Xiao Wu's expression was sorrowful. "I'm going to defeat them and avenge my mother!"
Looking at the little girl gritting her teeth, Chu Men was at a loss for words, unsure what he could say to comfort her.
Should he persuade her to let go of her hatred, the way Chen Xiang had tried to persuade Xiao Yu?
That wasn't realistic.
Xiao Wu's voice rose. "That's why I'm going to become a god! Only by becoming a god can I defeat Spirit Hall and avenge my mother!"
Chu Men hurriedly lowered her voice, covering her mouth. "Oh, my little ancestor, keep it down!"
The audience in the private rooms next door and the hall downstairs were all applauding the glorious deeds of the Angel Family.
If you... if you said something earth-shattering, you might not even make it out of this theater.
Some things could be done, but not said...
But Chu Men could also tell that this anger had been bottled up inside Xiao Wu for years. The little girl was probably close to bursting.
The viewers in the livestream, who never missed a chance to stir up trouble, offered their wholehearted encouragement:
[Xiao Wu is so badass! Become a god—she absolutely has to become a god!]
[Just watch Sister Xiao Wu lead Da Ming and Er Ming... sweep across the six directions and roll over the eight wastelands...]
[Xiao Wu is the one who fits the protagonist mold to a T! As for the streamer, he can just barely serve as... the wandering bard who sings of Sister Xiao Wu's glorious deeds.]
Chu Men rummaged in Xiao Wu's food basket, pulled out a piece of snow pear cake, and deftly stuffed it into her mouth.
At the same time, his large hand covered hers. A firm warmth passed from his palm into hers.
The light in Xiao Wu's eyes grew more resolute, and the warmth she felt from her clenched fist grew more "healing."
Eventually, her emotions gradually settled.
Onstage, the play had reached the scene where the angel slew the demon.
Just as the story reached its climax, faint footsteps sounded in the passageway.
Chu Men glanced back instinctively and met a pair of emerald-green eyes.
Dugu Yan!
She was walking down the passageway with a plate of dried meat in her hand. When she saw Chu Men, her eyes widened at once.
A delighted smile curled unconsciously at the corners of her mouth.
Behind her followed Ye Lingling, dressed in a pale blue gown and holding a white cloth bundle. She quietly trailed behind Dugu Yan.
They had evidently just arrived and were following a server to find their private room.
The livestream camera happened to swing around to Chu Men's point of view, so the viewers saw the two "unexpected guests" too!
[Holy crap, gorgeous girls! And there are two of them!]
[Guessing game: the one in front is Dugu Yan. Who's the one behind her?]
[Is this a love triangle? It is, isn't it!]
[Xiao Wu, run! The little snake is here!]
[Three women make a whole opera. Hang in there, streamer—we're supporting you in spirit!]
Before anything had even happened on Chu Men's end, the Wu Sect fans and the Wild Goose Gate fans in the comments were already at war.
Four gazes lightly collided in midair. The din of the theater seemed to be shut out by some invisible force.
The smile on Chu Men's face didn't fade. He merely raised an eyebrow, a trace of surprise flickering in his eyes.
He didn't get up. He simply lifted a hand in welcome, casual yet courteous.
Dugu Yan was the first to break the silence of their unexpected meeting. She pushed open the little wooden door, which didn't even reach her waist, and entered Chu Men's private room.
Beneath her captivating smile, her pupils contracted slightly. Like a green snake that had spotted its prey, she fixed Chu Men in her gaze and flicked out her forked tongue.
"Teacher Chu? What a coincidence. You're here to watch the play too!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried far enough for those nearby to hear.
Especially Ye Lingling, who stood behind Dugu Yan, looking around curiously.
After an afternoon of word-of-mouth praise, Chu Men's Soul Tool skills had become widely recognized as top-tier within academic circles.
They were far beyond the abilities of ordinary Soul Tool repairers.
Lightning-attack Soul Tools in particular held enormous appeal for an auxiliary Soul Master like her.
She'd been very disappointed not to witness the legendary Golden Snake Dancing Wildly with her own eyes.
Fortunately, while out shopping with her best friend, she had actually run into the person himself.
What a pleasant surprise!
