Chapter 149: Melting the Frost of Resentment


    They say that women are made of water.


    No matter how strong a woman is on the inside, there’s always a tender side to her.


    In every woman’s heart, there’s always one person she willingly opens up to, one person she is ready to face with vulnerability.


    Even someone like Kulo, with her mysterious background, is no exception.


    She realized deeply that Han Ming, this big boy whose actual age was far younger than hers, would inevitably be the one she would spend her life with. He was the one she would willingly lower her pride for, the one she would face head-on. Tonight, this person, like a magnificent flower tattooed on her skin, had left an indelible mark on her heart.


    It seemed like this mark would never fade.


    Han Ming’s gift, paired with the gentle, distant melody of his song, quickly closed the distance between him and Kulo.


    Han Ming thought to himself, no wonder all those silly boys in his world like to sing for girls. It seemed girls were naturally drawn to beautiful melodies; the sweet music could effortlessly reach the deepest parts of their hearts.


    “How about I sing another one for you?”


    Han Ming, having tasted success, wanted to try again.


    Kulo, excited, jumped out of Han Ming’s embrace and sat across from him. With her hands on her chin, she looked at him with adoration.


    “Sure, sure, hurry up and sing!”


    Well, it seemed like he now had an audience.


    Han Ming cleared his throat in excitement and began to sing.


    “Under the bridge in front of the door, a group of ducks swims by, come, come, count them, two, four, six, seven, eight. Quack, quack, quack, so many ducks, I can’t count how many ducks, can’t count how many ducks, hurry up, old grandpa, with his white beard, singing hometown songs, and telling jokes. Kids, kids, hurry, go to school, don’t bring home a zero!”


    Kulo giggled, her small fist gently tapping Han Ming’s shoulder as she teased, “You’re so silly! What is this? Are you trying to entertain children?”


    Han Ming laughed loudly, wrapping his arms around Kulo and pulling her close, saying, “Yeah, I’m entertaining children. You’re my little one, always my little girl.”


    Kulo’s face gently rested on Han Ming’s rising chest, her heart filled with happiness. Two tears silently slid down her face.


    “It’s been so long since I’ve been this happy, from childhood to now, I’ve never felt like this before. I didn’t know life could offer this kind of happiness and warmth. I didn’t know there were things that could touch the heart more than killing,” Kulo thought to herself, quietly.


    The Next Morning


    Sunlight streamed into the room where the two were wrapped in each other’s arms as they slept.


    Kulo slowly opened her eyes and gently kissed Han Ming’s lips.


    Han Ming, awakened by the sweet kiss, opened his eyes to see a breathtakingly beautiful face inches away from his, her eyes closed as she kissed him tenderly. He responded with equal affection, melting into the embrace.


    “Hmm? What’s this?”


    Kulo, pulling herself slightly away, felt a hard object pressed against her abdomen. Blushing, she thought for a moment.


    Han Ming, embarrassed, smiled awkwardly. “Uh… maybe it’s… just a wooden box or something. Don’t mind it.”


    Kulo mischievously smiled. “Then why don’t you just throw it away?”


    “Uh… haha, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat,” Han Ming quickly said, awkwardly dodging the situation.


    Seeing Han Ming awkwardly escape, Kulo giggled behind her hand.


    “I couldn’t help it. It’s a natural bodily reaction,” Han Ming thought innocently.


    After breakfast, Han Ming put on a mask and a hat to conceal his face, then headed out with Kulo toward the Three Kingdoms League’s competition venue.


    Today, it was the match between Han Ming and Shang Que.


    The young couple walked hand in hand down the street, occasionally glancing at each other. In their eyes, the whole world no longer existed; there was only each other.


    Around the corner, a hidden figure stood watching them from the shadows. The figure focused intently on Kulo and stroked his chin thoughtfully.


    “Why her? What is she doing here? Even though she tried to disguise her appearance and aura, I still recognized her at first glance—Yao Ji. I didn’t expect her to have such a side to her. Hahaha, she still wants to live a normal life? She’s stained with so much blood, can she really live like a normal person?”


    Kulo, sensing something, turned her head slightly, just in time to catch a glimpse of a figure vanishing into the crowd.


