Twelve Years Old: Campaigning in Nuoding

One day, when Qin Ming pushed open the door to the training room, he was holding a gold-stamped invitation.

"It came from Suotuo City." He tossed the invitation to Yu Tianheng. "Several of the city's great nobles sent it jointly, inviting our Imperial Fighting Team to the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City for a friendly match."

Yu Tianheng scrambled to catch it. He opened it, and his eyes lit up. "Teacher Qin, when do we leave?"

"I won't be going with you." Qin Ming folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "It's just a friendly match, not an official tournament. You can go on your own. If you win, the credit is yours. If you lose-" He glanced over the whole team. "You'll have to answer for it yourselves."

The side of the training ground erupted at once.

"Teacher's not going?!" Shi Mo's eyes lit up.

"Doesn't that mean we can have as much fun as we want?" Shi Mo chimed in, making it a duet.

"Quiet." Qin Ming glared at them. "Yu Tianheng will lead the team. Behave yourselves when you get to Suotuo City, and don't cause trouble. The academy will deposit your appearance fees into your accounts. Don't lose too badly and embarrass me."

Yu Tianheng tucked the invitation into his robes and thumped his chest with a thunderous sound. "Don't worry, Teacher Qin! With our Imperial Fighting Team on the field, victory is guaranteed!"

Dugu Yan wiped her sword without even lifting her eyes. "Let's go, then. We'd just be training if we stayed at the academy anyway."

Ye Lingling sat nearby, sorting her medicine bottles. She smiled quietly.

Tang Yin leaned against the corner of the room. When he heard the words "Suotuo City," his lowered lashes stirred almost imperceptibly.

Suotuo City.

He knew all too well where that was.

The Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City-in the original story, the Imperial Fighting Team had been invited there by a great noble and won the match. The noble lost his wager, and the Great Soul Arena, left with no other choice, brought in a strange academy team called Shrek as their opponents. And standing on that Shrek Team was his twin brother in this life-Tang San.

He raised his eyes and looked at his teammates, who filled the room with excited talk of what they would eat and do for fun in Suotuo City. Then he looked at the gold-stamped invitation in Yu Tianheng's hand.

He had been in this world for four years. From Holy Soul Village to Nuoding, and from Nuoding to Heaven Dou, he had made it this far, one step at a time. His Soul Power was at rank thirty-nine, and his Blue Silver Domain had taken its initial form. But he and his brother had yet to meet properly.

This time, there was no avoiding it.

"Shorty." Dugu Yan walked over and flicked him on the forehead. "What are you spacing out for? Nervous about going to Suotuo City for the match?"

Tang Yin came back to his senses and shook his head.

"I'm not nervous at all."

"Good." Dugu Yan gave a huff, then suddenly lowered her voice. "Once we get to Suotuo City, stay close to Lingling and me. Don't go wandering off alone. That place is a mess."

Ye Lingling came over too and pressed a small medicine bottle into his hand. "This is a newly prepared recovery potion. Take it with you."

Tang Yin lowered his head to look at the medicine bottle in his hand, then glanced at the fierce-looking Dugu Yan on his left and the gentle Ye Lingling on his right.

He nodded.

Three days later, the youths of the Imperial Fighting Team set off south in a carriage from Heaven Dou Royal Academy, bound for Suotuo City.

With no teacher or attendant, the seven youths and one little one escorted their own carriage, found their own way, and arranged their own lodgings. Yu Tianheng thumped his chest and acted as captain. Shi Mo and Shi Mo whistled at passing girls from the back of the carriage. Dugu Yan rested with her eyes closed inside, while Ye Lingling peeled an orange for Tang Yin.

Outside the carriage window, the broad streets of the imperial city gradually gave way to the bustling markets of smaller towns. As the carriage entered Suotuo City, Tang Yin lifted a corner of the curtain and glanced outside.

People came and went through the city gates, the cries of vendors mingling with the clamor of Soul Masters.

His gaze swept over an unremarkable figure seen from behind at a street corner-a youth about his height, wearing a scorpion braid. A girl in a pink dress followed beside him, leading two fat men by the hand, one old and one young, as they headed toward the other side of the city.

Tang Yin's hand stopped on the curtain.

His brother.

His brother had come to Suotuo City too.

"Ah Yin?" Ye Lingling offered him a peeled orange segment and noticed that something was wrong with his expression. "What is it?"

Tang Yin slowly lowered the curtain, blocking the figure from view.

He took the orange segment and popped it into his mouth. Sweet.

He turned to the two older sisters and gave them the faintest smile. "It's nothing."

"I just think-Suotuo City seems a little more interesting than I imagined."