Douluo Continent: My name is Lu Mingfei, and my martial soul is Lu Mingze.

When the six people walked out of the Jubao Pavilion, it was already dark outside.

The group strolled around for a long time, and Lu Mingfei bought quite a few things, preparing a gift for each person he knew.

Lu Mingfei stood on the steps in front of Jubaoge, looking at the lights on the street.

He suddenly had a strange feeling that being able to stand here with these people was a pretty good thing.

Except for Xu Sanshi.

Beibei and Xu Sanshi said their goodbyes first, as they were heading back to the inner courtyard via a different path.

As Xu Sanshi was leaving, he was still muttering, "Brother Lu, can you forget about what happened in the arena last time?" when Bei Bei grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him away.

Lu Mingfei, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Jiang Nannan were the only four people left standing at the door.

Huo Yuhao glanced at the sky, then turned to Wang Dong and said, "Let's practice our Martial Soul Fusion Technique outside the city tonight, while it's dark and no one will bother us."

Wang Dong nodded, then looked at Lu Mingfei.

"Senior, would you like to come along?"

Lu Mingfei was about to say yes when he suddenly remembered that he had been tormented by Old Song for two hours today.

"I'm not going. I'll go back and rest. I'll have to suffer again tomorrow."

Huo Yuhao expressed his understanding and walked towards the city gate with Wang Dong.

After taking two steps, Huo Yuhao turned back.

"Senior, thank you for the whale glue."

Lu Mingfei waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned.

It's just a small amount of money, nothing to worry about. Anyway, it's highly likely that I got it from Yan Shaozhe, so I don't feel any guilt about using it.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong quickly disappeared into the night outside the city gate.

Lu Mingfei was about to walk towards the dormitory when he suddenly felt someone tugging at his sleeve.

He looked down and saw it was Jiang Nannan's hand.

Jiang Nannan's fingers gripped a small piece of fabric from his sleeve, lightly but tightly.

Lu Mingfei turned his head and met Jiang Nannan's eyes.

Her eyes were so beautiful, with slightly upturned corners. Usually, when she looked at people, she was as cold as if they were frozen, but for some reason, that layer of ice seemed to have melted a little.

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Nannan didn't speak, but Lu Mingfei noticed a very faint blush rising on her cheeks.

It wasn't the blushing of shyness, but more like the blush of someone who had been holding back something for a long time.

Lu Mingfei waited a few seconds, and seeing that she still didn't speak, he couldn't help but urge, "What's wrong?"

Hurry up and say something, or I feel like you're about to suffocate.

"...Could you come with me for a walk outside the city?"

Jiang Nannan spoke these words in a very soft voice, completely unlike her usual self.

Jiang Nannan usually speaks in a cool and decisive manner without hesitation, but there was something inexplicable in her words.

Jiang Nannan was nervous.

Lu Mingfei found it somewhat unbelievable.

"What are you doing outside the city so late?" Lu Mingfei scratched his head.

Jiang Nannan turned her face away and spoke even softer.

"...I just wanted to take a walk."

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth.

He didn't really want to go.

But when he met Jiang Nannan's eyes, which were looking directly at him, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

There was a hint of expectation in her eyes, very faint, as if she herself was trying to hide it, but Lu Mingfei could see it.

He sighed.

"Alright."

Jiang Nannan's eyes lit up for a moment, then she quickly regained her usual cold expression, but she swiftly loosened her grip on Lu Mingfei's sleeve and took the lead in walking towards the city gate.

Lu Mingfei followed slowly behind, wondering how long he could sleep when he got back tonight.

The two left the city gate and walked slowly along the path outside the city.

Jiang Nannan walked in front, and Lu Mingfei followed behind, with about two or three steps between them.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Jiang Nannan stopped under a large tree.

Lu Mingfei also stopped.

Jiang Nannan turned around to look at him. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled silver light on her face.

The two stood facing each other without saying a word.

The atmosphere was so quiet that Lu Mingfei could hear the chirping of insects in the distance.

After a long while, Jiang Nannan finally spoke.

"Lu Mingfei".

"Um."

Why did you challenge Xu Sanshi to a duel back then?

Lu Mingfei didn't expect her to ask this.

"I forgot."

Jiang Nannan was stunned for a moment.

"...Forgot?"

