After awakening the special Soul Skill, Tang San's Mom Entanglement,
Li Zhiyan felt that many things would be much more convenient for him from now on.
For example, stealing Tang San's Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.
Feeling the sleeping Ah Yin steadily drawing on his succubus Soul Power, Li Zhiyan closed his eyes and planned to get some proper rest.
He and Ah Yin had worn themselves out.
The next day, it was already afternoon when Li Zhiyan woke up. Seeing Ah Yin's true form lying on his chest, he naturally tucked her into his sleeve.
Remembering their earlier madness, Li Zhiyan still felt his blood boil like a beast's. That feeling was simply too intoxicating.
"Tang San's mom really is greedy."
Now, the hint of pink on Ah Yin's true form was even more noticeable.
He opened the Protagonist Group Location Viewer.
Li Zhiyan saw that Tang San and the others were heading toward Suotuo City.
"At this point in time, the protagonist group will fight at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City to improve their strength."
"So that saves me a trip to Shrek Academy."
Li Zhiyan knew it was too risky for him to go to Shrek Academy. He had already fallen out with the people there, and if he entered its grounds, Zhao Wuji or Flender could easily discover him.
But in Suotuo City, he didn't have to worry about that. After all, Soul Masters were everywhere here.
Stalking the protagonist group's location, Li Zhiyan made his preparations.
When he saw Tang San and the others approaching on the location viewer,
Li Zhiyan quietly followed them.
He was wearing sunglasses now, and the succubus markings on his head were also covered. Unless someone looked closely, they wouldn't recognize him as Li Zhiyan at all.
"Yu Xiaogang is here too."
Yu Xiaogang had his hands clasped behind his back. Though his Soul Power was only level 29, he somehow managed to carry himself like a level 92.
He was holding forth to the Shrek Academy students as though he knew everything.
Li Zhiyan again remembered how, on the night before he was driven out of Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang had come to him and demanded that he hand over the "Evil Soul Master" cultivation method.
Li Zhiyan knew he just wanted to break past level 29.
"If I want to make a move now, it won't be so easy."
The entire protagonist group was here, and Zhao Wuji was standing by to back them up. He had to create some chaos.
Sensing Tang San's presence,
Ah Yin poked her head out of Li Zhiyan's sleeve, but she had little awareness of her own at the moment and was acting entirely on instinct.
Among the Shrek group, Tang San suddenly felt a warmth and a sense of familiarity.
It was as though he had seen his mother.
"An illusion... it must be an illusion."
After Li Zhiyan had tailed the protagonist group for a while, they finally split up. Tang San and Xiao Wu went shopping together, chatting and laughing as they went.
"Looks like I'll have to start with Xiao Wu."
Much of the time, Tang San was still more or less human, but whenever Xiao Wu was involved, he would turn into something inhuman.
For example, Zhao Wuji had clearly only been testing Tang San back then. Xiao Wu had used her Charm Soul Skill on a Soul Saint and suffered the backlash herself, yet Tang San had flown into a rage out of humiliation and used a vicious Hidden Weapon like the Dragon Whisker Needle against Zhao Wuji.
Earlier, Tang San had also tried every means to target Li Zhiyan because he was jealous of his close relationship with Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu was the one most capable of making Tang San lose control of his emotions. Only when Tang San's mind was unsettled would Li Zhiyan have a good chance to steal his Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.
After finding two extras and arranging the plan,
Li Zhiyan quietly followed behind the two of them.
Before long, Li Zhiyan got his chance.
Tang San was rather engrossed in something in front of a blacksmith's shop. He seemed to have spotted a piece of material inside.
Xiao Wu, on the other hand, was clearly not very interested in such things. She found a chair, sat down, and looked around.
"As expected of the protagonist. He can find something good just by going out for a stroll."
Li Zhiyan could sense that Tang San clearly had fortune on his side. Favored by heaven and earth, he could easily obtain all kinds of fortuitous opportunities.
Then he waved to Xiao Wu from a distance.
Xiao Wu was surprised to see someone waving at her.
That familiar feeling... could it be Brother Zhiyan?
A flicker of delight crossed Xiao Wu's pretty, adorable face. Though they hadn't known each other long, she truly liked Li Zhiyan as an older brother.
But...
Wouldn't it be wrong for her to go see Li Zhiyan?
In Xiao Wu's heart, she saw Li Zhiyan as an older brother, while what she felt for Tang San was love.
She always felt that an invisible red thread bound her to Third Brother, and that she was destined to be with him.
Third Brother hated Brother Zhiyan so much. If she secretly went to see Li Zhiyan, would Third Brother be angry?
Xiao Wu was torn to the extreme.
But when she thought of how miserable Li Zhiyan had been when he was driven out of Shrek Academy, she couldn't bear to leave him be.
Brother Zhiyan had clearly done nothing wrong, yet Third Brother, Grandmaster, and the others had joined forces to drive him out of Shrek Academy.
She ought to go and see how he was doing.
Seeing Tang San engrossed in conversation with the blacksmith, Xiao Wu secretly slipped away. As a Soft Bone Rabbit, she was exceptionally light on her feet, and for the moment, Tang San didn't notice.
"Brother Zhiyan!"
When Xiao Wu came skipping up to Li Zhiyan, he took off his sunglasses and the covering.
The succubus markings and the handsome covering were fully revealed to Xiao Wu.
At the sight of his face, Xiao Wu couldn't help feeling her heart race and her cheeks flush. Brother Zhiyan was simply too handsome; there was surely no one else as handsome as him on the entire continent.
"Brother Zhiyan, are you all right?"
Xiao Wu asked, her pretty face flushed.
Although she felt that Third Brother was the one she loved, every time she saw Li Zhiyan, her heart raced.
Although she wasn't together with Tang San, Xiao Wu felt guilty, as though she had wronged him.
"I've been worried about you ever since you were driven out of Shrek Academy. I didn't speak up for you then. Please don't blame me."
As she spoke, Xiao Wu lowered her head guiltily.
"It's all right, I know. In your heart, Tang San must be more important than me. After all, we've only known each other for a few days."
There was also an invisible bond in the feelings originally destined to exist between the members of the protagonist group. It wouldn't be easy to cut that bond.
"Brother Zhiyan, what are you planning to do next? Are you going to join another academy?"
"Let's talk about that later."
Now that he had been driven out, Li Zhiyan certainly couldn't let the protagonist group have such an easy time.
Looking at Xiao Wu's pretty face, Li Zhiyan lowered his head and gently took her hand.
"Xiao Wu, it's only been a few days, and you've grown even prettier."
"Not really..."
Praised by Li Zhiyan at such close range, Xiao Wu, whose heart had only just begun to stir with love, couldn't help feeling her face grow hot.
Just as Xiao Wu instinctively felt embarrassed, Li Zhiyan suddenly embraced her and leaned in to kiss her.
"Mmm, don't... Brother Zhiyan..."