Chapter 153: Thirty Years East, Thirty Years West—Do Not Bully a Youth for Being Poor
The match that followed—Huo Yuhao's team versus Ning Tian's team—was won with almost effortless ease.
Although Ning Tian hailed from a sect that had already renamed itself the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, and bore the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, once acclaimed as the number one support martial soul under heaven, its support capabilities still paled in comparison to Huo Yuhao's very first soul skill.
As for her teammates, Wu Feng and Nanmen Yuner—whether in terms of martial soul quality or soul power level—they simply could not match Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao, both of whom now possessed soul bones. This contest was fated to hold no suspense from the very start.
After the match, Huo Yuhao walked up to Furina and spoke a solemn thank-you: "Thank you, Sister Furina."
Furina waved a dismissive hand, her tone breezy and casual. "What's there to thank me for? No need for formalities. I had no interest in fighting that brat in the finals anyway. The championship or whatever—I couldn't be bothered to fight for it. Leaving it to you all suits me just fine."
Wang Dong, however, still felt somewhat aggrieved and pouted. "Tch, you make it sound so easy. You just wanted to look cool, that's all. Speaking of which, why couldn't you have let me have a go at him? Rather than that guy who relies on a martial soul fusion technique, I would've much rather had a proper, satisfying fight with you. It would've been the perfect chance to test just how powerful Huo Yuhao's and my martial soul fusion technique, 'Path of Gold,' really is."
For some time now, Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao had been attempting to cultivate together in an embraced state, using what they called the "Hao Dong Power."
This power provided a remarkable boost to Wang Dong's cultivation speed. For Huo Yuhao, however, it didn't quite compare to the cultivation art Furina had taught him—the "Ice Spirit Tome"—which not only enhanced his soul power but also strengthened his ice attribute, greatly benefiting his second martial soul, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion. The Ice Emperor had also explicitly instructed Huo Yuhao to continue diligently practicing this art.
The two had also made multiple attempts to activate their martial soul fusion technique, discovering that "Path of Gold" could be deployed once every other day. On the second use, however, it no longer caused Wang Dong to collapse from exhaustion and faint as it had the first time.
As their proficiency increased, the cooldown time was also gradually shortened. As for their other two martial soul fusion techniques—though Huo Yuhao had some idea of their existence, he had never once spoken of them aloud. After all, Wang Dong had never voluntarily revealed that he possessed two other martial souls.
Huo Yuhao worried that bringing it up rashly might be inappropriate. Besides, martial soul fusion techniques were not strictly necessary for him. The two of them were, in the end, boys. Even as close as brothers, they couldn't remain inseparable for life.
Unless they were a man and a woman—not siblings—who loved each other and became lifelong partners. But such a possibility was practically zero, unless one of them underwent some kind of transformation.
Had Tianmeng and the Ice Emperor known what Huo Yuhao was thinking right now, they would probably have laughed until they couldn't stand straight.
If Huo Yuhao were ever to use his spiritual power combined with his Spirit Eyes to thoroughly "scan" Wang Dong from head to toe, he would most certainly discover: this was unmistakably a girl.
A girl who, day after day, ate with him, slept in the same room with him, and even cultivated in his embrace.
Tianmeng had long since reached a verdict: Wang Dong would, in the future, most certainly become Huo Yuhao's wife. He had even made a bet with the Ice Emperor over it. The Ice Emperor, being straightforward and blunt by nature, had agreed on the spot.
As for the exact terms of the bet—that was a secret.
Furina responded to Wang Dong with a beaming smile: "Oh dear, you can't really blame me for that. Blame the scheduling done by the ones up above! I was also hoping to run into you all before the finals, so we could have a good match and settle who's stronger."
Wang Dong remained huffy. "Tch, I suppose you're right. Clearly both of us were in the very same tournament, yet we just never got paired against each other. Those teachers must have known you and Huo Yuhao are on the same side and deliberately arranged it so you two wouldn't meet before the finals."
As for the subsequent draw results, Wang Dong could only chalk it up to his own bad luck.
