Douluo Dalu: Sun Gauntlet

To participate in the giveaway, just visit my p@treon account and join as a free member.

Then vote on the pinned post

--------

"What's with that look in your eyes?" Seeing Huo Wu staring at him strangely, Quan Yi asked with some restraint.

Huo Wu openly sized him up and said, "Your body is worth tens of thousands of gold soul coins. Can't I take a good look at it?"

Quan Yi rolled his eyes at her and scoffed, "Don't be jealous. It won't be long before you're worth just as much."

"Ah!" Huo Wu let out a startled cry.

"What 'ah'?" Quan Yi raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you wanted to surpass me? From now on, you'll train alongside me, which means daily soul beast meat will be a necessity.

"You're getting a huge advantage here. With me around, you won't have to go searching for suppliers. Plus, I can get high-quality edible soul beast meat at prices lower than the market rate."

As he spoke, Quan Yi suddenly felt like he was getting the short end of the deal.

Huo Wu was momentarily dazed, quickly processing his words. Then, as if realizing something, she looked at him incredulously.

"You're helping the competition. Aren't you afraid I'll expose your secret?"

Quan Yi didn't hesitate for even a second. His reply was calm and resolute.

"You won't."

Huo Wu's heart trembled. She instantly understood what he meant.

This was absolute trust—trust without the slightest trace of doubt.

Yet, instead of feeling happy, she felt as if an immense weight had settled on her chest, pressing down on her.

"You're a lunatic." She sighed with a wry smile.

At this moment, she felt as though she had caught a glimpse of the real Quan Yi—the one hidden beneath his usual composure.

Quan Yi remained unfazed and simply asked, "So? Are you coming with me?"

His voice was calm, low, and almost hypnotic—like a devil whispering in her ear.

But just as Quan Yi trusted her unconditionally, Huo Wu realized she also had complete trust in him.

Even though they had only known each other for two days, she felt an inexplicable connection, as if she already understood him on a deeper level.

Quan Yi had a magnetic pull—something that drew her in, something she couldn't ignore.

"Fine, I'll go crazy with you this once."

She had no idea if her decision was right or wrong. But at this moment, she simply wanted to follow the voice in her heart—to take the leap and step into the unknown.

The moment she agreed, a rare smile appeared on Quan Yi's otherwise calm face.

"Good. As expected of someone I like. But don't celebrate too soon. That training earlier? That was just the warm-up. The real pain is yet to come."

After saying that, he stood up, placed a jar of dried meat beside Huo Wu, and walked a few steps away. Then, turning back to face her, he said, "Watch closely."

With that, Quan Yi's body twisted at an almost unnatural angle, his movements fluid and precise—demonstrating his post-training stretches.

Huo Wu's eyes widened.

So flexible!

People often assumed that someone with well-defined muscles would lack flexibility, but Quan Yi was different. Every muscle on his body was a perfect blend of explosive power and agility.

Huo Wu had always thought her own flexibility was decent, but compared to Quan Yi, it was insignificant.

Half an hour passed, and sweat dripped from Quan Yi's forehead.

"Stretching after training speeds up muscle recovery and makes them tougher," he explained. "It's a little painful, but it's necessary."

He glanced at her skirt before adding, "When you get back to the dorm, try imitating my movements."

After demonstrating everything, Quan Yi finally relaxed.

"Alright, you should be able to walk now. The cafeteria should still be open—let's go eat."

"Yeah, I'm starving."

After resting and eating the jerky, Huo Wu felt her strength returning.

She stood up, picked up the white shirt from the ground, and dusted it off. Her eyes lingered on the cloth wrapped around her hands—it was torn from Quan Yi's shirt.

But instead of returning it, she simply held it tightly in her hand.

Huo Wu couldn't help but feel that Quan Yi was even more meticulous than most girls—whether it was the neat bow he tied on her bandages or the white short sleeves he had placed under her for comfort.

This contrast only made him more intriguing.

As she walked beside him, she unconsciously inched closer. Their shoulders were nearly touching.

"Quan Yi… no, from now on, I'll call you Xiao Yi, alright? My family calls me Xiao Wu, so you can too."

Quan Yi chuckled. "Alright. Actually, my family calls me Xiao Yi as well. By the way, what kind of Wu is your name? Is it 'Five'?"

"No, no! It's 'Dance'—don't forget it."

"Got it."

The two of them strolled toward the cafeteria, their pace unhurried.

When they arrived, the dining hall was nearly empty—the lunchtime rush had long passed.

Just as they stepped onto the second floor, an angry voice rang out.

"Xiao Wu! Where have you been?"

Huo Wushuang strode toward them, his expression dark.

Huo Wu's heart skipped a beat. Seeing her brother's menacing aura, she instinctively ducked behind Quan Yi, peeking out nervously.

"Ah… I forgot!"

In truth, she had agreed to meet Huo Wushuang for lunch, but after everything with Quan Yi, it had completely slipped her mind.

Quan Yi reacted quickly, stepping forward to explain. "Senior, we got caught up in training and lost track of time. Huo Wu didn't mean to keep you waiting."

Huo Wushuang wasn't actually angry—just worried. But when he saw his sister hiding behind Quan Yi, looking up at him apologetically, his frustration melted away. He sighed, his expression softening.

"Xiao Wu, come here. Just don't make me worry next time, alright?"

Huo Wu beamed and ran up to him, hugging his arm affectionately.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again!" she said sweetly.

Huo Wushuang sighed helplessly. His sister's rare show of affection was his weakness.

"Alright, alright, I forgive you. Just don't do it again. I wasn't really angry, just concerned."

Seeing the atmosphere lighten, Quan Yi took the opportunity to smooth things over.

"Haha, since none of us have eaten yet, why don't we all have a meal together?"

But the moment Huo Wushuang turned to him, his gentle demeanor vanished. His eyes burned with suspicion and hostility.

His mild gaze hardened as he locked onto the boy who had abducted his sister.

Quan Yi scratched his head and forced an awkward smile.

"Did you kidnap my sister?" Huo Wushuang's tone was anything but polite.

Huo Wu gasped and quickly defended Quan Yi.

"Brother, what are you saying? It's not his fault—it's all mine!"

But rather than calming him down, her words had the opposite effect.

Huo Wushuang's expression darkened further, and his gaze toward Quan Yi grew even more dangerous. It was as if he was ready to devour him on the spot.

Cold sweat trickled down Quan Yi's forehead.

'Aren't you making things worse?!' he screamed internally.

He had just tried to defend her, yet now, thanks to her words, he suddenly felt like a scumbag who had deceived an innocent girl.

The situation was all too familiar—like a classic story where the protective older brother storms in to confront the villainous boy, only for the younger sister to defend him, making the brother even more furious.

Just like that, Huo Wushuang's breathing became heavier. If not for Huo Wu clinging to his arm, he might have charged straight at Quan Yi.

Oblivious to the tension, Huo Wu simply smiled and tugged at her brother's sleeve.

"Come on, let's eat before the cafeteria closes!"

Without waiting for a response, she happily dragged Huo Wushuang toward the food counter, her mind solely focused on her hunger.

"Haaah…"

Watching her pull her brother away, Quan Yi exhaled in relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He felt… guilty.

Because if he were being honest, his actions really could be considered abduction.

Moreover, as an older brother himself, he completely understood how Huo Wushuang felt. In fact, if his sister were suddenly getting close to some unknown boy, he'd be just as wary.