Ye Wen didn't expect Meng Yiran to approach him, but after a brief moment of surprise, he calmly replied:
"Just call me Ah Wen, Sister."
Then Ye Wen resumed his indifferent demeanor and continued eating.
He was already a married man, even if they were still children. Ye Wen had a strong sense of propriety.
Moreover, with a psychological age nearing 30, Ye Wen couldn't bring himself to keep calling a little girl "Sister." Pretending to be an oblivious goose suited him just fine.
However, while Ye Wen managed his own behavior, he underestimated Meng Yiran. Having grown up as the cherished daughter of her family, she was used to being flattered. Suddenly being treated so coldly only made her more intrigued.
"Ah Wen, don't ignore me! Tell me what kind of soul beast you're hunting this time—maybe my grandfather knows something about it.
And what's your martial soul? Let me see it!"
If there weren't enough topics, Meng Yiran would create them. She had mastered this art perfectly, bombarding Ye Wen with endless questions until he was utterly overwhelmed.
But just then, a small hand landed on Meng Yiran's shoulder, and Huo Yu'er's cool voice cut in:
"Yiran, that's enough. Can't you see Ah Wen doesn't want to talk to you?"
Though Huo Yu'er wanted to build her own little faction, she wasn't indiscriminate in who she accepted. Meng Yiran, nearly ten years old and only now hunting for her second soul ring, clearly lacked talent. Such a person didn't deserve to stand by Huo Yu'er and Ye Wen's side in their future.
However, Meng Yiran hadn't considered this. Seeing Huo Yu'er's slightly irritated expression only piqued her interest further.
"Eh? Why are you so tense, Yu'er? Ah Wen hasn't said anything yet, and here you are rushing to stop me. Are you two… in that kind of relationship?"
As she spoke, Meng Yiran's gaze shifted ambiguously between Ye Wen and Huo Yu'er.
Ye Wen was utterly speechless. 'Does a mere ten-year-old need to be this precocious? This truly is the continent of romance.'
Just as Ye Wen was about to smooth things over, Huo Yu'er straightforwardly declared:
"That's right—it's exactly what you're thinking. Ah Wen and I are in that kind of relationship. Once we come of age, we'll marry right here. So please, Yiran, stop bothering A-Wen."
Sincerity was always a killer move. Meng Yiran, who had only meant to tease Huo Yu'er, was stunned to discover they were actually in such a relationship.
Meng Yiran wasn't Ning Rongrong—a mischievous troublemaker. With her proper upbringing, she didn't know how to respond and was left flustered.
After standing awkwardly for a while, Meng Yiran could only stammer out a blessing.
The adults nearby found the scene amusing. Meanwhile, Dragon Patriarch Meng Shu also grew interested. He had initially assumed Huo Yu'er and the others were Huo Rui's grandchildren. Now, it seemed he had been mistaken.
Though he hadn't examined Ye Wen closely, Meng Shu could tell he was around seven or eight years old.
'To reach Level 10 at seven or eight years old—this kid has impressive talent. Too bad it's too late; otherwise, he'd have been a perfect match for Yiran.' Meng Shu thought to himself.
With that thought came another realization.
On the surface, high society might appear calm and composed, but behind the scenes, it was far bloodier than the ordinary world. Without sufficient strength, one couldn't survive.
Though Meng Shu had reached the rank of Soul Douluo, he had only recently broken through. Combined with Chao Tianxiang's abilities, their spirit fusion technique allowed them to maintain significant influence in this era, where unranked Douluos reigned supreme.
But it wasn't enough.
In the vast Meng family, Meng Shu was the only Soul Douluo, and none of the other family members had even reached Soul Sage.
For an emerging second-tier power, this was extremely precarious. If Meng Shu fell, all the wealth and achievements accumulated over the years would vanish.
Thus, Meng Shu urgently needed a reliable ally.
From this perspective, Huo Rui, who had reached peak Soul Sage in her forties, was undoubtedly an excellent target. Meng Shu knew from their travels together in their youth that Huo Rui was trustworthy—a reliable comrade worth entrusting one's back to.
With this in mind, Meng Shu subtly shifted the topic: "Ah Rui, your granddaughter is fortunate. At such a young age, she's found such a talented partner. With these two kids' talents, they're sure to carve out a place for themselves on the continent in the future."
Huo Rui smiled, proud of her granddaughter's talents and Ye Wen's abilities.
"Not at all, Brother Meng. Your granddaughter isn't any less talented. She'll surely inherit your and Sister Xiang's legacy."
What followed was another round of mutual flattery. In short, Huo Rui and Meng Shu were getting along famously.
Suddenly, Huo Rui remembered something and asked Meng Shu, "Brother Meng, did you happen to encounter any Parasitic Fungus Demons while entering the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Meng Shu, unlike Zhao Wuji, who was all brawn and no brains, immediately understood what Huo Rui was referring to. With a curious tone, he asked:
"Ah Rui, why are you looking for this kind of soul beast? Does one of the children need it?"
Huo Rui didn't hide the truth and poured out her frustrations, explaining how her family had searched for a week without finding even a trace of the Parasitic Fungus Demon, leaving them thoroughly disheartened.
Meng Shu empathized—it was all too common for soul masters to struggle to find the specific soul beasts they needed.
However, because Meng Yiran's martial soul had unique requirements, Meng Shu had primarily focused on snake-type soul beasts during their journey. He hadn't paid much attention to peculiar soul beasts like the Parasitic Fungus Demon. Now, he began carefully recalling.
The level of the host parasitized by the Parasitic Fungus Demon corresponded to its own age—centuries for centuries, millennia for millennia. Due to the nature of parasitism, the hosts were usually newly advanced soul beasts at that level.
Meng Shu quickly dismissed decade-level soul beasts—they were beneath consideration. After all, what kind of fool would insult someone of Huo Rui's caliber with a mere decade-level soul beast?
Millennium-level soul beasts were also out of the question. A six- or seven-year-old child wouldn't be able to handle the strain required for such a powerful soul ring.
That left century-level soul beasts, specifically insect-type ones. Meng Shu's search parameters became increasingly narrow and clear.
Just as everyone in Huo Rui's group had given up hope, Meng Shu suddenly slapped his thigh.
"I've got it! Come to think of it, I do vaguely recall encountering an insect-type soul beast that seemed to be parasitized by a Parasitic Fungus Demon on our way here. It wasn't my target, so I didn't pay much attention."
With that, Meng Shu began providing detailed information about the location of the soul beast to Huo Rui.
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