seeing this, Ye Lingling without thinking, stepped forward and used her full power and struck the man with a punch, sending him flying.
She didn't stop there. She quickly turned and punched the other three men, knocking them down one by one. Then, she looked at the young man, who was smiling at her.
Seeing such a handsome man staring at her made her feel embarrassed, so she decided to change the subject by introducing herself.
"I am Ye Lingling."
"I am Wu Lan," he replied.
A short silence followed. Wanting to break it, Ye Lingling asked,
"By the way, how did you know I was powerful?"
She was confused as to how he knew she could defeat them.
"I saw your spirit rings in the Soul Arena, so I recognized you," Wu Lan explained.
Hearing this, Ye Lingling's expression turned sad as she remembered her team's loss because of her.
Seeing her sadness, Wu Lan understood what she was thinking. She was blaming herself for her team's defeat. He quickly changed the subject.
"What are you doing here alone?"
"I… came to clear my head," she admitted.
"Since you're out to relax, how about I accompany you for a walk around the city?" Wu Lan offered.
He wanted to cheer her up, not just because she was beautiful.
Ye Lingling was taken aback by his request. She hesitated at first since she didn't know much about him, but remembering how he had just tried to save her, she decided he was a good person.
"Okay."
After that, both Ye Lingling and Wu Lan walked around the city, talking as they went.
Ye Lingling enjoyed her time with Wu Lan greatly. She had never felt so at ease before.
Having been alone since childhood, her life had always been heavy.
Due to her Martial Spirit, Nine Heart Flowering Apple, only two people from different generations could possess it at the same time.
Her mother had given her life to pass it on to her. Afterward, she was raised by her aunt, who also possessed the Nine Heart Flowering Apple. During her childhood, when she and her aunt were at home, a group of unknown assailants attacked them. Her aunt fought desperately, sacrificing her own life to protect her. Ye Lingling survived, but her aunt perished at the hands of the mysterious attackers. To stay alive, she sought refuge under the protection of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy.
Because her Martial Spirit was so powerful, Known for its healing abilities and even said to be able to revive the dead, she was highly valued and protected by the academy.
Now, walking with Wu Lan, she felt genuinely happy.
While lost in her thoughts, a sudden sound reached her ears.
Her stomach growled from hunger.
She glanced at Wu Lan from the corner of her eyes, only to see him smiling at her.
She wished she could dig a hole and hide.
This was so embarrassing.
Wu Lan chuckled and said, "I'm hungry too. Let's go eat."
Hearing his invitation, Ye Lingling didn't hesitate this time. She immediately agreed.
"Okay."
Both went to a restaurant and ordered food. While waiting, Ye Lingling wanted to know more about Wu Lan.
"What is your Martial Spirit?" she asked.
"My Martial Spirit is Orchid, a healing type," Wu Lan answered.
"We're both support types," Ye Lingling remarked, feeling a sense of kinship.
She continued asking, and Wu Lan answered happily.
But when she learned he was from Shrek Academy, her expression darkened.
Seeing her reaction, Wu Lan understood she was remembering the recent battle. So he explained his situation, how they needed to hide their true identities to avoid attention.
Hearing this, Ye Lingling sympathized with him. She too had joined the academy for protection.
Wu Lan went on to share his experiences at the academy, talking about Tang San and Yu Xiaogang.
After learning about them, Ye Lingling felt disgusted.
Tang San, as a brother, I've just helped you gain another enemy, Wu Lan thought.
No need to thank me, this is what brothers do.
"So don't feel bad about your loss," Wu Lan continued. "If Yu Tianheng hadn't arrived, Dugu Yan would have become a hostage. Or worse, that bastard might have used poison."
Hearing this sent chills down Ye Lingling's spine. So cruel… just to win a simple match?
After that, Wu Lan shifted the conversation to lighter topics, anything but that trash.
Both of them enjoyed their time together, but as the sky darkened, Wu Lan suggested walking her back to her hotel. Ye Lingling agreed.
They walked slowly until they reached the hotel, only to see two figures waiting outside.
Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng.
"Lingling, where did you go without telling us?" Dugu Yan rushed over.
"I just went out for a walk to relax," Ye Lingling replied.
Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng both turned their attention to Wu Lan, who stood beside Ye Lingling.
"He is Wu Lan. I met him in the city," Ye Lingling explained with a smile.
"Hello," Wu Lan greeted them politely.
Dugu Yan raised her eyebrows. She looked at the handsome young man but felt no spirit power fluctuations from him, so she assumed he wasn't a powerful soul master.
Yu Tianheng, on the other hand, felt a pang of jealousy at Wu Lan's appearance. Noticing that Dugu Yan was also looking at him made Yu Tianheng even more irritated.
"Oh? Where do you live?" Yu Tianheng asked, wanting to know where to find him later.
"I live in Shrek Academy," Wu Lan replied nonchalantly.
Ye Lingling wanted to stop him from saying it, but it was too late.
Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng's expressions darkened instantly, they remembered the humiliation they had suffered because of Shrek Academy.
Yu Tianheng's anger exploded. Because of Shrek, his girlfriend had been insulted.
"You bastard!"
He charged forward with his full strength, not caring whether Wu Lan was involved or not. Knowing Wu Lan was from Shrek was enough to ignite his fury.
In a flash, he reached Wu Lan and threw a punch.
"Stop!"
Ye Lingling saw this and cried out anxiously.
[Author's Note:
🌟 Special Thanks to My Patrons! 🌟
I want to take a moment to give my heartfelt thanks to RedDroid X, Peter, Big Brizzz, Anonymous, Godly Surviver, Josef B, Kraxis93, Dror Frisch, Sam, Tyler Ray, Alexis Chalifour, NocYoCheese21, and Luca Tavares for supporting me on Patreon! 🙏💙
Your encouragement and generosity keep me motivated to write more and bring Wu Lan's journey to life. Because of you, this story can grow stronger, chapter by chapter.
Thank you for believing in me and walking this path together! ✨
]