A Chance Encounter with the Tang Sect

"Still looking? She's already gone."

A cool voice came from behind Huo Yuhao.

It pulled him back to reality as he stood there in a daze.

He turned to find the Snow Empress leaning against the doorway, watching him with interest.

Three years of living among humans had changed the Snow Emress in many ways.

She was still rather aloof, but she was no longer as icy as she had been at first.

"What, you can't bear to leave?"

Her teasing made Huo Yuhao's already flushed cheeks turn even redder.

He could only change the subject.

"Xue'er, it's almost time for us to report in. We'd better get going!"

The Snow Empress saw straight through his clumsy attempt to change the subject, but said nothing.

She simply walked up, picked him up, and flew off into the distance.

"Slow! Down! Xue'er, I can fly too!"

Caught off guard, Huo Yuhao was yanked into the air. A string of screams was all he left behind.

Shrek Academy lay in the north of the continent.

To reach it from Star Luo City, they had to pass around the vast Star Dou Great Forest.

Near the side facing the Heaven Dou Empire, the straight-line distance exceeded a thousand kilometers.

With the Snow Empress's abilities, they could have reached Shrek Academy in about two days.

But they could not fly straight across the Star Dou Great Forest. Going around it would add another day to the journey.

By that evening, the two of them had set up camp in a small grove fifty kilometers from the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Thanks to the Storage Soul Tool Xu Jiujiu had given him, Huo Yuhao had brought plenty of fresh ingredients. Even out in the wilderness, they would not have to worry about food.

Looking at the lush grove before him, Huo Yuhao rubbed his hands together, forming a sword of Ultimate Ice. With a light swing, he felled several small trees as easily as a hot knife cutting through butter.

After lighting a campfire, Huo Yuhao took some marinated fresh soul beast meat and fish from his Storage Soul Tool.

Then he drew the White Tiger Dagger from his waist. The blade flashed in his hand, slicing the marinated meat into pieces as thin as cicada wings.

"Xue'er, have a seat and wait a bit! The meat and fish will be ready soon."

Once the Snow Empress had sat down, Huo Yuhao settled in front of the fire and focused on grilling the meat.

Rustle, rustle.

Leaves stirred in the distance. Huo Yuhao summoned his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul and sent his spiritual detection toward the sound.

A young man and woman in dark green school uniforms were heading their way.

Sensing no ill intent from the mist above their heads, Huo Yuhao stopped paying them any attention and returned to grilling the fish.

"Wow! That smells amazing!"

The young woman emerged from the brush, her pale purple eyes sparkling as she looked toward Huo Yuhao.

She hurried over to him, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, then asked softly,

"Little brother, your grilled fish and meat smell so good! Could you sell me some?"

"No need. Meeting you here must be fate, miss. Come and eat with us!"

"Yay!"

At Huo Yuhao's words, the girl jumped for joy.

Watching her, the young man behind her put a hand to his face and said helplessly,

"Xiao Ya, don't be so rude."

The girl he had called Xiao Ya frowned and glared back at him.

"Bei Bei, what did you just call your sect master?"

Faced with her unfriendly tone, he corrected himself.

"Teacher Xiao Ya."

Listening to them, Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow. Teacher and student? Now that's interesting.

Then he shook his head. Their relationship was none of his business.

"Thank you for your generosity, my friend. I'm Bei Bei, and this is Tang Ya."

"It's nothing. Meeting you here must be fate. I'm Huo Yuhao, and this is my sister, Emperor Snow."

Only when they followed the direction of Huo Yuhao's finger did Bei Bei and Tang Ya notice the Snow Empress sitting off to one side. Neither of them had sensed a living person so close by.

"Wow! She's so beautiful."

Tang Ya gazed up at the Snow Empress with a hint of envy.

But the instant Bei Bei saw her, his pupils contracted to pinpricks.

He sensed power from her that was no weaker than Xuan Zi's.

He could not feel any aura coming from the Snow Empress at all.

Yet having grown up in Sea God's Pavilion, he had an instinct for the powerful.

He quickly caught Tang Ya before she could run over and ask the Snow Empress how she cared for her skin.

Then he led her in a bow toward the Snow Empress.

"Greetings, senior. Please forgive Xiao Ya's discourtesy."

On Douluo Continent, strength commanded respect, and the strong came first.

A lower-ranked soul master who offended someone more powerful rarely came away unscathed.

"It's fine."

Three years in the human world had softened the Snow Empress somewhat, but she remained as aloof as ever with strangers.

Hearing that she would not hold Tang Ya's behavior against her, Bei Bei finally breathed a sigh of relief. He drew Tang Ya over to sit farther away from the Snow Empress.

"Everyone, the fish and meat are ready. Come have some."

Huo Yuhao's voice broke the stifling mood around the campfire.

Whoosh!

The Snow Empress appeared before Huo Yuhao like a ghostly apparition.

She took several grilled fish and some meat, then vanished from the spot again.

Huo Yuhao smiled toward Tang Ya and Bei Bei.

"My sister doesn't much like being around strangers."

Tang Ya did not mind. All she cared about now was whether the meat tasted good.

As for Bei Bei, he was only too glad the aloof powerhouse was elsewhere.

The moment Tang Ya received a grilled fish from Huo Yuhao, she eagerly bit into it.

Juices from the fish, crisp on the outside and tender within, ran down her chin. She did not bother wiping them away.

All she could focus on was the rich flavor blooming on her tongue.

"Mmm! It's delicious."

Beside her, Bei Bei helplessly took a handkerchief from his Storage Soul Tool and affectionately wiped her mouth.

The grilled fish and meat by the fire were soon gone.

Tang Ya patted her stomach, still wanting more. Then, as if something had occurred to her, she blinked her pink eyes at Huo Yuhao and said,

"Yuhao, you're such a good cook! Why don't you join our sect? We're quite famous!"

Hearing that, Huo Yuhao asked with sudden interest,

"Which sect are you from, Tang Ya?"

"The Tang Sect!"