Chapter 84: Twin Martial Souls Are a Dime a Dozen
The first rays of morning sunlight had just brushed the eaves of Shrek Academy when Furina arrived at the base of the dormitory building with Xiao Xiao in tow.
The morning mist had yet to fully disperse, and the air still carried the moist freshness of last night's dew. Huo Yuhao was already waiting there. The moment he spotted the two figures, he raised his hand in greeting.
"Sister Furina! Over here!" Huo Yuhao's voice rang out with particular clarity in the stillness of the early morning.
Furina wore a pale blue dress today, its hem swaying gently with her steps like a flowing stream. She smiled and waved in return, then turned to the girl beside her. "Let's go over."
Xiao Xiao nodded, nervously smoothing the hem of her clothes. This was her first formal meeting with the Huo Yuhao whom Furina so often spoke of, and she couldn't help feeling a bit shy. She gently took the hand Furina extended, and the two walked forward side by side.
Huo Yuhao took note of the unfamiliar young woman at Furina's side. She had long, jet-black hair tied back with a simple ribbon, a few stray strands falling playfully beside her ears. Her eyes were large, and at this moment she was studying him with a mixture of curiosity and bashfulness. Huo Yuhao immediately understood—this must be Furina's roommate. And judging by the situation, Furina had likely already succeeded in recruiting her into the Church of the Water God, or at the very least had established a solid friendship.
"Sister Furina, is this your roommate?" Huo Yuhao inquired politely.
Furina inclined her head gently, a warm curve gracing her lips. "That's right. Allow me to introduce you. This is Xiao Xiao—my roommate, and also our new friend here at Shrek."
Xiao Xiao stepped forward and performed a standard soul master's salute with earnest formality. "Hello, my name is Xiao Xiao. I'm Furina's roommate." Her voice was crisp and pleasant, brimming with the lively energy unique to a young woman.
Huo Yuhao extended his hand, a sincere smile lighting up his face. "Hello, I'm Huo Yuhao, a friend of Sister Furina's. Since you're her friend, you're my friend from now on too." His gaze was warm and reassuring, putting one instinctively at ease.
As their hands gently clasped, much of Xiao Xiao's initial nervousness melted away. She blinked playfully. "Furina told me you also have twin martial souls. What a coincidence—so do I. It almost makes twin martial souls feel like they're a dime a dozen," she joked, her tone light and natural.
Huo Yuhao was amused by her humor. "Maybe they really are a dime a dozen."
Standing to the side and listening to their exchange, Furina couldn't help a ripple of quiet reflection. In the history of the Douluo Continent, twin martial souls had once been an exceedingly rare existence. During the Douluo 1 era, only Tang San and Bibi Dong in the entire continent had possessed them. Yet by the time of the Unrivaled Tang Sect, the main cast alone contained four twin martial soul possessors—Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, Xiao Xiao, and He Caitou, whose talent had only been revealed later.
At this thought, Furina's mind couldn't help drifting further. He Caitou's twin martial souls hadn't been revealed until the later stages. Before that, he'd been trained as a so-called "ultimate solo soldier." To Furina's eyes, this approach had been a complete waste of his innate gifts. Even more lamentable was the Holy Spirit Cult's Pope, Ye Xishui—she simultaneously possessed the two diametrically opposed martial souls of light and darkness.
Furina's gaze unconsciously settled on Huo Yuhao. According to the original story's trajectory, this prodigiously gifted young man would eventually become the God of Emotions, while his companions, for various reasons, would never be able to reach the same heights. Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er would both be sacrificed, ultimately merging into the single existence that was Tang Wutong... At this thought, a complicated, unreadable light flickered through Furina's eyes. Two S-rank characters fused into a single B-rank existence—in the eyes of an outsider, it was a colossal loss. But to a certain someone, perhaps that was precisely the outcome he desired. Use a B-rank existence to shackle an SS-rank combatant.
"Furina?" Xiao Xiao's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "What were you thinking about so intently?"
Furina swiftly gathered her emotions and answered with a smile. "I was thinking—Shrek is, after all, a gathering ground for geniuses. Even if we run into another one or two twin martial soul possessors, I'd say it's perfectly normal."
Xiao Xiao nodded in agreement. "That's true. In a place like this, you could run into any kind of talent."
Huo Yuhao had noticed Furina's momentary lapse, but he considerately chose not to press the matter. Instead, he smoothly picked up the thread of conversation. "Sister Furina is right. At Shrek, we're bound to encounter all sorts of geniuses. But that's exactly why we came here—to grow and improve alongside exceptional people."
