General Ming wasted no ti. He ordered his troops to take note of the victims' nas, ensuring a full report would be compiled.
Once that was done, he turned his focus to the restless crowd.
"Disperse!" His voice bood across the ruined street, leaving no room for argunt. Soldiers moved swiftly, guiding people away from the scene.
Even Ace, his disciples, the Hua family, and the Princess were no exceptions. They, too, had to leave.
As they walked, Soho quietly slipped closer to Ace, her sharp Dark Gold Rank senses picking up on sothing strange.
Liu i and Shan Yifeng… were shaking.
Her usual playful smirk softened, and without a word, she wrapped her arms around the two.
A small, warm hug.
"It's okay," she whispered, her voice unusually gentle. "You two should be proud instead. You saved more than a hundred lives today."
The two stiffened.
Liu i, in a desperate attempt to shift the topic, blurted, "By the way, Sister, you look beautiful today."
Soho blinked, then burst into laughter.
"Haha! Thank you~" she said with a wink. Then, as if sothing clicked in her mind, her expression turned serious.
"Don't worry too much. I'll make sure whoever set up those explosives gets caught and executed."
Liu i and Shan Yifeng stiffened even more.
A shiver ran down their spines.
Their hands, already clutching Ace's, instinctively tightened.
Ace felt it and, with a knowing smirk, spoke up. "Relax. It's not like you two are responsible for the explosion."
Shan Yifeng tried to reply but his voice— got stuck.
Soho, oblivious, simply pinched their cheeks playfully. "You two are heroes tonight!"
Liu i and Shan Yifeng could only chuckle nervously.
Finally, Soho turned her attention to Ace, her grin returning.
"As you can see, the security in this city is absolutely terrible." She stretched lazily, then flicked a playful glance at him. "Why not co with to the capital?"
Ace raised a brow. "And why exactly would I do that?"
"You own a piece of land there." Soho wiggled her fingers dramatically. "And~ I'll personally make you a teacher!"
Ace snorted. "Why the hell would I want to be a teacher?"
"I dunno~" She spun on her heel, walking backward as she smirked. "I'm just laying down the offer. You'll need it sooner or later."
Ace rolled his eyes. "I'll think about it. I have more imdiate concerns… naly, the Xiao family."
Soho clapped her hands together. "Alright then! If that's what you wish~"
Then, as if suddenly rembering sothing, she snapped her fingers. "Oh right! That book you were interested in—The Legend of the Fool. Give it a read. It's a classic."
Before Ace could respond, she lifted a hand.
A brilliant golden fla erupted around her.
From it, her soul beast erged— a massive phoenix, wings shimring with fire.
She leapt onto its back effortlessly, flashing one last playful wink.
"Try not to miss too much~"
Then, with a powerful flap, she soared into the sky, leaving behind a trail of golden embers.
Ace watched her disappear, shaking his head.
'Her summon… is really huge and beautiful.'
Hua Lin, who had been listening from the side, finally stepped forward, hesitant yet determined.
"Master Zhi… are you really going to the capital?"
Ace glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "Not yet. But I plan to."
He spoke casually, keeping his tone natural.
Yet deep down, he felt a strong urge to keep his distance from her.
— You're being childish. She's just a kid.
A sultry voice echoed in his mind.
Ace scoffed internally. So what if I am? It still hurts when people say they hate with all their passion—especially when I haven't even done anything to them.
He barely registered what Hua Lin was saying at this point, too caught up in his own thoughts.
— Oh please… you're going to chase away everyone by being childish. Man up and forget the past. It may have been a mistake on her part. You know how teenage girls are. They say one thing and an another.
Ace's mind flashed back to his first love, Rina.
That ti she had told him she wasn't ready for dates, that ti he had decided to really believe that was the case. What was the result?
Only for him to later find out she already had a date with soone else.
Tch. Won and their lies.
— Oh please... not all won are the sa. Look at Liu i. Tell , with all your heart, has she ever been anything but truthful to you? Co on.
Ace clicked his tongue. "Argh, whatever."
"Master Zhi?"
Hua Lin blinked, confused. She had been speaking to him, yet he had gone completely silent.
Liu i, anwhile, had an entirely different reaction.
Her eyes widened in shock.
She had been casually reading Hua Lin's mind, and the girl's thoughts were… surprising.
[Ah, did the Princess already seduce Master Zhi? But… but wasn't he supposed to be engaged to ?]
[Even if we broke up, that doesn't an he needs to find soone else so soon! I'm willing! I'm really willing to be your bride!]
Liu i imdiately turned away, resisting the urge to burst out laughing, her nervousness seed to have disappeared.
'Oh well. I guess being able to read minds isn't always a blessing.'
She muttered under her breath, "Hah. You don't even stand a chance against Soho, let alone against —Master's favorite."
Then, turning to Shan Yifeng, she silently peered into his thoughts.
[Deep breath. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat. Let all the nervousness flow away. Breathe in… breathe out…]
But before she could pull away from the conversation, she locked eyes with Shan Yifeng.
A mont of silence passed.
Then his eyes narrowed. "You just read my mind."
Liu i's face remained completely neutral. "No, I didn't." Instant denial.
Shan Yifeng crossed his arms. "I know you did. I have my ways of finding out."
Liu i rolled her eyes. "Oh, please… it's not like I read your darkest secrets or anything."
Shan Yifeng narrowed his eyes, huffing. "One of these days, I'll find a way to block you out."
Liu i smirked. "Good luck with that."
He groaned, rubbing his temples. "I need a formation for privacy, where would I find one…" his eyes then locked to his master as a smile ford in his face.
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