"Don't panic."
Su Hang pressed the back of Xiao Wu's hand where it rested on his clothes, gently pushing down with his fingertips.
Xiao Wu huddled by the bed, the blanket slipped to her waist. Her face had gone pale, and even her shoulders were tense.
The pressure outside hadn't entered the room, but it swept slowly over the cracks in the wall, the window paper, and the eaves.
The feeling was all too familiar.
A Titled Douluo.
And his presence was heavier than the two auras that had hung over the forest earlier that day.
Xiao Wu was about to hide behind Su Hang when the Soul Beast essence within her began to stir.
Su Hang raised a hand and rested it on her shoulder.
"Keep it in check."
"Don't let your aura leak out."
Xiao Wu bit her lip and nodded.
The next moment, dark purple Dragon Might spread from Su Hang's body. It didn't extend far, only encircling Xiao Wu.
The Chaos Thunder Shadow Dragon's aura was heavy and domineering, perfectly suppressing the faint fluctuations of her Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul.
Xiao Wu relaxed a little, but she still didn't let go of his clothes.
"Brother Su Hang, is it someone from Spirit Hall?"
"Not necessarily."
Su Hang got up and strolled lazily over to the window, deliberately yawning.
"Must be nice to have so much energy in the middle of the night."
Outside the courtyard.
Deep in the shadows of the trees, Tang Hao stood pressed against the wall, wearing a worn gray cloak.
He hadn't released his Spirit Rings or taken out his Clear Sky Hammer.
This was only Notting Academy.
The courtyard was home to a bunch of children.
But the change in fortune he'd sensed from Soul Hunting Forest today had made it impossible to keep drinking and playing dumb.
Something had happened to Tang San's First Spirit Ring.
The Mandala Snake's opportunity had been tampered with.
And the person responsible was living right here.
Tang Hao's mental pressure swept over the courtyard, first falling on the side room.
Wang Sheng turned over, clutching his ragged blanket as he smacked his lips a few times.
Xiao Chenyu was sleeping in the outer room, sprawled carelessly, with one leg hanging off the bed and a food box beside him.
Tang Hao didn't linger over them.
His pressure continued toward the main room.
Su Hang stood by the window with his clothes loose, looking as if he'd just been woken up.
Xiao Wu sat by the bed, wrapped in a blanket and close to Su Hang.
The instant Tang Hao's mental probing touched the space beside Xiao Wu, dark purple Dragon Might surged out.
The power didn't attack, but it forcibly blocked his probing.
Tang Hao paused for a moment.
A dragon-type Martial Soul.
Incredibly high quality.
And capable of protecting someone on its own.
A six-year-old child with a thousand-year First Spirit Ring, the means to alter an opportunity, and the ability to block the probing of a Titled Douluo.
Tang Hao wouldn't have believed there was no one backing him, even if he'd tried.
He could smash this whole courtyard flat with one swing of his hammer.
But what then?
Tang San was still at the academy.
If Su Hang really was connected to some existence even Tang Hao couldn't see through, attacking rashly would only push Tang San into greater danger.
Inside, Su Hang pushed the window halfway open.
The night wind poured in, making the lamp flame on the table flicker.
Seeing him standing by the window, Xiao Wu couldn't help climbing out of bed and stepping onto the floor barefoot.
"Don't come over."
Su Hang didn't turn around.
"Put on your shoes."
Xiao Wu looked down at her feet, then toward the window.
"I will."
She quickly slipped on her shoes, but didn't sit back down. She stood a short distance behind Su Hang instead.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.
Xiao Chenyu came around from the outer room carrying the food box, his hair a tangled mess.
"Boss Su, I just remembered there are some chicken legs left in the kitchen. I heated them up and brought them for you and Sister Xiao Wu."
As soon as he finished speaking, his legs went weak.
He couldn't withstand the pressure filling the courtyard.
Xiao Chenyu grabbed the doorframe, nearly dropping to his knees.
"Holy crap, what's going on?"
"Is the academy haunted?"
Woken by the noise, Wang Sheng rushed out of the side room in his clothes.
"Who's haunting the place?"
"Xiao Chenyu, are you trying to summon a ghost in the middle of the night?"
Wang Sheng had barely reached the doorway when the dark pressure bent his back too.
"Yikes."
"Something really is wrong."
Xiao Chenyu set the food box on the ground and braced both hands on his knees.
"See? I told you."
"There's something wrong with this courtyard's feng shui."
Wang Sheng struggled to raise his head. When he saw Su Hang standing by the main room's window, he immediately found his anchor.
"Boss Su, what do we do?"
Su Hang walked out of the room, unhurried.
Xiao Wu followed him.
She'd meant to hide behind the door, but when she saw Su Hang already standing in the courtyard, she finally stepped over the threshold and stood beside him.
Hidden in the shadows, Tang Hao didn't move.
