Chapter 221 Expectations

Zhao Wenlong was an "old" person, to what extent? His phone wasn't even a smartphone.

After this small gathering, Hou Mingming and Zhang Ren both added Jiang Xiao on WeChat and became mutual followers on Weibo. Only Zhao Wenlong had neither WeChat nor Weibo, his lifestyle was quite surprising.

Hou Mingming's boyfriend was truly outstanding, a top student in the law department of the neighboring Imperial Capital University, who had already passed the bar exam and was originally interning at a law firm.

But ever since last semester, Teacher Ye Hua was moved by Jiang Xiao's words:

An ordinary person would wait at home for Hou Mingming to leave early and return late, accompany her for chats and walks in the leisurely evenings, and cook her midnight snacks when she returned exhausted at night... using another method and another perspective to give the Star Warriors the warmth and care they needed.

Perhaps Ye Hua really valued this point, which was why she relented.

And after knowing this, Zhang Ren's choice was exceptionally firm. He gave up his dream of becoming a lawyer because this profession required a lot of time and energy.

Zhang Ren instead began to study for the civil service exam, seeking a regular 9-to-5 job, his life seemingly focused on accompanying Hou Mingming.

Jiang Xiao didn't know how to evaluate this behavior.

Zhang Ren was a man who clearly knew what he wanted and was willing to work for it. But he also gave up his dreams and some of his principles, choosing to cooperate with another person.

Everyone had their own choices. Jiang Xiao didn't want to say anything. As an adult, one had the right to choose and should be responsible for their choices.

The group photo of Jiang Xiao, Hou Mingming, and Zhao Wenlong quickly appeared on Jiang Xiao's and Hou Mingming's Weibo accounts. The photo was taken by Zhang Ren, the poor guy could only be the photographer.

Above the photo, Hou Mingming posted a Weibo message: "Wait and see."

And below, Zhang Ren's comment was drowned in a sea of fan messages: "Add oil."

He was a photographer and an audience member. He stood outside the photo to take pictures of her, sitting in the audience and silently watching her radiate dazzling light.

Humble Ren, adding oil online?

Jiang Xiao thought about it again and again, but didn't post this comment. Being playful and being malicious were two different things. He just hoped this couple would be well.

Jiang Xiao's Weibo was obviously more newsworthy than Hou Mingming's.

The same photo, but the text above it was:

"How about this trio participate in the World Cup team competition? They could win the championship even with an elementary school student, right? @Hong Yan"

The text circled Xia Yan, who was the sauciest. That night, Xia Yan almost braided Jiang Xiao's buzz cut into a bald head...

But this cruel act didn't last long, and Jiang Xiao was called away.

Er Wei came, bringing Jiu Wei to the outskirts of Imperial Capital.

Jiang Xiao called a special car, setting the location on the highway from Imperial Capital to Jinmen City, a sparsely populated service area.

In the dead of night, the special car drove all the way to the service area on this provincial highway. The driver thought several times that Jiang Xiao was up to no good, trying to rob him in the wilderness...

After the trio (duo?) met, they didn't say anything, turning and disappearing into the mountains beside the road. Er Wei's intention was clear, to take back Xiao Xiao.

During this time, since Jiang Xiao hadn't entered the Other Dimension Space, there were no low-level Star Beasts to supply the Savage Witch and Lava Ghost Witch inside. He occasionally bought a lot of meat and threw it in, which could be considered feeding them, but it probably wasn't enough for those brutal Star Beasts.

In this deep mountain forest, Jiang Xiao activated the Grave of the Shadow Fiend and walked in with Er Wei, leaving Jiu Wei to guard the entrance.

As soon as he walked in, Jiang Xiao saw that the number of Star Beasts inside was wrong.

There were only 7 Lava Ghost Witches left, and only 5 Savage Witches left.

Xiao Xiao saw the two of them and stood up, running over quickly. He didn't know if it was longing or complaining, using his huge head to gently bump Jiang Xiao's chest, while his real master was left aside.

Er Wei frowned slightly, her voice hoarse: "Many are missing."

