Sea God Island – Ma Xiaotao's Dormitory
"Mmnh…"
Ma Xiaotao slowly opened her eyes and sat up, her head foggy. She instinctively reached up to pat her forehead, gradually regaining clarity.
"You're awake," a familiar voice said.
Ma Xiaotao turned toward the sound and saw her teacher, Yan Shaozhe, standing with his back to her at the window, staring out with a composed, masterly posture.
"Teacher, what happened?" she asked, still dazed.
"You don't remember what happened earlier?" Yan Shaozhe turned around, surprised.
"Uh… I remember a little," Ma Xiaotao said with a pained expression, trying to recall. "I was sparring with Ling Luocheng, then my martial soul lost control. I chased her, and I think… I ran into a male student. I might've even dragged him into the water with me… After that, it's all a blur."
"Did I cause trouble?" she asked anxiously, her face paling.
Yan Shaozhe sighed. "No. Luckily, the one you ran into was Zhu Ziyang. Otherwise… I don't even want to imagine the consequences."
"Z-Zhu Ziyang?!" Ma Xiaotao froze.
She felt like the sky had collapsed.
I've been avoiding him for three or four months… and now it's all for nothing?!
After their second encounter, Ma Xiaotao realized something terrifying: she could not get close to Zhu Ziyang. He was like a cure that carried its own poison. His presence soothed the raging evil fire within her—but at the same time, completely shattered her hard-earned willpower.
She had finally learned to suppress the evil fire on her own. But after just two meetings with Zhu Ziyang, she realized that being near him caused the flames to vanish by themselves. The sense of calm, the indescribable bliss—it made her self-control crumble.
It had taken her over three months to escape that influence.
And now… all of it undone in a single night.
Do I really have to depend on Zhu Ziyang?! I'm Ma Xiaotao! How can I rely on a man? A kid who's four or five years younger than me?!
"Xiaotao? Are you alright?" Yan Shaozhe noticed her daze.
"Huh? Yes! I'm fine!" she said quickly, forcing a smile.
"By the way, did you know Zhu Ziyang is your martial uncle?" Yan Shaozhe said casually.
"…What?!"
Ma Xiaotao practically screamed.
"You really need to work on staying calm," Yan Shaozhe scolded.
"Wait, seriously? He's my martial uncle?" she pressed.
"That's right. He's Elder Mu's newly accepted disciple—my junior martial brother. That makes him your martial uncle," Yan Shaozhe explained with a smile.
"Then… why were you encouraging me to spend more time with him?" she stared at him in disbelief.
Yan Shaozhe sighed again. "Initially… I hoped the two of you might end up together."
"!"
Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened, completely lost.
"Zhu Ziyang has twin martial souls," Yan Shaozhe continued. "His first is the Ultimate Light, and his second—Ultimate Ice. That's top secret, by the way. I'm only telling you because I have no choice. If you two were to bond, your evil fire would be suppressed instantly. Your martial soul could even evolve into Ultimate Fire. But… the teacher didn't approve."
Ma Xiaotao listened in silence, then finally said with resolve, "Teacher, I can overcome the evil fire on my own. I don't need Zhu Ziyang."
Yan Shaozhe shook his head helplessly. "Alright, alright. Do as you wish. But you should still interact with him more. Like it or not, you'll likely be teammates in the future."
"…I'll try," she replied after a moment.
"Good. Rest for now. I'll take my leave." Yan Shaozhe nodded in satisfaction and left the room.
Ma Xiaotao remained sitting on her bed, blankly staring ahead, deep in thought.
Outside, Yan Shaozhe's face lit up with a sly smile. "Even though Teacher rejected my idea, what if… little junior brother develops feelings himself? Xiaotao's so talented and beautiful… If they spend enough time together, I doubt he'll stay indifferent. What young man doesn't fall for a little romance, eh?"
The Next Day
Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan headed together to Sea God Island. Zhu Ziyang was, as usual, going to train under Elder Mu, while Jiang Nannan had a different goal—she was meeting with Elder Song. Apparently, Elder Song had developed a personal combat technique, much like Elder Mu's famous three signature skills.
As they approached the golden ancient tree, a red-clad girl descended from the platform above.
Zhu Ziyang's expression shifted slightly—he hadn't expected to see Ma Xiaotao again so soon after yesterday's… encounter.
Jiang Nannan smiled brightly and greeted her. "Sister Xiaotao! Long time no see!"
Ma Xiaotao looked distracted, but responded. "Oh, Nannan… yes, it's been a while." Then she saw Zhu Ziyang.
Zhu Ziyang, surprised, asked, "Nannan, you know her?"
"Of course," Jiang Nannan said proudly. "I know all the inner court seniors! Impressive, right? Hehehe~"
She grinned like Tang Ya.
Zhu Ziyang chuckled dryly. "You really should spend less time with Tang Ya… She's rubbing off on you."
"Hmph! Don't say that in front of her, or she'll roast you," Nannan teased. "Wait, so… you know Sister Xiaotao too?"
"Yeah." Zhu Ziyang nodded. He looked at Ma Xiaotao and noticed she was staring at him blankly. "Senior Xiaotao, did you need something?"
"Yes! I mean… yes," she said instinctively, then immediately regretted it.
"Go ahead," Zhu Ziyang said politely, acting completely composed, as if yesterday's intimate contact had never happened.
"I heard you have an Ultimate Light martial soul. Can I… can I come to you for help in the future?" Ma Xiaotao blurted out.
Zhu Ziyang hesitated, then nodded. "Sure."
Why did he agree? Maybe kindness. Maybe something else. He didn't know.
"T-Thank you!" Ma Xiaotao's face burned red. She had no courage to stay longer. "I'll go now—bye!"
She vanished in a flash, fleeing a good few hundred meters before stopping.
Her face was still flushed. What have I done?! Flirting with him right in front of Jiang Nannan?! So shameless!
Poor girl. For all her strength, she was painfully innocent in matters of the heart.
Meanwhile, Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan stood in silence, watching her run off.
"…Brother, what did she mean by that? And why did she run away?" Jiang Nannan asked curiously.
"You didn't know? Her martial soul has a flaw. Mine can help suppress it," Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile.
"Seriously?!" Jiang Nannan was stunned. "Sister Xiaotao is the second most talented student in the inner court—and her martial soul has a flaw? That's unbelievable!"
Zhu Ziyang just smiled. "Let's go."