between his fingers toward the snake's mouth.

The fleshy crest on the Mandala Snake's head shivered, the snake's head tilted, and the needles slid away along the scales.

Missed again.

When Tang San landed, the old wound on his shoulder was aggravated, causing his movements to lag by half a beat.

The snake's tail swept toward him.

He immediately rolled to avoid it, mud splattering onto his lapel.

On the high ground, Xiao Wu gripped the straps of her bundle, standing two steps behind Su Hang.

She did not look at Yu Xiaogang, keeping her eyes fixed only on the commotion near Tang San.

Tang San could indeed hold his own.

But the more he held on, the less she wanted to get close.

The sacrifice written in the diary, the fates of Daming and Erming, and the image of herself turning into a soul ring had been weighing on her mind the entire time.

That was not something that could be erased by a simple word like "classmate."

In the low-lying ground, Tang San used a pebble to force the snake's head away once more, and taking advantage of the brief opening, he finally turned toward the high ground.

"Xiao Wu, help me out."

These words landed steadily.

There was no command, nor was there a plea for mercy.

It was closer to a judgment.

He judged that Xiao Wu's footwork was agile, judged that she could provide a distraction from the side, and judged that as long as she acted, he would be able to find an opportunity to strike the snake's mouth.

When Xiao Wu heard these two words, she took half a step back behind Su Hang.

She hugged her bundle to her chest, using it to block herself directly.

"I'm not familiar with you, don't call me so intimately."

Tang San faltered as he landed.

Because of that slight pause, the Mandala Snake's tail had already swept to his side.

Tang San bent his waist, narrowly avoiding it, though half of his torn sleeve was ripped away by the tail.

A deep furrow appeared in the mud.

Yu Xiaogang was instantly anxious.

"Xiao Wu, you are also a student of Notting Academy!"

"How can you stand by and watch when a classmate is in danger?"

Xiao Wu poked half of her body out from behind Su Hang's shoulder, her reply coming quickly.

"Just now, Brother Su Hang warned you that it was dangerous—did you listen?"

Yu Xiaogang was silenced by these words.

Xiao Wu continued to press down.

"He warned you the beast-repellent powder would be problematic, yet you claimed he was undermining you."

"He warned you this snake was of a higher age, yet you insisted Tang San could handle it."

"Now that you've gotten yourselves into trouble, you want me to help?"

She paused, her arms tightening around her bundle.

"Why should I?"

Yu Xiaogang leaned on his wooden staff, his chest heaving heavily.

"Spirit masters should help one another!"

Xiao Wu immediately retorted.

"Help depends on who you're dealing with."

"I don't want to help him."

Tang San did not speak again.

His footwork quickened, and several pebbles flew out in succession, forcing the Mandala Snake to turn its head.

Yet, the calm on his face had already begun to crack.

On Su Hang's side, the more bluntly Xiao Wu refused, the greater the pressure became on him.

Xiao Wu should have been a teammate capable of coordinating with him.

At the very least, in Tang San's judgment, as fellow freshmen at the same academy, it was only natural to step in and provide a distraction in such a situation.

Yet, she had retreated behind Su Hang.

She retreated as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

For the first time, Tang San felt that the path at Notting Academy had not gone according to his expectations ever since he met Su Hang.

Su Hang was the one changing the game.

High up among the branches, Yue Guan let out a low chuckle.

"Interesting."

"Tang Hao's son wanted that Soft Bone Rabbit to help, but she ended up standing behind Su Hang."

Gui Mei hid in the shadows of the trees, black mist slithering along the branches.

"The relationships have changed."

"The things written in the diary have already begun to influence people."

Yue Guan looked at Tang San in the low-lying area, then glanced at Su Hang.

"This kid isn't just snatching opportunities."

"He is dismantling the people around Tang San."

Gui Mei did not refute him.

Below, the Mandala Snake spat out poisonous mist once more.

This time, the mist spread further, rolling up the slope toward the high ground.

Xiao Wu shrank back.

Su Hang raised his arm to shield her.

Dark purple lightning spread out from beneath his feet, and the pressure of the Chaos Thunder Shadow Dragon bore down along the slope.

A low dragon roar rolled through the forest.

The poisonous mist nearing the high ground was torn apart by the lightning, and the black poison spots on the grass were shaken into ash.

The Mandala Snake's body stiffened, and its rhythm of attack faltered for a beat.

