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16.82% Douluo: Rebirth of Yuhao, they all have ulterior motives. / Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Then Let's Collaborate

Bab 17: Chapter 17: Then Let's Collaborate

"Xiao Huo, I heard your grilled fish business is booming. Good job, kid!"

As soon as he stepped out of the snack street, Huo Yuhao saw Huang Yu. The moment Huang Yu spotted him, he approached with a smile. As the manager of the snack street, he understood well that envy was pointless. Huo had just given him a golden soul coin; making money was his skill.

If every popular stall started causing trouble, who would dare to set up shop here in the future?

As Huang Yu got closer, he noticed Huo Yuhao's face wasn't looking good, and his smile faded a bit.

"What's wrong? Is someone bullying you?"

Huo Yuhao shook his head slightly. "No, Uncle Huang, it's just that a friend might be in some trouble, and I need to go check on them."

"Do you want me to bring some people to accompany you?"

"Thank you, Uncle Huang, but it's not a big deal. I can handle it myself."

Only then did Huang Yu nod in agreement.

"Alright, just be careful. If you run into something you can't handle, don't act recklessly. I know a few people here in Heaven Dou City."

As he spoke, he tugged at the corners of his mouth and patted Huo Yuhao on the shoulder. "I don't want the stall to be left empty after renting it out. I've heard many people talking about your grilled fish; it makes me want to try it myself."

"Sure, Uncle Huang, if you come to eat, I won't charge you."

"You little brat, do I still need you to treat me? I can afford a few fish myself. Enough chit-chat, hurry up and go."

After thanking him again, Huo Yuhao quickly disappeared from Huang Yu's sight. A subordinate hesitated for a moment before approaching.

"Brother Huang, why do you take care of that kid so much?"

Huang Yu didn't rush to answer. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in his mouth. The subordinate quickly took out a match to light it for him.

"Puff—"

"I just think he looks too stressed and wanted to lend a hand."

As the smoke swirled around, Huang Yu's eyes held a complicated expression. "As someone with kids, I can't bear to see such a young child carrying so much pressure."

"But looking at him, he's much more impressive than I imagined…"

Boom!

The plaque inscribed with the words "Tang Sect" fell heavily from the tall gate, shattering into pieces.

In front of the gate, a tall middle-aged man looked at this scene and couldn't help but smirk. But in the next second, his expression turned fierce, and six soul rings appeared beneath his feet—one white, two yellow, and three purple.

The might of a Soul Emperor erupted without reservation at this moment. He glanced around, sweeping over the onlookers who had gathered to see the commotion. Anyone who made eye contact with the middle-aged man instinctively lowered their heads. Seeing this, he let out a haughty snort and bellowed.

"What's there to look at? Haven't you seen a demolition before!? Get out of here!"

With his shout, the crowd dispersed like birds and beasts, not daring to look back.

Before long, two young men arrived beside the middle-aged man, bowing respectfully.

"Master."

Seeing that the two young men returned empty-handed, the middle-aged man frowned.

"Did you find anything?"

A hint of panic flashed in the eyes of the two young men. One of them gulped and said tremulously, "Report to the Master, the Tang Sect's secret passages are too concealed; we couldn't find them."

"Useless!"

The middle-aged man scolded angrily, "You can't even catch a little girl? Heaven Dou City is this big; where can she run to? Expand the search range and continue looking!"

"Yes, yes!"

The two young men quickly nodded in agreement, turning to leave without looking back. Only when they couldn't see the Master's figure did they relax slightly. One of them couldn't help but sneer softly and mutter.

"Heaven Dou City is so big, so why doesn't he go look for her himself? If we search little by little, we won't find her even in three days. That girl has probably run away already."

"Enough complaining, let's just search. It's not just us two looking, and I remember that girl from the Tang Sect is quite pretty. If we do find her… Hehe."

Hearing his companion's laugh, the other young man's expression softened, a mysterious smile forming on his lips. The two instinctively quickened their pace.

Soon, they arrived at a small alley. After searching fruitlessly and about to leave, they turned around and found a slender figure standing quietly at the entrance of the alley.

The sunlight slanted down behind her, completely covering her face in shadow. A pair of azure eyes, filled with chilling coldness, fixedly stared at them.

