Zhou Yi watched as cries of "Wang Dong for class monitor!" rose one after another throughout the classroom. The corner of her mouth twitched, but in the end, she sighed and waved a hand.
"All right, all right, Wang Dong will be class monitor. But I'm warning you, don't cause me any trouble."
Wang Dong answered with a beaming smile, "Don't worry, Teacher. I'll lead by example."
Zhou Yi shot him an irritated glare, then turned and began the lesson proper. "Next, let's discuss what a martial soul is. A martial soul is the source of a Soul Master's power, a gift bestowed upon humanity by heaven and earth..."
Wang Dong sat in his seat, listening to Zhou Yi expound endlessly on the basics of martial souls from the podium, and began to zone out.
Sure enough, the first day for new students offered nothing of substance. It was either school rules or basic knowledge, all things he already knew by heart.
Bored out of his mind, he twirled his pen, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward Huo Yuhao beside him.
Huo Yuhao, however, listened with complete concentration. She sat ramrod straight, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the podium, occasionally lowering her head to write and sketch in her notebook. Her earnest manner made her look just like the most well-behaved student in class.
Watching her, Wang Dong suddenly found it rather amusing. This girl clearly had the lowest Soul Power, yet she was more serious than anyone else.
He stared at her profile for a while, watching her long eyelashes tremble slightly in the sunlight and the tiny flecks of sunshine resting on the tip of her delicate nose. An indescribable tenderness suddenly welled up within him.
Huo Yuhao seemed to sense his gaze. Her cheeks flushed faintly, and she turned her head a little awkwardly, asking softly, "...Why do you keep looking at me?"
"Because you're pretty," Wang Dong blurted out.
Huo Yuhao's face grew even redder. She lowered her head, a blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. Just as she was about to say something, a faint rumble suddenly came from her stomach.
She froze, her face instantly turning scarlet. She quickly pressed a hand to her stomach and lowered her head, not daring to look at Wang Dong.
Wang Dong smiled instead and pointed at the two steamed buns he had given her earlier. "Hungry? Have something to tide you over."
Huo Yuhao hesitated, then whispered, "But... this is your breakfast..."
"I already ate. I saved these for you." Without allowing any argument, Wang Dong pushed the oiled-paper packet into her hands. "Eat up. Don't let anyone see."
Huo Yuhao bit her lip, but eventually picked up a bun carefully and began taking tiny bites.
She ate very slowly, like a little hamster, her cheeks bulging as she glanced warily around, afraid the teacher would catch her. The sight left Wang Dong itching to reach out and poke her cheek.
"You have some too," Huo Yuhao whispered, offering him the other bun.
Looking into her sparkling eyes, Wang Dong's heart softened. He accepted the bun and took a bite as well.
The two of them secretly shared the buns beneath their desks, looking just like a young couple sneaking snacks in class.
Yet Dai Huabin saw every bit of it.
Sitting diagonally behind them, he watched Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao acting so close, his face turning green.
Of course, he had no designs on Huo Yuhao. He simply could not stand Wang Dong's smug expression. His eyes shifted, and he suddenly gave a deliberate cough, neither loud nor soft, but just enough to draw Zhou Yi's attention.
Zhou Yi's gaze swept toward the sound, catching Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao whispering beneath their desks, each happily munching on a bun.
Her expression darkened, and the pointer in her hand struck the podium with a crack.
"So, you love eating that much, do you? You two, get out and eat! Eat for an hour before you come back!"
A low ripple of laughter spread through the classroom. Wang Dong's face instantly darkened. He slowly turned his head and fixed Dai Huabin with a hard stare, a cold smile curling his lips as he silently mouthed:
Just you wait!!!
His stare made Dai Huabin's skin crawl, but he still forced himself to maintain a smug expression.
Wang Dong drew a deep breath, stood up, and took Huo Yuhao by the wrist, leading her outside. Pulled along by him, Huo Yuhao still held half a bun in her hand. Her face was scarlet, and she kept her head down, not daring to meet the gazes around her.
The two were made to stand beneath a large tree outside the classroom as punishment. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in its leaves, scattering patches of light and shadow across the ground.
Huo Yuhao lowered her head, clutching the half-eaten bun, her voice carrying a trace of guilt. "I'm sorry... It's all my fault. If I hadn't been hungry, you wouldn't have been punished..."
"What are you talking about?" Wang Dong leaned against the trunk with his arms folded, his tone relaxed. "It has nothing to do with you. That Dai Huabin deliberately stirred up trouble. I've marked this debt down. Sooner or later, I'll settle it with him."
Huo Yuhao raised her head and looked at Wang Dong's unconcerned face, but felt even worse. After a moment of silence, she suddenly asked softly, "Wang Dong... why are you so good to me?"
Wang Dong froze for a moment.
Huo Yuhao lowered her head, her voice growing quieter and quieter. "You're so strong, you have twin martial souls, and you're the class monitor... I'm so weak. My Soul Power is only rank eleven, and I might get expelled someday. Why do you take such good care of me? I... I can't help you with anything..."
Her voice carried a trace of inferiority and unease. Watching her slightly trembling shoulders, Wang Dong suddenly felt an ache well up inside him.
He knew Huo Yuhao's past. He knew she had suffered endless bullying at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion since childhood, and he knew how much hurt and hatred she harbored in her heart.
She had been starved of love, starved of the feeling of being cared for, and that was why this small kindness of his meant so much to her.
He was silent for a while, then suddenly spoke. "Yuhao, do you trust me?"
Huo Yuhao raised her head and met his clear blue eyes.
"Your Soul Power really is low, but that's only temporary." Wang Dong looked at her, his tone earnest. "Believe me, you'll become strong very soon. So strong that everyone will have to look up to you."
Huo Yuhao froze. Looking into Wang Dong's earnest eyes, she suddenly felt something touch a place deep within her heart. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, only to find that no words would come.
Wang Dong, however, had already begun to think. Huo Yuhao's Soul Power really was too low. Rank eleven-not even enough to count as a One-Ring Soul Master.
But Wang Dong knew she had the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Million-Year Soul Ring within her. Once she broke through to two rings, she could go to the Far North and awaken the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul. Her strength would then undergo a qualitative leap. The question was, how could he help her reach two rings as quickly as possible?
He thought for a long time before suddenly settling on an approach: Martial Soul Fusion.
In the original story, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao had a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. Working together, they could unleash power far beyond their own ranks.
But the problem was that his current circumstances differed from the original story. His martial soul had changed from the light goddess butterfly to the soft bone rabbit, while his sea god martial soul had become the golden dragon king bloodline. Could Martial Soul Fusion still succeed?
Wang Dong felt a little apprehensive. He glanced at Huo Yuhao beside him, then sensed the golden dragon king bloodline and soft bone rabbit martial soul within himself, his brows furrowing slightly.
In theory, Martial Soul Fusion required sufficient compatibility between two martial souls. In the original story, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao had been able to fuse because there was a special resonance between the light goddess butterfly and the spiritual eyes.
But now, his martial souls had changed completely. He had no confidence that they could still resonate with Huo Yuhao's spiritual eyes.
Still, no matter what, he had to try.
Before you continue