Xu Sanshi also noticed the small piece of firewood, but unfortunately, he was heavily injured and had no time to dodge.
With a "pfft" sound, a miserable wail echoed through the sky.
"Ahhhhhh!!!"
The cry was truly heartbreaking for anyone who heard it, bringing tears to the eyes of any who saw it. One could only imagine the kind of pain someone must be in to let out such a tragic howl.
Su Yu smacked his forehead. Was it this coincidental?
"Withered chrysanthemum, scarred all over, your smile has faded away…"
A familiar song flashed through Su Yu's mind.
He was stunned at first, then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"It's quite the coincidence, but perhaps this is fate," he murmured.
What Xu Sanshi used to do in the past, he was now experiencing firsthand. You could say this was divine retribution. Su Yu glanced at Xu Sanshi but didn't bother with him any further.
Whistling, holding Snow Empress in his arms, Su Yu leisurely left the scene.
He had only gone out for a stroll but ended up running into Xu Sanshi. After giving him a good beating, Su Yu was in a great mood.
As for why he didn't kill Xu Sanshi—well, killing someone like him would be too boring. It's much more enjoyable to leave him alive and beat him again during the big competition. Wouldn't that be more fun?
Speaking of the competition, Su Yu was looking forward to it. He was curious to see how satisfying it would be to beat up the people from Shrek Academy. Surely, those guys would make excellent punching bags.
With these thoughts in mind, Su Yu carried Snow Empress and walked farther and farther away.
In the distance, only the pained, venomous cries of Xu Sanshi could be heard: "Su Yu!!!"
...
In the private room of a hotel, Su Yu was examining the spoils of his trip. He had taken a soul tool from Xu Sanshi and was curious about what was inside. But to his disappointment, there wasn't anything of great value.
"There's nothing good here," he muttered. Other than a few Mysterious Water Pills, there was almost nothing of worth.
As for the tens of thousands of gold soul coins in the soul tool, Su Yu didn't even care. Was he short on money?
"Poor guy!"
Su Yu muttered under his breath. Looking at the two Mysterious Water Pills on the table, then at Snow Empress, who was quietly sitting next to him, Su Yu's eyes lit up.
The Mysterious Water Pills weren't of much use to him, so why not give them to Snow Empress as snacks?
"Want one?" he asked, picking up a Mysterious Water Pill and waving it in front of her.
The Mysterious Water Pill was used to purge impurities from the body, with a mild effect of cleansing the marrow and refining the body. It was made using the blood of water-attribute soul beasts and rare medicinal herbs. One pill could increase one's innate soul power by a level. While not particularly precious, each pill was still worth a fortune.
Thinking of the Mysterious Water Pill reminded Su Yu of Huo Yuhao.
In the original story, Huo Yuhao greatly benefited from these pills. Without two Mysterious Water Pills, a Soul Ascension Pill, and the help of Wang Dong's Haodong Power, Huo Yuhao wouldn't have broken through to level 20 by the start of the second year.
Su Yu wondered if Huo Yuhao still had the same treatment in this timeline. After all, Skydream was with him, and Wang Dong was by his side. Did Huo Yuhao still have a chance to taste the Mysterious Water Pills?
Su Yu wasn't sure.
However, Huo Yuhao was no longer the Child of Destiny, so he probably wouldn't have such outrageous opportunities anymore.
"I just wonder if Huo Yuhao can still pass the level-up assessment, or if he'll be expelled by Zhou Yi?"
Su Yu thought briefly but quickly dismissed it.
What did it matter how Huo Yuhao fared? It had nothing to do with him.
Teasing Little Snow Empress was much more fun.
"Want it or not?"
Su Yu continued to tease her. The little one, with her pinkish complexion, was incredibly cute.
Snow Empress blinked her icy-blue eyes, staring unblinkingly at Su Yu.
He smiled and explained, "This is a Mysterious Water Pill. It nourishes the body and has some cleansing effects. Not only is the medicine mild, but it can also increase your innate soul power by one level."
Upon hearing this, Snow Empress tilted her head in thought, then slightly opened her soft pink lips.
Su Yu smiled gently and placed the Mysterious Water Pill into her mouth.
The pill dissolved immediately, turning into a mild energy that spread throughout Snow Empress's body.
As the effects took hold, Snow Empress began to feel sleepy, her eyelids drooping.
"If you're sleepy, go ahead and sleep. I'm here," Su Yu said softly.
Snow Empress nodded her small head, raising her tiny hands.
Understanding her gesture, Su Yu held her in his arms.
Before long, Snow Empress had fallen into a deep sleep in Su Yu's embrace.
"She's quite adorable," he thought, gently poking her little face, a soft smile playing on his lips.
Sitting in his chair, Su Yu lightly patted Snow Empress, ensuring she slept soundly, while simultaneously communicating with his system.
"System, check-in!"
[Ding, check-in successful!]
[Ding, congratulations to the host for completing a full month of check-ins, triggering a monthly reward.]
[Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the soul tool Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse!]
"Huh?"
Upon hearing this reward, Su Yu was momentarily stunned. The Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse was familiar to him; it originally belonged to the weakest titled Douluo, Dugu Bo, who later passed it on to someone else.
