At a simple tea stall across the street from the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City, Lu Yu, Lu Fei, and Su Yuntao sat around a table.
Several tea tables nearby stood empty, with no one daring to approach. Passersby kept averting their eyes, all because they had seen the Battle Soul Master badge on Su Yuntao's chest.
In the eyes of ordinary civilians, Soul Masters stood high above them and held exalted status. No one dared approach and disturb them without good reason.
"So, you two brothers injured the village chief's grandson and were afraid he'd use the opportunity to retaliate, so you came into the city specifically to seek refuge with me?"
Su Yuntao fixed his gaze on Lu Yu, his expression somewhat odd and helpless.
Lu Yu put on an aggrieved, helpless expression and nodded earnestly. "Grandmaster Su, you don't know how the village chief throws his weight around and bullies people in the village. We were forced to defend ourselves in that confrontation. My brother and I have nowhere else to turn, and in all of Nuoding City, I'm afraid you're the only one willing to shelter us."
Su Yuntao looked away from Lu Yu and over at Lu Fei, who had kept his head down and remained silent the entire time, without saying a word.
Seeing Lu Fei's timid, withdrawn manner and Lu Yu's sensible plea for help, Su Yuntao felt helpless, but he still silently nodded his agreement.
Su Yuntao had already intended to get acquainted early with Lu Fei, a gifted youth with innate level-five Soul Power. Now that the brothers had fallen on hard times and come to him, his timely help would only make their bond stronger in the future.
"Very well."
Su Yuntao suppressed the delight quietly rising in his heart, put on a somewhat troubled expression, and spoke slowly.
"I live alone, and my place is fairly spacious. There's no harm in letting you two little fellows stay for a while. But I'm still on duty right now, so you'll have to wait until I'm off work before I can take you back and get you settled."
"It's fine, Brother Tao. Go ahead and focus on your work. My brother and I will wait for you."
Lu Yu waved a hand casually, looking perfectly composed. There was no sign of the anxiety of someone displaced and homeless, as though he weren't the one with nowhere to stay that night.
Hearing Lu Yu call him "Brother Tao," Su Yuntao's expression grew even stranger. That eagerness to climb any pole offered to him was hardly something a seven-year-old could be expected to show.
Su Yuntao had just started to rise and return to his post when he thought better of it and sat back down. "Where are you planning to go next?" he asked, preparing to give them some instructions.
"We'll just wander around Nuoding City," Lu Yu replied with a smile. "It's our first time in the city, so we can use this time to get familiar with it."
In the three days since transmigrating to the Douluo World, Lu Yu had been stuck in a remote mountain village and had never had the chance to properly see this city in another world. The Douluo Continent's distinctive blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles was especially novel to Lu Yu, who came from Blue Star.
Su Yuntao nodded slightly and gave them a solemn warning. "You can look around, but remember not to go far. Stay in the area around the Spirit Hall. If anything unexpected happens, come straight back to the branch and find me."
"Understood."
More than ten minutes after Su Yuntao turned and left, the area around the tea stall had grown completely quiet.
Lu Yu was idly playing with Great Sage on his shoulder when Lu Fei, who had remained silent and reserved, finally lowered his voice and spoke softly.
"Brother, are we... really never going back to our old village?"
At Lu Fei's question, Lu Yu's hand paused. He turned to the dejected Lu Fei beside him, a complicated look flashing across his eyes.
To Lu Yu, the impoverished, dilapidated mountain village and the crude, drafty shack were places where he had lived for only three days. He felt no sense of belonging there, and it made no difference whether he left or stayed.
But to Lu Fei, that impoverished village and that shabby little house were the only place he had ever belonged, the only home in his heart.
Even though he had suffered endless bullying in the village and lived a hard, impoverished life, it was where the two brothers had depended on each other to survive. Forced to flee in haste, with an uncertain road ahead and no hope of returning anytime soon, Lu Fei was filled with confusion and reluctance to leave.
Lu Yu raised a hand and gently rested it on Lu Fei's shoulder, his voice steady and firm.
"Xiao Fei, remember this: the reason we were forced to leave is that we're too weak right now."
"The weak are destined to be bullied and pushed around. As long as we devote ourselves to cultivation, grow steadily stronger, and become truly powerful Soul Masters as soon as possible, no one will dare oppress us again. When that time comes, we can go back whenever we want."
His confident words were like a faint beam of light, dispelling the confusion and timidity in Lu Fei's heart.
Lu Fei slowly raised his head, which had been hanging low. A light rekindled in his clear eyes, and he looked at Lu Yu with determination and nodded firmly.
"Brother, I'll cultivate hard and do everything I can to grow stronger. I'll never let you down!"
Having pulled himself together, Lu Fei completely shed his dejection and went with Lu Yu to stroll around Nuoding City.
The brothers visited every street and shop around the Spirit Hall Branch, familiarizing themselves with the roads and surroundings. They also bought two sets of clean, presentable clothes to change into.
Back in the remote village, Lu Yu had known better than to flaunt his wealth, so he had bought only one outfit of coarse linen.
But now that he had entered a world with clearly defined social classes, a respectable outfit could save him countless unnecessary troubles. Lu Yu no longer held back and bought two sets of well-made, neatly styled clothes for both himself and Lu Fei.
When they were done looking around, the brothers had nothing else to do, so they returned to the Spirit Hall Branch and entered the familiar library.
The guards on duty were the same two as yesterday. They had already memorized what the brothers looked like, so they simply smiled and nodded before letting them through without the slightest objection.
Lu Yu asked the guards to let Su Yuntao know, if they saw him, that he and Lu Fei were waiting for him in the library, apologizing for the trouble.
After that, Lu Yu took Lu Fei into the quiet, solemn library and resumed poring over the various illustrated guides to Soul Beasts.
"When did you two get here? Why didn't you have someone let me know?" After getting off work, Su Yuntao had intended to ask the guards whether they had seen Lu Yu and Lu Fei, only to learn that the two had long been waiting for him in the library.
"Brother Tao, we were afraid we'd interrupt your work and get your pay docked!" Lu Yu said, scratching the back of his head with a guileless grin.
"I'm not usually very busy. I'm responsible for awakening the Martial Souls of commoners' children, so I'm only busy for those two months each year." Su Yuntao pulled over a chair and sat down.
Hearing Su Yuntao describe his job, Lu Yu's eyes turned red with envy. On Blue Star, that would be a civil-service job for sure! As long as the Spirit Hall didn't fall, Su Yuntao could draw that salary until he died.
"Brother Tao, is it too late for me to join the Spirit Hall now?" Lu Yu asked jokingly, craning his neck.
But Su Yuntao didn't realize at all that Lu Yu was joking. An even brighter smile immediately spread across his face. "No problem. As long as you want to join, I can recommend you right now."