Chapter 174: A Late-Night Conversation with Feng Wutong
As they returned to the Oakland Academy, the cool night breeze blew gently.
The team members jumped off the carriage and rushed straight to the cafeteria. After the competition, there was no food prepared at the Soul Fighting Arena, and everyone had only eaten a small snack. Now, they were starving.
"Finally, we can eat!"
Dai Yao jumped off the carriage and sprinted towards the cafeteria.
Luo Ling sighed helplessly as she watched Dai Yao's hurried figure, then leaped off the carriage as well.
Soon, several of the boys followed suit. Dai Yao helped Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Bo off the carriage, but noticed one person was missing. When he turned to look inside the carriage, he saw that Feng Wutong was still meditating.
"Wutong, we've arrived at the academy," Dai Yao called gently.
Feng Wutong slowly opened her eyes. She had just snapped out of her meditative state and was still a little disoriented.
When she realized they had already arrived at Oakland Academy and that Dai Yao and the others had already gotten off the carriage, she quickly stood up, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry, young master. It was my duty to assist you off the carriage."
Dai Yao smiled and waved his hand. "Wutong, do we really need to be so formal? Hurry up and get down, we still need to eat before preparing for tomorrow's match."
Feng Wutong looked at Dai Yao's extended hand but declined his assistance and jumped off the carriage herself.
"You may not mind such things, young master, but I cannot overstep my boundaries. Assisting you off the carriage was my task, and I failed. How could I let you help me?"
She smiled faintly, folding her hands in front of her, her gaze gentle and warm.
She had once been an ordinary civilian Soul Master, tormented by the mutations in her martial soul. Meeting Dai Yao had been a light in her otherwise tragic life.
However, she was very aware that there could never be anything between them. Dai Yao was a prince, a man of exceptional talent, one whose potential was rare even in the history of the Douluo Continent. The gap between them was far too great.
The stronger Dai Yao became, the more her feelings of inferiority grew. Thus, she buried her emotions deep in her heart.
When Dai Yao left the Star Luo Empire, she had thought that her connection with him had ended. She believed she would live the rest of her life tormented by the flames of her soul until death came. But unexpectedly, when she arrived in the Heaven Dou Empire, Dai Yao not only healed her martial soul's side effects, but he also helped it evolve.
He had effectively given her a second chance at life.
Such a kindness left her at a loss for how to repay him.
As a friend, she felt indebted, and staying by Dai Yao's side only reminded her more and more of how much she owed him. This constant guilt grew heavier with time.
On top of that, the feelings of affection she held for him made it even more complicated. In what role could she possibly stay by his side?
Fortunately, the suggestion that Dai Yao's maid had given her had lightened her heart a little. Not only could she repay his kindness slowly, but she could also use it as an excuse to stay by his side.
Now, however, due to her focus on cultivation, she had failed in her duties as his maid, and this was something she could not accept.
Hearing her words, Dai Yao sighed slightly, sensing her guilt.
He had originally intended to tell her not to work so hard on her cultivation, but after hearing what Feng Wutong said, he suppressed his concern. If he voiced it, it would only deepen her sense of guilt.
Zhu Zhuqing watched the exchange quietly, her gaze distant.
At the cafeteria, everyone, starving from the day's events, quickly devoured their food. The kitchen staff had outdone themselves in preparing a feast, especially for the Soul Master Competition participants.
After thanking the chefs, the group dispersed and returned to their respective dorms.
"Finally, I can take a bath and get some rest!"
Dai Yao stretched lazily, relaxing.
Zhu Zhuqing entered her dorm, looking around at the simple furnishings. Hearing Dai Yao's cheerful laugh, she smiled gently. Quietly, she began tidying up the room.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's graceful and virtuous demeanor, Dai Yao spoke up.
"Zhuqing, you used your martial soul fusion technique today and exhausted all your soul power. You need to rest. Let me take care of things, go ahead and take a bath, and get some proper rest for tomorrow's match."
After returning to their dorm, Zhu Zhuqing's usual cold demeanor around others melted. As she tied her hair up and cleaned up, she appeared neat and efficient. Hearing Dai Yao's words, she smiled.
"You should rest too. Tomorrow you have to face the Divine Wind Academy! Also, you should keep an eye on Wutong. She's been constantly cultivating, and I'm worried she's pushing herself too hard... if this keeps up, she might..."
Zhu Zhuqing's voice trailed off, her face filled with worry as she furrowed her brows.
"You're right, she has been pushing herself too much lately. She definitely needs to rest," Dai Yao agreed.
