Time flies.
In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.
Wang Dong'er had been keeping vigil here every day until late at night, not leaving until the academy's main gate closed, only to come early on the second day.
The third morning.
As dawn broke, the eastern sky was tinged with the light of morning.
"Morning, young lady."
The two gatekeepers yawned as they greeted Wang Dong'er, who had woken even earlier than they had.
"Dear uncles, I was wondering if you could think of any other way? I really want to see Qin Xiao."
Wang Dong'er once again pleaded for help.
To tell the truth, she had thought about sneaking in, but with the current heightened security inside the Imperial Sun Moon Soul Academy, it was very difficult for her not to be discovered considering her cultivation level.
If she were caught as a suspect of ill intentions, it would be big trouble, since her intentions were purely good.
This was why she was willing to wait patiently.
"Young lady, it's not that we don't want to do you a favor; we've been watching you these past few days, and you do seem like a good person. But rules are rules, and if we slip up, we might very well lose our heads."
The gatekeeper replied helplessly.
"Alright then, I'll think of another way,"
said Wang Dong'er, nodding in disappointment, no longer inclined to wait.
She was truly in a hurry, as three days was the limit of her patience.
For some reason, she had begun feeling a sense of urgency recently.
It was as if something important was about to happen, and if she couldn't become strong quickly during this period, she might face unimaginable danger.
"Well then, I can only wish you good luck, and a safe journey,"
said one of the gatekeepers, thinking that Wang Dong'er was finally giving up.
However, just at that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind everyone.
"Hey, uh..."
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Everyone turned their heads in unison to see a handsome young man slowly walking out from inside the academy.
He walked with an easy stride, his hands in his pockets, and a blade of grass in his mouth, looking utterly relaxed and comfortable.
"Qin Xiao!"
Wang Dong'er fixed her gaze on the young man, first startled and then her eyes showing a glint of joy.
Her voice trembled slightly, barely able to contain her excitement: "Qin Xiao, it's really you, it's so great to see you again!"
She quickly broke into a smile, overtaken by emotion.
"You are...?"
Qin Xiao, looking at the girl outside, frowned slightly.
In actuality, he had already guessed her identity.
But sometimes, not knowing is better than knowing.
Like right now.
"I'm Wang Dong, remember?"
Wang Dong'er hastily tied up her hair.
This way, Qin Xiao might recognize some of the familiar contours from her face.
"It really is you."
Qin Xiao also appeared surprised, "When I saw your silhouette just now, I found it somewhat familiar, hence I called out to you. I almost laughed at myself, how foolish I was, thinking a girl resembled you when you were, in fact, a boy..."
Wang Dong'er was initially taken aback, and then her cheeks flushed with a warm glow: "No, actually, I've always been a girl, just that traversing Soul Land in a male guise is more convenient."
"Then let's get reacquainted,"
Wang Dong'er said, quickly stepping forward to Qin Xiao, extending her delicate hand and softly saying, "My name is Wang Dong'er."
"Then you can call me... God, Qin Xiao..."
Qin Xiao replied, lightly taking Wang Dong'er's hand.
Don't say my hand is quite tender.
Soft.
"God?"
Wang Dong'er let out a chuckle, "I think you're dreaming."
"Let's go, we'll talk more in the academy."
Qin Xiao had intended to go out for a stroll to see if there were any recent moves from Electrolux.
But now he decided to postpone this plan.
"Okay."
Wang Dong'er nodded gently, then entered the academy with Qin Xiao.
Before long, they arrived at Qin Xiao's laboratory.
All sorts of rare materials could be seen here, along with numerous soul tools in various stages of completion.
Wang Dong'er's eyes shone brightly at the sight.
After all, she was no longer who she had been before.
She was now a qualified Soul Master.
Seeing these things excited her just as much as a man seeing a beautiful woman.
"Did you make all of these?"
She asked carelessly, blinking her curious large eyes.
Qin Xiao nodded, "Just some trinkets I made casually. They're nothing special."
"Can you tell me what level of Soul Master you are?"
Wang Dong'er looked at Qin Xiao with eager eyes.
"Does it matter?"
"Of course, it matters."
After thinking for a while, Qin Xiao spoke truthfully, "Currently, I am only a Level 7 Soul Master, but I should be able to make Grade 8 soul tools..."
"Grade 8!" Wang Dong'er was struck as if by lightning, her mind went blank.