What made the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse special was its ability to store living beings, a feature lacking in Su Yu's Black Dragon Ring. This had been a significant inconvenience, as he had to carry Snow Empress with him at all times, even during battles. In a recent fight, if his opponent had been a Soul Sage, Su Yu would have been at a serious disadvantage. The need to protect Snow Empress would have limited his combat effectiveness considerably.
Thankfully, with the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse, that problem was solved. Now, he could safely place Snow Empress in the pouch during battles and even carry her with him in class without worry.
"By the way, system, you didn't swipe this pouch from Tang San, did you?" Su Yu couldn't help but ask, a little wary of his system's unpredictability. It had proven ruthless before—capable of stealing even the ribs of the Golden Dragon King!
Not that Su Yu would mind taking something from Tang San, but he preferred not to attract Tang San's attention just yet. After all, while Tang San was probably still recovering from his recent lightning strike, who knew how long that would last?
[No]
The system's response was as cold and concise as ever.
"Alright, good to know!"
Reassured, Su Yu stroked Snow Empress's hair, claimed his reward, and attached the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse to his waist. Gazing out at the sky, his thoughts began to drift.
...
Meanwhile, at the Clear Sky Sect, Wang Dong'er suddenly opened her eyes. The Goddess of Light Butterfly she summoned emitted a radiant glow, and beneath her, three soul rings—yellow, purple, and purple—shimmered with enchanting light.
"Level 31. I'm finally getting closer to him," Wang Dong'er murmured, clenching her small fists with a satisfied expression. She had finally achieved her third soul ring as a reward for her hard work over the holidays.
Opening the door, she leaped a few times, arriving quickly at the main hall, where Niu Tian and Tai Tan were sipping tea from comically oversized teacups resembling small water buckets.
"First Uncle! Second Uncle!"
Wang Dong'er greeted them, bouncing into the hall with a bright smile.
"Hmm? A level 31 Soul Elder. Not bad," Niu Tian said approvingly, smiling at her.
"Hehe!"
Wang Dong'er giggled, brimming with energy.
"You came at the right time, Dong'er. We've got news about that little guy you've been looking for," Niu Tian said with a smile.
"What? Do you have news about Su Yu? Where is he?"
Wang Dong'er's calm façade vanished as she grabbed Niu Tian's arm in excitement.
Seeing this, Niu Tian frowned slightly. That little guy seemed more important to Wang Dong'er than he'd realized, which made him uneasy. Still, he patted her shoulder, saying, "Calm down, Dong'er."
After regaining her composure, she asked, "First Uncle, is there news about Su Yu?"
Niu Tian nodded.
"Yes, he's been spotted in several places within the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Is he okay? Has he been hurt?" she asked anxiously.
"From what we know, he's doing fine. He recently had a fight with a Shrek Academy student—and gave that person a good thrashing," Niu Tian chuckled.
"He got into a conflict? It must've been the Shrek student's fault. I know Shrek's motto—'Avoiding trouble is for the mediocre.' Their values are messed up!"
Wang Dong'er replied without hesitation.
Niu Tian: ????
Did you hear yourself? That's Shrek Academy—where your parents graduated! Even though you don't know who they are yet, you used to dream of attending Shrek Academy. Now, just because of Su Yu, you think Shrek's values are "messed up"?
Niu Tian voiced his thoughts aloud, prompting Wang Dong to reply confidently, "Because Su Yu's a good person. He wouldn't start a fight."
In her mind, Su Yu was genuinely good-hearted, and no one else had ever been as kind to her. To her, if a Shrek student clashed with Su Yu, they must've been in the wrong.
Niu Tian sighed, feeling as if he were witnessing a younger version of Xiao Wu. He thought, Is this what they call being blinded by love? No—Wang Dong'er was only twelve! Surely, he was overthinking.
"Dong'er, you're still young, so you mustn't... Do you understand?"
Though his words were vague, he figured she would catch his drift.
"First Uncle, I'm only twelve!" she retorted, her face turning red. And, to top it off, in Su Yu's eyes, she was still a boy.
Niu Tian relaxed.
"Yes, our Dong'er is so mature. A good child," he said proudly, unaware of the real thoughts behind her resolve.
"First Uncle, can you tell me where Su Yu is now?"
Wang Dong'er's primary concern hadn't changed.
"He's traveling through the Heaven Dou Empire, heading toward the Sun Moon Empire," Niu Tian answered. He had to admit the kid was skilled—he'd even detected the clan members who had tried to track him.
"Of course! Su Yu is amazing," Wang Dong'er said with pride.
Realizing Su Yu was heading back to the academy, she grew restless.
"First Uncle, I need to report to the academy too," she suddenly announced.
"But there are still ten days before term starts," Niu Tian replied, surprised.
"Why not spend a few more days here in the sect and have some fun?"
"No, I want to start studying early," Wang Dong'er insisted.
Niu Tian: "..."
Are you really thinking about studying? He sighed.
"Alright, I'll have your Second Uncle send you off. But remember—no causing trouble!"
"Don't worry, First Uncle!"
Wang Dong'er raised her hand in promise before rushing off to pack.