Leaving aside Emperor Xue Ye's regrets for now, Gu La returned to the academy and promptly put the emperor out of his mind.
If saving him once wasn't enough for him to seize the opportunity, Gu La wouldn't intervene a second time.
Stepping out of his room, Gu La made his way to the training grounds.
The remnants of the setting sun bathed the Blue Silver Grass fence surrounding the training field in a golden glow. As Gu La pushed open the ornate iron gate, he caught sight of Xiao Wu flipping gracefully through the air.
The girl's pink skirt billowed in the evening breeze, her lithe waist bending into an impossible arc. Her toes landed on the residual shadow left by Zhu Zhuqing's Netherworld Spirit Cat, producing a series of crisp metallic sounds.
"What's new these past two days?"
Gu La retrieved a pair of black iron wrist guards and slipped them on. The metal fit snugly against his hands, leaving no gaps.
Xiao Wu came to a stop, settling onto a swing and twirling the end of her braid with delicate fingers. "What could possibly be new at the academy? Though I did beat up an annoying big gorilla the other day."
She suddenly burst into laughter, winking at Zhu Zhuqing. "Did you see the look on Tai Long's face when I knocked him down? He was completely dumbfounded—it was hilarious!"
A gorilla? That must be Tai Long from the Power Clan.
The thought flashed through Gu La's mind. A minor character, but the Power Clan was known for their hard labor skills. He cautioned, "His grandfather is a Soul Douluo—don't push it too far."
"Alright."
Xiao Wu agreed without a care for the so-called Soul Douluo grandfather.
Zhu Zhuqing felt something was off. Was it really okay to belittle a powerful soul master like that?
She retracted her martial soul and landed gracefully, her sleek black bodysuit accentuating her curves. "This morning, he sent roses again, claiming it was to showcase the 'Romance of Tai Tan Power.'"
Her usually cold voice carried a rare trace of amusement, as if she couldn't suppress a smile.
She chuckled softly and advised, "Why don't you just make it clear to Tai Long that you're not interested? Stop letting him pester you."
Xiao Wu sniffed dismissively. "He'd have to listen first. Stubborn as a mule—he acts like he can't understand human speech."
Gu La nodded. The Power Clan was like that, no surprises there.
High EQ: Resolute and determined.
Low EQ: Stubborn and inflexible.
Tai Tan had once looked down on Tang San through his nostrils—"Boy, you've still got a lot to learn."
But the moment Tang San revealed his identity as Tang Hao's son, Tai Tan immediately knelt—"Greetings, Young Master."
It was truly baffling to decipher Tai Tan's thought process.
Gu La tossed his outer robe onto the weapon rack, revealing his muscular upper body. As he stepped into the artificial lake, the water began to boil violently. Under thirty-three times gravity, every ripple turned viscous like glue.
"I know~"
Xiao Wu drew out her words while swinging lazily, her dainty ankles playfully swaying mid-air. "Even if that gorilla's grandfather comes knocking, do you think he'll dare bully us with his seniority?"
Gu La thought to himself: That's not necessarily true.
He visualized the image of the thick earth to temper his spirit and activated the gravity field to hone his physique. He asked, "What have Dai Mubai and the others been up to lately?"
Xiao Wu shot Gu La an annoyed glance, treating her like a maid who answers every question.
With a huff, she replied, "What else? Chasing women, of course. Dai Mubai has harassed nearly every pretty girl in the academy. Fatty and Oscar went to the soul arena to earn money—I'm not sure what they've been up to after that."
Her response offered little clarity. Gu La closed his eyes, using the resistance of gravity and water currents to train his body.
"It seems I should check on them soon. If their transformation is complete, I might as well test how much control I have over them."
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was about to say something, the training ground gates suddenly clanged loudly. Oscar stumbled in, covered in dust.
"Something's happened!"
He leaned on his knees, gasping for breath. "Fatty set fire to Yongsheng (Eternal Prosperity) Trading House on Vermilion Bird Street and is now being detained by the city defense forces!"
"What happened? Calm down and explain carefully."
Gu La abruptly stood up from the water. "Tell me clearly—how did Ma Hongjun provoke Yongsheng Trading House?"
He recalled that it was a fairly large trading house with significant backing.
"All because of that cursed Bone-Fortifying ointment!"
Oscar tugged at his disheveled hair, catching his breath before explaining:
"Recently, the soul arena has been preparing for the Soul Masters Tournament, drawing many foreign soul masters. Both me and Fatty participated in the soul battles, losing more often than winning. Our gambling earnings started to dwindle, so we decided to start a business."
"At first, things were fine—we made a bit of money. But later, Fatty grew unsatisfied. When Oak published the formula for the perfect Bone-Fortifying ointment, we spent a fortune buying medicinal herbs."
"The prices of herbs on the black market skyrocketed. We initially made a decent profit. Then Fatty heard somewhere that the price of Burdock Vine would rise, so he bet all our savings on Yongsheng Trading House…"
His voice suddenly dropped. "Turns out, the entire shipment was just dyed dead branches soaked in coloring agents."
Gu La interrupted Oscar: "You didn't inspect the goods carefully before doing business?"
"Of course we inspected them!" Oscar's voice rose, but under Gu La's gaze, it gradually softened. "We're not that irresponsible, but who knew they'd switch the goods during delivery?"
"…In a fit of anger, Fatty set fire to their trading house—and burned down nearby shops too. Now he's been detained by the city defense forces, and they're going to punish him!"
"I just went to the headmaster's office, but both him and the vice principal were gone. I had no choice but to come find you guys."
Gu La stared blankly. No wonder—they were disciples taught by Flender. Being unwilling to cause trouble would make them mediocre, but daring to set fires in Tian Dou City? That definitely wasn't mediocrity.
"Don't worry—the city guards won't harm Fatty right away. At least they'll give us some time to bail him out. Did you find out who's backing that trading house?"
Oscar shook his head, looking confused. "No."
Gu La wasn't surprised. They had only been in business for a short time; no one would intentionally inform them.
"Zhu Zhuqing, stay here. When Principal Flender returns, tell him to meet us. Xiao Ao and I will go check it out first—at least make sure Fatty doesn't suffer too much."
As Gu La spoke, he briefly considered letting Ma Hongjun endure some punishment. However, since he didn't know how ruthless the city guards were, he abandoned the idea.
Xiao Wu jumped off the swing, flicking her braided ponytail behind her. "I'm coming too! Anyone who dares bully us deserves a taste of their own medicine!"
Gu La sighed. "We're not here to stir up trouble. If you come, follow my orders and don't add fuel to the fire."
"How bothersome! Let's hurry up and go already."
Xiao Wu's cheerful demeanor made it seem less like a rescue mission and more like storming a trial execution.
The three sped out of the training grounds, racing through the streets until they reached Vermilion Bird Street. From afar, they could see thick black smoke rising from the area, surrounded by a large group of city guards trying to extinguish the flames. But the fire from the Evil Phoenix was notoriously difficult to put out—it wouldn't stop until it consumed everything. The flames continued to burn fiercely.
Ma Hongjun was forced to kneel on the ground by the city guards, his body charred black. His once-round face was red and swollen to three times its size, with vivid handprints across it that made anyone's skin crawl just looking at them.
When he saw Gu La, he regarded him as a savior, pleading hoarsely, "Gu La, save me!"
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