"So, does that mean there isn't much difference between you and a bona fide Grade 8 Soul Master?"
"You could say that, although right now I'm too lazy to verify it."
Upon hearing this, Wang Dong'er fell silent.
"Why aren't you speaking? Don't you like to talk?"
Qin Xiao asked curiously.
"I just don't like talking to you much, as I feel we have nothing in common," Wang Dong'er replied irritably.
Of course, that was truly what she thought.
She had believed herself to be a genius for becoming a Level 3 Soul Master in such a short time.
But compared to Qin Xiao, she was nothing.
"Haha, then just tell me, what is your real purpose in coming here? You surely didn't come to chat with me."
Qin Xiao laughed.
"Actually, I came to you because I have nowhere else to go... and no one else I can trust..." As she brought up the matter, Wang Dong'er's eyes lost their luster.
She was truly disappointed.
"What do you mean by that?"
Qin Xiao asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Did you know? When I went back to the sect, I discovered an astonishing truth.
That is the curse I bear didn't come from any enemy, but from..."
As she spoke, Wang Dong'er's eyes were filled with complex emotions and she seemed unable to continue.
It seemed like she knew the truth? Qin Xiao's eyes lit up.
He pressed eagerly, "Can't you stop talking halfway through? Either don't speak at all or finish what you started. In the Sun-Moon Empire, isn't cutting off a story like that punishable by a five-minute execution?"
"What? There's such a punishment?" Wang Dong'er was surprised.
Qin Xiao was speechless, "Of course not, I was just bluffing. Hurry up and continue..."
"Alright then."
Wang Dong'er took a deep breath and said, "I would've never imagined that the person who cast the curse on me was my own father, why would he be so cruel!"
As Wang Dong'er spoke, a look of hatred flashed in her eyes.
Good, very good, extremely good... Qin Xiao couldn't help but feel overjoyed inside.
But still, he put on a shocked expression and said, "What? How is that possible?
A tiger doesn't eat its cubs, how could a father curse his own child?"
"Yes."
Wang Dong'er's face was tinged with bitterness, "I too once had endless fantasies about my father.
I thought he was a man of dignity with a touch of gentleness.
He seemed very strict, yet he could make me feel secure.
But I was wrong.
It was all wishful thinking on my part, all too naive.
It was all false.
My true father is someone who sees his own child as a tool.
In his eyes, the so-called familial love can't withstand a single blow."
Qin Xiao listened with great interest.
He hadn't expected that a small whim of his would bring such a big impact.
He hadn't even made his move yet, and it seemed like Wang Dong'er had already turned against Tang San?
This was a good thing.
'Great chaos is approaching, and Wang Dong'er can also become a pawn in my hands.
And important pawns like her, the more the merrier.'
"Why aren't you talking, are you deeply moved?"
Just then, Wang Dong'er's voice rang out again.
Qin Xiao looked up to see Wang Dong'er blinking, staring expectantly at him.
Empathetic? Qin Xiao was taken aback.
He was actually at a loss for words.
Would shaking his head disappoint Wang Dong'er?
Of course, he didn't care about Wang Dong'er's feelings, what he cared about was whether Wang Dong'er could become a pawn for him.
"Actually, I've known your identity for quite some time now."
Wang Dong'er said in a somber tone.
Hmm? Qin Xiao was startled, had Tang San already discovered him?
However,
Before he could say anything else, Wang Dong'er spoke again, "Your original name isn't Qin Xiao, but Huo Yuhao, right?
Oh, that's not right either.
To be precise, your real name should be Dai Yuhao, the son of Duke Baihu Dai Hao of the Xingluo Empire, who has suffered a lot of unfair treatment since childhood.
Even your mother met with an untimely fate, and all the culprits behind these are the Duke of the White Tiger Duchy, his Duchess, and their son, right?"
"Ah, this..." Qin Xiao looked at Wang Dong, who seemed to know everything, with a bit of astonishment.
So, what Wang Dong'er said she knew all about was this matter.
'I knew I hid my identity well; there should be very few people who could find out...' Qin Xiao inwardly heaved a sigh of relief.
"You know all this?" he asked with interest.
Wang Dong'er's eyes were filled with complexity, "I already know, and the upper echelons of the three great empires are all aware of this now.
Qin Xiao..."
