But only Ye Wen knew how much courage it took to take this step.
That night, the only solution Ye Wen could think of was to use himself as bait. If Tang Hao's target was Xiao Wu, then he would bring her along too.
The circumstances surrounding Tang Hao and Ah Yin were full of coincidences, all pointing to Tang Hao's greed for Ah Yin's spirit ring and spirit bone.
But if Tang Hao neither loved Ah Yin nor Tang San, why didn't he just kill Ah Yin outright, especially when she was pregnant?
The answer was simple: any soul master who had absorbed a ten-thousand-year spirit ring knew how perilous the soul shock could be. Ten-thousand-year spirit rings hadn't appeared in ages, and even within the Hao Tian Sect, there were only scattered records.
Tang Hao, though outwardly bold and generous, was actually more cowardly and fearful of death than anyone else. He didn't dare kill Ah Yin directly, especially while she was pregnant, fearing that her vengeful soul might turn on him during the absorption process and kill him. Thus, he resorted to deception, luring Ah Yin into offering herself willingly.
When these stories and conjectures were applied to Xiao Wu, everything began to make sense.
Father and son—both at critical levels, one at rank 90 and the other at rank 60—were perfect stages for ritual sacrifice. What cunning tactics.
Though in the original story, Tang San indeed sacrificed all of his Blue Silver Emperor spirit rings for Xiao Wu, putting oneself in his shoes, losing all spirit rings didn't cripple his martial soul. Instead, he could hunt new ones and surpass his previous strength. In every way, it was a huge win.
Though Ye Wen didn't want to maliciously speculate about the original protagonist, the fact remained that Tang San ultimately became the biggest beneficiary.
But now, Xiao Wu's heart clearly wasn't with Tang San. Thus, Tang Hao's plan to lure her into offering herself through love became laughable.
Even without her spirit ring, Xiao Wu's ten-thousand-year spirit bones upon death were top-tier treasures, regardless of the type of soul master. How could someone as greedy as Tang Hao easily give up?
Therefore, Ye Wen decided that rather than being abducted and killed by Tang Hao in some dark corner, he would take the initiative. By using himself as bait and taking Xiao Wu away from Nuoding City, perhaps their deaths alone could quell this incident.
On the road.
Though Ye Wen appeared calm on the surface, cold sweat continuously dripped from his forehead—an almost impossible occurrence for a skilled Grand Soul Master.
But Xiao Wu, enjoying her rare outing, was in high spirits and didn't notice this anomaly.
"We're almost at the next city. Why hasn't Tang Hao made a move? Could he not have noticed Xiao Wu's disappearance?"
Ye Wen thought anxiously. Though he had mentally prepared himself to die, the person who might kill him hadn't shown up yet. This constant uncertainty felt like dancing on the edge of life and death, leaving Ye Wen deeply unsettled.
"Could it be that he's afraid of being seen, so he doesn't want to act in broad daylight? That seems absurd for a Title Douluo."
Without showing any outward signs, Ye Wen scanned his surroundings. There were no pedestrians in sight, yet Tang Hao still hadn't acted, making Ye Wen feel something was off.
After stopping and starting repeatedly, dragging his feet, Ye Wen finally reached the next city before nightfall—but Tang Hao still hadn't made a move, plunging Ye Wen into deep self-doubt.
"This isn't right. It's completely wrong. Based on my understanding of Tang Hao, he couldn't possibly remain indifferent to Xiao Wu's departure in this situation."
Just as Ye Wen was trying to reevaluate whether he had guessed wrong somewhere, Xiao Wu suddenly grabbed his arm and exclaimed happily:
"Wen Ge, come quick! There's delicious food over there! Oh, and people are performing acrobatics over there too. Let's go check it out!"
With that, the once gloomy Ye Wen was dragged around the unfamiliar city by an exuberant Xiao Wu, visiting various attractions.
Gradually, Ye Wen let go of his inner turmoil and enjoyed a brief period of happiness.
With no one to restrain them, the two played until late into the night. When Ye Wen wanted to book two separate rooms to rest and think quietly, Xiao Wu stubbornly insisted on booking a single room for both of them.
"Whine whine whine~ I've seen you sleep together with Sister Yu'er for so long at school. I want to try it too~"
In the end, Ye Wen relented helplessly. Though he knew Xiao Wu was an old hand at manipulation, they were both only 12 years old—nothing could happen. So he let her have her way.
After a quick wash, the tension that had built up over days and the sudden relaxation made Ye Wen feel exhausted. Without much thought, he fell into a deep slumber.
Once, Ye Wen could only be considered handsome. But after absorbing two spirit rings and awakening his martial soul's origin, he had grown increasingly striking.
Xiao Wu was as lively as ever, but looking at Ye Wen lying there like a sleeping prince, her cheeks turned slightly red.
"Though Sister Yu'er might have had a hand in this, looking closely now, this little guy is quite handsome. Hehehe."
Then, as if recalling something, Xiao Wu chuckled strangely. After drying her hair, she climbed into bed and hugged Ye Wen tightly, snuggling against him.
Xiao Wu was comfortable, but Ye Wen, in deep sleep, felt like he was being wrapped by an octopus. He woke up gasping for breath before dawn, drenched in sweat!
"Damn, I knew Xiao Wu's sleeping posture was bad, but this is ridiculous."
Moreover, Xiao Wu slept soundly, completely undisturbed by Ye Wen's movements. Even when he tried to pry her limbs off, using a bit of force, Xiao Wu remained asleep like a log.
Ye Wen was awake now, but outside the inn, it was still dark and eerily quiet. Perhaps because soul masters were extraordinary beings, Ye Wen no longer felt sleepy. Instead, he sat silently at the head of the bed, lost in thought.
"Given Tang Hao's personality, he should be very concerned about Xiao Wu. But now that Xiao Wu has completely separated from Tang San, why hasn't Tang Hao made a move?"
Ye Wen couldn't figure it out.
He even speculated that Tang Hao might have gone out drinking and missed seeing them leave.
Wouldn't that mean all his efforts were in vain?
As Ye Wen pondered, Xiao Wu's delicate hand wandered to his waist, groped a bit, and then pulled him into a tight embrace.
This immediately brought Ye Wen back to reality. Looking at Xiao Wu, who had matured into a graceful young woman due to her spirit ring, a flicker of admiration crossed Ye Wen's eyes.
At this moment, Ye Wen had become more resigned. After all, he had already faced death twice.
Unconsciously, he began caressing the soft warmth beside him.
"If I'm going to die, so be it. But before I do, I want to experience more of the beauty this world has to offer."
With that thought, Ye Wen lay back down, adjusted Xiao Wu's sleeping position, pulled her into his arms, and drifted off again, breathing in her intoxicating fragrance.
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