Again and Again

The practical training ground for class.

A figure hurried past several students and charged straight toward Chen An. It was Xie Xie.

Over the past three months, Xie Xie had challenged Chen An dozens of times, yet had never won once. Still, he never tired of it.

"Chen An, let's fight two more rounds!"

Xie Xie rolled his wrists, his eyes brimming with eager fighting spirit.

Chen An looked up at him. "Again? You lose every time. Don't you feel frustrated?"

Xie Xie scratched the back of his head. There was not the slightest hint of dejection on his face; instead, his gaze shone brightly.

"Losing is one thing, but only by fighting someone strong can I improve.

"Every time I take one of your attacks, I can feel where my weaknesses lie. That's a training opportunity I couldn't ask for.

"Also, why do you always know where I'm going to ambush you?"

Naturally, Chen An would not reveal his perception. He merely answered in a perfunctory tone.

"Because you're glowing. I can see you perfectly clearly."

"What?"

In contrast, Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and the others from Class One had mindsets entirely different from Xie Xie's.

After several exchanges, their confidence had suffered an even heavier blow. Forget defeating Chen An—even steadily withstanding one of his attacks was extremely difficult.

The three of them stood at the edge of the training ground, silently watching the center of the field.

The spar officially began, and their martial souls were released in succession. Xie Xie did not even know how many times this was that he had attacked Chen An.

Watching Xie Xie get knocked back and fall again and again, only to grit his teeth, get back up, and charge Chen An once more, the three of them could not help feeling somewhat conflicted.

Verdant Crimson Fish Scales emerged across Chen An's arms as faint crimson patterns. Xie Xie had landed several hits, but the scales' defensive power had exceeded all expectations.

Any hesitation or reckless all-out attack would be seized upon by Chen An, then sent flying with a punch. Yet softer, restrained slashes had an even harder time breaking through his defenses.

Light and shadows darted back and forth across the training ground.

During their exchanges, Chen An could vaguely sense a faint, wondrous resonance of bloodlines. Two forces gently echoed across the distance.

It was hidden Dragon Qi. Even before Xie Xie's martial soul evolved, it had already faintly nourished him.

The effect on his improvement was barely noticeable, but since Xie Xie wanted to fight, Chen An seriously accompanied him in sparring.

Their fist winds collided, dull thuds rising one after another as sweat continuously slid down Xie Xie's temples.

After an intense battle, the lesson was nearing its end.

Once they were dismissed, the surrounding students left in twos and threes. Chen An stood alone by the training ground, his mind still circling around the Golden Dragon King seal within Tang Wulin.

Whether he should directly expose the anomaly hidden in her body and proactively help her prepare spiritual items to suppress the seal remained a matter weighing on his heart, one he could not decide.

Just as he was lost in thought, a hand lightly patted his shoulder.

Chen An abruptly came back to himself and turned around, only to see Tang Wulin's face.

"Wulin, why didn't you stay behind to train?"

Tang Wulin's eyes curved into crescents, her breath carrying the faint warmth left over from exercise.

"Teacher Wu Changkong told Gu Yue and me to rest and prepare for the upcoming Class Advancement Tournament. We won't need any intense extra training for the next few days."

Chen An slowly nodded. "Then what did you need me for?"

"I'm treating you to a nice meal, to celebrate our win over Class Four." Tang Wulin smiled brightly.

"Sure." Chen An agreed.

The setting sun hung low in the sky, orange-red clouds spreading over the entire street and stretching the two side-by-side figures into long shadows.

Within the shadows around a street corner stood a cool, aloof figure in silence.

Gu Yue watched the two receding figures from afar, her eyes dark. An indescribable displeasure lurked in her gaze as she silently followed after them.

The last time they had visited the night market was when they had first arrived at Eastsea Academy. Back then, the siblings had only taken a hurried look around a very small section of it.

The night market bustled with voices, stalls of every kind lined up in dense rows.

The cries of street vendors rose and fell. The hot fragrance of sugar-roasted chestnuts filled the air, while skewers sizzled over charcoal fires, dripping fat that sparked tiny flames.

The scents of countless snacks mingled together, whetting everyone's appetite.

Tang Wulin stopped and started as they walked, pausing whenever she spotted a stall that interested her.

First, she bought a hawthorn tanghulu coated in a glistening layer of sugar. Taking a bite, the sweet-and-sour shell shattered between her teeth.

When they passed a fried food stall, she bought a portion of golden, crispy fried pork and handed most of it to Chen An.

A roadside shop selling steamed cakes billowed with heat. The soft, sweet rice cakes remained warm in their hands as the siblings ate while strolling leisurely through the crowd.

Within a gap in the crowd not far away, Gu Yue quietly followed behind them.

She cast a sidelong glance at the snack stall Chen An had just visited, her face filled with disdain. After hesitating for a moment, she still walked over and bought the exact same snack.

Pinching the food between her fingertips, she frowned and brought it close to smell with a most reluctant expression before taking a small bite.

After chewing a few times, she suddenly froze.

Gu Yue's eyes flew wide open, filled with astonishment. Stiffly turning her head, she carefully examined the utterly ordinary little stall before her.

After blinking, she continued eating bite by bite, and the distant, frosty air she had carried earlier quietly faded somewhat.

As they wandered around, Chen An stopped walking.

Ahead, beside the street, stood a braised beef pot shop with an unassuming storefront. Through its clean glass window, he immediately spotted Xie Xie inside.

The youth was sitting at a table, chatting and laughing with the shop owner, looking relaxed and cheerful.

Chen An remembered the story.

This was Xie Xie's old haunt. His name had been chosen by his mother, carrying the meaning of her encounter with his father.

Yet that beautiful meaning had failed to bring him a complete family.

His father had been busy with work year-round and had not even had time to stay with his mother when she fell seriously ill, until she finally passed away.

While his mother was still alive, she had often brought Xie Xie to this shop for braised beef pot.

Tang Wulin still held the unfinished tanghulu in her hand. Noticing Chen An standing still, she followed his gaze toward the inside of the shop and asked in confusion.

"Why are you standing here and staring inside?"

Chen An withdrew his gaze and looked at her. "Wulin, does your stomach still have room for more food?"

It seemed he lacked confidence in the appetite of the Golden Dragon King—no, the Golden Dragon Princess.

Xie Xie wore a smile as he chatted with the owner, but deep in his eyes lay an unshakeable longing and loneliness. He was nowhere near as carefree as he appeared.

"Why do you look like you're about to cry? Where did that hot-blooded kid who fought me during the day go?"

Chen An sat down directly in the seat beside Xie Xie and called loudly toward the counter.

"Boss, bring me the exact same braised beef pot as his."

Tang Wulin followed him inside and sat down at the table as well. "I'll have one too."

Xie Xie was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at the two people who had suddenly appeared.

Tang Wulin looked at him openly, revealing a friendly smile as she introduced herself.

"You're Xie Xie from Class One, right? I'm Tang Wulin from Class Five, Chen An's older sister."

Xie Xie stared blankly at the sibling pair who had abruptly appeared before him. His brows furrowed in utter confusion.

"You... how did you know I was here?"