Nuoding City – A Year Later
The sun had long begun its descent, casting a golden glow over the bustling streets of Nuoding City.
Vendors called out their wares, children ran through the roads laughing, and horse-drawn carriages rumbled over the pathways.
Among the crowd, a young girl with and long, silky black hair tied into two playful buns strolled through the city, her pink dress fluttering with each step.
Her bright eyes scanned her surroundings curiously, yet beneath her excitement, a faint worry lingered in her heart.
One year...
It had been one whole year since she last saw him.
She lightly bit her lip as she walked and her mind was occupied with thoughts of a certain someone.
Xuan Yan promised that he would find her once he was ready, and though she never doubted his words, a tiny part of her worried.
The human world was so vast and different from what she had known.
Will he truly come?
'No! Brother Yan is not someone who breaks promises! He will come.'
She shook her head, reassuring herself.
Still, as she wandered the streets of Nuoding City, it felt unfamiliar.
The towering buildings, the countless humans rushing about, and the strange smells of food she had never seen before... it was all so different from the quiet forests she had once called home.
She must have walked further than intended, because before she knew it, the lively streets thinned out, and she found herself standing at the entrance of a dark alleyway.
A sudden chill ran down her spine.
Unease crept into her heart, but before she could turn back, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind her.
Xiao Wu turned around and looked at two large, burly men blocking the alley's entrance.
One of them smirked and took a step forward, his yellowed teeth flashing in the dim light.
"Little girl, this is a bad place for someone like you to wander into."
"Why don't you hand over all the money you have, and maybe we'll let you walk out of here in one piece?"
With that, he raised his hand, and with a flicker of light, an axe appeared in his grip.
Two spirit rings hovered around his body... one white and one yellow.
A second later, the other thug laughed and revealed his martial spirit as well... another axe, with a similar set of spirit rings.
"Hah! Looks like you're out of luck, little girl. Just hand it over, and we won't have to hurt that pretty face of yours."
Xiao Wu clenched her fists and took a step back 'They are powerful, can I take them on?'
Her confidence wavered for the first time.
A year ago, she might have fought recklessly, thinking her natural agility and combat instincts were enough.
But after meeting Xuan Yan, after hearing his warnings about how cruel the human world could be, she had learned to be more cautious.
'Should I run?'
But just as the men lunged toward her a golden light flickered in teh darkness.
THUD!
Both men suddenly collapsed onto their knees and their faces contorted in pain.
"W-What is this?!" The first thug coughed violently, blood trickling from his mouth.
The second man clutched his chest and his axe disappeared.
His spirit power felt like it was being suppressed, completely overpowered by an overwhelming force.
Looking at the man stepping out of the shadows, Xiao Wu's eyes widened.
His white hair gleamed and his golden eyes glowed faintly and the black robe draped over his body swayed slightly as he approached.
For a moment, Xiao Wu forgot to breathe.
She had seen many humans over the on her way here, but none… none looked beautiful like him.
The two men on the ground struggled to move.
Even without seeing his spirit rings, they instinctively knew—this was not someone they could afford to offend.
CRACK!
The ground beneath their knees fractured, as if the earth itself bowed before him.
"Y-You... Who... Who are you?!" one of them choked out, barely able to lift his head.
Xuan Yan ignored them entirely.
Instead, he turned his gaze toward Xiao Wu.
A soft smile appeared on his lips looking at her "Sorry, Xiao Wu," he said gently.
"I kept you waiting."
Without thinking, she rushed toward him, throwing herself into his arms.
"Brother Yan!" she cried, burying her face into his chest.
The moment his arms wrapped around her, warmth spread through her entire body.
"You came… You really came…"
Xuan Yan chuckled softly as his arms tightened around her protectively. "Of course I did."
Xiao Wu pulled back slightly, looking up at him with bright eyes.
Then she blinked.
Her expression turned slightly serious as she looked at his face.
"Little Plum… You've grown up." she stepped back to get a better look at him.
A year ago, he had been a cute, slightly awkward boy. But now…
Xuan Yan smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Do I look that different?"
"Yea, yeah, you look a lot different."
Xuan Yan's gaze flickered to the two men who were still crushed on the ground "Let's leave..."
"Mhm."
As they walked side by side out of the dark alley and into the bustling streets, Xiao Wu blinked her eyes in surprise.
Xuan Yan white hair changed to black and his golden eye turned to royal blue.
"Brother Yan?"
Looking at her, he just smiled warmly "Don't worry.. just a small disguise."
He sighed in his heart 'Everyone in the mainland knows that the 'Holy Son' of Spirit Hall has white hair and golden eyes. If I walked around with my real appearance, it would only bring unnecessary attention.'
Xiao Wu rubbed her forehead, pouting. "Hmph! Still, it feels a little weird seeing you like this…"
She stared at him a bit longer, trying to get used to the new colors.
