Yu Xiaogang's Silver Tongue, Su Mo's Plan

"Second Brother, why do we have to leave now? Can't we wait a little longer?"

"Xiao Mo, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Your Excellency Ghost Douluo protected us earlier. Now that Xiao Mo is absorbing a Soul Ring, we should repay that favor."

"Besides, it's already afternoon."

"We're currently in the inner region of the Star Dou Great Forest. Even if we leave now, an entire afternoon won't be enough to get out of the Star Dou Great Forest. We might as well leave tomorrow."

Within the vast, dense Star Dou Great Forest, while Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo stood guard over Su Mo, Yu Xiaogang pulled Liu Erlong and Flender aside. He wanted to take them away immediately, but Liu Erlong frowned slightly, clearly unwilling.

Seeing that Liu Erlong did not want to leave, Yu Xiaogang's already stiff expression became even stiffer. He felt both angry and displeased.

He did not understand. The three of them were sworn siblings, while Spirit Hall was entirely made up of outsiders. Why was Liu Erlong taking the outsiders' side?

Was it merely because those three from Spirit Hall had helped them earlier?

But even if those three had not acted, they most likely would have been fine. At worst, they would have suffered some injuries. There was no need to be so grateful!

Moreover, the people from Spirit Hall had clearly been hostile toward him. These three knew who he was, so logically, they should never have helped them. It would have been good enough if they had not harmed them.

Yet those three had still helped them. There had to be a scheme behind it!

Yu Xiaogang firmly believed this.

"Erlong, I know they helped us just now, so you feel grateful to them. That's normal. But there are some things you don't understand..."

Since Liu Erlong was reluctant to leave, Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.

Although Yu Xiaogang was somewhat unhappy that Liu Erlong did not trust him, her Second Brother, Liu Erlong and Flender were the only people he had finally found who could perform the Three-in-One Spirit Fusion Skill with him. Finding such partners was like smoke rising from his ancestral tombs. He had to preserve this relationship!

Now that Spirit Hall had expelled him, he could no longer find a way to evolve his Luo Sanpao Soul and cast off the label of trash.

As for becoming a master of Martial Soul Theory and gaining respect that way—

Spirit Hall had already ruined his reputation, and without Spirit Hall, he could never research any truly useful theories. That path had basically failed as well.

Therefore, if he wanted respect and wanted his family to see him in a new light, the only way left was to form the Golden Iron Triangle with Flender and Liu Erlong and make a name for themselves across the continent!

Besides, although Liu Erlong was reluctant to leave, Yu Xiaogang believed that she simply valued favors too deeply.

But when it came to closeness, Liu Erlong would surely side with him, her Second Brother—the one whose Martial Soul resonated with hers and who could perform the Three-in-One Spirit Fusion Skill with her!

As Yu Xiaogang spoke gravely, he told Liu Erlong everything he had previously told Flender about his experiences in Spirit Hall.

Finally, Yu Xiaogang put on a pained expression and said,

"Erlong, I know my view of Spirit Hall may be somewhat biased, but Spirit Hall truly is hostile toward me. I experienced it myself."

"And I can guarantee that those three people from Spirit Hall definitely know me. There is an eighty to ninety percent chance that they helped us because they have some scheme."

"Even if they do not, as your Second Brother, I cannot let you face danger even if there is only the slightest possibility. So we should leave now!"

"Second Brother!"

Realizing that Yu Xiaogang wanted to take her and Flender away for their safety, Liu Erlong was deeply moved.

Even so, she still believed that Su Mo's group probably bore them no ill will.

After all, Second Brother Yu Xiaogang had said that Su Mo was the disciple of Saintess Bibi Dong. According to Yu Xiaogang, Saintess Bibi Dong had not harmed him.

Even though she had eventually come to see Yu Xiaogang and coldly called him trash before telling him to get out of Spirit City.

Liu Erlong still felt that this did not necessarily mean Bibi Dong harbored hostility toward Yu Xiaogang.

As a woman, Liu Erlong felt that perhaps Bibi Dong had been forced into it.

Bibi Dong had known of Second Brother's poor talent when she first met him. Since she had not despised him for being trash back then, she should not have despised him in the end either.

It had to be said that before Liu Erlong completely fell in love with Yu Xiaogang, her intelligence was still intact.

But because she and Yu Xiaogang were sworn siblings—

After hearing that Yu Xiaogang wanted to take the two of them away for their safety, Liu Erlong was so moved that she decided to leave with him.

She could not let down Second Brother's concern!

As for her original desire to get closer to Su Mo, or even acknowledge Su Mo as her God Brother, Liu Erlong could only temporarily give up on it. Sighing inwardly, she felt that perhaps she and Su Mo were fated to meet but not fated to be together.

Though she had a favorable impression of Su Mo, her relationship with her sworn Second Brother Yu Xiaogang was still closer.

Having been persuaded by Yu Xiaogang—

Though she felt a trace of guilt, Liu Erlong still went with Yu Xiaogang and Flender to Yue Guan and Gui Mei. Flender then respectfully explained that they had urgent business and could only take their leave first.

Although Yue Guan and Gui Mei had some thoughts about it, they still had to guard Su Mo, so they let the three leave.

Thus, when Su Mo finished absorbing the Ghost Blade Mantis's Soul Ring and awoke from meditation, he discovered that Yu Xiaogang's group had vanished.

"Chrysanthemum Elder, where did Yu Xiaogang and the other two go?"

Having absorbed his Seventh Soul Ring, Su Mo stood up, looked around, and asked with a frown.

"Them? They already left. It seemed that Yu Xiaogang pulled the other two into the woods nearby to say something. Then the three came over, bid us farewell, and left."

Yue Guan shrugged and replied in a soft, feminine voice.

"Yu Xiaogang..."

After hearing Yue Guan's words, Su Mo frowned slightly and fell into thought.

As Su Mo pondered, Yue Guan began complaining from the side, saying that Yu Xiaogang was an ungrateful bastard and that they should not have helped the three earlier.

But Su Mo shook his head.

"No. Us helping them had meaning. Yu Xiaogang truly is no good person, but Liu Erlong and Flender have decent character. By helping them just now, we established a positive image of Spirit Hall in their hearts."

"Otherwise, with Yu Xiaogang's hatred for Spirit Hall, if he keeps speaking ill of Spirit Hall and slandering us before Flender and Liu Erlong, Flender and Liu Erlong will definitely soon become just like Yu Xiaogang."

"Though Yu Xiaogang is trash, the three of them can perform the Three-in-One Spirit Fusion Skill, something seen only once in a thousand years in the Soul Master World. That cannot be ignored!"

As Su Mo explained the positive effects of helping them to Yue Guan and Gui Mei, there was actually one thing he did not say aloud.

That was, through helping them this time, he had come into contact with Yu Xiaogang again.

And through this encounter, once he returned and organized his words, he could persuade Bibi Dong to openly approach the Golden Iron Triangle under the pretext of exposing Yu Xiaogang's lies before Liu Erlong and Flender—and ruin Yu Xiaogang!

It was something he had wanted to do in his previous life long ago!