The Fatty's Evil Fire

The next day, Flender was in no hurry to take everyone to the Spirit Arena.

He gave them half the day to themselves.

His reason was simple.

They had a match that night, so they should save their strength during the day.

It sounded like he cared about his students.

Yuan Yu suspected the real reason was that Flender needed the morning to calculate how much the Spirit Arena could earn him.

That afternoon, Dai Mubai showed Tang San and the others around the academy grounds.

Ma Hongjun had been walking along just fine, but when they passed the village entrance, his expression suddenly changed.

A girl ahead saw him and turned to leave.

She wore plain clothes, but she looked tense.

Ma Hongjun stopped in his tracks.

"Cuihua."

The girl paused, then backed away.

Xiao Wu frowned.

"You know her?"

Ma Hongjun looked embarrassed.

"We used to know each other."

Cuihua glanced at Dai Mubai and the others, then said quietly, "Fatty, don't come looking for me again."

Ma Hongjun opened his mouth.

"I wasn't going to..."

Before he could finish, a surge of scorching Soul Power erupted from him.

His Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul flared up on its own.

Cuihua went even paler, turned, and ran.

Xiao Wu immediately stepped in front of her.

"What are you doing?"

Ma Hongjun panicked.

"I wasn't going to hurt her!"

But the more anxious he grew, the more his Evil Fire ran wild.

Crimson flames rose behind his shoulders, sending a wave of heat rolling outward.

Tang San raised a hand and released his Blue Silver Grass, shielding Cuihua behind him.

Dai Mubai frowned.

"Fatty, rein it in."

Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth.

"I'm trying."

The words came out with difficulty.

Sweat had already broken out on his forehead.

Standing nearby, Yuan Yu lost his smile.

He could tell.

Ma Hongjun wasn't pretending.

This fire was more than a bad temper.

Its heat rampaged through his body. The harder he tried to hold it back, the harder it surged outward.

Xiao Wu was about to speak again, but Yuan Yu raised a hand to stop her.

"I'll handle it."

Ma Hongjun looked at him.

"Don't come closer. I might burn you."

Yuan Yu drew his blade.

"That little fire of yours won't burn me."

Ma Hongjun was already miserable, but he still couldn't help glaring at him.

"Don't look down on me!"

Stirred by his emotions, the Evil Fire Phoenix blazed higher.

Yuan Yu pushed off the ground and moved straight in.

The Water Pattern and Flame Pattern lit up together.

Tang San's eyes flickered at the sight.

Water and fire, used together.

Few Soul Masters did that.

Yet Yuan Yu's Soul Power remained steady.

A gleam of water swept around Ma Hongjun's feet, holding back the surrounding heat.

Meanwhile, the Flame Pattern lit up along the Sun Wheel Blade.

Yuan Yu didn't force his own fire against Ma Hongjun's.

He held his blade sideways. A thread of red-gold flame curled into a ring, containing the Evil Fire spilling from Ma Hongjun.

"Fatty, look at me."

Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth and looked at him.

Yuan Yu said, "Don't try to pull it all back in."

"The more you rush, the wilder it gets."

"Let it flow toward my blade first."

Ma Hongjun panted.

"I can't."

"Then insult me."

Ma Hongjun froze.

Yuan Yu said seriously, "Your fire bursts out whenever you get worked up, right? Aim it at me, not at the girl."

Xiao Wu's eyes widened.

"That works?"

Dai Mubai said quietly, "He's giving Fatty an outlet."

Ma Hongjun stared at Yuan Yu, his expression shifting several times.

At last, he gritted his teeth and snapped, "You're the fatty!"

Yuan Yu nodded.

"Good. Keep going."

"So what if you're a twelve-year-old Soul King!"

"It is pretty impressive."

"You've got no shame!"

"That's a strength too."

Ma Hongjun grew so angry that his flames surged forward.

Yuan Yu turned his wrist.

"Flame Breathing, Fourth Form."

"Blazing Flame Vortex."

