Martial Soul Holy City —
Inside the Holy City Orphanage —
A boy lay on a tree trunk, about six or seven years old, with a healthy wheat-colored complexion. His eyes curved into crescents, radiating a clever charm.
He had a blade of dogtail grass between his teeth, hands pillowed behind his head, legs swinging idly.
"Brother Su Yu!"
A childish cry pierced the afternoon tranquility, followed by a little girl with twin buns bouncing over.
She wore a faded little cloth dress, her eyes large and bright, like two dark grapes.
"What does Little Fox want with me this time?" Su Yu sat up on the tree, raising an eyebrow and deliberately drawing out his words.
"Don't tell me you're trying to trick me into playing house again, making me be that wooden groom who only nods?"
Hu Liena's face immediately puffed up at this, her lips pouting so much they could hang an oil bottle. She stamped her foot hard, making her skirt sway:
"Hmph! Brother Su Yu is the worst! I told you my name is Hu Liena, not Little Fox!"
"Yes, yes, Comrade Hu Liena."
Su Yu chuckled as he jumped down from the tree, light as a leaf.
He walked up to Hu Liena and gently pinched her small nose.
"But I bet you'll grow up to be a captivating little fox."
"You're the fox!"
Hu Liena swatted his hand away angrily, though her cheeks secretly flushed.
Just then, an angry young voice exploded:
"Su Yu, you scoundrel! You pinched my sister's face again! Take this!"
Before the words faded, a dusty little cloth shoe went "whoosh" flying toward Su Yu.
Su Yu leaned back slightly, nimbly dodging it. The shoe hit the old locust tree with a "thwack" and bounced off.
Before he could steady himself, another shoe followed, carrying the same "killing intent."
Su Yu tapped his toes, twisting his body sideways as the second shoe brushed past his clothes and landed in a grassy patch nearby.
He turned to see a boy about his height standing not far away, hands on hips.
The boy's face was flushed red with anger—it was Hu Liena's brother, Xie Yue.
"Xie Yue! You're here!" Su Yu looked up at the newcomer, a smirk playing on his lips as he deliberately raised his voice.
"Say what you will, our Nana is just beautiful. Her smiling eyes are much more pleasant than your perpetually stern face."
Hu Liena's cheeks tinged with a faint blush at Su Yu's praise, like peach blossoms in spring.
Her eyes flickered, stealing a glance at Su Yu before she turned to Xie Yue, frowning slightly:
"Brother, don't always be so stern. Brother Su Yu and I were just playing."
Xie Yue felt a pang in his heart at these words.
His little sister had always been closest to him since childhood—when had she ever defended someone else like this?
His gaze toward Su Yu instantly carried a spark of anger, like a lion whose territory had been invaded.
But Su Yu acted as if he didn't notice the fury, instead winking at Hu Liena with a deliberately pitiful tone:
"Nana, look at your brother—his eyes are bulging like copper bells. Is he going to hit me?"
Saying this, he ducked behind Hu Liena, peeking out to make a face at Xie Yue.
Hu Liena immediately spread her arms, shielding Su Yu completely like a mother hen protecting her chick, and looked up at Xie Yue:
"Brother! Don't be mean to Brother Su Yu! You'll scare him like that!"
Xie Yue nearly choked on his breath seeing how his sister was taking an outsider's side.
He was clearly worried that his sister might be deceived by this smooth-talker, so how did he become the unreasonable one?
Especially when Su Yu was hiding behind someone while making faces at him - that guy absolutely deserved a beating!
"Does he look even slightly scared to you?" Xie Yue gritted his teeth, pointing at Su Yu behind Hu Liena!
"He's pretending! Na Na, don't be fooled by him!"
"That's not true!" Hu Liena immediately retorted, shaking her head like a rattle-drum.
"Brother Su Yu is really scared! Brother, you should stop with that frightening glare!"
Su Yu peeked out from behind Hu Liena and winked at Xie Yue, his smile growing even more pronounced.
That smug expression made Xie Yue's hands itch with the urge to drag him out and give him a good beating.
But seeing his sister's determined protective stance, Xie Yue could only let out a fierce "Hmph!" and turn his face away.
He had already repeated Su Yu's name eight hundred times in his mind - he would remember this debt!
Seeing her brother fall silent, Hu Liena thought he had listened to reason. She turned and tugged at Su Yu's sleeve, whispering:
"Brother Su Yu, don't be afraid. My brother just looks fierce - he wouldn't dare hit you."
Su Yu suppressed his laughter and nodded: "Yes, with Na Na protecting me, I'm not afraid anymore."
Watching their intimate interaction as if no one else was present, Xie Yue felt his temples throbbing.
He decided he couldn't bear to watch this infuriating scene any longer, turning to sit on the stone steps in the corner of the courtyard.
With his back to them, listening to the occasional laughter behind him, he felt both angry and helpless.
"By the way, Brother Su Yu, we'll be awakening our Martial Souls tomorrow! Are you excited?"
"Well, I just don't know what Martial Soul I'll awaken, or whether I'll have any Soul Power!"
"Hmm! Brother Su Yu, you're so capable, you're definitely going to awaken a powerful Martial Soul. I believe in you!"
"Then I'll take your auspicious words, Na Na. But I believe you'll definitely awaken a powerful Martial Soul too!"
In the original story, Hu Liena had awakened her family's hereditary Demon Fox Martial Soul, with her Innate Soul Power reaching level nine.
She was the most talented girl among Spirit Hall's younger generation, second only to Qian Renxue.
Xie Yue had also awakened his family's hereditary Moon Blade Martial Soul, with his Innate Soul Power reaching level eight.
As for his current body, he didn't even know who his parents were, so he had no idea what Martial Soul he might awaken.
That's right - Su Yu was a transmigrator!
He had crossed over when he was just five years old, a beggar child who happened to be adopted by the Holy City Orphanage.
The Holy City Orphanage, though it sounded nice, was actually Spirit Hall's talent selection center.
If you awakened a good Martial Soul with Innate Soul Power, you could continue studying at Martial Soul Academy.
But if you awakened a Useless Martial Soul, sorry - the orphanage would only raise you until age twelve.
After twelve, you would have to become a servant for Spirit Hall.
Of course, this wasn't a bad path for ordinary people, as Spirit Hall servants received quite high wages!
But Su Yu didn't want to be a servant. Having crossed over with such difficulty, how could he not aim to wield power over the world and rest in the embrace of beauties?
Tomorrow is the day that will decide his fate—it all depends on whether he can awaken a good Martial Soul!
That night, after all the other children in the dormitory had fallen asleep, Su Yu quietly slipped out of the room.