Xiao Xiao suddenly spoke up softly: "Speaking of which, Huo Yuhao, you seem to be particularly fixated on Dai Huabin's team."
She had long since noticed that Huo Yuhao's attention toward Dai Huabin was far from ordinary—whether during Furina's match against him, or even now, with the way Huo Yuhao kept glancing in that direction.
Girls, after all, tended to be a bit more perceptive. Such subtle details naturally did not escape her eyes.
As for Wang Dong—that "dashing young lord"—how could he possibly have noticed such things?
Though, if anyone were ever to tell Xiao Xiao that "Wang Dong is actually a girl," she would probably immediately retort: "That's still not the same—even among girls, some are attentive and some are not."
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. "Yes, you're right. Because Dai Huabin is, in a sense, my brother—but even more so, my enemy."
At these words, both Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao instantly perked up with the look of eager listeners about to hear some juicy gossip.
The two unconsciously turned their gazes toward Furina, only to see her expression as composed as ever, as if she had long been aware. Recalling that earlier thank-you Huo Yuhao had given her, they also understood clearly now—there was indeed a reason behind all this.
Wang Dong pressed further: "Both your brother and your enemy? What kind of situation is that?"
Huo Yuhao's voice was even, yet each word was unmistakably clear: "It's very simple. I, too, was born in the White Tiger Duke's Manor. My father is exactly the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao. We merely have different mothers. His mother is the Duke's legitimate, formally wedded wife. And my mother... was nothing more than a servant girl."
"After I was born, I endured endless torment at their hands within the manor—from both him and his legitimate mother. I tasted every kind of bitterness. Especially after I awakened my mutated martial soul, 'Spirit Eyes,' their bullying grew even more vicious and unrestrained."
"Later, through a stroke of luck, my mother and I were able to leave the Duke's Manor. And, by good fortune, we received Sister Furina's help, which led to where I am today."
Huo Yuhao knew that "stroke of luck" had, in reality, been Furina's covert intervention. But he wasn't certain whether Furina knew that he had figured this out, so he didn't spell it out explicitly—merely keeping this kindness engraved silently upon his heart.
"So that's how it was..." Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao nodded in sudden understanding.
Wang Dong promptly curled his lips upward. "Then doesn't that make things simple? Doesn't he have a martial soul fusion technique? Then we'll just use ours too! We'll thoroughly crush his arrogance."
Xiao Xiao chimed in with agreement: "Exactly! Furina already doused his spirits once just now. In the next match, when he faces us, he's guaranteed to use his fusion technique right from the opening. When that time comes, you two just counter with your own fusion technique and see which one comes out on top!"
Wang Dong nodded emphatically: "Well said, Xiao Xiao! Huo Yuhao's and my fusion technique is definitely stronger than his. If it weren't for the fact that we haven't found a suitable target to test it on, we'd have already shocked the entire arena."
Truth be told, Wang Dong had even considered whether to try the move on Furina. After all, that barrier of hers under the effect of "Nut Cake" was simply unbreakable for three whole minutes!
He raised a hand and clapped Huo Yuhao on the shoulder: "Huo Yuhao, what do you think?"
Huo Yuhao lifted his eyes. A sharp gleam flickered deep within them, yet the corner of his mouth slowly curved into a smile. "Alright. Then we'll humiliate him thoroughly one more time. Though this may not be an irreconcilable, blood-deep feud—all those years of accumulated grievances... I still intend to make him pay the price."
"Let him understand: there are always those beyond men, and heavens beyond heavens. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west... do not bully a youth for being poor."
Furina chuckled inwardly: Good grief, he's even quoting Xiao Huohuo now.
Aloud, however, she maintained that same relaxed, easygoing demeanor and gave the three a casual wave of her hand: "You all just give it your best. Beat your opponents until they're utterly routed."
After all, in the original timeline, even with lower soul power and with Huo Yuhao's soul rings and spiritual power nowhere near as outstanding, they had still managed to win. Now, facing Dai Huabin, victory would be nothing short of effortless.
"Mn!" The three of them responded in unison, their eyes blazing with the heat of battle.