Douluo Continent: The Ice Dragon King Martial Soul, Ma Xiaotao is Addicted

The night in Aoki Castle was damp and chilly.

The stone-paved road was illuminated by the dim, yellow glow of oil lamps.

In an inconspicuous little tavern in the western corner of the city, the wooden tables were greasy, and the air was filled with the smell of cheap ale and stewed meat.

Wang Dong poked at the roasted meat on the plate with her fork in a fit of anger, her pretty face showing obvious fatigue and dissatisfaction.

"Wang Dong, what did you do today?" Xiao Xiao asked softly from across the table.

Her fingertips unconsciously stirred the murky drink in her glass, her face slightly pale, clearly unaccustomed to the cold weather of Qingmu City.

Of course, the main reason was that the environment here was too harsh, which made her feel bad.

"No."

Wang Dong threw his fork on the table and said somewhat irritably, "They did it too secretly, leaving no trace at all. Like a groundhog burrowing into the sewer, it's impossible to trace them..."

She scratched her head in frustration and muttered, "I'm only good at fighting and killing, I don't know anything about this kind of mission... I don't know what Senior Sister was thinking, sending us to do this."

She preferred to fight an opponent whose soul power was one level higher than hers; that kind of straightforward battle was more enjoyable for her.

This kind of task, however, made her feel inexplicably frustrated.

Seeing Wang Dong's sullen expression, Xiao Xiao gently comforted him, "This might be a test from our senior sister. After all, the world of Soul Masters isn't all about fighting and killing. Sometimes, patience and brains are needed. Anyway, this mission has a one-month deadline, so we still have time. There's no rush."

Despite saying that, she still felt a little anxious.

After all, before they came, she and Xiao Xiao had confidently assured each other that they could complete the mission in half a month, not a month.

And now, almost ten days have passed...

They were still completely clueless, wandering around the city like headless flies.

This made her, who was very competitive, feel very uncomfortable, ashamed, and powerless.

"Ugh……"

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but sigh softly, her voice filled with longing and a hint of barely perceptible dependence, "If only Ye Chen were here. He's so capable and quick-witted, he would definitely find clues and solve these problems quickly."

"Humph!"

Upon hearing the name, Wang Dong pouted even more, her eyes looking like those of a resentful woman.

"He's off somewhere having a good time again, I don't know where. I haven't seen him at all, and he's not replying to my messages!"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her fair cheeks flushed with resentment. Ye Chen's heartless act of pulling her off the hook made her feel extremely dissatisfied.

Although she and Ye Chen haven't broken through to the final step yet... Hmm, Wang Dong felt even more aggrieved when she thought of this.

"Maybe... he really has something very important to do."

Xiao Xiao quickly defended Ye Chen, "He has already helped us so much, giving us pills, helping me fuse my soul bone... We can't rely on him for everything, we have to learn to grow on our own."

She pursed her lips, gazing out at the deep night, as if trying to pierce the darkness to see that familiar figure.

She understood that Ye Chen's strength inevitably came with a busy schedule.

Although longing clung to her heart like vines, she yearned even more to solve the problem on her own and prove that she deserved to stand by his side, instead of forever hiding under his wing.

"Hmph, Xiao Xiao, you just spoil him! A typical example of someone who forgets their principles for a pretty face!" Wang Dong glared at Xiao Xiao angrily, her eyes filled with a mixture of resentment and a hint of teasing.

"No wonder Ye Chen is with you..."

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, making a pointed remark.

"Oh dear! Wang Dong! What...what nonsense are you talking about!"

Xiao Xiao's face flushed bright red instantly, like a ripe tomato, even her small earlobes were tinged with crimson.

She waved her hands frantically, both ashamed and anxious, her tongue practically tied in knots.

"I... Ye Chen and I... we... it's not what you think!" Xiao Xiao stammered.

"Alright, alright, no need to explain, I understand~" Wang Dong deliberately dragged out his words, looking like he knew everything, and waved his hand with a wicked smile, clearly not believing Xiao Xiao's explanation.

"Wang Dong...you...you...you're not allowed to think such things!"

Xiao Xiao was so embarrassed and angry that she stomped her feet, her face turning so red it was almost bleeding, but she couldn't do anything about Wang Dong.

The relationship between her and Ye Chen can no longer be summed up by the words "pure and innocent".

This made her very embarrassed by Wang Dong's teasing, and she had no idea how to explain herself.

The two fooled around for a while, then casually ate a few bites of the now-cold food, which tasted like nothing at all.

After paying the bill, the two disappeared into the street.

Although the investigation was extremely difficult and without any outside help, they rallied their spirits and once again plunged into the damp, cold night of Aoki City to continue their search for the faintest clues.

……

……

at the same time.

Shortly after Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao left that small tavern, they went to a more secluded tavern two streets away, to a private room on the second floor.

By the window, a figure was hidden in the shadow of the lamplight, slender fingers unconsciously tapping on the windowsill.

It was Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's invisible spiritual power had already silently enveloped the entire Greenwood City.

Ye Chen clearly captured the entire conversation between Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.

Ye Chen's "Boundless Eye of Heaven and Earth" can see images, but it cannot capture sounds.

But ever since his spiritual power transformed into the Divine Origin Realm, within the range of his divine sense, no sound or breath can escape his notice.

Of course, Ye Chen wasn't deliberately eavesdropping.

Ye Chen's original intention was to help Wang Dong and the others find clues about the mission and locate them, but he unexpectedly overheard their entire conversation.

“Wang Dong… he’s still holding a grudge about that incident…” Ye Chen shook his head helplessly.

After all, he had previously misled Wang Dong, saying that girls should be more reserved and that such things should definitely be done on an auspicious day...

In short, you can't be too casual.

The more solemn the ceremony, the more precious it becomes, and the deeper the memory will be.

These words were enough to fool Ye Chen.

Of course, the main reason was the divine sense restriction from Tang San within Wang Dong's body, which acted like an invisible shackle, preventing their relationship from progressing further.

However, Ye Chen couldn't say it directly, lest Wang Dong become desperate and cause trouble at home, which could lead to unpleasant consequences.

Previously, Ye Chen's mental strength was insufficient, making it difficult even to detect, let alone deal with.

But now, Ye Chen's spiritual power at the Divine Origin Realm keenly detected that extremely faint, unusual aura within Wang Dong's body.

As long as it can be detected, there is room for maneuver...

……

……

As night deepened, the rain became as fine as needles.

Xiao Xiao continued to wander through several relatively bustling streets in the north of the city, asking door to door, trying to dig out some clues from the shop owners and night watchmen.

After symbolically following Xiao Xiao for two blocks, Wang Dong was finally defeated by exhaustion and frustration.

(End of this chapter)