"Winning is enough, who cares about the reasons?" Lu Mingfei said matter-of-factly.

"Alright, alright, why are you saying all this? Cricket Xu Sanshi, so be it. I don't believe the Xuanming Sect would come to Shrek Academy and cause me trouble right in front of me."

"If they really want to come, then I'll have Old Song slap them all away."

Jiang Nannan's lips curled up slightly, and then she didn't say anything more.

The two continued walking, crossing the meadow and entering the sparse woods.

The night breeze was cool and felt very comfortable on my face.

Lu Mingfei was about to stretch when he suddenly stopped.

He turned his head and looked into the depths of the woods, his eyes narrowing slightly, a cold glint flashing in his pupils.

A very faint fluctuation of soul power came from afar, so faint that it was almost imperceptible, but Lu Mingfei caught it.

The next second, Lu Mingfei suddenly reached out and grabbed Jiang Nannan's arm.

Jiang Nannan was startled by his sudden action.

Lu Mingfei put his index finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet.

Then he took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, and when he opened them again, a very faint golden light appeared deep in his pupils.

Two yellow spirit rings rose from beneath his feet, with the second spirit ring suddenly lighting up.

Kamaitachi.

Countless sounds rushed in from the air.

Lu Mingfei's expression turned serious in an instant.

He heard Huo Yuhao's voice.

The sound was rapid and labored, accompanied by panting.

Then came Wang Dong's voice.

Besides these, there were many other voices, voices that didn't belong to the two of them, unfamiliar voices, voices filled with murderous intent.

Lu Mingfei quickly counted.

The five people carried the same oppressive aura, and their soul power was above Wang Dong's—at the Soul King level.

There is also a soul power fluctuation that is deep and profound—the Soul Emperor level.

Five Soul Kings.

A Soul Emperor.

Lu Mingfei's eyelid twitched.

There's only one possibility for using this lineup to surround two students—the person who came knows Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's talents and deliberately used this lineup to ensure absolute safety.

Just then, Lu Mingfei saw a burst of red light explode in the distant night sky.

The red light bloomed in the night sky and then slowly dissipated.

Huo Yuhao fired a signal flare, a signal to the academy for help.

As Lu Mingfei watched the red light dissipate in the night sky, his mind raced.

This kind of lineup is not one he can directly confront.

The signal flare has been fired, and support from the academy could arrive at any moment, but "could arrive at any moment" means we don't know when it will arrive.

What if the support arrives too late?

Lu Mingfei turned around and looked at Jiang Nannan beside him.

Jiang Nannan's face appeared somewhat pale in the moonlight, but she did not panic; her eyes remained calm.

"Someone is hitting Yuhao and Wang Dong, I need to go over there." Lu Mingfei's voice was steady.

Jiang Nannan opened her mouth.

"Let's go back and report first—"

"It's too late," Lu Mingfei interrupted her.

"They've already launched their signal flares. I need you to run towards the academy as fast as you can. If reinforcements are delayed on the way, give me directions."

Jiang Nannan nodded without saying anything more.

Lu Mingfei closed his eyes and shouted into the sea of ​​his mind.

"Hyotei".

A reluctant voice came from the Sea of ​​Spirit.

"what?"

Hyotei still had half a piece of fish in his mouth, his cheeks bulging, and he spoke indistinctly.

"Say what it is quickly, the fish won't taste good if it gets cold."

Lu Mingfei pointed at Jiang Nannan.

"Stay with her, protect her secretly, and make sure nothing happens to her."

Hyotei swallowed the fish in his mouth, glanced at Jiang Nannan, and then looked at Lu Mingfei.

"Her?"

"right."

"What's your relationship with her?"

"classmate."

Hyotei raised an eyebrow, their expression clearly showing disbelief.

"You want me, the Ice Emperor, ranked second among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, to be your classmate's bodyguard?"

"She's your friend too."

"When did she become my friend?"

"Just now," Lu Mingfei said, then turned and left.

"Hey!" Hyotei called out to him.

Lu Mingfei walked forward without looking back, drawing his Tang sword from his storage soul tool as he went.

The moment the blade was drawn, a cold glint flashed across its surface.

Hyotei, seeing this, had no choice but to watch Jiang Nannan from the shadows, resting his chin on his hand, looking utterly bored.

"They'll assign me tasks."