Some time ago, the Body Sect had attacked the Ill.u.s.trious Virtue Hall and inflicted heavy losses on them. They had also given Huo Yuhao the opportunity to leave with the Snow Lady and the huge human-shaped soul tool. That soul tool had already been given to Xuan Ziwen for research purposes.
This tournament was being organized by the Sun Moon Empire, but the Body Sect actually had the guts to come here. Weren"t they scared of being trapped in the Sun Moon Empire?
Zhang Lexuan said, "Not only are they here to compete, a few of the senior members of the sect have also snuck into the city secretly. No one knows what they"re plotting. Maybe they"re here to protect their disciples, or they might have ulterior motives. It"s nothing bad for us. I"m telling you this so that you"ll be in the loop. If you meet anyone from the Body Sect, don"t provoke them."
Huo Yuhao smiled and said, "The enemy of our enemy is our friend. I understand this logic. Don"t worry. Is there any other news?"
Zhang Lexuan said, "Another thing is, please don"t be too conservative in the tournament and in your daily routine. It"s not just us from Shrek Academy who are here."
Huo Yuhao"s eyes brightened. Zhang Lexuan was very clear with her words. There were also some strong individuals from Shrek Academy who were here. Evidently, they were worried about the Sun Moon Empire!
"This is good news." Huo Yuhao didn"t ask who was here. Just knowing they were out there was already enough.
Zhang Lexuan revealed a look of hesitation in her eyes, and asked softly, "Is Bei Bei feeling better?"
Huo Yuhao and w.a.n.g Dong"er"s expressions suddenly turned weird. They already knew about the secret between Bei Bei and Zhang Lexuan. As they saw the look of worry that flashed across Zhang Lexuan"s eyes, they had the same thought in their mind. She was still brooding over her promise in the past, but was it really just about the promise?
"He"s much better. However, he can"t compete for now."
"Let him rest then. Alright, the two of you should rest early, too. Your team will compete tomorrow, right? I wish you all the best." Zhang Lexuan quickly ended the conversation. She stood up and left after bowing slightly to the both of them.
w.a.n.g Dong"er laughed after Zhang Lexuan left. She said, "If anyone from the inner courtyard learns that eldest senior sister has someone in her heart, do you think eldest senior will be in trouble?"
Huo Yuhao laughed lightly and replied, "I don"t know. Her news came just in time. If the Body Sect has really entered Radiant City in such large numbers, it also means that they will try to do something. However, they are in the open this time. Can they even escape? The Sun Moon Empire and Holy Ghost Church are more worrying. I feel like there"s something amiss about this tournament, but I can"t tell what it is yet."
w.a.n.g Dong"er grabbed his hand and said, "You are already exhausted enough. Don"t think so much. In fact, we"re already the reigning champions of the tournament. Even if we don"t win this time, it"s nothing. The future is more important. Do you understand what I mean, Yuhao?"
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly before shaking his head. "I"ll try my best. If not for Teacher Xiao Ya and eldest senior, I wouldn"t be here today. I wouldn"t have been able to enter Shrek Academy either and gotten to know you. In my heart, I"ll always be eternally grateful to both of them. Teacher Xiao Ya isn"t in good shape now. It feels like she"s being controlled. Her greatest wish was to rebuild the Tang Sect and reinstate its former glory. I must help eldest senior fulfil her wis.h.!.+"
w.a.n.g Dong"er nodded slightly and said, "I understand. Let me help you." It was just a few words, but there was an indescribable feeling in them.
The two of them smiled as they looked at each other. Just as w.a.n.g Dong"er was pus.h.i.+ng Huo Yuhao back, someone burst out from the side and exclaimed in surprise, "I"ve finally found you!"
A wind swept across their faces, and Meng Hongchen blocked their path. She was wearing a long, light blue dress. She was excited as she saw w.a.n.g Dong"er. No, it was w.a.n.g Dong in her eyes. Furthermore, she completely ignored Huo Yuhao.
"It"s you." w.a.n.g Dong"er furrowed her brow. Meng Hongchen had been hara.s.sing her for far more than one or two days. Meng Hongchen would find her whenever she had time during the two years of the exchange. She couldn"t avoid her at all, but she couldn"t reveal her true ident.i.ty, either!
Meng Hongchen leapt in front of w.a.n.g Dong"er and said, "Why aren"t all of you representing Shrek Academy!? I took some time to search for all of you. I knew that you"d be here!"
w.a.n.g Dong"er was a little annoyed. "Is there something you want?"
Meng Hongchen rolled her eyes amorously and said, "Can"t I find you for no reason? I found out that all of you were competing on behalf of the Tang Sect from the tournament"s organizing committee. Are you trying to take everyone by surprise or something?"
w.a.n.g Dong"er replied, "What do you mean? We"ve joined a sect and are representing our sect. Is there a problem? It"s not early anymore. If there"s nothing else, go back and rest early. We still need to compete tomorrow."