The morning light grew steadily brighter, and more and more students began to appear in the dormitory district. Quite a few cast curious glances at this striking trio—the uniquely charismatic Furina, the lively and adorable Xiao Xiao, and the gentle, steady Huo Yuhao. Standing together, they naturally formed a scene as bright and pleasant as a painting.
"Alright, we can chat more in a bit."
Furina clapped her hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention. "Huo Yuhao, why don't you let Xiao Xiao have a taste of your culinary skills? After that, we'll go sample the food at Shrek's dining hall. Your training and rest shouldn't be disrupted. When it's time for a proper gathering among friends, you can fully show off your skills then."
Huo Yuhao nodded, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. "Alright. I came prepared."
He retrieved an exquisite food container from his storage ring. "I specially prepared some breakfast items today. I hope you'll both enjoy them."
Though a tiny pang of disappointment flickered through Huo Yuhao's heart—he had originally hoped to express his gratitude by continuously preparing meals for Furina day after day—he was even more touched by her thoughtfulness toward him. She always remembered that he needed to train, to study soul tool craftsmanship, and was unwilling to take up too much of his time. This care and consideration only strengthened his resolve to repay her kindness someday.
Xiao Xiao leaned in curiously toward the food container. "Furina's been telling me how amazing your cooking is—I've been wanting to try it myself."
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly and gently opened the container. At once, an irresistibly tantalizing aroma wafted outward. The container was divided into three tiers. The first held crystal-clear, translucent shrimp dumplings, their skins as thin as paper, the pink shrimp within faintly visible. The second tier held golden, crispy flatbread, sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. The bottom tier contained several bowls of warm soy milk, a thin film of soybean skin congealed across their surfaces.
"You made all of this yourself?" Xiao Xiao's eyes flew wide with astonishment. "It looks even more exquisite than what the professional chefs my family hires can produce!"
Huo Yuhao rubbed the back of his head with a bashful smile. "It's a gift. An innate gift."
The three found a stone table beneath the shade of a tree and sat down. Morning light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across the tabletop. Huo Yuhao carefully portioned out the food for the two girls, every movement carrying an unexpected elegance.
Furina tasted a shrimp dumpling and nodded with satisfaction. "Yuhao's culinary skills have improved again. The dumpling skin is thinner yet more resilient, and the heat control is just perfect."
Xiao Xiao bit into a piece of flatbread. The contrast between the crispy, golden shell and the soft, tender interior was a sublime play of textures. She couldn't help exclaiming, "This is truly incredible! Huo Yuhao, your reputation is well deserved."
As the three enjoyed their breakfast, Furina noticed a familiar figure not far away—it was Bei Bei, whom they had met the day before. He stood at the corner of the dormitory building, seemingly waiting for someone. Soon enough, Tang Ya came bouncing into view before him, and the two set off toward the teaching district, chatting and laughing together. They didn't seem to notice Furina and the others.
"Those two are a couple, aren't they?" Xiao Xiao followed Furina's gaze and said softly.
Furina smiled. "Yes. They suit each other perfectly."
Huo Yuhao listened quietly to their conversation, but his gaze unconsciously drifted into the distance. He thought of his mother. He thought of those bitter, grueling years in the White Tiger Duke's Manor. If he had never met Furina, he would still be struggling just to survive right now—he would never have been able to sit here, sharing such a beautiful morning with friends.
"Yuhao?" Furina, ever perceptive, caught the shift in his emotions. "What is it?"
Huo Yuhao quickly gathered his wandering thoughts and shook his head. "Nothing. I was just remembering some things from the past." He smiled again. "If you both like the breakfast, I can prepare it more often."
Xiao Xiao clapped her hands in delight. "That would be wonderful! But..." She winked slyly. "I can't let you do all the hard work for nothing. From now on, I'll help you prepare the ingredients too—be your assistant, so to speak. And pick up some of your culinary skills along the way."
"Sounds great!"
The three chatted and ate, the atmosphere warm and harmonious. The sunlight grew steadily brighter, and the campus filled with more and more students. New students gathered in small groups of two or three, each face alight with anticipation for the future, mingled with a touch of unease.
Watching this scene, a strange and wondrous feeling welled up inside Furina. In this world that had once existed only within the pages of a story, she was now weaving bonds of genuine emotion. Huo Yuhao's loyalty. Xiao Xiao's trust. And all those she was yet to meet... Everything was quietly, inexorably shifting the predestined course of fate.