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    At the Three Kingdoms League Venue


    The atmosphere was more vibrant than ever. Although it was the semi-final stage, the match between Han Ming and Shang Que was sure to draw more attention.


    Not only because of their impressive performances, but also because of the deeper meaning this match carried: a clash between water mages and fire mages—two extremely contrasting and powerful elements.


    Water and fire are natural opposites, each born to counter the other.


    In the past, people would have immediately declared the fire mage the winner without hesitation.


    But Han Ming had shocked everyone recently, showing through his actions that water mages were far from weak!


    As Han Ming stepped into the arena and removed his mask, a crowd quickly gathered around him, blocking his way.


    “Han Ming, senior! You must win! Show everyone that water mages aren’t weak!”


    “Han Ming, brother! The honor of the water mages is in your hands!”


    “Han Ming, little brother! The water mages have been oppressed for centuries. You have to help us stand up!”


    “Yeah, yeah, Han Ming, we know we can’t reach your level, but if you win this match, you’ll show everyone that water mages aren’t useless. We’ll finally be respected!”


    Han Ming was left dizzy by the sea of excited faces surrounding him.


    “When did I become a senior? And this guy doesn’t even know me, yet he’s calling me ‘brother’.”


    The enthusiasm of the crowd was a bit too much for Han Ming to handle.


    As he tried to navigate through the crowd, a group of fire mages passed by, glancing at him with hostile eyes, clearly filled with animosity.


    Han Ming realized that today’s match had turned into a showdown between two magical factions—fire mages trying to protect their dominance, and water mages fighting for their dignity.


    The situation had evolved into an unexpected rivalry.


    A fire mage sneered, “Hah, you think you’re impressive just because you beat Huang Ying, a wind mage? Now you’re bragging about lifting the reputation of water mages? How ridiculous. Do you even know your own worth?”


    Another fire mage chimed in, “Hey, don’t be too harsh. After all, he’s a water mage and managed to defeat a wind mage. Let him have his moment. He’s finally tasted success after being stepped on all this time. Let him enjoy his little glory before he’s humiliated by Shang Que.”


    The group of fire mages laughed mockingly.


    One of the water mages in Han Ming’s group couldn’t take it anymore and retorted angrily, “What did you say?!”


    “Ha! You’re not happy, huh? What’s the matter? You want to practice with us?”


    One of the fire mages sneered at them, his disdain for water mages palpable.


    The water mages fell silent, their long history of being oppressed leaving them with a deep sense of inferiority that couldn’t be undone overnight.


    In their eyes, Han Ming was their hope, their lifeline. They needed him to prove something, even if it wasn’t to equal fire mages, just to stop being seen as worthless. That alone would satisfy them.


    Han Ming, seeing the defeated looks on the water mages’ faces, shook his head helplessly. He pushed through the crowd, standing tall, and smiled.


    “Alright, I’ll practice with you all. How about all of you come at me at once?”


    The fire mages, seeing Han Ming stand up to them personally, grew pale. Despite their disdain for water mages, they couldn’t deny Han Ming’s terrifying strength. This kid, who had earned the title of savior of water mages, had once frozen Huang Ying’s wind spells solid. Facing a monster like him was beyond intimidating.


    One fire mage awkwardly stammered, “Tch… you should save your strength for Shang Que, not waste time on us low-level mages. You have no grace. You should learn from Shang Que.”


    With that, he hurriedly turned and walked away, his steps hurried and disordered.


    “Han Ming, senior! We’re rooting for you!”


    A little girl from the water mage faction waved her fists at him for support.


    “Watch me!”


    Han Ming grinned and walked confidently toward the center of the arena.


    Since these water mages lacked confidence, he would give them some! He wanted them to face their profession with enthusiasm, not live passively. Reflecting on the magic academy’s neglect of water magic, Han Ming felt his resolve harden.


    If possible, though he couldn’t transcribe the Water God’s technique, perhaps he could create a magical book, slightly less potent than the Water God’s, but still invaluable. If that idea came to fruition, it would be his gift to the water mages.


    What Han Ming didn’t realize was that this sudden inspiration of his would, in the future, give birth to a masterpiece of water magic that would shock the world, changing the entire status of water mages forever.


    This was the beginning of destiny’s change.


    It was time for the world to see water mages in a new light.