Meng Hongchen pursed her lips and said, "It"s still early. This is only a preliminary round. With your abilities, what are you so scared of?"
w.a.n.g Dong"er twisted her lips and answered, "Why not? There are sects involved in this edition of the tournament. It"s different from before. You almost lost today too."
Meng Hongchen"s eyes brightened, and she said, "You were concerned about me?"
"I…" w.a.n.g Dong"er was speechless by how she interpreted things.
"I knew that you"ve always been very concerned about me." As she spoke, Meng Hongchen took a step forward and held onto her wrist. She looked very blissful.
Huo Yuhao coughed. "This, Dong… w.a.n.g Dong, I"ll go back first. The two of you can have a chat." Huo Yuhao was amused, but he tried to control his laughter. He pushed his wheelchair along with his one hand.
"Hey! You, you"re…" Meng Hongchen only realized there was someone else present at that moment. Following that, she stared at him. "You"re Huo Yuhao? How did you get get into this state?"
Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes and thought to himself. What kind of look is that? You"ve just noticed me now? He laughed bitterly and said, "I got into a sticky situation."
Meng Hongchen said, "Can you compete in that state? Weren"t you just fine when you returned from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy a few months ago? Why…?"
"Alright, don"t be gossipy anymore." Huo Yuhao was afraid that she might make w.a.n.g Dong"er sad if she continued talking. He quickly interrupted her and said, "Aren"t you here for w.a.n.g Dong? The two of you can chat first. I"m returning to my room to rest. w.a.n.g Dong, this is also considered fate. Just accompany her for a while." As he spoke, he threw her a look.
w.a.n.g Dong"er was a little frustrated as she glared back at him. "You can"t cope on your own. Let me follow you back."
Huo Yuhao hurriedly said, "I"m fine. I"m fine. I can cope on my own. I"m not that weak. Even with only one hand, I can still take care of myself." As he spoke, he immediately pushed the wheels of his wheelchair towards the soul elevator.
Meng Hongchen"s eyes broke into a smile when she saw how cooperative Huo Yuhao was acting. She muttered softly, "This guy is not that annoying after all. w.a.n.g Dong, are you trying to bewitch us?"
"What are you talking about?" w.a.n.g Dong"er"s expression suddenly changed. She wrenched her wrist away, and a fierce look appeared in her eyes. Huo Yuhao had landed in his current state because of her. She was heartbroken, and kept on convincing herself to be strong so that she could take care of Huo Yuhao. In her heart, there was still guilt, pain, and affection. Meng Hongchen"s words. .h.i.t her where it hurt the most. How could she not be angry?
Meng Hongchen was shocked by her reaction. She would have acted up if someone else had dared to react like this to her. However, w.a.n.g Dong was different. In her heart, w.a.n.g Dong was perfect. In the last tournament, w.a.n.g Dong and Huo Yuhao had teamed up together to create a miracle. His unyielding spirit and handsome looks had greatly moved her heart. Her exchange at Shrek Academy also gave her more time to interact with him. She was fearful when she saw w.a.n.g Dong acting up so suddenly.
Meng Hongchen was a little panicky as she asked, "I"m, I"m sorry, w.a.n.g Dong! Why did you react so greatly? Did I say something wrong?"
w.a.n.g Dong"er looked at her coldly and said, "Huo Yuhao is in his current state because of me."
Meng Hongchen was jolted awake, and looked apologetic, "I"m sorry. I didn"t know. My grandfather told me to be wary of him. That"s why I said everything out of fear."
w.a.n.g Dong"er was stunned, and she asked, "How did your grandfather appraise him?"
Meng Hongchen replied, "Intelligent, cunning, tolerant, and talented!"
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"Intelligent, cunning, tolerant, and talented? I didn"t expect Jing Hongchen to appraise me so highly!" Huo Yuhao smiled as w.a.n.g Dong"er recounted her conversation with Meng Hongchen.
w.a.n.g Dong"er was a little annoyed. "I almost told her I was a girl. You don"t know how torturous it is to be with her."
Huo Yuhao chuckled, "You are attractive. It"s better not to tell her and continue to act like a guy. Otherwise, you"ll invite a lot of pursuers during the tournament. Watch and see. I believe Qiu"er will cause some trouble."
w.a.n.g Dong"er said, "Speaking of Qiu"er, I haven"t seen her in days. Has she been cultivating?"
Huo Yuhao remained silent for a moment and replied, "She"s a stubborn person. For this tournament, I"m afraid she will…" His voice trailed off, and he couldn"t help but shake his head. With w.a.n.g Qiu"er"s compet.i.tive personality, she only had one goal, even if her teammates weren"t strong enough.