Su Hang looked up at the dark mass of trees outside the courtyard and flicked his sleeve.
"The wind's strong at night. Hide too long and your back'll start hurting."
After those words fell, the courtyard went quiet for a few moments.
Xiao Chenyu glanced around and spoke in a hushed voice.
"Boss Su, who are you talking to?"
Wang Sheng reached out and smacked him on the back.
"Don't ask."
Xiao Chenyu immediately shut his mouth.
Behind the tree, Tang Hao stood with one corner of his cloak lifted by the night wind.
The boy was calling him out.
But there was no proof.
Su Hang hadn't called his name, seen through his hiding place, or shown any hostility.
A single remark about back pain had left a Titled Douluo lurking in the dark in an awkward position.
If Tang Hao went out, he'd be admitting that he'd sneaked into the students' courtyard in the middle of the night.
And he had no justification for attacking, either.
More importantly, Su Hang was far too calm.
A child faced with his pressure had actually dared to come out.
That kind of confidence had to come from somewhere.
Tang Hao slowly forced his killing intent back down.
At first, Xiao Wu stood by the courtyard door.
But as she watched Su Hang stand at the front, and saw his Dragon Might hold back the heavy pressure from outside, she suddenly let go of the blanket clutched in her arms.
She walked over to Su Hang and took his hand of her own accord.
Her touch was light, but her resolve was firm.
Wang Sheng was about to say something, but Xiao Chenyu quickly covered his mouth.
"Don't say anything."
"Sister Xiao Wu's choosing sides."
Wang Sheng glared at him, but still said nothing.
Xiao Wu looked up at Su Hang.
"I'm not hiding anymore."
Su Hang turned his head slightly.
"Are you sure?"
Xiao Wu nodded.
"I'm sure."
"I'm afraid of dying, and I'm afraid someone will capture me and turn me into a Spirit Ring."
"But you're standing in front, so I'll stand beside you."
Su Hang's fingers twitched, but he didn't pull his hand away.
"All right."
"Then stand firm."
Xiao Wu added softly,
"Mm. I'm on your side."
A system notification rang in Su Hang's mind.
[ Ding! Detected that Xiao Wu's sense of security with the host has increased further.] [ Xiao Wu's favorability has increased to 55%.] [Reward issued: one Breath Concealment Talisman.] [Effect: Conceals Soul Beast fluctuations for a short time and interferes to some extent with probing by Titled Douluo.] [Note: Consumable item. Use with caution.]
Su Hang felt much more at ease.
This reward had come at just the right time.
Tang Hao had only been testing him tonight. Spirit Hall and even more powerful enemies still lay ahead.
As long as Xiao Wu's identity remained unresolved, she'd be at risk.
At least this talisman could help them through one crucial situation.
Outside the courtyard, the pressure began to recede.
Xiao Chenyu leaned against the doorframe as his legs finally straightened.
He looked at the food box on the ground, then toward the courtyard entrance.
"Boss Su, did the ghost leave?"
Wang Sheng kicked him.
"Since when do ghosts come for the chicken legs?"
Rubbing his leg, Xiao Chenyu bent down and picked up the food box.
"Are we still eating them?"
Xiao Wu glanced back at the food box.
"Yeah."
Seeing how quickly she'd recovered, Su Hang couldn't help tapping her on the head.
"You were just ready to face a Titled Douluo head-on, and now you're thinking about chicken legs?"
Xiao Wu pulled his hand down and shielded her head.
"Choosing sides is one thing. Midnight snacks are another."
"They don't conflict."
Xiao Chenyu hurriedly set the food box on the stone table.
"That makes sense. Sister Xiao Wu, you really think big."
Wang Sheng sat down nearby and picked up a chicken leg, only for Xiao Chenyu to slap it away.
"Let Boss Su and Sister Xiao Wu eat first."
Wang Sheng curled his lip.
"You're getting more and more naturally sycophantic."
Xiao Chenyu puffed out his chest.
"This is called recognizing the version answer."
Su Hang ignored them and looked toward the courtyard entrance.
Tang Hao had already left the area around the courtyard.
But that oppressive presence had not completely faded.
Outside a dormitory elsewhere in the academy, a weathered gray cloak came to a stop.
Tang Hao stood in the shadows, looking through the wall toward the room where Tang San was staying.
The light inside was still on.
Tang San was repeatedly activating Blue Silver Grass.
Entangle.
Retract.
Entangle again.
Each time the Poison Pattern spread, his arm would pause for a moment.
Tang Hao stood there for a long time, his arm slowly lowering beneath his cloak.
He didn't go in.
Nor did he go looking for Yu Xiaogang.
The night wind swept past. Tang Hao turned and left the academy, leaving behind a low, hushed remark.
"I'll watch Xiaosan's Spirit Skill first, then decide whether to make a move against you."
Before you continue