Realizing something was off, the two exchanged glances, then drew their weapons, looking unfriendly at the boy.

"Kid, what do you want?"

"Aren't you the demolition crew?"

Looking at the long knives in their hands, Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Or is it reasonable for demolition crew members to carry swords around?"

"Forget it."

Before the two could reply, Huo Yuhao shook his head, changing the topic.

"Anyway, it won't hurt to ask you a few questions."

He took out a white tiger dagger from his storage space, the sharp blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

"If you're too harsh later, just bear with it!"

After a whole day, Tang Ya felt like she had lost her soul, huddled in the empty alley, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the dirt on the ground.

Even though her stomach had long been crying out in hunger, she remained oblivious.

Thanks to the secret passage set up in advance by the Tang Sect, she had successfully escaped from the Iron Blood Sect's ambush. However, her parents had stayed behind to protect her, leaving her forever.

She tightly gripped the storage ring in her hand, which contained the last legacy of the Tang Sect— a rare metal that was originally used to forge hidden weapons. Her parents had given it to her with smiles before going to sleep after hearing her words.

Everything happened so suddenly, like a nightmare, that her mind remained in chaos. After staying there for a day, she still couldn't figure out where to go next.

At that moment, a steady pair of footsteps approached from outside the alley. She didn't react at all until the footsteps suddenly stopped and then drew nearer, as if walking toward her. Tang Ya's heart stirred slightly.

Is it coming for me? Did the Iron Blood Sect find me?

Finally, the footsteps stopped in front of her, and a gentle voice sounded in her ear.

"If you don't eat, your body will collapse."

Tang Ya's body trembled, and as she raised her head, she saw two skewers of grilled fish being offered to her. Perhaps they were nearly cold, as the aroma was no longer as strong as yesterday, but it still caused her empty stomach to emit strange sounds.

"Eat, I promised to save some for you."

Without offering comfort or saying anything else, the boy simply pushed the grilled fish toward her. Tang Ya finally responded, dazedly taking the skewers of grilled fish and staring blankly at them.

Suddenly, it was as if a switch had been flipped. She opened her mouth and took a big bite of the grilled fish, tearing at it vigorously, chewing heartily.

As she chewed, her already swollen eyes filled with tears again. She raised her hand holding the fish, desperately trying to wipe her tears away, but she couldn't stop them at all.

The whole scene looked quite comical, but the boy in front didn't laugh. He slowly sat down beside her, gazing at the scenery outside the alley, remaining silent.

Realizing it was futile to wipe away her tears, Tang Ya gave up, suppressing her soft sobs like a little beast, swallowing the fish meat.

Until she devoured the two skewers of grilled fish completely, Tang Ya felt like she was alive again. She pursed her lips and looked at Huo Yuhao, her voice hoarse as she asked.

"How did you find me?"

Huo Yuhao replied softly, "I saved two skewers of grilled fish for you, but you didn't come. I didn't want to waste them, so I came over."

Tang Ya felt as if the words were stuck in her throat. After a long pause, she finally asked, "How did you find this place?"

The Iron Blood Sect was definitely searching for her. Even they couldn't find this place, yet this boy managed to do so.

"It's just luck. My luck has always been good. I just happened to stumble upon it."

"Liar."

Tang Ya let out a soft huff from her throat, mercilessly exposing Huo Yuhao's lie. "It's almost night."

If the other party had started searching for her when they saw she hadn't come at noon, it was obvious they had been searching all afternoon.

"Alright then."

Huo Yuhao shrugged helplessly. "I heard you were from the Tang Sect. I figured the Tang Sect must have an escape route, and it definitely wouldn't be near the Tang Sect. So, I started expanding my search radius, and you made it quite a challenge for me."

As for whether anyone would place the secret exit near the sect, Huo Yuhao only thought for a moment, then threw that idea away. After all, when a critical moment came, the first thought was to run.

Seeing Tang Ya still staring at him, Huo Yuhao knew he had to comfort her.

"Don't worry, they won't find you here. I'll stay by your side."

