The Demon King Protects Xuan Zi and Kicks Ma Xiaotao Flying

"Little A-Ren, what a coincidence. I never thought I'd run into you here."

Hearing Ma Xiaotao's voice, Gao Ren's stride turned stiff. "Yeah, Xiaotao. What a coincidence..."

Alarm bells were blaring in Gao Ren's head.

He had run into the wrong person in the wrong place.

In the original story, Ma Xiaotao had first appeared right here, beside Sea God Lake.

And she had appeared while her Evil Fire was flaring.

That time, if the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hadn't used the heaven-tier battle technique Ghost Possession to take over Huo Yuhao's body and knock Ma Xiaotao down with Tian Meng's Finger... well, Lord Sea God would have had to use Sea God's Descent.

"Little A-Ren, are you running to get some exercise?" Ma Xiaotao came up beside Gao Ren.

"Yes..." Gao Ren nodded and kept moving.

"Running's great!" Ma Xiaotao caught up with him. "Let me run with you!"

Gao Ren: Don't come any closer!

"Xiaotao, your cultivation is so high that running won't do you much good." Gao Ren tried to dissuade her gently. "You'd be better off going back to meditate and cultivate than wasting time here."

"Little A-Ren, are you worried about me?"

Gao Ren: ?

When I send a question mark, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with me. It means there's something wrong with you.

Your teacher Yan Shaozhe is cunning as hell, so how come you can't even read the room?

Faced with Ma Xiaotao's absurdly self-assured remark, Gao Ren could only pick up his pace and pretend to be too out of breath to answer.

Ma Xiaotao stayed right behind him. At Gao Ren's speed, she couldn't even work up a sweat.

"Little A-Ren, you run so fast," she marveled from behind him. "When I was your age, I couldn't run nearly this fast."

Gao Ren: That's because you didn't have a bomb chasing you, okay?!

After running flat out for a minute and finding that he wasn't going to encounter any other students or teachers, Gao Ren decided to say goodbye to Ma Xiaotao and leave.

It wasn't that he disliked her. But being alone with her beside Sea God Lake, a place so prone to accidents, was frankly terrifying.

Just as Gao Ren was about to stop and turn to say goodbye, a sharp rush of air sounded behind him.

He spun around at once, sensing something was wrong, only to find that Ma Xiaotao had vanished.

In her place stood Xuan Zi, still holding his leg out from a kick.

Gao Ren: ???

Where's Xiaotao? Where did my whole entire Xiaotao go?!

Splash.

The lake beside them erupted, sending up a great sheet of water.

Gao Ren looked at Sea God Lake, then at his teacher, and pieced together what had just happened.

"Teacher, did you kick Xiaotao into Sea God Lake?"

Xuan Zi nodded and lowered his leg. He took the initiative to explain himself.

"Your Xiaotao's Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix, and she's always had trouble with it turning against her. Evil isn't in its name for nothing.

Whenever her Martial Soul turns against her, she loses her reason and can't tell friend from foe."

Xuan Zi paused, then continued. "When that happens to Xiaotao, it usually takes time for her to lose herself completely. A wildfire that sweeps across the plains starts as a tiny flame.

And I spotted that little flame the moment it appeared. Kicking her into Sea God Lake was meant to clear her head and take some of the swagger out of it."

Realizing that Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire had flared, Gao Ren felt a lingering chill of fear. At the same time, Xuan Zi's arrival filled him with a sense of safety... Is this really the Holy Spirit Cult's grand elder I know?

Once he had recovered, Gao Ren couldn't help asking, "Teacher, when did you get here?"

"The instant I noticed something was wrong with Xiaotao," Xuan Zi answered as though it were obvious. "Even when you're out of my sight, I keep an eye on you and your surroundings with my spiritual power.

Not every student at Shrek recognizes you. If some blind little brat picks on you, I'll make sure he regrets it!"

Despite those heartwarming words, Gao Ren found a rather unusual angle from which to question Xuan Zi.

"What about when I use the bathroom?"

"I'm watching then too." Xuan Zi hadn't expected that question and burst out laughing. "You're my precious boy. If you accidentally fall into the pit, I need to be ready to rescue you right away! Haha!"

"I'm not going to fall in!" The boy's flushed face said more than words could.

Just then, Ma Xiaotao climbed out of Sea God Lake and returned to them, dripping wet.

The lake water had brought her fully to her senses. Her soaked clothes clung to her body, tracing her graceful curves.

Xuan Zi covered Gao Ren's eyes.

Gao Ren: Turn on the camera, please!

Ma Xiaotao shook the water from her hair and glared at Xuan Zi.

"Xuan Zi, you really didn't hold back! I feel like my waist is about to fall apart!"

It was true. Xuan Zi had kicked too hard.

He could clearly have treated Ma Xiaotao more gently.

But out of habit, he had chosen the quickest, most effective method.

It was a small mistake, but Xuan Zi had no intention of admitting it unless Ma Xiaotao was seriously injured.

"Enough complaining. Are you back to your senses?"

"I am, I am." Ma Xiaotao rubbed her waist, answering through gritted teeth.

Xuan Zi said with complete confidence, "Don't blame me for kicking so hard. The higher your cultivation climbs, the faster and more terrifying your Evil Fire outbreaks become.

If I hadn't acted at once, you could have entered that state in the blink of an eye. If you'd hurt A-Ren, a sore waist would have been the least of your problems."

"Couldn't you have been a little gentler?" Ma Xiaotao protested.

"Gentler?" Xuan Zi glared at her. "Tell me, would you rather get hurt yourself or have A-Ren get hurt?"

Ma Xiaotao opened her mouth, then answered quietly, "Couldn't neither of us get hurt...?"

"You have to choose one!" Xuan Zi refused to accept a third option.

"Then I'd rather get hurt." Ma Xiaotao chose without hesitation and smiled. "Little A-Ren is so cute. I wouldn't want him getting hurt."

Hearing her answer, Gao Ren cried out inwardly: Evil Fire ruins lives!

After that, Xuan Zi told Ma Xiaotao to go change her clothes, then bring Yan Shaozhe to Sea God Lake.

"A-Ren, conjure me a vat of Immortal's Drunk." Xuan Zi beckoned to Gao Ren.

"I can't." Gao Ren shook his head. "Granduncle said you can only have one vat a week, and it isn't time yet."

"Who told you I was going to drink it?" Xuan Zi rolled his eyes. "It's for Xiaotao."

"For Xiaotao?"