Ma Xiaotao

After leaving Mu En's room, Tang Wulin did not immediately return to his own. Instead, he waited outside a room on the first floor.

Huo Yutong was inside, studying knowledge related to Soul Tools.

She had just demonstrated her soul skill to Qian Duoduo. After experiencing it, Qian Duoduo had been utterly amazed. With Huo Yutong's consent, he immediately accepted her into the Soul Engineering Department.

Tang Wulin had forged in this room two hours ago, so he knew that although it was not large, it had everything it needed. All the tools required to make Soul Tools were inside, making it an excellent place for Soul Engineers to learn their craft.

With Qian Duoduo's guidance, Huo Yutong's Soul Tool skills would surely improve at a rapid pace.

After waiting for a little over ten minutes, Huo Yutong came out.

She was clearly startled to see Tang Wulin and hurriedly jogged over to ask,

"Wulin, why are you here?"

"It's your first day in the Soul Engineering Department, so I wanted to ask how it went." Tang Wulin smiled gently. "How was it? Did your studies go smoothly?"

"Yes, very smoothly." Huo Yutong smiled shyly. "Thank you, Wulin."

After a busy day, having someone willing to ask how things had gone was enough to warm her heart.

She told Tang Wulin about what Qian Duoduo had taught her, while Tang Wulin shared the Cultivation Technique Mu En had passed on to him. As they chatted about their respective gains, they headed toward the second floor.

Just as they were about to reach the second floor, Huo Yutong's expression suddenly changed. She grabbed Tang Wulin and whispered,

"Stop."

As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the path ahead, as though she had seen something unbelievable. A faint trace of fear appeared in her eyes.

"?"

Tang Wulin followed her gaze and saw a beautiful figure.

It was a woman wearing an Inner Court school uniform. She was tall and slender, with long red hair that fell past her hips. Her curvaceous figure was impossibly eye-catching, and her profile was mature and captivating.

"Hmm?"

At the same time Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong noticed her, she noticed them as well. She quickly turned and walked over, speaking loftily.

"Why are there two such little children here? Which teacher brought you in?"

Once she came closer, Tang Wulin could finally see her face clearly. He could not help sighing inwardly. She truly was a beauty.

Clearly, she was an Inner Court Senior Sister, and one at the level of a Campus Belle.

Huo Yutong clearly did not like this woman. She quietly took a step back and retorted,

"That has nothing to do with you."

"Don't say that. We're both students the academy pays special attention to. We should get to know each other better."

The woman smiled seductively and reached toward Tang Wulin's face.

"Especially when you look at how adorably handsome this little guy is. It would be such a waste if he didn't smile more."

Clearly, this was the first time she had seen such a fresh-faced little beauty as Tang Wulin, and she instinctively wanted to tease him.

However, before her hand could touch its target, it was slapped away with a sharp smack.

Huo Yutong cast off her earlier fearful demeanor and stood in front of Tang Wulin, glaring viciously at the red-haired woman.

"Don't touch him!"

The red-haired woman froze for a moment, then the corners of her lips curled upward.

"Oh my, what a possessive little kitten. Do you hate other women touching him that much?"

"That has nothing to do with it!"

A flush immediately appeared on Huo Yutong's face. Clearly, the woman had struck a nerve.

What a pure and adorable little girl.

The woman chuckled, studying Huo Yutong's face as a thoughtful look flashed through her eyes.

She felt that she vaguely recognized this girl. It seemed as if she had seen her just a few days ago, but she had been confined to Sea God's Pavilion these past few days and had not been able to take a single step outside. Where could she have seen her?

Wait, could it be...

She suddenly realized it and blurted out,

"Are you the junior sister I attacked by Sea God Lake that time?"

"..."

Huo Yutong did not answer her question, tacitly admitting it.

The red-haired woman became excited at once. She hurriedly grabbed Huo Yutong by the shoulders and asked eagerly,

"Do you know who drove me back that time? Tell me quickly! It's very important to me!"

"Ugh!"

With her shoulders seized by the woman's full strength, Huo Yutong instinctively let out a muffled groan, her face immediately turning pale.

She had barely eaten a full meal a few times in her entire life, and she was only level eleven. Just from being grabbed like this, a piercing pain shot through her shoulders. If her clothes were removed, bruises would already be rapidly appearing where she had been gripped.

At the critical moment, Tang Wulin shoved the red-haired woman away and shielded Huo Yutong behind him, snapping,

"What are you doing? Is this how you ask someone for help? Can't you see she's in pain?"

"Ah..." Only then did the woman realize what she had done. After taking two deep breaths, she said seriously, "I'm sorry. My name is Ma Xiaotao. I am the disciple of Yan Shaozhe, the former dean of the Martial Soul Department. What I just asked is truly important. Please answer me."

"...I don't know."

Huo Yutong answered coldly.

After being grabbed by Ma Xiaotao, both her arms had now gone completely numb. Not only could she not reveal Tian Meng's existence, but even if she could, she would not tell this crazy woman a single word.

Tang Wulin looked at the two of them in confusion.

"What are you two talking about?"

From the very beginning, Huo Yutong and Ma Xiaotao had acted as though they already knew each other. It made Tang Wulin feel excluded, and it was extremely unpleasant.

Ma Xiaotao looked at him in surprise.

"Huh, you don't know? She didn't tell you?"

"..."

Tang Wulin's expression darkened further.

The way Ma Xiaotao said it made it sound as though Huo Yutong not telling him was something quite astonishing.

Ma Xiaotao was stunned for a moment, then her lips curved into a pleased smile.

"Interesting. Were you afraid he'd worry? You really do like him."

Ma Xiaotao adopted a lofty stance and said to Huo Yutong,

"Since that's the case, I'll let it go this time. I'll ask you again next time. I hope you'll answer truthfully then."

She already knew what Huo Yutong cared about most, which made things easy. As long as she used Tang Wulin as leverage, she did not believe Huo Yutong would keep her mouth shut.

She needed to ask her teacher for information about Tang Wulin, then decide how to use it to threaten Huo Yutong.

Without saying anything else, she turned and left, leaving Tang Wulin and Huo Yutong standing where they were.

Huo Yutong looked at Tang Wulin uneasily.

"Wulin, I..."

She keenly sensed that he was angry.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath and said,

"Come on. Let's talk in my room."