Su Yu looked up at Wang Dong'er before him, a faintly meaningful smile curling his lips.
"I didn't see you all afternoon. I heard from Dong'er that you were cultivating."
"Wang Dong, with such a commotion this afternoon, you could still focus on cultivation?"
Su Yu crossed his legs, speaking with a touch of amusement.
He hadn't forgotten that Wang Dong'er's excuse was cultivation. But with his and Tai Tan's fight shaking the entire Clear Sky Peak, who could continue cultivating under such circumstances?
Wasn't he afraid of losing control and suffering from cultivation deviation?
He could only say that this silly butterfly was truly silly—she couldn't even come up with a decent excuse.
A trace of panic flashed through Wang Dong'er's eyes, but she quickly pretended to remain calm. "Of course! These days, my meditation is so focused that no matter how big the disturbance outside is, it doesn't affect me."
Wang Dong'er spoke so casually as if she didn't even care how unreasonable her words sounded.
Su Yu found it amusing and said, "Really? Then I must have underestimated you. Even I can't manage that—you're better than me."
Wang Dong'er quickly shook her head. "Not at all! You're still way more impressive. I heard from my sister that you fought Uncle Tai Tan to a draw. That's amazing!"
Su Yu stared at Wang Dong'er without speaking, making Wang Dong'er so nervous that she unconsciously gripped the corners of her clothes tightly.
After staring at her for a while, Su Yu finally looked away, and Wang Dong'er let out a long sigh of relief.
"Wang Dong, do you have time right now?" Su Yu asked.
"Yes, I do," Wang Dong'er nodded.
"Take a walk with me?"
"Sure!" Wang Dong'er agreed without hesitation.
Su Yu stood up and walked outside, with Wang Dong'er quickly following.
By now, the sky was beginning to darken, and the lights of Clear Sky Sect lit up across the area.
As they strolled through the castle, they occasionally encountered disciples of the Clear Sky Sect dressed in gray robes. Among them were some with profound cultivation levels.
Walking through, Su Yu got a preliminary sense of Clear Sky Sect's heritage.
In terms of the number of soul masters, Clear Sky Sect was far inferior to the Ice God Palace. But in terms of quality, Clear Sky Sect's soul masters were quite impressive. At the very least, there were no weaklings among them.
The Clear Sky Hammer martial soul guaranteed that any advanced-level soul master could possess decent combat strength.
Although, by the time of Soul Land II, the Clear Sky Hammer had lost its dominance compared to its Soul Land I glory days, it remained one of the top peak-tier martial souls. It only seemed less prominent because there were more super martial souls in Soul Land II.
"Clear Sky Sect members truly live up to the reputation of being the once-number-one sect on the continent. Your foundation runs deep. Even the Body Sect can't compare to you," Su Yu said with a faint smile as he glanced at Wang Dong'er beside him.
Aside from Niu Tian and Tai Tan, Clear Sky Sect did have other high-level soul masters. Out of courtesy, Su Yu hadn't used his spiritual power to scan the entire castle, but he still sensed several obscure presences.
Within Clear Sky Sect, there were at least seven or eight Super Douluos. And besides Tai Tan, there was even a peak-level rank-98 Douluo.
Although that peak-level rank-98 Douluo wasn't as strong as Tai Tan, a peak-level rank-98 Douluo was still a peak-level rank-98 Douluo.
This alone was enough to showcase Clear Sky Sect's foundation.
With Niu Tian and Tai Tan added to the mix, Clear Sky Sect's strength was second only to the Ice God Palace and the Holy Spirit Church. Even the Body Sect, which was said to rival the Clear Sky Sect, fell short in comparison.
Hearing Su Yu's praise, Wang Dong'er proudly raised her head. "Of course! Our Clear Sky Sect is incredibly strong. How could the Body Sect ever compare? We've just always kept a low profile."
Su Yu smiled but didn't respond.
In the original Soul Land II, Clear Sky Sect's seclusion was so thorough that even when Wang Dong'er faced danger or when the Heavenly Soul Empire was destroyed, they didn't lift a finger.
When they said they were secluded, they truly meant it.
By the time of Soul Land III, Clear Sky Sect had faded so much into obscurity that it wasn't even mentioned in legends. It was unclear whether they were still in seclusion or had fallen like the Body Sect.
Su Yu guessed it was likely the latter. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any trace of them.
It was also because Clear Sky Sect stayed hidden for so long that they were left with nothing but the reputation of once being the number-one sect. In the original story, any random nobody dared to provoke Wang Dong'er—whether by bullying or ambushing her.