Yes, many were missing.

But this wasn't the main thing. The really important thing was that when the two came in, there was no fighting in the Grave of the Shadow Fiend.

Jiang Xiao looked at the Star Beasts scattered everywhere, resting against the air wall, and felt helpless in his heart.

Hunger, exhaustion, mental exhaustion... to what extent would these inherently brutal creatures stop hunting and sit face-to-face with their prey to rest?

Zhong Ling was different from Blessing after all. Zhong Ling healed wounds, while Blessing restored vitality.

However, the Savage Witch's halo could absorb the scattered vitality of enemies, but their numbers had been cut in half! He didn't know what happened in this hellish prison to create such a delicate balance.

Jiang Xiao rubbed Xiao Xiao's head, shrugged helplessly, and said, "There's nothing I can do. I'm indeed very busy sometimes and neglect to take care of them. Last time, I went to the Forest of Tears and Rain, it took nearly ten days to go back and forth, and I didn't have the chance to feed them. They must have been really starving."

At this rate, so-called pig farming would really turn into Gu farming.

Er Wei swept her gaze towards Xiao Xiao and said, "Maybe it was stealing from itself."

Jiang Xiao and Xiao Xiao's hearts tightened at the same time. For Jiang Xiao, even if Xiao Xiao really ate these prisoners, it was because it was really starving. Xiao Xiao had worked hard, and Jiang Xiao had wronged it.

And for Xiao Xiao... the master was right. The dead Lava Ghost Witches and Savage Witches were either allowed to die or were actively attacked for food. It was really starving to the point of madness, especially in this prison, its mental state wasn't very good.

Bai Shan Xue Yu (White Mountain Snow Feather) had a pair of huge and pure white wings, which were used to fly in the sky, not to curl up on the sides of its body.

If it hadn't been for the relationship it had developed with Jiang Xiao, Xiao Xiao might have smashed an Ice Roar down at this moment...

Jiang Xiao hurriedly said, "Let's try to see if they can advance."

Er Wei looked at Xiao Xiao, who was drooping her head, and nodded silently.

Jiang Xiao cast a Reverse Current Light on Er Wei, and another Reverse Current Light on a Lava Ghost Witch.

The Lava Ghost Witch's huge body suddenly stiffened, and the next moment, it let out a huge roar.

5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds...

Jiang Xiao stopped the Reverse Current Light, and the roaring Lava Ghost Witch also stopped. Its body size didn't change at all, but its energy was much more abundant, and it quickly stood up.

Jiang Xiao was shocked and hurriedly looked at Er Wei. This Reverse Current Light probably took away not only Er Wei's Star Power, but also Er Wei's vitality!

But Er Wei's expression was as usual. A silver light flashed in her hand, and a dark silver giant bow appeared. Jiang Xiao hurriedly activated the Attachment Halo. The two cooperated tacitly. The three arrows in Er Wei's hand also shot out in the next moment.

Jiang Xiao also threw a Blessing out.

The Lava Ghost Witch, who was focused and locked onto Er Wei, was nourished by this Blessing.

The three arrows took back a lot of vitality and Star Power for Er Wei. The dark silver giant bow in her hand continuously shot out giant arrows, taking away the Lava Ghost Witch's life with a sound like tearing the air.

The Star Beasts on the side saw the corpse, and their eyes lit up. They rushed up, but were smashed to the ground by Xiao Xiao's Ice Roar, wailing and running away.

Jiang Xiao came to the Lava Ghost Witch's broken corpse, squatted down, and found the Star Bead.

"Lava Ghost Witch Star Bead (Golden Quality)..."

The Star Bead shattered in his hand, and specks of starlight merged into Jiang Xiao's body.

After a while, Jiang Xiao looked at Er Wei and shook his head gently.

Er Wei said in a hoarse voice, "Next."

Jiang Xiao nodded. Within twenty minutes, the two experimented on two more Lava Ghost Witches and two Savage Witches, and the answer they got was the same.