The red-gold ring of fire spun, drawing the Evil Fire into its outer edge.

The flames hurt no one.

Nor did they spread.

The burning heat in Ma Hongjun's body gradually subsided.

After a few breaths, his legs gave way. He sat on the ground, gasping for air.

Cuihua stood behind Tang San, watching with tears in her eyes.

Ma Hongjun lowered his head.

"I'm sorry."

He said it so softly.

But Cuihua heard him.

She didn't come closer. She only nodded.

"Don't come back."

Ma Hongjun fell silent.

"Okay."

After Cuihua left, Xiao Wu looked at Ma Hongjun. Her tone was less sharp than before.

"What's wrong with your Martial Soul?"

Dai Mubai sighed.

"The Evil Fire Phoenix. Fatty's talented, but the Evil Fire can turn on him."

Ma Hongjun gave a bitter smile.

"What good is talent if I can't even control myself?"

Yuan Yu sheathed his blade.

"It's not hopeless."

Ma Hongjun looked up.

"You have a way?"

"Not right now."

Ma Hongjun's face fell again.

Yuan Yu said, "But venting isn't the only way to deal with fire. Medicinal herbs, guiding your Soul Power, and changing how you train should help you improve over time."

The mention of medicinal herbs stirred something in Tang San.

He had known a great deal about medicines in his previous life.

He just didn't have the right herbs on hand.

"If we can find suitable herbs, we might be able to try."

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

Tang San nodded.

"I can't promise anything, but we can look for a way."

Yuan Yu turned to Ma Hongjun.

"But let's get one thing straight first."

Ma Hongjun looked up.

"What?"

"Next time your Evil Fire acts up, don't take it out on a girl."

Ma Hongjun flushed bright red.

He wanted to argue, but when he looked in the direction Cuihua had gone, he swallowed his words.

Dai Mubai frowned, wanting to say a few words in Fatty's defense.

Yuan Yu looked at him first.

"Boss Dai, I know you had your own ways of dealing with this before. That doesn't mean they were right."

Dai Mubai fell silent.

Ma Hongjun said quietly, "I know."

Yuan Yu slid the Sun Wheel Blade back into its sheath.

"If you can't control it, come find me, Tang San, or Teacher Zhao. Even getting scolded by the Dean is better. You're the Evil Fire Phoenix, not a slave to the Evil Fire."

Ma Hongjun stared at him.

It wasn't pleasant to hear.

But it helped more than comfort would have.

He nodded firmly.

"Okay."

Ma Hongjun looked at Tang San, then at Yuan Yu.

Suddenly, he stood and cupped his hands to them both.

"If you ever need Fatty's help, just say the word."

Yuan Yu smiled. "Then stop grabbing those extra two pieces of meat at dinner."

Ma Hongjun immediately looked wary.

"Not that."

Everyone laughed.

Only Yuan Yu lowered his gaze to the Sun Wheel Blade.

When Ma Hongjun had apologized, the sixth Rosy Cloud Pattern had stirred faintly again.

It wasn't very bright.

But it was clearer than it had been last night.

Rosy Cloud Pattern Discerns Truth.

It saw more than lies.

It also saw the shame and sincerity people hid away.

Yuan Yu sheathed his blade.

"Let's go."

Dai Mubai asked, "Where?"

Yuan Yu looked toward Suotuo City.

"Aren't we fighting in the arena tonight?"

He smiled.

"Fatty was so fired up just now. A match should help him burn it off."

Ma Hongjun's expression changed.

"Don't go making plans for me!"

Xiao Wu clapped her hands.

"Sounds good to me."

Oscar popped up from behind them.

"I'll supply the sausages."

Dai Mubai laughed too.

"Let's go. If we waste any more time, the Dean will complain we missed out on a match."

Tang San watched them bicker, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

Looking at the others, Ma Hongjun suddenly had a feeling his days ahead wouldn't be very peaceful.

But something that had weighed on his heart for a long time had eased a little today.

And that feeling wasn't bad at all.