"Then go to her quickly. As her master, don't you care about your maid's health?" Zhu Zhuqing teased.
Dai Yao's face went red. "Zhuqing, you know that when I made Wutong my maid, it was just to remind her not to forget her gratitude. I didn't have any other intentions."
"I know. Go on," she said with a smile.
"Alright, I'll go," Dai Yao said, closing the door behind him and heading toward Feng Wutong's dorm.
Knock, knock, knock—
He knocked on the door. "Wutong, are you home?"
"Come in," came a cool, clear voice.
Opening the door, Dai Yao found Feng Wutong still sitting cross-legged, meditating.
"Ah, young master, what brings you here?"
Seeing Dai Yao, Feng Wutong was surprised. She quickly stood up and helped him sit down, then prepared tea for him.
Afterward, she folded her hands in front of her, her gaze lowering, assuming the posture of a maid.
Dai Yao couldn't help but sigh when he thought about how proud Feng Wutong used to be, like a phoenix that refused to flatter the powerful. Had he made a mistake?
He kept tapping his fingers, looking at her. After her martial soul evolved, Feng Wutong had gained a noble air. Her figure was tall and curvaceous, a sight to behold. Yet, this beauty was something only Dai Yao could appreciate.
His intense gaze made Feng Wutong feel uneasy, as if her body was about to ignite.
"Young master, what brings you here so late?"
Now that the night had fallen, the atmosphere between the two felt a little tense. Feng Wutong bit her lip nervously, gathering her courage to speak.
"Sit down first."
Seeing her standing like that, Dai Yao felt a headache coming on.
"There's a difference between master and servant. I can't allow that."
"I'm your master, so I order you to sit down. Will you refuse?"
Hearing Dai Yao speak to her with such authority, Feng Wutong's heart stirred. She knew that his command was meant for her own good.
"Ah..."
Seeing that Feng Wutong had finally sat down, Dai Yao sighed and began to speak seriously.
"Wutong, I've noticed that you've been focusing on cultivation every time you have a chance to rest. It's good to be diligent, but if you keep pushing yourself too hard, your body will eventually break down. You just returned today, and yet you're still at it."
Hearing his concern, Feng Wutong's heart warmed, a small smile tugging at her lips. Yet, she still felt a little anxious.
"Young master, I will do my best to fulfill my duties as your maid, and I won't let cultivation delay serving you again."
"Hey, that's not what I meant!"
Dai Yao sighed in helplessness at Feng Wutong's misunderstanding and waved his hand.
The air was filled with silence. After a long pause, Feng Wutong pondered for a while and then said:
"Master, after the evolution of my martial soul, I finally rid myself of the torment of the heart fire. I can now cultivate freely. Perhaps it's because I've endured so much hardship in the past, so I really cherish the time I can spend cultivating."
Dai Yao continuously tapped his fingers on the back of his hand, knowing that Feng Wutong was not telling the whole truth.
However, to get her to rest, he had to command her directly.
Standing up, he said coldly, "Regardless of the reason, I, as your master, now command you to rest. And starting tomorrow, you must ensure you get a certain amount of rest every day."
"I... I..."
Feng Wutong wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Dai Yao.
"Are you not going to listen to my words?"
Dai Yao spoke coldly.
Looking at his indifferent expression, although it was an order, it made Feng Wutong feel warm inside. Her eyes reddened slightly, and her voice trembled as she held back her tears, forcing a smile.
"Alright, Master, I will listen to you and rest properly."
Seeing Feng Wutong's eyes brimming with tears, Dai Yao felt at a loss. He only wanted her to rest, but now she was like this.
"Ah, Wutong, if you have anything to say, just tell me."
Dai Yao walked up to Feng Wutong, gently stroking her fiery red hair, speaking softly.
His tender words seemed like a sword, piercing through all of Feng Wutong's defenses. Her gaze trembled, and the tears flowed uncontrollably. She choked up, saying:
"During these past few days of competition, I couldn't help at all. Even though I'm your maid, I couldn't do anything. You've given me so much, even made my martial soul evolve... just like back at the Star Luo Royal Academy, I still feel useless."
"So, I just want to cultivate properly and break through the bottleneck of level 40. Once I become a Soul Sect, I'll be able to help you."
Upon hearing Feng Wutong's explanation, Dai Yao felt deeply moved. He hadn't expected her to work so hard for this reason.
What a woman deserving of pity!
"Why do you think this way? You're already very powerful. Even if you're not a Soul Sect yet, you've already contributed greatly to the team. It's just that we haven't needed you to show your full abilities yet."