Tang Ya shook her head slowly, her voice trembling as she murmured, "I'm afraid…"

"Don't be afraid," Huo Yuhao quickly interrupted. "Didn't you just eat? You have strength now. If you have strength, you can face anything. As long as you have me here, you don't have to be afraid."

Tang Ya looked at him with wide eyes. For a moment, she couldn't figure out how to respond.

In the middle of her hesitation, Huo Yuhao spoke again, "I'll teach you how to cook grilled fish. Even if I can't be by your side forever, I hope you can have a skill to survive on your own."

"Cooking grilled fish?"

Tang Ya tilted her head slightly, seemingly pondering this thought.

"Don't think too much; just trust me. This skill can ensure you can eat whatever you want. If you're hungry, just use a fire to roast something. The skill comes in handy."

She finally laughed—a soft, weak smile, as if a flower blooming in the shadow of despair. She took a deep breath, nodded firmly, and said, "Okay, I'll learn!"

"Then let's collaborate."

(End of Chapter)


Bab 18: Chapter 18: My Home is Quite Big

"Cooperation?"

"Right, cooperation."

Huo Yuhao took out the gloves he made last night and demonstrated their effectiveness to Tang Ya while speaking.

"I can create soul tools, but I need Tang Sect's channels to obtain more rare metals and sell the soul tools. I also need you to help me with some other things, and during this process, I'll give you a share of the profits from selling the soul tools."

Before he could finish speaking, Tang Ya interrupted him.

"I'll help you."

Huo Yuhao was stunned. "Aren't you going to ask about the share?"

"No need. Whatever you give is fine; anyway—"

Tang Ya paused and then looked at him seriously, speaking softly, "Anyway, I have nothing left now."

"Alright, we can talk about it later."

Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement, but he felt a bit confused inside.

He couldn't tell if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Sister Ya's gaze had changed, becoming somewhat indescribably strange. However, he didn't dwell on it too much and stood up to look around.

"Do you have another place to stay now?"

"No."

Hearing Tang Ya's despondent tone, Huo Yuhao hesitated for a moment and asked, "Would you like to come to my house?"

Creak—

"Mom, I'm back."

Upon hearing Huo Yuhao's voice, Huo Yun'er, who was anxiously pacing in the living room, finally sighed in relief and instinctively looked up towards the door.

"Why are you so late today?"

However, before she could finish her worried question, it was already stuck in her throat as she stared at the charming girl following her son, who was looking down and didn't dare to meet her gaze. Huo Yun'er was momentarily stunned.

"..."

Heavens, my son is only six years old. Is he starting to date so early? Isn't that a bit too soon? But soon, this thought was replaced by another.

No, wait! We've only been in Heaven Dou City for two days. How could a girl follow my son home so late? Did he get kidnapped?

Huo Yuhao was unaware of how much wild speculation his mother had concocted in such a short time. He turned sideways to reveal Tang Ya's figure and introduced her to Huo Yun'er.

"Mom, this is Tang Ya. We just met two days ago, and she might be living with us from now on."

Click—

"She might be living with us from now on…"

Huo Yuhao's words were like a bolt from the blue, further confirming Huo Yun'er's suspicions. Just when she didn't know what to do, her good son had already started introducing the girl to her.

"Sister Ya, this is my mom. She also has the last name Huo."

Tang Ya seemed to gather all her courage and looked up at Huo Yun'er, her voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

"Hello, Auntie."

"Hello, hello... You must be Xiao Ya, right? Come in and have a seat. You haven't eaten yet, right? I'll go make you something."

Huo Yun'er's condition wasn't much better than Tang Ya's; she hurriedly invited her to sit down, poured a glass of water, and shot an ambiguous look at Huo Yuhao, then turned and headed toward the kitchen.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao smiled at the obviously awkward Tang Ya and followed her in.

As soon as he entered the kitchen, he met Huo Yun'er's strange gaze. He had a rough idea of what she wanted to ask, but before he could explain, Huo Yun'er spoke first.

"Yuhao."

Huo Yun'er took a deep breath and advised earnestly, "Tell your mom what that girl's situation is. It doesn't matter if you make money or not, but I don't want you to go down a wrong path."

"...?"

Huo Yuhao's mind blanked for a second before he realized what Huo Yun'er meant. His eyelids couldn't help but twitch. "Mom, what do you think of your good son?"