Wang Dong'er gently patted Qin Xiao's shoulder, "I heard you've already taken revenge on two of your enemies, and it's only a matter of time before you deal with the rest."
Qin Xiao: ??
Is this meant to comfort me?
Or to encourage me?
Either way, it's strange.
"It's a pity, if only I could be like you, to thoroughly vent my own anger."
As she spoke, Wang Dong began to sigh again.
It's hard to fathom a woman's heart; in just this brief time, Wang Dong'er's emotions had gone through several changes... Qin Xiao thought cynically, yet he also understood that it was no longer a time to remain silent.
Qin Xiao said, "Don't worry, if you want, it's possible."
"It's impossible," Wang Dong'er shook her head in dejection.
"You don't know, I come from the Hao Tian Clan, and my father should be a super-strong fighter from Hao Tian Clan.
But he's very mysterious, I've never seen him since I was a child.
It was Niu Tian and Titan who raised me. But you probably don't know what kind of characters Niu Tian and Titan are, do you?
"They are fierce towards others and also very powerful. Anyone who could make the two of them submit and follow orders is bound to be possibly the strongest in Soul Land. Wanting revenge and to get a breather for myself seems so difficult."
Wang Dong'er became more and more despondent as she spoke.
The light in her eyes quickly dimmed.
Qin Xiao noticed that Wang Dong'er truly wanted to stand up for herself.
But she wasn't brainless, just an impulsive player.
Although Wang Dong'er didn't know that her father was the Divine King of the Divine Realm, she had also deduced that the identity and power of the other party were extraordinary.
"Do you believe in me?"
Qin Xiao suddenly took Wang Dong'er's hand.
Wang Dong'er nodded vigorously, "Of course, I believe in you. You are the only person on this continent that I trust so far.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have been looking for you everywhere when you were caught by the Body Sect. Hmm, even though I didn't end up doing much in the end, I had the intention.
If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have rushed to the Sun-Moon Empire as soon as I got news about you.
If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have waited for you at the academy gate for several days."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiao's eyes brightened, "As long as you trust me, that's good. I see that you've also become a Soul Master, so you can learn about soul tools from me.
And I can also tailor-make a very powerful soul tool for you. If you want to take revenge, there might still be hope..."
Looking at Wang Dong'er, a new plan formed in Qin Xiao's heart.
One must guard against others, after all.
He planned to send Tang San a big gift using Wang Dong'er.
"Really, can you do that?"
Wang Dong'er was incredibly shocked.
It seemed like there was nothing Qin Xiao couldn't do.
Qin Xiao feigned anger, "Didn't you just say you trust me?"
"Ah, this..."
Wang Dong'er looked down at her toes somewhat ashamedly, "I just forgot for a moment."
Qin Xiao said, "From today on, you should stay. There are enough soul tool materials here for you to use for a long time, to improve your soul tool Cultivation Level."
Wang Dong'er was moved, "Qin Xiao, you've been really good to me, how can I ever thank you?"
Qin Xiao looked Wang Dong'er up and down, then said, "We'll talk about it when you grow up."
"Umm..." Wang Dong'er instinctively nodded, but quickly realized something was off, "Huh? You, you rogue..."
Her pretty face instantly turned bright red.
Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow, Is my request too excessive?
Isn't this a normal demand?
Thump, thump, thump.
Just then, the laboratory door was knocked on.
Without waiting for Qin Xiao to respond, after a regular three knocks, someone pushed the door and entered.
Clearly,
It was an acquaintance of Qin Xiao's.
And indeed it was.
The woman who walked in from outside was tall and beautiful.
Vina~!
"Teacher..."
As usual, Vina wanted to say something to Qin Xiao.
But then,
When she saw Wang Dong'er next to Qin Xiao, she closed her mouth warily.
After swallowing the words she wanted to say, she then asked Qin Xiao, "I don't know who she is...?"
Qin Xiao replied, "She's a new apprentice in the laboratory, consider her a junior to you. Let's talk outside about anything else."
He then instructed Wang Dong'er, "There are many books on soul Master theory on the bookshelf, you can have a look on your own."
Although Wang Dong'er was somewhat puzzled, she still obediently nodded.
Outside the laboratory, making sure no one could hear their conversation, Qin Xiao asked, "What's happened?"
Vina answered with a grave expression, "The Sect Master has discovered that Titan has left the Xingluo Empire's army and entered the Sun-Moon Empire territory alone..."
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