And Clear Sky Sect? They didn't react at all.
It's no wonder the Star Luo Empire acted foolishly during the last tournament—if you don't show your strength, your deterrence loses its effect.
But that wouldn't be the case anymore.
After Niu Tian and Tai Tan caused a scene in the imperial capital, no one would dare underestimate Clear Sky Sect again.
As they walked out of the castle, the cool evening breeze, carrying a hint of moisture, brushed against them, bringing a refreshing chill.
Su Yu's white hair fluttered in the wind as he glanced at Wang Dong'er, his eyes tinged with concern. "Are you cold?"
The mountain wind at night was bone-chilling, especially at the thousands-of-meters-high Clear Sky Peak.
Su Yu didn't mind, but he was worried Wang Dong'er might catch a chill.
After all, even soul masters were still human. The soul masters of Soul Land weren't overwhelmingly invincible.
"I'm fine," Wang Dong'er said, crossing her arms and shaking her head.
"This wind seeps into your bones. You may not feel cold, but the chill has likely already entered your body," Su Yu said, taking out a crimson cloak and draping it over Wang Dong'er's shoulders.
The cloak, seemingly made from the fur of some soul beast, emitted a warm red glow. As soon as Wang Dong'er wore it, she felt a soothing warmth spread through her.
Wang Dong'er tugged at the cloak, marveling at its texture. This was no ordinary soul beast material.
"So warm! What kind of soul beast is this made from?" Wang Dong'er asked curiously.
"Crimson Demon Mastiff," Su Yu replied casually.
With the Crimson Demon Mastiff fur cloak wrapped around her, Wang Dong'er followed Su Yu as they wandered along the edge of the mountain. Wisps of mist flowed around their fingers.
Suddenly, Su Yu asked in a strange tone, "Wang Dong, do you have something you want to tell me?"
Wang Dong'er was confused. "What?"
"I mean, don't you have anything you want to confess to me?" Su Yu asked again.
Wang Dong'er shook her head. "No, nothing."
"Really? Nothing at all?" Su Yu's gaze sharpened.
Feeling a sudden pang of guilt, Wang Dong'er stammered, "N-nothing…"
"Alright then." Su Yu didn't press further and turned to leave.
Wang Dong'er anxiously followed beside him.
...
After a while, the two returned to the castle.
Back in the icy jade chamber, Su Yu suddenly asked, "Wang Dong, where's your sister?"
Wang Dong'er's mind raced furiously as she hesitated and said, "My… my sister should be cultivating."
"Hmm?" Su Yu raised an eyebrow. "Say that again?"
Wang Dong'er shivered. "M-maybe she went to take a bath… You know… girls—they love to stay clean."
Su Yu pondered for a moment. "That does make sense. No wonder I haven't seen her."
Wang Dong'er let out a sigh of relief and discreetly wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Seeing that Su Yu seemed about to speak again, Wang Dong'er panicked and blurted out, "Su Yu, I'll go check if my sister is done with her bath. I'll call her for you!"
"You dare watch your sister take a bath? You've got guts! Even I haven't done that."
Su Yu spoke calmly, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.
Wang Dong'er's body stiffened, and cold sweat poured down her back. She hurriedly explained:
"You… you misunderstood! I was just asking her something from outside the bathroom."
"Oh… Then where is your sister's bathroom? I'd like to go take a look."
Wang Dong'er panicked, feeling like Su Yu was impossible to deal with.
What to do? What to do?
Wang Dong'er's mind raced, and finally, she came up with an excuse.
"Su Yu, this is the Clear Sky Sect. If you go, my first and second uncles will be angry."
Su Yu touched his chin thoughtfully.
"You do have a point. Fine, just hurry back."
Wang Dong'er felt like he'd been pardoned.
"Okay, I'll be quick!"
She bolted away, leaving Su Yu standing there with his hands behind his back, a peculiar smile forming on his lips.
"I gave you a chance to confess, but you didn't take it. Don't blame me for teasing you, silly girl."
Su Yu murmured to himself.
...
Meanwhile, Wang Dong'er darted into her room, removed her disguise, and reverted to her female form.
Then, she rushed into the bathroom and started washing herself at lightning speed.
Half an hour later, Wang Dong'er put on a new dress. Without even drying her hair, she dashed over to Su Yu's room.
...
In the Cold Jade Room.
Wang Dong'er rushed in, panting lightly.
"Su… Su Yu, I heard from Xiao Dong that… you were looking for me?"
Her breath was uneven, and her wet hair was still dripping with water.
Su Yu pulled out a towel and walked over to her side.