Soon, Huo Yuhao briefly explained the situation, omitting the part about his cooperation with Tang Ya. Upon hearing that both of Tang Ya's parents had been murdered, concern immediately appeared in Huo Yun'er's eyes.

"I see. Then let her stay with us. It's just right; she can chat with me, too. Alright, you can go out now; I need to cook."

"I can help, too."

Huo Yun'er was momentarily taken aback, then looked at him with a somewhat strange expression. As the person involved, Huo Yuhao was confused by his mother's gaze and hesitantly asked, "...Mom?"

After a long while, Huo Yun'er sighed and her tone was clearly filled with exasperation.

"You go outside and chat with that girl. Make her less reserved."

Finally, under his mother's urging, Huo Yuhao stepped out of the kitchen.

He didn't know what he said, but by the time Huo Yun'er brought the food to the table, Tang Ya's mood had obviously improved a lot.

At the dinner table, watching Tang Ya's hesitant and reserved demeanor, Huo Yun'er spoke gently while serving her food.

"Xiao Ya, Yuhao told me a bit about your situation just now. You can stay here from now on, and treat it as your own home."

Looking at the bowl piled high with food, Tang Ya bit her lip, holding back tears that threatened to spill. She choked out a soft "Mm."

After finishing dinner, Huo Yuhao brought a bowl of steaming medicinal soup to Tang Ya.

"I've prepared a room for you upstairs, right next to mine. The bedding is all new. Drink this and try to sleep early tonight."

"What is this?"

Seeing the brownish medicinal soup, Tang Ya instinctively recalled the package of medicinal materials he had bought on the way back from the pharmacy.

"It's to calm your nerves."

Huo Yuhao patiently explained, "Since your mind was disturbed, drinking this should help."

"...Thank you."

Tang Ya pursed her lips, reached out to take it, and slowly sipped from the spoon.

The medicinal soup was bitter at first, but soon a sweet taste followed that would wash away the bitterness.

"I added a little sugar, so it shouldn't be too bitter, right?"

Huo Yuhao's voice echoed in her ears. Tang Ya trembled and gently shook her head.

"It's not bitter, it's sweet."

She kept repeating, scooping the soup into her mouth, keeping her head down the whole time, letting tears fall into the bowl, mixing with the medicinal soup.

One Year Later.

"Uncle Huang."

At the entrance of the snack street, Huang Yu, who was smoking, turned his head instinctively upon hearing the voice. Seeing the boy and girl, a smile appeared on his face.

"You two are early today."

Over the course of a year, he had grown quite familiar with these two mature children. Ever since that day when Huo Yuhao said his friend had an accident, the Tang Sect girl who frequently visited the snack stall had disappeared, and a girl who looked not much older than Huo Yuhao had started following him around, selling grilled fish together every day.

Naturally, he had heard about the Tang Sect's situation and had already guessed the girl's identity. Although he didn't know why her appearance had changed so much, it didn't matter to him. Since Huo Yuhao hadn't asked for his help, he wouldn't do anything extra, preferring to act as if he didn't know anything.

The girl named Xiao Ya looked at him with surprise. "Uncle Huang, you're such a busy person. How come you have time to come here today?"

"You little girl, you're teasing me now," Huang Yu smiled, shook his head, and sighed, explaining the reason.

"In a few days, the Soul Master Competition will start, and there have been many tourists in Heaven Dou City lately. To prevent accidents due to the crowds, I have to come here every day to keep an eye on things. Speaking of which, this is a great opportunity for you two. Yuhao, supply more grilled fish during this time. It's a great time to make money."

"Uh…"

Huo Yuhao's expression turned awkward upon hearing this. He hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.

"Uncle Huang, I came today to tell you that I won't be selling grilled fish anymore after today."

"Not selling anymore?"

Huang Yu was slightly taken aback. This Soul Master Competition was held every five years and rotated among four countries. Now was the peak tourist season that only happened once every twenty years. Everyone was preparing to make a fortune, yet this kid was quitting?

"Why not? I remember you just paid the stall fee a few days ago, right? You should at least finish this month."

(End of Chapter)


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