Judging by his age, he couldn't be older than seventeen or eighteen. He had handsome features, a tall, straight figure, and an unmistakable scholarly air.
Yet his bones and build revealed a powerful physique. He was clearly a formidable Battle Soul Master.
Cultured and strong—he really was the perfect choice for an introverted auxiliary Soul Master like her.
At the thought, Ye Lingling's cheeks flushed pink, and she quietly lowered her head.
But Xiao Wu's reaction was even stronger than Ye Lingling's.
The instant Xiao Wu saw Dugu Yan, she nearly bristled from head to toe!
She darted behind Chu Men, revealing only half her head. Her pink-and-white rabbit ears stood upright, taut as a pair of tiny antennae.
Her little hands clutched Chu Men's clothes tightly as she stared warily at Dugu Yan.
It was like a little white rabbit's instinctive, bone-deep fear of a giant python!
Like that, she watched, both frightened and furious, as the Jade Phosphor Snake beauty drew closer.
The next second, she saw Dugu Yan walk right up beside Chu Men without the slightest hesitation, acting as if they were intimate. The fear in Xiao Wu's heart was swept away in an instant by the urge to guard her food!
She even forgot the threat Poison Douluo had posed, which Chu Men had mentioned earlier.
Xiao Wu gave a cold snort and sat back down with an air of haughty defiance, but both her hands wound around Chu Men's right arm like an octopus.
She puffed out her cheeks and glared fiercely at Dugu Yan. She looked just like a little hamster guarding its cheese.
She even cast a wary glance at the quiet girl in the blue dress behind Dugu Yan.
Ye Lingling came over with Dugu Yan and gave a slight nod, her voice as soft as a feather.
"Hello, Teacher Chu."
After offering the briefest of greetings, she turned her gaze to Xiao Wu.
She studied the little girl, who looked as if she'd been carved from jade.
Xiao Wu's sudden retreat had left her puzzled.
Dugu Yan's behavior baffled her even more.
The gaze of this healing-type Soul Master, sharp as a scalpel, made Xiao Wu feel distinctly uncomfortable.
Knowing that Ye Lingling had come with Dugu Yan, that Jade Phosphor Snake, Xiao Wu let her dislike of one spill over onto the other. The little white rabbit secretly glared at the Nine-Heart Begonia.
Chu Men didn't notice the "battle" between Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling. He simply nodded to Dugu Yan in greeting.
"Please, both of you, have a seat. There's no need to be polite. May I ask who this young lady is?"
Dugu Yan naturally led Ye Lingling to the empty seats on Chu Men's left. She set down the dried meat in her hand and gave Xiao Wu a friendly smile.
Ye Lingling seemed a little shy, so Dugu Yan introduced her in her place.
"This is my classmate and my best friend, Ye Lingling. She's a level 24 Soul Grandmaster, and her Martial Soul is the Nine-Heart Begonia!"
"The Nine-Heart Begonia, capable of absolute healing? That's a top-tier auxiliary Martial Soul. Your Heaven Dou Royal Academy really is full of talent!"
Chu Men pretended not to know and offered the shy young girl a compliment, nodding to her in approval.
At his words, Ye Lingling lowered her head even further, her face turning an even deeper red.
Fortunately, everyone's attention was still focused on Dugu Yan.
Tonight, Dugu Yan wore a fitted purple outfit, accented with green snake patterns that outlined her graceful, slender figure.
She wore a pair of silver snake-shaped earrings that she hadn't worn during the day. They swayed lightly with her movements, giving her a bewitching allure.
Xiao Wu pouted, clutching Chu Men's right arm tightly and pressing her whole body against it as she looked at Dugu Yan in a show of defiance.
Chu Men let out a helpless sigh.
He could clearly feel Dugu Yan's blazing gaze on his left and Xiao Wu's tense body on his right.
And the envy and jealousy in the livestream chat were beyond words!
[One girl in each arm, truly a king's life... Streamer, what's with that look on your face? You're humblebragging, aren't you!]
[If I got that kind of treatment, I'd be happy to be a ghost! I advise the streamer to watch his step!]
[Sister Xiao Wu's will is the direction our Wu Sect's battle standard points. All troops, hear my command—march on Wild Goose Gate!]
Before you continue