Helping Zhu Lu Get Her Wallet Back, Huabin Demands Another One-on-One Fight

Lin Fan followed behind Zhu Lu as she browsed one stall, then moved on to another without showing the slightest sign of tiring. He could not help feeling surprised.

Zhu Lu held a little pendant, her face lit with delight, while the stall owner enthusiastically described it.

Suddenly, a plainly dressed man strode straight toward Zhu Lu.

As he drew closer, he slammed his shoulder into hers.

Zhu Lu had no time to react. Her gaze froze, terror flashed across her face, and the impact knocked her to the ground.

"Ahhh!"

"Sorry."

The plainly dressed man offered a faint apology, then hurried away.

"Ow, ow, ow."

Zhu Lu's face tightened as she lay on the ground and cried out in pain.

"Are you all right?"

Lin Fan gently helped Zhu Lu up with both hands, his voice urgent with concern.

"I'm fine. That man was crazy—he just went around ramming into people! He knocked me down, and it hurt like hell."

Zhu Lu brushed off her white school uniform. Then something occurred to her, and she cursed angrily.

"Let's head back."

Lin Fan glanced toward the plainly dressed man, who had disappeared into the crowd, and spoke.

"Yeah, honestly... Huh? Where's my wallet? My wallet's gone!"

Zhu Lu suddenly felt around her uniform, panic flooding her face.

"Could you have dropped it along the way? Let's go back and look."

Lin Fan asked.

"No way. I could feel my wallet the whole time. Just now..."

Zhu Lu shook her head. Her beautiful eyes flashed, and anger filled her face.

"That man must have stolen my wallet! Let's find him and get it back."

"All right. Let's split up and look. We'll find him faster that way."

Lin Fan replied.

"Okay!"

Zhu Lu nodded, determination in her eyes.

Lin Fan and Zhu Lu split up to search the streets for the thief.

Half an hour passed.

Soon, Zhu Lu spotted the thief in the crowd. He was getting ready to steal someone else's wallet.

She immediately dashed after him, weaving through the sea of people.

The man sensed something coming toward him and glanced back. It was the girl from before.

Startled, he broke into a cold sweat. He had not expected her to find him so quickly. He shoved through the crowd and took to his heels.

The two raced through streets packed shoulder to shoulder with people.

Using the crowd as cover, the man quickly opened a gap between them and even looked back to mock Zhu Lu.

Her temper flared. She clenched her fists and sprinted harder, determined to grab the thief.

Soon, Zhu Lu caught up. As an agility-type Soul Master, she drove him straight into the mouth of an alley.

Then she revealed her two Soul Rings, marking her as a Soul Grandmaster. The thief trembled with fear.

"You've got nowhere to run. Give me back my wallet, or I'll beat you senseless."

Zhu Lu spoke through her anger.

"You're a Soul Master! So you're a lady Soul Master! I was wrong! Waaaah!"

The man dropped to his knees in terror, kowtowing as though he might burst into tears. He apologized.

"Have mercy, my lady Soul Master! I didn't know who you were. Please let me go!"

Zhu Lu snorted coldly.

"Then hurry up and give me back my wallet!"

The man lowered his head. His eyes shifted, and a sly grin crept across his face.

"Yes, yes, of course, my lady Soul Master. I'll return the wallet I stole from you right away!"

He took out the wallet and moved as if to hand it to Zhu Lu.

The instant Zhu Lu's attention fixed on it, he spun around and fled, sprinting for his life toward a pile of garbage.

"Fooled you! Your wallet's mine now. You're never getting it back!"

The man cackled in a shrill voice.

Zhu Lu realized the trick. Her face twisted with anger, and she ground her teeth.

"Damn it, he tricked me! Give me back my wallet, you filthy thief!"

Before her words had even faded, Zhu Lu turned to chase him. But the thief grabbed several bags stuffed with reeking garbage and dumped them across the ground ahead. One whiff was enough to make anyone gag.

Garbage scraps covered the ground, and the path was too narrow to get past them. Zhu Lu stamped her feet in fury.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

"Not bad, not bad. A few Gold Soul Coins. What a haul today! I can go on another gambling spree."

The man shook the wallet happily in his hand, grinning with smug satisfaction.

"Shaking off that stupid girl was easy. I'm a gambling fiend—why would I be scared just because she's a Soul Master? Hope I run into another fool like her."

"Found you at last."

A voice suddenly reached the man's ear.

"Who's there? Come out!"

The man jumped and shouted as he looked around, trying to find whoever had spoken.

When he saw no one in the alley, he dismissed his alarm.

"Must've heard wrong. Thought someone was in the alley. Whatever. I'll head to the casino and keep gambling."

The man strolled toward the street, about to leave the alley.

Just as he walked on without a care, Lin Fan leaped down from above along a drainpipe and flashed behind him like lightning.

Lin Fan raised his fist and struck with blinding speed, the blow whistling through the air.

The man never saw it coming. The punch sent him flying, and he sprawled on the ground. As he turned, his unfocused eyes caught sight of Lin Fan, and he mumbled,

"How... is there... someone..."

His voice trailed off. The punch had knocked him unconscious, and he lay motionless on the ground.

Lin Fan walked over, noticed the wallet in the man's hand, and bent down to retrieve Zhu Lu's wallet.

Just then, Zhu Lu finally caught up. When she saw Lin Fan holding her wallet, she hurried over with a delighted smile.

"Thank you, Lin Fan. Thank you for getting my wallet back."

Zhu Lu looked at the wallet in Lin Fan's hand, her face bright with happiness.

"You're welcome, Zhu Lu. Here, take it. Be more careful next time so it doesn't get stolen."

Lin Fan handed it back with a smile.

"Mm. Thank you."

Zhu Lu nodded excitedly and reached out to take it.

At the very moment Zhu Lu took back her wallet,

Huabin happened to arrive. He lit up when he saw Zhu Lu, but the moment he noticed Lin Fan beside her, his brows shot up.

He saw the two smiling and chatting like a pair of first loves, and he saw Lin Fan hand Zhu Lu the wallet.

Huabin hurried to Zhu Lu's side and roared,

"Lin Fan, you're making a move on my Zhu Lu again! You're asking for it. I didn't get the chance to teach you a lesson last time, but this time I'm going to give you a beating!"

Another voice suddenly rang out. They both turned toward it and saw that the newcomer was Huabin.