The surroundings were silent, broken only by the intermittent chirping of insects and the rustle of leaves in the night breeze.
Just as Su Yang was about to find a step to sit on, he caught a glimpse of a figure crouching by the base of the wall.
Xiao Wu.
He had followed him out of the cafeteria at some point and was now crouching in the shadow beside the teaching building, arms wrapped around his knees, curled into a ball.
Moonlight shone on his face, making it pale as paper. His usual fearless arrogance was completely gone, and he looked as though something had crushed him.
Su Yang walked over and crouched beside him. "Xiao Wu? Why did you follow me out?"
Xiao Wu said nothing, only lowered his head further. Su Yang saw his tightly clenched fists, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the force, while his shoulders trembled faintly as if he were desperately suppressing something.
After thinking for a moment, Su Yang suddenly understood.
Bibi Dong. The Pope of Spirit Hall. A Titled Douluo.
Xiao Wu was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit in human form. In a small place like Notting City, where one could not even find a Soul King, naturally no one could see through his true identity.
But a Titled Douluo was different. Legend had it that a Titled Douluo's senses were terrifyingly sharp. Once a transformed Soul Beast drew near, its Soul Beast aura would be exposed at a glance.
And as the Pope of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong had done more hunting of Soul Beasts and collecting Soul Bones than anyone else. If she recognized Xiao Wu's identity...
Su Yang glanced at Xiao Wu's hands and saw him unconsciously twisting the corner of his clothes, nearly kneading the fabric to shreds. After a moment of silence, Su Yang asked softly, "Xiao Wu, are you afraid Bibi Dong will see through you?"
Xiao Wu jerked his head up, his pupils shrinking. "You... how did you know?!"
There was vigilance in his voice, along with a trace of panic. His body was stretched taut like a fully drawn bow, as if he might leap up and flee the next moment.
Su Yang quickly made a calming gesture. "Don't be nervous. I won't hurt you."
He paused, choosing his words. "My second martial soul is Lovesick Heartbreak Red, the king of Immortal Herbs. This martial soul is naturally sensitive to auras, especially those of Soul Beasts. So the first time I saw you, I sensed it."
Xiao Wu's expression changed several times. After a long while, he finally asked in a low voice, "Then... why didn't you..."
"Why didn't I tell anyone?" Su Yang smiled. "You're my brother. Why would I betray you?"
Xiao Wu stared blankly at him. Surprise, confusion, and something indescribable churned in his eyes. He opened his mouth, yet could not say a single word.
Su Yang raised his right hand, and with a thought, a point of red light bloomed in his palm. A small crimson flower slowly blossomed at his fingertips.
Its petals were crystal-clear, unfolding layer by layer as they gave off a warm aura carrying the fragrance of grass and wood.
It was a small condensed form gathered from the essence of Lovesick Heartbreak Red. Though it was far inferior to the original, it carried the purest aura of the king of Immortal Herbs.
With a gentle lift of his hand, the flower floated toward Xiao Wu.
"Take this. Lovesick Heartbreak Red can naturally conceal the aura of Soul Beasts. Keep it close to your body, and ordinary Titled Douluo won't be able to see through you."
Xiao Wu stared blankly at the blood-red flower hovering before him, his breathing stopping for an instant.
He reached out and carefully accepted it. The instant the flower landed in his palm, a warm force flowed through his hand and into his body, like a soft veil wrapping around him. That faint Soul Beast aura within him was pressed down bit by bit, hidden away until it could no longer be sensed.
Xiao Wu lowered his head and looked at the flower in his palm. He clenched it, loosened his grip, then clenched it tightly again. Raising his head, he fixed his gaze on Su Yang.
"Who exactly... are you?"
"Su Yang, your boss." Su Yang grinned. "Remember this. If anyone asks in the future, you're just an ordinary little soul master. At most, you get hungry a bit faster and can eat five bowls of rice in one meal."
Xiao Wu did not laugh. He lowered his head and remained silent for a very, very long time, so long that Su Yang thought he would never speak.
Then he suddenly looked up. His eyes were slightly red, but his voice carried a seriousness Su Yang had never heard before.
"Su Yang. From today onward, you are Xiao Wu's brother for life."
He pounded his chest hard. "If anyone dares touch a single hair on your head, I'll fight them to the death!"
[Ding—Xiao Wu's favorability +16. Current favorability: 75 (heart-to-heart)] [Favorability has surpassed 60. First-stage reward acquired: Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Charm Rabbit Left Leg Bone. Stored in the system space. The host may retrieve it at any time!]
Su Yang's mind buzzed. What?! A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone?! He nearly cried out on the spot, barely managing to swallow it back down! A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was an incomparable treasure that only a handful existed of in the entire Douluo Continent!
In the original story, even a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone could cause a bloody storm. A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was something that existed only in legends. Even when he had read the novel in his previous life, Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones had been top-tier fortuitous encounters!
And now... the system had simply given him one? Just because his favorability with Xiao Wu had surpassed 60?
Su Yang forcefully suppressed the wild joy in his heart and did not dare show too much on his face. This was not the time to get excited. Bibi Dong was still waiting.
He patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder, his tone relaxed. "Alright, enough with the mushy stuff. I'll go meet that Pope first. Go back to the dorm and wait for me. Keep the flower safe and hide it well. Don't let anyone see it."
Xiao Wu nodded solemnly. "Don't worry."
Su Yang stood up, took a deep breath, straightened his collar, and walked toward the teaching building. Moonlight stretched his shadow into a long line, every step landing in the night breeze.
Behind him, Xiao Wu held the blood-red flower and watched Su Yang's retreating back without moving for a long while.
He carefully tucked the flower against his chest, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a broad smile. This brother is someone I, Xiao Wu, have accepted for life.
Dim yellow light shone in the corridor of the teaching building. As Su Yang walked down the hall, he could vaguely hear voices coming from the office.
He could not make out the words clearly, but he could distinguish Yu Xiaorou's voice, as well as a deep female voice. It was unhurried, yet carried an innate pressure that seeped through the door.
Su Yang reached the headmaster's office and was about to knock when the door was suddenly pushed open from within. A young person in a Spirit Hall uniform stepped out, swept an expressionless glance over him, then moved aside.
"Your Holiness, Grandmaster Yu, he has arrived."
Su Yang's heart tightened as he stepped inside.
The office was much brighter than the corridor. The headmaster of Nording Academy was huddled in a chair in the corner, head lowered, hardly daring to breathe.
Yu Xiaorou stood by the window with her arms crossed, her expression cold, though her fingertips were faintly digging into her arm. In the center of the office stood a tall, upright figure with her back to the door, hands clasped behind her.
The dark crimson papal robes were embroidered with intricate golden patterns that seemed to flow with a cold, dim gleam under the lamplight. Golden designs coiled around her shoulders like dragons, while the long hem of her robes hung to her ankles and swayed gently as she slightly turned.
The purple-gold crown reflected a glimmer of candlelight. The sheer presence of her standing there made the air in the entire office grow heavy.
Bibi Dong.
Su Yang's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, but he steadied his breathing and did not avert his gaze. She slowly turned around. Her face was sharply defined, with severe lines and a distinctly masculine cast.
Her brow ridge was high and sharp as if carved by a blade, her nose straight, her thin lips pressed tight, and her deep violet eyes resembled two bottomless pools.
She looked around thirty-seven or thirty-eight, at the age when a woman's majesty and charm were at their most intense. Her long hair was tied into a low ponytail, her sideburns neatly trimmed, and the line of her jaw carried an unquestionable dominance.
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