Chapter 30: Xiao Wu Cries, Tang San Gets Angry, Xu Ran Has Been Pretending All Along!

"But if you're injured, how will you protect me in the future?" Tears flowed unbidden from Xiao Wu's eyes as she looked at Xu Ran, her expression tinged with a mournful smile.

The beauty of Xiao Wu's smile melted Xu Ran's heart.

This is Xiao Wu—the heroine of Douluo Continent. Even as a young girl, she's already so stunning. What will she look like when she grows up, her hair cascading down her shoulders like a celestial river of stars?

By that time, Xiao Wu will be his girl. He'll be with her as she grows, practicing and cultivating together, doing all the things that couples do.

Then, they'll even confront Tang San together. To Xiao Wu, Tang San has now become a vile, disgusting pretender. Six years of what appeared to be a relationship were nothing but an act. Whatever Tang San says from now on, Xiao Wu will believe he's just putting on a show.

Tang San wouldn't face Xu Ran alone; Xiao Wu will help as well.

After all, who's to say that Tang San isn't after Xiao Wu's Soul Ring and Soul Bone? Whether or not he has such intentions doesn't matter; Xiao Wu is convinced that's why he's around.

"Stop crying; I don't like to see a girl cry in front of me." Xu Ran gently caressed Xiao Wu's tender cheek. He could clearly feel the softness of her skin, so delicate that it seemed like it could be punctured by a light prod. The tear tracks on her cheeks only intensified his compassion.

"Okay, I won't cry, I won't cry," Xiao Wu managed to say through her tears, wiping them away as she tried to appear strong in front of Xu Ran.

The hidden weapon had almost struck her; with its speed, she might not have had time to dodge.

If it weren't for Xu Ran, she could have died just now.

She felt overwhelmingly grateful, knowing that from this day forward, besides her mother and her siblings Da Ming and Er Ming, she had gained another truly trustworthy person. That person was Xu Ran.

He risked revealing his own identity to expose Tang San's true nature.

Even more, he had thrown himself in the path of the hidden weapon to protect her.

She remembered her mother once saying that if she ever met a man willing to risk his life for her, she should treasure him. Such men were the rarest treasures in the world.

Was Xu Ran the man her mother spoke of? Xu Ran, an Auspicious Beast, also possessed the integrity of a true gentleman.

"Xu Ran, how are you feeling now? Stay still; let me check your back," Xiao Wu took a deep breath, staring at Xu Ran's back, which was now stained red with blood. At this moment, the spot where the hidden weapon had struck had turned into an ominous dark color.

Poison—the word instantly flashed through Xiao Wu's mind.

It was clear that Xu Ran had been poisoned, and it was a particularly potent toxin. Otherwise, Xu Ran, as an Auspicious Beast, would not be so easily harmed. Auspicious Beasts are protected by a sort of auspicious aura that usually prevents them from being affected by common poisons.

The poison might have even been concocted by Tang Hao. How potent must a poison be if it's formulated by a Titled Douluo? Xiao Wu felt despair gripping her heart; she didn't know if a fledgling Auspicious Beast could survive such a terrifying toxin.

Meanwhile, Tang San looked utterly perplexed.

He was drenched in sweat, observing Xu Ran's condition.

He had clearly seen how formidable Xu Ran was, effortlessly blocking all of his hidden weapons. Twelve projectiles, each one deflected. Tang San couldn't help but be amazed; Xu Ran's abilities far surpassed his own.

Yet, Xu Ran was such an actor.

Tang San saw that Xu Ran had deliberately let one needle pierce him. He had even used his sword energy to slow down the projectile. This was hardly the behavior of someone unable to handle a hidden weapon.

Xu Ran was clearly putting on a show. Seeing the blood on the ground, enough to form a stream, Tang San thought it seemed overly exaggerated.

Is this for real?

How could a human have so much blood?

This is just too fake!

Even poison? Where could a mere student like him get such a toxin? And such a large, dark poison stain on his back?

Observing all this, how could Tang San not realize that Xu Ran was playing him again?

"Xu Ran, are you freaking kidding me?" Tang San erupted in anger. Observing the whole scene, he finally understood Xu Ran's intention. He wanted to fabricate a scenario where it looked like Tang San wanted to kill Xiao Wu, while Xu Ran played the heroic savior. Xu Ran even falsely accused him of using poison.

If Xiao Wu believed all this, her affection for Xu Ran would skyrocket, while Tang San's image in her eyes would plummet. His hidden weapons had all been aimed at Xu Ran; he had never intended to harm Xiao Wu. But after Xu Ran's manipulations, it seemed as if Tang San had been the one trying to harm her.

Now, Tang San felt like he was being framed to the point of utter despair.

Originally, upon seeing the pool of blood on the ground, Tang San wanted to mock Xu Ran for overacting. But now he couldn't muster even a smile. Fully understanding Xu Ran's motives, he was utterly dumbfounded.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? Questions filled Tang San's mind. He knew he had to urgently expose Xu Ran's scheme; otherwise, his bad image in Xiao Wu's eyes would likely be irreversible.

T/N: Little bro is broken haha

Xiao Wu lifted her gaze and looked at Tang San, who was not far away. Her eyes were icy and detached. She glanced at him for just a moment before averting her gaze. Whatever affection she might have had for Tang San had now entirely dissipated.

In her mind, Tang San had just tried to kill her, and it was precisely because Xu Ran hadn't anticipated this that he got hurt. What could Tang San possibly say now? He had clearly just attacked her, and yet he was playing the victim as if Xu Ran was the real villain. How absurd.

The one who attacked them was Tang San. The one playing the victim was also Tang San. The one accusing others of acting was still Tang San.

Her feelings towards Tang San were now laden with intense hatred. He had deceived her for six years and now aimed to kill both her and Xu Ran.

"Xu Ran, how are you now? Can you expel this poison?" Xiao Wu softly inquired, gently touching the wound on Xu Ran's back. It looked harrowing. The wound itself wasn't deep, but the poison was potent. After all, it was a toxin that Titled Douluo Tang Hao had given to Tang San. Tang San had been capable of creating hidden weapons at the age of six, which she initially found unbelievable. But knowing now that his father was Tang Hao, it all made sense. These hidden weapons were intended for her.

If she ever discovered Tang San's real intentions, the plan was to kill her with these projectiles. If they couldn't extract her soul ring, they could at least take her soul bone. Otherwise, how could a six-year-old child be crafting hidden weapons? There could be no other explanation.