Though different, they did not diminish his beauty...
"Come on, let's go to Nuoding Academy. You came here to join the academy, right?"
At his words, Xiao Wu was remembered her original purpose for coming to Nuoding City. She quickly nodded.
"Mm! I was planning to enroll today!"
"Then let's not waste any time," Xuan Yan said, gently pulling her forward.
With their fingers still intertwined, they stepped onto the main streets of Nuoding City, heading toward the Nuoding Academy.
As they walked through the lively streets, Xuan Yan casually looked at the city around him.
Compared to the grand structures of Spirit City, Nuoding was a much smaller and simpler place.
The streets were bustling with merchants selling their goods, and commoners moved about their daily lives.
Xuan Yan shifted his focus inward for a moment, mentally checking his system notifications.
At that moment, a familiar sound echoed in his mind—
[Ding!]
[Mission Completed!]
[Save the damsel in distress!]
[Rewards: 10 Soul Fruits, 10 Spirit Ring Fruits, Spirit Ring Replica x1, Space Warp.]
[Space warp: The users can teleport; moving instantaneously from one location to another without physically occupying the space in between or transferring matter (beings/objects, including themselves) through high precision of spatial manipulation.]
He smiled upon seeing this.
Though he had grown powerful over the past year, gaining new abilities was always beneficial.
Xuan Yan glanced at the petite girl walking beside him, her bunny-like ears twitching slightly as she looked around the bustling streets of Notting City.
His gaze softened as he looked at her "Xiao Wu, I bought a house for you here in Nuoding City."
"You won't have to stay in the academy dorms or work as a student to afford living expenses. Also, I'll give you plenty of money, so you don't need to worry about anything."
Xiao Wu came to a complete stop and her eyes widened in surprise "R-Really, Brother Yan? You bought me a house?"
"But... but how did you even get the money? You told me before that everything in the human world is bought using money… Do you really have so much?"
Xuan Yan sjust smiled dryly 'If I have a sugar mommy like Bibi Dong funding me, why would I ever worry about money?'
Not to mention, his system was absurdly generous.
A single silver token spin could grant him millions of gold soul coins if he was lucky.
Money was the last thing he ever needed to concern himself with.
He nodded casually "Yeah, I have money. So, you don't have to worry."
Xiao Wu's stunned expression quickly melted into an excited, joyous smile.
Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his arm, clinging to him like a spoiled little sister.
"Brother Yan, you're so kind to me!" she said happily, her voice carrying a soft, affectionate tone.
He gently patted her head "So, shall we go check out your new house first? The academy is pretty close to it."
Xiao Wu immediately nodded enthusiastically, her ears perking up at the mention of her new home.
As they resumed walking, Xuan Yan suddenly remembered something "By the way, Xiao Wu, did you get your Spirit Awakening certificate?"
Xiao Wu's face lit up as she quickly nodded "Yes, Brother Yan! Just like you said, I went to the Spirit Hall here in the city and 'awakened' my martial spirit! They gave me a certificate for it."
The Spirit Awakening Ceremony was just a formality for her.
After all, she wasn't really a human child awakening a new martial spirit.
She was a 100,000-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit disguised in human form.
Still, it was necessary for her to go through the official process so that no one would suspect anything.
"Good job," he said, ruffling her hair playfully.
Xiao Wu giggled at his touch, before grabbing his hand and tugging him forward.
"Come on, Brother Yan! I wanna see the house!"
...
After walking for about fifteen minutes, they finally arrived at their destination.
The house was medium-sized, situated in a peaceful residential area not too far from the academy.
Though it wasn't overly extravagant, it was still considered a luxury in Notting City, where most students lived in cramped dorms.
The house had a sturdy structure, freshly painted wooden walls, and a small backyard enclosed with a fence.
Xiao Wu's eyes sparkled the moment she saw it.
Her ears twitched in excitement as she rushed inside, eagerly exploring every corner of her new home.
She ran from room to room, touching the furniture, checking the windows, and marveling at how spacious it was compared to the idea of a dormitory.
Then, she made her way to the backyard...
Her entire face lit up when she saw something incredibly important.
"Carrots!"
She dashed over to the small vegetable patch where a few fresh carrots were growing in the soil.
"Brother Yan! There are carrots in the backyard!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with sheer joy.
Xuan Yan chuckled, watching her excitement with amusement.
He had specifically chosen this house because of the small garden in the back. He knew exactly how much Xiao Wu loved carrots.
Walking over, he reached out and lightly patted her head. "I knew you'd like it."
Xiao Wu turned to him with a bright, grateful smile.
"I love it! Thank you, Brother Yan!"
Xuan Yan only smiled in response, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
With the house secured and Xiao Wu happy, there was only one more thing left to do...
Enroll her into Notting Academy.
'I guess, its time to meet the protaganist...'