Heaven Dou City

Two days later, outside Heaven Dou City, Huo Yuhao, Ice Empress, Snow Empress, and Evil Lord arrived at the city gates.

Huo Yuhao had come out this time mainly to look for some books, while the other three simply wanted to wander around. Evil Lord glanced at the city walls before following the others into the city.

A thousand years ago, Heaven Dou City was the most prosperous city on Douluo Continent. Merchants of all kinds gathered here, and it had more nobles than Star Luo City. They wore splendid clothes and were surrounded by servants, while all kinds of lavish carriages traveled along the streets.

For Ice Empress, who had always lived in the Far North, the city's prosperity made everything here feel new and fascinating. Looking at the gorgeous clothes worn by the nobles on the street, Ice Empress's eyes revealed a trace of envy.

"Let's each go and look around," Huo Yuhao said, turning to the others.

"All right, off you go," Ice Empress replied first this time, which was rare. Seeing that, Huo Yuhao raised no objections and headed elsewhere.

Ice Empress looked this way and that. The bustling streets left her unsure where to start.

Evil Lord stared blankly at a vendor selling pet birds. In an ornate cage sat a little bird that wasn't even a Ten-Year Soul Beast. Its feathers were quite bright, but it didn't stand out among the other cages.

Snow Empress and Ice Empress followed Evil Lord's gaze. Ice Empress didn't understand what was so interesting about it, while Snow Empress seemed to be pondering something.

Just then, a child wearing a servant's outfit hurried past along the street. Whether the sunlight was too dazzling or he was in too much of a rush, he wasn't paying attention and bumped into Evil Lord. The things in the child's arms fell to the ground. Instead of picking them up right away, he hurriedly kowtowed to Evil Lord, repeating, "I'm sorry, sir," as he apologized to him.

Evil Lord turned around, picked up the things from the ground, and handed them to the child. Seeing that Evil Lord wasn't giving him a hard time, the child quickly thanked him, took the things, and continued running.

Watching all this, Ice Empress teased, "Evil Lord, seeing you like this makes me wonder if you're the Emerald Swan."

Snow Empress, too, was puzzled by what Evil Lord had done. The Evil Lord she knew wouldn't be so friendly. Whether because of the pride of a powerful being or a Soul Beast's instinctive hostility toward humans, Evil Lord's attitude toward humans should have been even colder than her own.

"Want to sit down and talk?" Snow Empress asked.

Evil Lord nodded in agreement, then found a seat by the road and sat down with the two of them.

"Although I've already heard about your past, I still didn't expect you to change this much," Snow Empress said calmly.

"Maybe this is how a failure is supposed to act. I'm a failure, just like that child."

"A failure? What have you failed at? Do you mean the time Huo Yuhao defeated you?" Ice Empress asked, puzzled.

"No. Losing a battle doesn't mean much to me. I mean my whole life," Evil Lord said calmly.

"Why do you say that?" Snow Empress asked.

"I started cultivating as soon as I was born. I endured one Heavenly Tribulation after another. At first, I did it to become stronger; later, I did it to survive. I also tried hard to cross that threshold. But when I went with Huo Yuhao to the Divine Realm, I realized that I didn't even have the right to stand before that door and push it open, let alone cross over. Like the bird in that cage, I'm trapped inside one too. The bird may have been caught and locked up, while I was born in a cage. That child, that bird, and I are all alike-we've spent our whole lives in cages, and our fates were decided from the start. Doesn't that make me a failure?"

"Then you're not the only failure. You, me, the countless Soul Beasts, and those humans without Soul Power are all essentially the same. None of us has the power to change anything," Snow Empress said peacefully.

"Even if I understand what you're saying, we've finally got a chance to wander around a human city. Can't you stop talking about such melancholy things?" Ice Empress tried to smooth things over, though she understood what they meant.

"That's right. I'm the one who told you all to smile more. I don't want to become someone who needs other people to cheer him up every day." Evil Lord stood with a smile and headed toward the market.

"Let's go look around too, Bing'er." Snow Empress smiled and took Ice Empress's hand as they headed toward a clothing store.

