In Star Dou Forest.
Dragon Patriarch was getting bandaged up by Granny Snake.
The intermittent pain from the wound made him grimace, but he didn't dare harbor any resentment in his heart.
He had never dreamed that a young man could possess such terrifying strength.
Three punches had taught him a lesson on humility.
If it had been before today,
had someone come up to him and said there was someone from the younger generation capable of blowing up his Soul Douluo's cultivation level, he would have surely laughed thrice then cursed the person for being a fool with impossible fantasies.
Now, he really couldn't find it in himself to laugh anymore.
He didn't just not want to laugh; he even felt a bit like crying.
"Hiss!"
"Darling, be gentle, it hurts."
Dragon Patriarch bared his teeth with a mask of agony on his face.
Granny Snake was tenderly bandaging his wound while complaining, "You old fool, just how capable you are, offending such a genius for a measly Man-Faced Demon Spider."
Dragon Patriarch's face was full of bitterness, "How was I to know? If I had known in advance how terrifying he was, let alone my Man-Faced Demon Spider, even if he wanted my granddaughter, I would have given her to him!"
"Grandpa~ what are you saying!!" Meng Yiran spat out from the side.
Dragon Patriarch glared and snorted, "You girl, your grandpa got beaten up just trying to catch a soul beast for you, and you can't even show a little concern?"
Meng Yiran stepped over gracefully, squatted down with her curvaceous body, and reached out her jade hand to help Granny Snake bandage Dragon Patriarch.
But bandaging aside, the complaints continued.
Meng Yiran couldn't help but murmur, "It's all your fault, Grandpa."
"If you hadn't snatched someone else's soul beast, we might have had the chance to become friends. Now look, we're at odds."
Dragon Patriarch glowered, "How can you still side with a stranger?"
"Now is—"
"Your grandpa got beaten up!!!"
"Beaten up badly!"
With care, Meng Yiran wrapped a layer of bandage around Dragon Patriarch's arm, pouted, and looked up, "Grandpa, it's not easy to find a man I like, and you bullied him, scaring him away."
Dragon Patriarch's mouth twitched.
I bullied him??
Did he take any loss at all?
Let's not kid ourselves here, he pummeled me and then left in high spirits.
This...
Dragon Patriarch didn't want to talk anymore.
Someone wants this granddaughter of mine? Oh, he doesn't want her anymore.
Meng Yiran coquettishly said, "Grandpa, you have many connections and friends, can you help me find out about his background?"
Dragon Patriarch looked at the charming young girl warily, "Ranran, what do you mean by that?"
"I..."
Meng Yiran was momentarily at a loss for words, sheepishly lowering her head with her hands clasped together.
Dragon Patriarch was full of grievances.
"Have you been bewitched? Your grandpa has been beaten up like this, and you're still thinking about him?"
It was at this moment Granny Snake pushed him and huffed, "What's wrong with our granddaughter thinking about him? Any problem with that?"
"He's handsome, strong, does good deeds without leaving a name, helped us and didn't even wait for our thanks before leaving."
"Such a fine young man would have been irresistible to me too if I were forty years younger!"
Dragon Patriarch wailed internally; this was a stab in the heart.
He was hurt this badly, yet not only was his granddaughter turning her elbows outwards, but even his wife was siding with someone else!
"I'm still injured, can the two of you please stop aggravating me."
Granny Snake glared, "Alright, no more complaining. We'll go back, apply some medicine, and I'll take good care of you for half a month, and you'll be fine."
"Said or unsaid, it's all because of you, a fine match that could've fallen into our granddaughter's lap, and you ruined it."
"Imagine such a young talent as our son-in-law, I could wake up laughing from a dream."
Seeing his wife's dissatisfaction and the deep resentment in his granddaughter's Beautiful Eyes, Dragon Patriarch felt like he was the source of immense evil and sin.
He shook his head and rebutted, "Enough with both of you, stop daydreaming."
"Ranran, not to dishearten you."
"That kind of man is not something our family's background can match; you two will never have a chance together."
