“Alright.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged her words before he put the three soul bones away. He had something to eat before he drank a few gulps of water and returned to the tent.
Cai Mei’er had already made her decision – everyone was to stay here for an entire day so that everyone could adjust themselves and rest up, and everyone was to wait for Huo Yuhao and Wang Qiu’er to recover before continuing on their journey. There was nothing more important than her students’ safety.
Cai Mei’er was a little hasty to return to the academy after what had just happened so that she could report this issue with the three brothers to Shrek’s Guardians. The three brothers’ existence was an unimaginable threat to the world of soul masters, and they would definitely ascend to become Titled Douluo in the future. In addition to their abilities to manipulate and imprison beast souls, they were likely to become a great calamity for the world of soul masters.
This was the reason Cai Mei’er had decided to join the operation initially. She was going to try her best to help Huo Yuhao and Li Yongyue obtain soul rings suitable for them before they returned to Shrek Academy as quickly as possible. Her students had been tested too many times on this expedition.
---
Huo Yuhao was sitting cross-legged in his tent. He would have long gone into meditation by now if it had just been a normal day, but he was a little unsettled because Wang Dong’er still hadn’t returned. He kept thinking to himself – what will Wang Dong’er say to Wang Qiu’er? What will Wang Qiu’er say to Wang Dong’er?
He had avoided relaying some key facts when he had recounted his experience the previous day. What if Wang Qiu’er spills the beans? What will Dong’er think?
There so many complicated and intertwined emotions. How could he enter meditation like that?
---
On the other side, inside Huo Yuhao’s tent...
“…during the Sea God’s Fate on Sea God’s Lake. It was so beautiful! Did you know? I was so nervous back then.” Wang Dong’er vividly described her experiences with Huo Yuhao and what the two of them had gone through.
Wang Qiu’er was lying on her side and listening to Wang Dong’er. She didn’t talk much, but she was listening very intently.
“What were you nervous about?” Wang Qiu’er suddenly asked.
Wang Dong’er answered, “How could I not be nervous? That fool had been with me for so many years, but he never knew that I was a girl. If he had known that I was a girl, who knows what he would have thought back then? What if, what if he felt that I had been lying to him this whole time? What if he didn’t like me? There were so many people back then, so how could I not be nervous? However, it was still quite exciting.”
“What happened next?”
“And then…”
Wang Dong’er recounted the events on the Sea God’s Lake in detail, and Wang Qiu’er’s expressions would change at crucial parts.
“So, now you know. Our Raiment of Light was originally meant to be how I looked when I grew up, and he calls it the Goddess of Light. You look so much like me, and I was afraid that he only remembered this look, and not the person. This was the reason why I developed such intense hostility when I first met you… in the end, you look more like the Goddess of Light than I do.
“I only thought it out yesterday. If he only liked me because of my looks, then what meaning is there in his affection? Furthermore, I have faith in him, I should have faith in him. Will it not look like I’m insecure and I don’t have any self-confidence otherwise? Therefore, I am truly sorry, and I am apologizing sincerely for all my childishness before this.”
Wang Qiu’er’s eyes changed a little as she stared at Wang Dong’er. Her eyebrows knitted, and emotions began to shift in her eyes. Only she knew what she was thinking.
Wang Dong’er stared at her solemnly and said, “Are you willing to forgive me, Qiu’er? Even though I have no clue why we look so alike, this is a form of fate in the end. I am sure that I don’t have a sister that’s living outside. However, we look so alike, and our names are so similar... why don’t we address each other as sister from now on?”
Wang Qiu’er muttered coldly, “That’s not necessary. There’s nothing for me to forgive, and neither are we sisters. If you have nothing else to tell me, I want to rest.”
Wang Dong’er was slightly taken aback. She hadn’t expected Wang Qiu’er to be so cold, she had apologized sincerely with all her heart, but Wang Qiu’er didn’t seem like she wanted to accept it at all. However, she no longer harbored any hostility against Wang Qiu’er, and so she stood up and said, “Alright. Even if we’re not sisters, we’re still schoolmates, and that’s a fact that you can’t change. You should have a good rest and take care of your body. I will take good care of Huo Yuhao, and thank you once more for saving him.”
She didn’t wait for Wang Qiu’er to rebutt her, but pulled open the tent and slipped out before she closed it from the outside.
Wang Qiu’er’s eyes suddenly became a little lost as she stared at the closed veil. She mumbled to herself, “Did she come to show her dominance? Does she really think that he belongs to her already?”
“One hundred and seventeen cuts.” She suddenly blurted out a number. When she said this number, this girl that was always so tough and cold suddenly softened, and her eyes turned red as tears welled up in her eyes. Her tears finally trickled down her pale but incredibly beautiful face.