Tang San seized the opportunity, throwing pebbles at the snake's head and following up with a sleeve arrow, finally carving a shallow cut into the soft flesh of its neck.

Blood droplets fell into the mud, and the Mandala Snake became even more frantic.

However, it did not charge toward the high ground.

That dragon pressure weighed upon it, forcing it to instinctively avoid the position where Su Hang stood.

Su Hang stood on the rocky slope, not descending.

He simply kept Xiao Wu behind him, looking down at Tang San and Yu Xiaogang from his vantage point.

"If you want others to risk their lives to coordinate with you, first see if you're worth it."

The words were not heavy, yet they left Yu Xiaogang unable to respond.

Tang San heard them.

He did not reply, only adjusting the pouch at his waist to a more accessible position.

Sleeve arrows, pebbles, fine needles.

He was rearranging all the means at his disposal.

Su Hang had already become the greatest variable.

Snatching a spirit ring was one thing.

Xiao Wu choosing a side was another matter entirely.

If Su Hang continued to interfere in the future, many things that should have happened smoothly for him would become troublesome.

Tang San stepped over a wet stone, his body brushing past the snake's tail as he flung out fine needles from his hand once more.

This time, he did not look at Xiao Wu again.

If she wouldn't help, then she wouldn't help.

Relying on others was never stable to begin with.

The only person he could rely on was himself.

On the high ground, Xiao Wu watched the battle in the low-lying area, her fingertips gripping the edge of her bundle, unable to let go for a long time.

She had been very blunt when she refused Tang San just now.

But after the words left her mouth, her heart felt a bit stifled.

She was not the type of person who liked to see others get hurt.

It was just that the person happened to be Tang San.

The one in the diary who would make her sacrifice herself, and who would turn both Daming and Erming into spirit rings.

Xiao Wu leaned closer to Su Hang and lowered her voice.

"Brother Su Hang, was I too cold just now?"

Su Hang did not turn his head, his arm still raised to shield her.

"You don't owe him your life, and you certainly don't owe him a sacrifice."

As the word "sacrifice" fell, Xiao Wu went quiet.

She lowered her head, the strands of hair on her forehead falling against her cheeks.

The words from the diary surfaced once again.

Soul sacrifice.

Daming and Erming's sacrifice.

Her entire family becoming stepping stones on Tang San's path to godhood.

If not for the diary, if not for Su Hang, she probably really would have grown close to Tang San.

And then, step by step, she would have walked toward that ending.

The wind blew across the high ground, making Xiao Wu's nose sting.

She reached out and took the initiative to hold Su Hang's hand, which was hanging by his side.

The movement was light, but she did not pull back.

"Then I will only help you from now on."

Su Hang turned his head to look at her.

Xiao Wu did not shy away.

Holding her bundle and clutching his hand, she stood very firmly.

"Don't find me troublesome."

"I'm afraid of death, and I'm afraid of something happening to Daming and Erming."

"But since you protect me, I will remember it."

Su Hang's fingers moved, but he did not pull away.

"Fine."

"Stay close from now on."

Xiao Wu nodded vigorously.

"Mm."

In the low-lying area, Tang San had just dodged a lunge from the Mandala Snake when his peripheral vision caught the sight of the two on the high ground holding hands.

His footwork faltered for half a beat.

The tail of the Mandala Snake grazed his back, sending him stumbling forward a few steps.

Tang San quickly steadied himself, backhanding a stone to force the snake's head back.

But that bit of discord had already seeped into his movements.

Yu Xiaogang also saw Xiao Wu on the high ground.

He had originally wanted to speak up again, but he was forced to cough by the poisonous mist, leaving him no choice but to pull Luo Sanpao and continue retreating.

From the heights, Yue Guan clicked his tongue.

"The Soft Bone Rabbit has completely sided with Su Hang."

Gui Mei pressed himself against the shadow of a tree.

"Record it."

"This is of great importance to His Holiness the Pope."

Yue Guan cast a glance at Tang San, who was fighting alone in the low-lying ground.

"Tang Hao's son is going to have a rough time today."

At the same time, a system notification chimed in Su Hang's mind.

[Ding! Detected a significant increase in Xiao Wu's trust toward the host!]

[Xiao Wu's favorability has broken through the critical threshold! Current favorability: 50%!]

[Efficiency of depriving Tang San of his first soul ring's destiny has increased!]