"Okay." Ice Empress tightly clasped Snow Empress's hand in return, her face flushed as she answered.

After parting from Snow Empress and the others, Huo Yuhao was walking along a street in Heaven Dou City. He had come here only to find some books from a thousand years ago and have a look, but after wandering all this way, he had found nothing but teahouses, jewelry stores, clothing stores, high-end restaurants, and opera houses. There was even a Soul Fighting Arena, but not a single bookstore.

Huo Yuhao looked at the high-end club in front of him, named Moonlight Pavilion, and felt completely at a loss. He had wandered around half of Heaven Dou City, yet really hadn't found a single bookstore. Did the people in Heaven Dou City not buy books?

Just as Huo Yuhao was wondering where else he might find books for sale, someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

"So it really is you, Huo Yuhao. I thought I was seeing things."

Hearing this, Huo Yuhao turned around. When he saw Dugu Yan, he replied, "What a coincidence. Are you in Heaven Dou City to buy something too?"

Dugu Yan pinched his cheek and said, somewhat displeased, "I'm clearly older than you. You should call me big sister! At the very least, call me Sister Yanzi. You ought to have some manners, don't you?"

Huo Yuhao still wanted to protest inwardly that he had lived two lifetimes and had to be older than her. But then he thought about how he had been born ten thousand years later. By seniority, Dugu Yan really was older than him. Still, the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Although Huo Yuhao's thoughts were complicated, he called her "Sister Yanzi" for the sake of his cheek.

Dugu Yan let go with a grin. "Good boy."

Then Dugu Yan looked Huo Yuhao up and down, glanced at Moonlight Pavilion behind him, and said, "Little Yuhao, are you going there to learn etiquette? But dressed like that, you can't get in."

Hearing Dugu Yan's words, Huo Yuhao first froze, then explained, "No, I'm not here to learn etiquette. I came to buy books. By the way, Sister Yanzi, do you know where I can buy books in Heaven Dou City? I've wandered around half the city and haven't seen a single bookstore."

"You're looking to buy books? Then you don't need to look. There aren't any shops selling books anywhere in Heaven Dou City. Our academy does have a library, but practically nobody goes there. Besides, what decent person reads books?" Dugu Yan said casually.

"Ah?" Huo Yuhao was baffled and utterly astonished.

"Let's not talk about that for now. My grandfather was planning to thank you in a few days. Ever since he took that thing you gave him, whatever it was-dew-his Soul Power has risen by a level, and his hair isn't green anymore. He's been so happy these past couple of days that he laughs out loud all day."

"Did Senior Dugu not like to laugh before?"

"He laughed before too, but it was all an act. Whenever my grandfather laughed, it either looked worse than crying or seemed so fake. He really thought he was hiding it well. I had to play along with him every time."

"Actually, Sister Yanzi, you already knew about the poison in your body, didn't you?"

"That's right. How could I not know my own body? Besides, with my grandfather's acting, even if he could fool other people, how could he fool me? But I didn't realize he was poisoned so badly himself. It's all right now, though. He finally doesn't have to bear it all by himself."

Dugu Yan spoke as though it were an ordinary matter, then continued, "By the way, when I saw you a couple of days ago, you were wearing this outfit. Why are you still wearing the same thing today?"

"It's fine, isn't it? These clothes aren't dirty or torn." Huo Yuhao looked at his outfit as he spoke.

"Little Yuhao, you're so cute, but why don't you like dressing yourself up? Aren't you wasting that face of yours?" Dugu Yan said, sounding regretful.

"Sister Yanzi, isn't that a bit much?"

Dugu Yan sighed and said, "Forget it. You did call me Sister Yanzi, after all. Your big sister has plenty of time today, so I'll take you to buy a few outfits and show you what fashion is. Don't worry, your big sister will pay this time." With that, Dugu Yan took Huo Yuhao by the hand and led him toward the clothing store.

In the Sea of Consciousness, Elder Yi had finished absorbing the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow and some medicinal herbs, and his Divine Soul had stabilized a little. Seeing all this, he couldn't help but sigh, "So this is the kind of youth that just takes off and goes wherever it pleases."