A figure wrapped tightly from head to toe, with a hood over his head, slowly approached.
When he drew near, he abruptly pulled off his hood, and a thick mane of blond hair spilled free.
His blond hair fell like liquid gold, making his exquisitely sculpted face all the more striking.
It was Dai Mubai!
"Dai Mubai, what are you doing here?" Xiao Wu exclaimed, curiosity written all over her face.
Dai Mubai did not answer Xiao Wu. He only looked at Zhu Zhuqing.
"Zhu Zhuqing, do you dare team up with me for once?"
Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly, then turned to look at Li Hanqiu.
Only after Li Hanqiu smiled and nodded did Zhu Zhuqing step forward, stand beside Dai Mubai, and enter the arena.
"Teacher, why do I get the feeling you aren't surprised at all that Dai Mubai followed us here?"
Xiao Wu quietly circled around to the front, rose onto her toes, and leaned forward, planting herself right in front of Li Hanqiu.
She also blocked his view of Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
Li Hanqiu smiled at her words. "You little sharp-eyed imp. I really can't hide anything from you."
"Huh? I really guessed right?" Xiao Wu blinked and tugged at Li Hanqiu's sleeve, chattering away.
"Tell me, Teacher. What little scheme are you hiding? I really want to know."
Growing a little annoyed at Xiao Wu's shaking, Li Hanqiu reached out and flicked her forehead. "Watch the fight first. I'll tell you afterward."
"Oh..." Xiao Wu pouted, looking thoroughly displeased.
Behind them, Tang San stared at Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
His fists were clenched, his nails digging deep into his palms as he held himself back in silence.
In the arena, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing faced a pair of twin Soul Masters.
One twin belonged to the power attack system, the other to the control system. Both were around rank thirty-eight, with seasoned combat experience.
They were a renowned two-person team in the Great Soul Arena. Ordinary teams had to give them a wide berth.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, had only just formed a team and had never fought together before.
Two-on-two battles were different from one-on-one matches.
Individual battles emphasized personal strength, while two-on-two battles placed greater importance on cooperation.
The moment the spectators saw this newcomer pairing, they lost interest and shouted for them to be beaten quickly so the next match could begin.
The twin Soul Masters looked equally disdainful, convinced victory was already in their grasp.
Yet once the battle began and the fighting truly started, it unfolded nothing like anyone had expected.
Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai worked together seamlessly, as though their minds were linked.
Their teamwork was every bit as good as Tang San and Xiao Wu's!
Dai Mubai held the front head-on, using White Tiger Possession, his fists wrapped in golden light as he hammered out punch after punch.
He charged at the forefront, their most unyielding shield.
Zhu Zhuqing prowled like a ghost, seeking every opening, her claw blades flashing like lightning as she followed up attacks and cut off escape routes.
She was the assassin hidden in the dark, striking to kill with a single blow.
Seeing the battle grow desperate, the power attack Soul Master among the twins immediately circled behind them, raising his fist to ambush Zhu Zhuqing.
Without even turning his head, Dai Mubai threw a backward punch that struck the man's face squarely.
"Get lost!"
The man flew three meters and crashed into the edge of the arena.
Zhu Zhuqing seized the opening and surged forward, pressing a claw against the control system Soul Master's throat.
One of them stood in front, while the other remained concealed behind.
It was exactly as it had been many years ago.
Dai Mubai panted, his back to Zhu Zhuqing, his expression slightly dazed.
Zhu Zhuqing froze as well. That back...
She shook her head sharply, forcing the thought down.
The referee announced their victory.
The two stepped down from the arena.
Dai Mubai said nothing and headed straight for the exit.
"Mubai." Li Hanqiu called after him.
Dai Mubai stopped.
Li Hanqiu took a clean handkerchief from inside his clothes and held it out.
"Thank you."
Dai Mubai turned, offering a rare word of thanks.
"You're welcome, Mubai."
"You fought beautifully. Even I couldn't find much fault with it," Li Hanqiu said. "And thank you for helping my disciple out of her predicament today."
Dai Mubai fell silent for a moment, then took the handkerchief and wiped his hands haphazardly a couple of times.
"You've always thought I was a pervert," Li Hanqiu said. "Do you still think so?"
Dai Mubai said nothing.
A few seconds later, he turned his face away. "You... aren't actually that bad. You have a few decent human qualities, I suppose."
Li Hanqiu laughed. "Getting that much approval from you certainly wasn't easy."
Dai Mubai snorted, but did not leave.
The crowd dispersed, leaving only the evening breeze outside the arena.
"Mubai," Li Hanqiu spoke again.
"Are you ever going to stop?" he asked, turning impatiently.
But when he raised his eyes, he met an utterly serious gaze.
"Aren't you going to see Zhu Zhuqing?"
Li Hanqiu tipped his chin to the side.
Zhu Zhuqing stood a dozen or so paces away, watching them. The night breeze lifted her black hair, which gleamed along with her dark eyes.
Dai Mubai pressed his lips together, his steps gradually coming to a halt.
He looked at Li Hanqiu, then at Zhu Zhuqing.
After a long while, he forced a single word from his throat:
"...Fine."
That night, after they returned to Shrek Academy.
Li Hanqiu arranged to meet them in the Wisteria Grove on the Back Mountain. The night breeze was cool, the wisteria rustled softly, and its fragrance hung rich and heavy.
Dai Mubai arrived very early, but waited until Li Hanqiu and Zhu Zhuqing had arrived before finally sauntering into view.
With his arms folded, he slowly walked beneath the flower trellis and immediately spotted Li Hanqiu seated at the stone table.
Zhu Zhuqing stood a few steps away with her back to him, as though waiting for something.
"Li Hanqiu, I'm here!" Dai Mubai raised his chin, his tone as stiff as ever.
Li Hanqiu smiled, unoffended.
He poured three cups of cool tea and pushed two of them forward.
"Since Mubai is impatient, I won't belabor the point. It's time we talked some things through."
Dai Mubai held his head high, while Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip and frowned slightly.
Li Hanqiu looked up, turning to Zhu Zhuqing first.
"Zhu Zhuqing, tell Mubai what you told me before."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her eyes, a trace of hesitation passing through them. She looked at Dai Mubai, then at Li Hanqiu.
Only after a moment did she speak, her cool voice passing through the trellis laden with wisteria in the night, carrying a penetrating chill.
"I... I can't clearly remember someone."
"That person was beside me from my earliest memories, protecting me, caring for me.
Whenever someone tried to bully me, he stood in front of me. When my family said I shouldn't be alive, he hurled those words right back at them."
"Later, so many things happened... Firelight and shouting all blurred together."
"When I woke up, I couldn't remember anything. I'd even forgotten that person."
The night breeze passed, and the wisteria rustled.
The instant Zhu Zhuqing finished speaking, Dai Mubai's pupils contracted sharply, his lips parting without a word.
Emotions surged wildly inside him, yet he stood frozen, unable to recover for a long while.
"I-is that so?" Dai Mubai replied stiffly, though his voice trembled slightly.
"I... I..."
"Haven't you realized yet?" Li Hanqiu said.
"Everything Zhu Zhuqing described, the person who protected her, those experiences..."
Li Hanqiu looked at him and said, each word distinct, "They're exactly the same as when you protected your younger sister back then."
Before you continue