“I have his blood in my veins now. Huo Yuhao, you…”
Wang Dong’er came out of the tent and greeted her companions with a faint smile on her face before she arrived at Huo Yuhao’s tent. When she lifted the veil and climbed in, she was met with Huo Yuhao’s suspicious and doubtful eyes.
Wang Dong’er smiled and said, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Huo Yuhao coughed awkwardly and said, “I am just wondering why you went to look for Wang Qiu’er.”
Wang Dong’er answered, “I was apologizing to her! I’ve thought it through. I don’t have enough confidence in myself, and that’s why I subconsciously developed this hostility towards her. However, I finally understood after you guys came back. I am so pretty... how can I be insecure, and how can I not have confidence in myself? You should be the one that should be insecure. Wang Qiu’er also doesn’t have anything for you at all.”
“Uh… you don’t have to make it sound so hurtful.” Huo Yuhao muttered as he pulled a long face. The truth was that he didn’t have much confidence in his looks, at least in comparison to Wang Dong’er and Wang Qiu’er.
Wang Dong’er spoke matter-of-factly, “Am I wrong? Stop trying to dispute it, this is the truth. You should hurry up and cultivate. I’ll help you, so that you can recover as quickly as possible. Truth be told, I don’t want to stay in this Great Star Dou Forest for a second longer.”
Her eyes suddenly turned red as she said this. She stared at Huo Yuhao’s feeble face, and she couldn’t resist anymore as she slid gently into his embrace.
Her soft body fell into his arms, and that faint fragrance that belonged to a young girl filled every corner of Huo Yuhao’s heart and soul. It’s so nice to have someone be concerned about you!
Huo Yuhao hugged her tightly and whispered, “I’m sorry, Dong’er. I will never make you so worried in the future.”
Wang Dong’er replied softly, “You may not find yourself in such a dire situation anymore with your talent and your abilities. Your abilities determine your responsibility, and I know I can’t stop you from doing some things that you must. However, I’m not a fragile porcelain vase! My only wish is that you will bring me along when you have to face danger and peril, and we will face them together. Okay?”
“Yes.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged softly. He knew that it was unlikely that he would do so, but he still chose white lies and kind words during this heartwarming moment, as he couldn’t bear to see her sad, not even a little bit.
They rested for the entire day. Huo Yuhao recovered completely, and besides his spirit that still needed nurturing and repairing, everything else was back to normal.
Wang Qiu’er’s recovery speed was equally impressive, possibly even more impressive than Huo Yuhao’s. It was as if they were in a competition to see who could recover the fastest.
When Wang Qiu’er grasped her Golden Dragon Spear and stood in front of the company, everyone was under the illusion that this girl had not been injured before. Whether or not she had recovered from her injuries, they couldn’t tell from the outside anymore.
They cleaned the campsite and packed up. It was time to move out again, and only Huo Yuhao and Li Yongyue needed more soul rings.
Huo Yuhao’s gaze met Wang Qiu’er’s when they saw each other again, and he nodded in her direction with a faint smile on his face. Wang Qiu’er was expressionless, but she wasn’t as cold as she had been before this, and she responded with a nod before she walked up to the vanguard.
“Stay in the center, Qiu’er. Your injuries…” Zhang Lexuan spoke up concernedly.
Wang Qiu’er shook her head and said, “I’m fine. You need me to lead the way. I will stick closer to everyone.” She still insisted that she had to lead the way, but one could tell from her tone that she hadn’t fully recovered from her injuries.
The formation didn’t change, except Cai Mei’er was now openly anchoring the company at the back, so the group’s overall strength had become a lot stronger.
Wang Qiu’er still took the lead as they resumed their journey. However, she was conspicuously slower than the past few days, and nobody urged her to go faster. They ventured deeper into the Hybrid Region, and were moving closer and closer to the Core Region, so slowing down wasn’t a bad idea.
Huo Yuhao activated his Spiritual Detection once more, and he continued with his responsibilities as the main control soul master.
They had encountered many perils and dangers during this expedition into the Great Star Dou Forest, but this adventure had sufficiently tested the students’ abilities.
It was needless to discuss Zhang Lexuan and Han Ruoruo. They were the oldest here, and they were no longer in the same age group as their juniors. Huo Yuhao and Wang Qiu’er were undoubtedly the most outstanding ones among the others.
Wang Qiu’er’s abilities seemed to be stronger, but everyone knew that they would have died without Huo Yuhao’s Spiritual Detection. For example, when they were faced with the three brothers, the situation would have been drastically different if Huo Yuhao hadn’t risked his life to steal the two baby Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bears.
Those two little fellows were also part of the company at this moment. However, they were treated very nicely. Huo Yuhao was carrying them both, one in each arm.