Jiang Xiao nourished Er Wei's body with Blessing while secretly thinking: Maybe giving them one rank increase was already the limit. Two rank increases might not be allowed, or it might require a longer period of training.

Er Wei closed her eyes and enjoyed it for a while, then waved to Jiang Xiao.

Jiang Xiao stepped forward. Er Wei pressed one hand on his shoulder, lowered her head, and said seriously, "The world is never smooth sailing."

Jiang Xiao laughed and said, "How could I be hit by such a small thing? I'm a man of steel."

Unexpectedly, Er Wei cooperated very well, nodded seriously, looked at the remaining four Lava Ghost Witches and three Savage Witches, and said, "I have to take Xiao Xiao away. There is no supervisor here. Next time you come in, there may be fewer Star Beasts left."

Jiang Xiao was very decisive: "Kill them all. I'm going to participate in the national team selection soon, and then the World Cup. There should be students and teachers around me, and I'll be under the spotlight. I won't have the chance to feed them.

Instead of letting them kill each other, leaving me with one Star Bead in the end, it's better to collect all their Star Beads now."

Er Wei thought for a while and nodded in agreement with Jiang Xiao's behavior.

Jiang Xiao blessed Xiao Xiao with the Attachment Halo, patted its belly, and said, "Smash them with Ice Roar. You'll like this feeling."

Facts proved that Xiao Xiao really liked this feeling. In the Attachment Halo, Xiao Xiao frantically absorbed Star Power and vitality. It was extremely comfortable, and its huge wings spread out, gently fluttering.

Jiang Xiao watched the group of half-dead Star Beasts being smashed to death by Ice Roar and asked, "Is it because of the Mount Ore Night incident that you want to keep Xiao Xiao by your side?"

"Yes, and no." Er Wei turned around, lowered her head, looked at Jiang Xiao with a serious expression, and said, "The superiors ordered me to temporarily join a Light Chasing Team and serve as the captain, to go on a mission. I can't take apprentices for the time being."

Jiang Xiao was stunned and said, "Jiu Wei can't be with you?"

Er Wei: "I'm leaving for a while."

Jiang Xiao's heart tightened: "How long?"

Er Wei shook her head and didn't speak.

Jiang Xiao continued to ask, "Where to?"

Er Wei shook her head again and didn't respond.

Jiang Xiao thought for a while and guessed, "Some countries in Central Asia need help, right? Or in places I don't know, new Other Dimension Spaces have appeared? Are there other Other Dimension Space riots?"

Er Wei's expression stiffened. She reached out and pressed her hand on Jiang Xiao's head: "Where to go is not important, how long is not important. What's important is the order, what's important is execution."

Jiang Xiao looked hesitant: "Let me go with you."

Er Wei shook her head and said, "I will be watching you from a corner, as you step onto the world stage. Your task is equally arduous."

Jiang Xiao: "I..."

Er Wei gently rubbed Jiang Xiao's head, revealing an unprecedented gentle smile: "Perhaps your friends all think that winning the championship is your goal, but I know that compared to the championship, fulfilling your promise to the heroic souls is your biggest source of pressure."

Jiang Xiao looked up at Er Wei in amazement. She was actually smiling... so gentle.

Er Wei bent down, her forehead gently pressed against Jiang Xiao's forehead, their eyes met, and her voice was hoarse: "I look forward to the day when I accompany you into the Martyr's Cemetery, in three months, or in two years and three months."

Jiang Xiao couldn't stand the scorching gaze. He tilted his head and said softly, "Thank you."

Er Wei took two steps back and said, "I hope you lose this time."

Jiang Xiao: "Why?"

Er Wei regained her expressionless face and said faintly, "If you lose, I can imagine how hard you will work in the next two years."

Jiang Xiao: "I don't need extra motivation. From the moment I entered high school until now, I have never been lazy."

Er Wei quite agreed with this sentence.

Jiang Xiao said in a deep voice, "I've worked so hard, persisted for so long, and it's not to lose."

"Heh." Er Wei snorted, waved her hand, and walked out of the Grave of the Shadow Fiend.