"Is that so?"
Feng Wutong stopped crying and looked up at Dai Yao. Her teary eyes, combined with her natural nobility, stirred a sense of longing and desire in him.
Suppressing that intense desire, Dai Yao calmed himself and replied:
"Of course. Back when we fought against Elephant Armor Academy and Blaze Fire Academy, you were meant to be our trump card. But we didn't expect those two academies to be so weak. They were defeated before you even had to make a move."
Seeing Feng Wutong's skeptical expression, Dai Yao took her delicate hand and spoke softly:
"If you don't believe me, tomorrow when we face the Godwind Academy, it will be your time to shine. You must stop their attack and buy me enough time to unleash my soul techniques."
"Yes, I will!"
Feng Wutong said with firm resolve, her eyes full of determination.
The two of them looked at each other, and Feng Wutong's eyes turned soft and watery. Her body weakened, and she collapsed into Dai Yao's arms.
Feeling the warmth of his embrace and breathing in his masculine scent, Feng Wutong felt as though the fatigue of the past days had all disappeared. A sense of peace filled her heart.
In that moment, the bottleneck that had been tormenting her for days suddenly broke through, and her soul power reached level 38.
Focusing solely on cultivation had kept her from breaking through, but by relaxing, the breakthrough came naturally.
Feng Wutong felt at ease, but Dai Yao was struggling. Holding such a beautiful woman, a world-class beauty no less, in his arms was no easy feat.
Feng Wutong's face turned bright red.
She whispered shyly, "Master, actually, if you want, I could..."
As she spoke, she suddenly realized that the warm embrace was gradually pulling away. A voice rang out.
"Wutong, you rest well. I'll be heading back now."
Looking at Dai Yao's retreating figure, Feng Wutong froze. She remembered the words she had almost said and felt a pang of loss in her heart.
She forced a bitter smile and thought, "Why should I ask for so much? Being able to stay by his side is already a rare blessing. Any unrealistic hopes should stay buried in my heart. Perhaps, he doesn't even have those thoughts about me."
On his way back, as the lights dimmed and a cool breeze blew, Dai Yao began to suppress the burning heat in his chest.
To be honest, he was no saint. With such a beautiful woman, and Feng Wutong being his maid, if he had even the slightest intention, she wouldn't be able to reject him.
But after all, he had been an ordinary man in his previous life. Coming to Douluo Continent, where he had experienced the Cold Palace and the Star Luo Royal Academy, he had never truly encountered the decadent life of a noble. His character and values hadn't fundamentally changed.
So, he couldn't force himself to take advantage of Feng Wutong.
Moreover, he still respected her deeply. Taking her as a maid was only to keep her by his side and prevent her from revealing any secrets about the Qinglian.
What he didn't realize was that it was precisely this respect that had truly entered Feng Wutong's heart.
Even after becoming his maid, despite their differing statuses, his respect had not wavered. But Feng Wutong had internalized the distance between them, and their old friendship could never be the same again.
However, Dai Yao could still control himself for now. But what the future held, he didn't know.
At some point, his current purity might completely change.
When he returned to his dormitory and saw the elegant figure of Zhu Zhuqing, the turbulence in his heart finally calmed down.
"Back already?" Zhu Zhuqing smiled gently.
"Mm."
Zhu Zhuqing didn't bring up the matter of Feng Wutong. She trusted Dai Yao's character. Even if he did something out of line, she was mentally prepared.
After chatting briefly, the two of them went to rest.
The next day.
Looking at the increasingly gloomy sky, Dai Yao felt more relaxed.
After gathering all the members, Feng Qianli exchanged a glance with Dai Yao, both of them nodding.
"Today, we face Godwind Academy. Zhu Zhuqing can't participate, and we're not favored, but we must give it our all!"
"Hold them off for Dai Yao! Give him enough time to use his soul techniques! Any questions?!"
"No!"
Everyone looked at Dai Yao, speaking in unison.
Though Dai Yao wasn't their captain, he was undeniably their backbone. Despite not revealing the reason why he could defeat Godwind Academy, Dai Yao's past miracles had naturally inspired belief in the team.
Of course, it wasn't that Dai Yao didn't tell them about his fourth soul technique; it was just that its terrifying power could rival Soul Douluo-level attacks. Even if he told them, they'd find it hard to believe.
"Let's go!"
Feng Qianli shouted.
The group quickly boarded the carriage, entering one by one.
Once everyone was on board, the coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage slowly headed toward the Great Soul Arena of the Heaven Dou Empire.
(End of Chapter)
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