"I was looking for you, but you didn't need to rush over so quickly. You should've at least dried your hair first."
Su Yu smiled warmly as he spoke.
Wang Dong'er pouted and whined, "I don't want to. I want you to dry it for me."
"Alright, alright, I'll help you."
Su Yu took the towel and gently began drying Wang Dong'er's wet hair.
His movements were soft and careful, and a small smile appeared on Wang Dong'er's lips, her heart feeling sweet.
As Su Yu picked up a strand of her hair to dry, he asked casually,
"By the way, Dong'er, where did Wang Dong go?"
"He went to call you, didn't he?"
"I told him to hurry back."
The smile on Wang Dong'er's face froze, her body stiffened, and she panicked inside.
Su Yu continued, "What's the matter? Does Wang Dong have something else to do?"
"Y-yeah! Xiao Dong has something to take care of."
Wang Dong'er nodded quickly.
"Really?"
"How strange. When he's with me, you always have something to do. When you're with me, he always has something to do, too."
"So, I can never see the two of you at the same time?"
"Isn't that a bit strange, Dong'er? Care to explain?"
Su Yu's calm voice rang out, and Wang Dong'er froze as if struck by lightning.
Her mind went blank, and she lost the ability to think.
She turned around stiffly, her gaze somewhat vacant.
"You… you already know?"
Su Yu feigned confusion.
"Know what?"
Wang Dong'er looked at him with watery eyes and muttered,
"Do you know that I'm a girl?"
At this point, even if she were denser, Wang Dong'er would've figured it out.
Though Su Yu often called her a silly butterfly, she wasn't completely clueless.
Su Yu pretended to be puzzled.
"Aren't you already a girl? How could you possibly be a boy?"
Wang Dong'er clarified,
"No, I mean, do you already know that I was pretending to be a boy?"
At this point, Su Yu stopped feigning ignorance. A mischievous grin spread across his face as he teased,
"Take a guess."
Seeing his smug expression, Wang Dong'er immediately understood that he had known all along.
She couldn't hold back and pounced on Su Yu, clawing at him and making soft whimpering noises.
"You're such a jerk! You knew, and yet you still teased me on purpose. You're terrible!"
Wang Dong'er tried to bite Su Yu's neck and face, but it was all in vain. She only managed to cover his face in saliva.
Su Yu wiped his face and said calmly,
"I only played along because you like to play these games. I even gave you a chance to confess, but you didn't take it—so who's to blame?"
Wang Dong'er thought back and realized that Su Yu had indeed given her a chance to come clean. She felt a little deflated.
But she still raised her chin defiantly, insisting,
"I don't care! It's all your fault! You're the bad guy! You're always bullying me!"
"Ah, yes, yes, I'm the bad guy. Everything's my fault. My Dong'er is the best and could never be wrong."
Su Yu casually agreed while gently pinching Wang Dong'er's cheeks.
Her heart melted at his affection, and she raised her chin proudly, clearly enjoying his pampering.
She snuggled her head into the towel in Su Yu's hands and asked,
"Su Yu, when did you figure out that I was pretending to be a boy?"
"Was it Meng Hongchen who told you?"
"Hmph, that Meng Hongchen! She promised to keep it a secret, but she must've told you. How untrustworthy!"
Wang Dong'er was convinced that Meng Hongchen must've spilled the beans.
Su Yu chuckled and explained,
"This has nothing to do with Meng'er. Don't falsely accuse her."
Wang Dong'er blinked in confusion.
"Then how did you figure it out?"
Su Yu smirked and said,
"Dong'er, do you ever read ancient texts?"
Wang Dong'er shook her head.
"Not really. I'm not interested in those."
Su Yu gently dried her pinkish-blue hair with the towel and said,
"Well, I'm different. I love reading ancient texts."
"And guess what? Ancient texts say that the Bright Goddess Butterfly martial soul is so beautiful that it only appears in the most beautiful women."
"So, if you're asking when I figured it out, I'd say… I knew on the very first day of school that you were faking it."
Her head turned stiffly, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"You… you knew I was a girl on the first day?"
"Of course. Did you think I'd get so close to a guy?"
"When have you ever seen me joking around, hugging, or being so touchy with another boy?"
Shocked!
Wang Dong'er thought back and suddenly understood.
No wonder Su Yu had never been distant with her, always teasing her and playing around. It turned out he'd known she was a girl from the start!
She recalled how she'd once tried to introduce herself to Su Yu as her sister, trying to set him up with herself.
The memory filled her with an overwhelming sense of embarrassment.
PS: Dong'er is cooked.