Chapter Seventy-Four: The Decision of the Flame Dancer

Just as Xiao Yu stood in front of the Blue Silver Empress lost in thought, he hadn’t noticed when Huo Wu had come to stand behind him. Unlike her usual self, she didn’t start bickering. Instead, she quietly watched his back, her eyes filled with a complex array of emotions.

To be honest, she felt a tinge of jealousy toward Ye Lingling. That was a hundred-thousand-year-old soul bone, after all, and Xiao Yu had handed it over to her without even batting an eye. She herself had left her home and traveled all the way to Nine Star Academy—did this guy really not understand her feelings? He was always saying things just to rile her up.

By now, Xiao Yu had reached over level sixty in cultivation, and after absorbing a hundred-thousand-year-old soul bone for his head, his spiritual power was astonishing. He’d long since noticed Huo Wu standing behind him and was even aware of her shifting emotions.

In truth, he understood Huo Wu’s heart, but he too had his own dilemmas.

The Nine-Heart Begonia clan had joined the Nine Star Hall as a whole—sharing in its fortunes and losses. He and Ye Lingling had known each other since childhood, so he felt at ease helping her improve her abilities and cultivation.

But Huo Wu was different; she was backed by the Blazing Fire Academy.

The Nine-Heart Begonia was a family; even though it depended on the Heaven Dou Empire, it still maintained its independence. The Blazing Fire Academy, however, had always been tightly bound to the royal family’s support since its founding. Both Huo Wu’s father and grandfather held noble titles in the Heaven Dou Empire and were unwaveringly loyal to the royal house. This loyalty was clear from how, after the Soul Hunt incident in the original work, the major elemental academies—despite losing many students—chose to merge into one and relocate to Heaven Dou City rather than bow to the Spirit Hall.

According to Xiao Yu’s plans for the future, there was one point that overlapped with the Spirit Hall: he too intended to seize control of the Heaven Dou Empire, and command its million-strong army. In doing so, he would inevitably clash with the royal family. Of course, he could use others to do the dirty work—for instance, let Qian Renxue eradicate the royals and then reap the rewards himself. But plans seldom keep up with changing circumstances. The future would be fraught with complications as many forces converged on Heaven Dou City. A tiny miscalculation could result in disaster. If he and the royal family came to blows, what choice would the Blazing Fire Academy make, given its unwavering loyalty? For Huo Wu, that would be even more painful.

Moreover, both her father and grandfather held noble titles, and in the Heaven Dou Empire, Huo Wu’s status was far from low. Xiao Yu and Ye Lingling had a deep bond from childhood, and the Nine-Heart Begonia clan had been instrumental in supporting his sect’s growth over the years. By seniority, Huo Wu could only come after Ye Lingling. But how could the Huo family ever accept their daughter as a concubine?

Thus, though Xiao Yu understood Huo Wu’s feelings, he pretended not to notice, keeping a certain distance. He would even argue with her now and then, hoping that this hot-tempered girl might just storm off in anger.

Aphrodite, sensing the awkwardness in the air, made an excuse to keep watch outside and left the stone chamber. As for Milo and Aiolia, who had been tailing them, they had already vanished after confirming there was no internal threat.

No one knew how long the silence lasted. Apart from the occasional sound from Ye Lingling as she absorbed the soul bone, the stone chamber was so quiet that even a pin drop would have been heard.

After a long silence, Huo Wu suddenly spoke. “When this school year ends, I’ll be leaving the academy. I’m going back to Blazing Fire Academy.”

“Alright.”

Xiao Yu didn’t turn around, only nodded lightly. “You’re the heiress of Blazing Fire Academy. It really doesn’t make sense for you to stay here with me. Better go back soon, don’t let your family worry.”

“So you really want me gone, huh?”

At his words, Huo Wu felt a sting at the tip of her nose, her eyes glistening with tears. “Am I really that unbearable to you?”

Noticing the tremor in her voice, Xiao Yu realized something was wrong and quickly turned to face her. “That’s not what I meant!”

“Then what do you mean?”

Huo Wu could no longer hold back. Tears rolled down her cheeks like pearls on a broken string. But she was a kind-hearted girl—even at this moment, she remembered not to disturb Ye Lingling, who was still absorbing the soul bone. She bit her lower lip, refusing to let herself sob out loud.

Xiao Yu was at a total loss. Things had always been natural between him and Ye Lingling—he’d never faced a situation like this before.

All he could do was approach Huo Wu and gently wipe the tears from her face, speaking softly, “You’ve misunderstood—I never disliked you.”

“Then why do you want me to go so badly?”

Trying to suppress her sorrow, Huo Wu forced herself to speak in a low voice. “Can you really not understand at all?”

Xiao Yu shook his head helplessly. “You’re the heiress of Blazing Fire Academy. Even in the Heaven Dou Empire, no ordinary noble could hope for you. Do you think your family would ever accept my relationship with Lingling?”

He paused, then continued. “Lingling and I have known each other since we were children. The Nine-Heart Begonia clan put everything on the line to support me, joining the Nine Star Hall and using all their connections. I could never betray that deep kindness.”

“That’s all?”

Huo Wu stopped crying, raising her head to look directly into Xiao Yu’s eyes. “So you don’t actually dislike me?”

“Why would I dislike you?” Xiao Yu met her gaze without flinching. “You’re a bit hot-tempered at times, but I think that kind of straightforwardness isn’t a bad thing.”

“Really?”

Suddenly, Huo Wu took two steps forward, coming so close that Xiao Yu could catch the faint fragrance from her body.

“Then do you like me?”

The suddenness of the question left Xiao Yu’s mind blank. He, who was usually calm and analytical, found himself stammering, “I... um...”

Seeing Xiao Yu—always composed—now flustered, Huo Wu burst out laughing through her tears. She wrapped her arms around him like an octopus, pressing her pretty face to his ear to whisper, “You hesitated. My mother said, when a man doesn’t immediately deny a question like this but hesitates, the answer is already clear.”

Good grief, did Huo Wu’s mother really teach her even this, worried her fiery daughter might never find a husband?

Xiao Yu was momentarily speechless. To claim he felt nothing for Huo Wu would be a lie. In terms of looks and figure, she was every bit a goddess. Her fiery temperament only made her more genuine—she loved and hated with her whole heart. Even when reading the original story, Xiao Yu had been favorably impressed by her.

Since coming to Douluo, after years of academy life together, he had seen that beneath her temper was a kind heart. Despite her noble birth, she showed no arrogance toward commoners.

“Let go first.”

Yet, he understood that matters between him and Huo Wu were not as simple as two people’s willingness. There were too many real-world obstacles in their way. He reached out, trying to pry her arms from around him.

“I won’t let go. I’ll find my own way to deal with my father. Just tell me, would you be willing?”

But Huo Wu clung on with all her strength, and not wanting to be rough, Xiao Yu was unable to free himself despite several attempts.

He couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s not as simple as ‘like’ or ‘willing’ between us. If nothing else, what would Lingling think if she found out?”

“I don’t mind!”

At that moment, a clear voice rang out beside them.