Chapter 8: Huo Yuhao
As expected, she fell for it... Lin Xuan's heart stirred; he had said those words specifically to prompt Zhang Lexuan to ask that.
"Yes, Senior Sister. About half a day ago, I encountered two seniors in this area. They claimed to be students of Shrek Academy, one named Bei Bei and the other named Tang Ya."
Lin Xuan spoke at a steady pace, beginning to recount his fabricated experience.
"We had just met when we suddenly encountered a Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger. However, before I could react, I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I was already in a thicket far from here, and Senior Bei Bei and Senior Sister Tang Ya were nowhere to be found."
Lin Xuan paused, his gaze sweeping over the charred giant crater before him as he continued,
"I was worried about their safety and was about to look for them when I heard an earth-shattering explosion from this direction and saw a mushroom cloud."
He pointed toward the sky.
"I felt uneasy but didn't dare approach rashly. I only came to check after everything had completely settled down, hoping to find any clues about Senior Bei Bei and the others."
"As it turned out, I hadn't even finished one search circuit around here before I ran into you, Senior Sister."
Lin Xuan's words were half-truths; the true parts could be confirmed by Bei Bei and Tang Ya. As for the lies, no one else would know besides himself.
Furthermore, he had fashioned himself into the image of a 'kind-hearted freshman' who valued friendship and cared for his companions.
Compared to an actual life-saving favor, however, this current image was still considered inferior.
Sure enough, after listening, Zhang Lexuan's gaze toward Lin Xuan gained a few hints of approval and softness.
She had come to the Star Dou Great Forest because she heard a massive explosion had occurred there. Additionally, since Bei Bei and Tang Ya happened to be here, she was concerned and had made a special trip to find them.
Hearing Lin Xuan's description now, although it was a narrow escape, it at least confirmed that Bei Bei and Tang Ya hadn't perished on the spot after encountering the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger.
Moreover, this young junior before her had the courage to return to such a dangerous area to find his companions after escaping himself. This kind of bravery and camaraderie was especially rare in the peril-filled Soul Master World.
Zhang Lexuan felt slightly more at ease and had a very good impression of Lin Xuan, her tone becoming even gentler.
"I see. Junior Lin, you don't need to worry too much. I'm very familiar with Bei Bei and Tang Ya; they are clever and have a certain degree of self-preservation. Since they were able to escape the direct threat of the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger at the time, there's a high possibility they got away safely."
"It is very rare of you to remember to come back and search for them after you escaped. I'll remember this sentiment on behalf of Bei Bei and Tang Ya."
She thought for a moment and suggested,
"How about this: since we're all from Shrek Academy and are all concerned about Bei Bei and Tang Ya's safety, why don't we team up? We'll search this vicinity more thoroughly to see if we can find any traces or signals they left behind."
"If we haven't found anything by nightfall, we'll leave the Star Dou Great Forest first. I'll take you directly back to Shrek Academy. What do you think? It's not safe for you to be alone outside, especially after just experiencing something like that."
Hearing this, a look of relief immediately appeared on Lin Xuan's face.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Sister. Being able to travel with you puts my mind at ease."
Inside the Mental Sea, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, who had watched the entire conversation, was now prostrate with admiration for Lin Xuan.
"Incredible..."
...Under Zhang Lexuan's lead, the two began a radial search outward from the center of the explosion crater.
Time passed during the search, and the sun gradually dipped toward the west.
Just as Lin Xuan thought they would come up empty today and prepared to follow Zhang Lexuan back to Shrek Academy as planned, the faint sound of gurgling water and human voices came from ahead.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes narrowed, signaling Lin Xuan to lighten his footsteps. The two of them silently approached the source of the sound.
Passing through a dense patch of shrubs, the view suddenly opened up.
A clear stream wound its way through, and on the open ground by the stream, a flickering campfire dispelled the twilight and chill of the forest.
Three figures were sitting around the fire. Two of them were indeed Bei Bei and Tang Ya, along with a youth they didn't recognize who looked somewhat thin and restrained.
Several plump fish were being grilled over the fire until they were golden and fragrant, oil dripping from them, smelling delicious.
Tang Ya was holding a skewer of grilled fish, eating with a beaming face, her cheeks bulging as she praised indistinctly,
"Yu Hao, your grilled fish skills are really fantastic! Much better than the master chefs in the academy cafeteria!"
The youth called Yu Hao lowered his head in embarrassment, taking small bites of the fish.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from the distant bushes. The three of them were startled and turned back simultaneously to look.
But when they saw Zhang Lexuan and Lin Xuan appearing before them, Bei Bei and Tang Ya were both stunned.
Bei Bei quickly stood up, a look of surprise on his face.
"Senior Sister Lexuan? Why are you here?"