Granny Snake twisted Dragon Patriarch's waist fiercely and asked in a harsh voice, "Come on, tell me, why is it impossible?"
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'It's easier for a woman to chase a man than it is to pierce through a layer of gauze'? Although he's outstanding, our Meng Yiran isn't bad either. Taking the initiative might give her a chance."
Dragon Patriarch slapped Granny Snake's hand away and sighed heavily, "Enough, be realistic, old woman. Who gave you such confidence?"
"Meng Yiran is my granddaughter; I wouldn't side with an outsider, especially not one who just gave me a beating."
"But I have to admit, that kid's talent is something I've rarely seen in my life."
"Even now, I can't guess what kind of power he hails from, but there's no doubt that he's not someone we can aspire to be with."
At the beginning, hope shone in Meng Yiran's eyes; but as Dragon Patriarch spoke, it slowly died out, and her face couldn't hide the emerging disappointment.
For a young girl in her youthful ignorance, sometimes it's very simple to fall in love with someone.
Perhaps a man's glance, a gesture, a smile, and her heart might flutter in response.
And yet, her love, before it even began, seemed to end.
Am I really not worthy of him...?
A trace of defiance had risen in her heart.
But then she remembered the scene of Dragon Patriarch being defeated in a second, and instantly felt resigned.
Dragon Patriarch patted the young girl's shoulder, trying to comfort her, "Meng Yiran, don't be sad. It's just a man, after all."
"Finding a three-legged toad might be hard, but is it difficult to find a man with two legs?"
"I'll introduce you to a young man from a Great Sect later."
Meng Yiran looked up with her beautiful eyes, "Is he as good as him?"
The expression on Dragon Patriarch's face suddenly stiffened, and he coughed awkwardly, quickly changing the subject.
"Meng Yiran, you know about the upper three families, right? Aren't they strong enough?"
"Yu Tianheng, the young patriarch of the Blue Electric Overlord Dragon Clan with The Number One Beast Spirit in the World, recently broke off his betrothal for some reason."
"That young man is outstandingly talented, handsome, and strong."
"I really don't understand what his fiancée was thinking—how could she let go of such a good man?"
"How about I introduce him to you?"
Meng Yiran muttered in a low mood.
"Is he as good as him?"
Dragon Patriarch glared with old eyes, "Why are you so fixed on that kid? How many times have you even seen him?"
"Let me tell you, this young patriarch Yu Tianheng is not bad at all. The pride of Tiandou City, his future might not be any less than that kid's."
"Really?"Meng Yiran looked up and asked.
"Of course!" Dragon Patriarch nodded, "I'll arrange for you two to meet soon."
Meng Yiran shook her head, covering her chest with her hand and sighing softly.
"Grandfather, let's not meet him."
"Other than him, I feel like I don't want to see any other man."
Dragon Patriarch insisted, "You must meet him. Once you see Yu Tianheng's excellence, you might just forget about that kid."
Meng Yiran gave no reply, just quietly looking in the direction Luo Yu had left.
Her heart felt a silent yearning.
Will I ever have the chance to see him again?
Could it be—
There's really no chance at all?
Dragon Patriarch scratched his head in frustration, poked Granny Snake, and whispered, "Old woman, why has our granddaughter suddenly become like this? She's never shown interest in any man before."
Granny Snake replied irritably, "Go away, stop nagging; it's your fault for messing up our granddaughter's romantic opportunity."
"You don't understand the heart of a woman, so don't ask."
Seeing his partner's disdainful look, Dragon Patriarch felt as if it would have been better if that kid had just killed him with one punch.
Being alive and despised is too pitiful.
Luo Yu, for his part, was completely unaware of this, let alone that someone had fallen for him at first sight.
The recent event hadn't concerned him at all.
Defeating a Soul Douluo was nothing to be proud of.
For him, with the suppression of the Dragon God Martial Soul and the power of the Five-colored Dragon King Armor, failing to defeat the opponent in three punches would be the real shame.
Meanwhile, he had just found Xiaowu and the others' trail and was about to catch up soon.
But then, an urgent message from Gu Yuena suddenly echoed in his mind...