Jing Hongchen suddenly recalled the second most important matter besides purging the so-called evil fire. A wicked grin spread across his face.
"Yuhao, how's that matter progressing?"
Huo Yuhao sneered.
"Very smoothly. Thanks to Elder Kong's brainwashing soul tool modified from the Holy Spirit Sect's secret techniques, I can embed a spiritual manipulation factor into my Ultimate Ice soul power. When Ma Xiaotao is at her weakest, I can quietly slip into her spiritual sea and slowly, subtly reconstruct her mind. No outsider will notice any abnormalities. But deep down, she'll begin to feel an innate drive to do what benefits us.
"In time, this beloved Shrek Academy student will still appear loyal to them on the surface... but in reality, she'll already be a puppet dancing to our strings."
Jing Hongchen laughed heartily, his eyes gleaming coldly.
"Well done. The method might be a bit insidious, but for the sake of our Sun Moon Empire's future unification, it's a necessary evil."
Huo Yuhao shrugged nonchalantly.
"Heh. Master, we really don't need to feel burdened. Helping purge Ma Xiaotao's evil fire—perhaps even awakening her potential to evolve into Ultimate Fire—is already more than generous. A little something on the side is hardly an issue. Besides, it's far better than her being captured by the Holy Spirit Sect and turned into a mindless slave."
The two shared a knowing smile and said no more.
"Master, I'll go call someone in to clean up the room for you."
"Good, good."
After leaving Jing Hongchen's office, Ma Xiaotao bit her lip and stumbled her way toward the restroom.
Once she rushed into the women's washroom, she had no mind to admire the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy's luxuriously decorated facilities. She gripped the sink, bent forward, her sweat-soaked red hair falling past her cheeks. She was gasping for breath, her body a complete mess. The lingering lust from the evil fire hadn't fully faded, and the chilling remnants of Ultimate Ice in her meridians made her shiver uncontrollably.
She turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her flushed face. Only after a while did her breathing begin to steady. Once fully conscious, she activated her fire-attributed soul power to evaporate the sweat and other… unfamiliar fluids from her body, using a gentle flame to dry her soaked clothes.
"Damn it…"
She muttered softly as she pushed aside her damp red bangs and looked into the mirror. The flushed tint on her delicate cheeks made her feel deeply ashamed. What pained her even more was the realization—
She'd actually enjoyed that feeling.
The sensation of being toyed with by that man named Huo Yuhao...
"No. No way."
Ma Xiaotao nearly gagged. Even though she carried the evil fire within, how could she ever feel something like that for the man she wanted to burn to ashes? Absolutely impossible.
She shook her head violently, forcing those disgraceful thoughts away. She resolved to take a proper bath back at her dorm and cleanse herself from the impurities left by the evil fire's partial removal. Perhaps… perhaps Huo Yuhao wasn't as terrible a person as she imagined?
No. Absolutely not.
Next session was in three days. If only it could be every day, she thought for a moment—but immediately convinced herself it was just so she could return to Shrek Academy sooner. That was all. And why did Huo Yuhao seem so cold and distant while helping her? At least... he could have gotten a little closer. Just to make the purification process more effective, of course.
All the way back to her dorm, Ma Xiaotao found herself flooded by ridiculous, contradictory thoughts. Little did she know, these conflicted emotions would only grow deeper with time, dragging her toward a dark, inescapable abyss. And without realizing it, the hatred she once held toward Huo Yuhao—and even the Sun Moon Empire—was beginning to quietly fade away.
Meanwhile, Wang Dong sat alone in the dorm assigned by the academy, blankly staring at the interior.
"Looks way better than Shrek's dorms. Hmph, outer court trash."
Forget about the outdated, so-called "historic" style of Shrek dorms—this place was modern, comfortable, and came with a private bathroom. For someone as obsessive about cleanliness as Wang Dong, this alone was reason to celebrate.
At Shrek, she'd been forced to fetch hot water and use a wooden tub just to bathe. Here? The bathroom had a tiled soaking tub, and even a gold-plated shower head. She was slightly stunned by the extravagance of the Sun Moon Empire.
'Maybe… coming here wasn't such a bad thing after all. I don't have friends anywhere anyway. Might as well enjoy a better environment.'
She pulled the string beside the bed. Instantly, a beautifully designed soul-powered lamp on the ceiling lit up with a soft golden glow.
"Let's take a bath."
She could no longer resist the allure of that glorious bathroom.
Soon, the sound of water splashing filled the air. After thirty whole minutes, Wang Dong emerged wrapped in a towel, the curves of her real body subtly outlined beneath the fabric.
"Ah… that felt amazing."
After drying off, she flopped onto the soft bed with satisfaction. Compared to Shrek… it was like heaven and earth. She used a shaping spell to make her body appear male again, put on her underwear and pajamas, then dried her hair with a towel.
As she was about to start meditating, something beside the bed caught her eye—a strange device shaped like a small soul tool blaster, with a round nozzle covered in metal mesh.
'What the heck is this?'
Curious, she picked it up and noticed a button. Cautiously pointing it forward, she pressed it.
Vrrrmmmm.
Warm air blew from the nozzle, startling her.
'It just… blows warm air?'
She held her hand in front of it, confirming the air was indeed heated.
Looking at her still-damp pastel blue hair, Wang Dong took the device to the full-length mirror and began drying her hair. To her amazement, her hair dried quickly and fluffed up beautifully.
"Wow… no need to style it at all!"
She had found its true purpose—this was a hair dryer! So convenient! Even though her hair was short, air-drying was always a hassle. But with this, it was done in moments.
'If I had long hair, this would be even better…'
She'd even heard that some girls at Shrek had to ask fire-type soul masters to dry their hair for them.
"So soul tools… can be used like this too? To make everyday life easier?"
Wang Dong's eyes lit up. Maybe she'd only hated offensive soul tools all along. Things like soul lights and hair dryers—these, she rather liked.
Still, it was odd. That same irrational dislike of attack-type soul tools, just like her strange feelings toward Huo Yuhao… it all left her confused.
Now, she felt she had more than one reason for being at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. Not just to settle her inexplicable connection to Huo Yuhao, but perhaps… to learn about soul tools that could improve daily life in the Douluo Three Nations.
Wang Dong, for all her pride as the heir of the Clear Sky Sect, wasn't the type to ignore the struggles of the common folk. She had a deep compassion for those below her—albeit one tinted with the superiority of someone born into nobility. When she'd heard about Jiang Nannan's harsh upbringing as a commoner, it left a lasting impression on her.
She knew she couldn't change the wealth gap alone—but perhaps, if she learned to develop domestic-use soul tools, she could bring some comfort to the lives of others.
Of course, she had to first resolve this strange relationship between her and Huo Yuhao.
As she drifted off to sleep after a long, exhausting day, a thought floated through her mind.
"Are we… really at the same academy now?"
That thought brought her a strange sense of peace. Her lips curled into a faint smile as she closed her eyes.
For the first time in a long while, she slept deeply and peacefully—so different from the restless nights back at Shrek. And in her dreams, she saw herself with Huo Yuhao, together… just as it was always meant to be.
Meanwhile, in another room, Huo Yuhao, still working late into the night on a soul tool, shivered inexplicably. His eyelids twitched.
"…What the hell is going on?"
(End of Chapter)
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