Zhang Lexuan's gaze swept over the three of them. Seeing they were all unharmed, the heart she had been holding in suspense finally settled completely.
However, her gentle expression became a bit stern as she scolded softly,
"After you two encountered a Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger and narrowly escaped with your lives, you didn't return to the academy immediately to report your safety, yet you actually dared to stay in the forest? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is?"
Bei Bei and Tang Ya hung their heads like children who had done something wrong.
Tang Ya defended herself in a small voice, "We... we saw that we had escaped far enough, and we just happened to run into Yu Hao who was in danger..."
Hearing this, Zhang Lexuan's tone softened. She stepped aside, fully revealing Lin Xuan behind her in the firelight.
"Junior Lin Xuan is much more responsible than you two."
Under Bei Bei and Tang Ya's confused and surprised gazes, Zhang Lexuan clearly recounted Lin Xuan's story of 'waking from a coma and worrying about his companions' safety, returning to the explosion area to search regardless of the danger,' making no secret of her appreciation.
"If it weren't for Junior Lin's sentiment and courage, I'm afraid I wouldn't have determined the direction of your tracks so quickly."
After Bei Bei and Tang Ya finished listening, their faces were instantly filled with surprise, which was then replaced by heavy embarrassment and guilt.
Although they had also worried about Lin Xuan after their narrow escape, with a life-and-death crisis before them and having only just met him, they hadn't thought that much. They simply felt he probably wouldn't be in trouble and then fled.
How could they have imagined that Lin Xuan, whom they subconsciously assumed'should be fine,' would actually have the first reaction of returning to the danger zone to find them after escaping!
Especially Bei Bei; remembering his previous suspicions and wariness toward Lin Xuan, he felt his face burning with shame at this moment.
"Junior... Junior Lin!"
Bei Bei took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed solemnly to Lin Xuan.
"Before... I was judging you with a petty mind. Thank you for your concern, Junior, and I'm even more ashamed that I let you risk returning for us. Bei Bei will remember this kindness in his heart!"
Tang Ya also hurriedly put down her grilled fish and ran in front of Lin Xuan, her large eyes filled with emotion and embarrassment.
"Junior Lin Xuan, I'm sorry! We only cared about running away ourselves... and, and even ate grilled fish here... Thank you for coming back to find us! You're really a good person!"
Lin Xuan waved his hand dismissively, his tone relaxed.
"Senior Bei Bei, Senior Sister Tang Ya, the situation was critical then. Ensuring safety is the normal thing to do."
"I was also just lucky to be fine and thought I might be able to help out a bit. Seeing that you're safe, I'm relieved."
After these words, Bei Bei and Tang Ya felt even more that this junior's character was rare, and their favorability toward him skyrocketed.
With the embarrassment resolved, the atmosphere became harmonious again.
Only then did Lin Xuan's gaze turn toward Huo Yuhao, who had been standing quietly by the fire, looking somewhat ill at ease.
Seeing this, Bei Bei quickly introduced him,
"Senior Sister Lexuan, Junior Lin, this is Huo Yuhao, who is now also a disciple of the Tang Sect. Yu Hao, this is our Shrek Academy Inner Court's Eldest Senior Sister, Zhang Lexuan. This is Lin Xuan, who is also a new freshman junior of our Shrek."
Huo Yuhao hurriedly bowed to Zhang Lexuan and Lin Xuan. His gaze lingered on Lin Xuan for a moment before quickly dropping away.
The Lin Xuan before him seemed to be about the same age as him, but he had a tall, straight posture and a handsome face; his temperament was worlds apart.
More importantly, hearing about Lin Xuan's actions from Bei Bei, Tang Ya, and even that Inner Court Eldest Senior Sister who looked quite extraordinary,
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but feel complex emotions in his heart.
Envy, admiration, and an uncontrollable sense of inferiority.
"Alright, since everyone is fine, that's the best outcome."
Zhang Lexuan broke the brief silence with a smile and looked at the sky.
"It's getting late already, but since I'm already here, let's rest here for the night and head back tomorrow morning."
Hearing this, Tang Ya immediately beamed with joy.
"Hooray!"
Immediately afterward, she handed the two skewers of grilled fish in her hands to Lin Xuan and Zhang Lexuan.
"Senior Sister Lexuan, Junior Lin, hurry and try some! The fish Yu Hao grills is so fragrant!"
Zhang Lexuan took it with a smile, tasting it elegantly in small bites and nodding in praise.
Lin Xuan also took it with a thank you, though his gaze as he looked at the grilled fish in his hand was a bit strange.
In the original story, this grilled fish was like it had been drugged—everyone loved it. Today, I'll see what the deal is for myself.
With one bite, the grilled fish entered his mouth. Lin Xuan's expression stiffened for a moment, and he continued eating silently.
One could only say the 'True Fragrance' law might be late, but it always arrives.