The Melody of Harmony

"Delicious! It's really, really delicious!"

"If it's good, have some more."

Stelle rubbed Zhu Zhuqing's cat ears, making the latter's tail stand straight up.

Even so, she kept her head down and wolfed down the grilled fish.

It was the best grilled fish she had ever eaten! Nothing else even came close!

"Big Sister Stelle! How did you make it so delicious?"

Stelle planted her hands on her hips.

"As long as I want to do something, I can do it!"

In reality, she had added a little of Xiangling's special grilled fish seasoning.

As long as you didn't do a terrible job grilling it, the fish wouldn't taste bad.

"By the way, Big Sister Stelle, did you come to the forest to hunt for a Soul Ring? You look so young~"

Stelle scratched her head.

"Nope, I'm lost!"

"???"

Zhu Zhuqing looked in confusion at the proud expression on Stelle's face, then took another bite of grilled fish.

She was lost, so why did Big Sister Stelle sound so... proud?

She didn't understand. Bite~

"Little Zhuqing, are you here to get a Soul Ring?"

"Not yet. I only just reached level eight. That uncle said he'd bring me to the forest for some training."

"Training?"

Stelle narrowed her eyes slightly. The naked man hanging from the dead tree behind her shuddered violently. He was finished. Was his life really going to end like this?

"Since you're here to train, then big sister will take you to have lots of fun... I mean, cultivate."

"Really?"

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up a little. Ever since her Martial Soul Awakening, even her once-close sister had started ignoring her.

She didn't know what she had done wrong. Her father and mother ignored her, and her sister had started keeping her distance too. It was as if... in an instant, she was the only person left in the world.

Now, Stelle was going to play with her, and she was truly happy.

"Since that's decided, then... toward the distance! Off we go!"

"Off we go! Off we go!"

Zhu Zhuqing copied Stelle's movements, waving her right arm vigorously as she hopped along behind her.

At that moment, the naked man hanging from the dead tree could do nothing. He could only watch helplessly as the young lady he was protecting was led away, silently shedding tears like a powerless husband.

The beast tide in the forest soon subsided, and many Soul Beasts began returning to their homes.

At that moment, a ten-year Soft Bone Rabbit had just returned to her nest. Looking at her somewhat dilapidated "home," she happily began expanding it. Not far away from her,

Two girls, one big and one small, crouched in the grass with their bottoms sticking up, their eyes fixed on the Soft Bone Rabbit.

"Big Sister Stelle, does rabbit taste good?"

Stelle slurped up her drool.

"Rabbits are so cute, how could anyone... eat them? Rabbit is exactly what we're eating. Little kitty, you have no idea. Spicy rabbit head is the best, especially with extra numbing pepper and chili."

As Stelle spoke, she stepped like a cat on its little paws, swaying her waist.

"But... Big Sister Stelle, this feels so strange. It's so embarrassing."

The little kitty copied her, wiggling her little bottom, her little face nearly as red as a ripe apple.

"Little kitty, you don't believe me? Your big sister here is the Galactic Baseballer of Tianshu, second on the heavenly prodigy rankings. I'm teaching you how to hunt. Have you forgotten the Body Tempering Art I taught you?"

A trace of shame appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's face.

That was right. Big Sister Stelle was so good to her, making her delicious grilled fish and teaching her how to cultivate. If it weren't for Big Sister Stelle, she wouldn't even know the words "cultivation technique."

How could she doubt the ever-so-good Big Sister Stelle? Big Sister Stelle must have her reasons for doing this.

"Little kitty, follow my lead. Step on your little paws, wiggle your waist, and lower your body slightly. Put yourself in the best hunting stance."

"Mm-hmm."

Although she felt a little embarrassed, Zhu Zhuqing still followed Stelle's lead and wiggled her little bottom.

"Your Martial Soul is a cat. A cat's greatest strength is its speed. When facing prey, what you need to do is kill it in one strike."

Stelle saw that the one Soft Bone Rabbit across from them had become two, and they had already begun doing things that could only be done in spring. That meant the time was right.

"Meow~"

Stelle sprang out. Before the two Soft Bone Rabbits could react, they saw two fists the size of sandbags crashing down toward their heads.

It was dark. Time for the bunnies to go to sleep~

"So amazing~"

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes sparkled as she watched Stelle walk over with the two rabbits.

Stelle brushed the leaves off herself, her expression saying, "Did you learn that?"

"Did you see? That's how a cat properly hunts."

"Big Sister Stelle! Please teach me!"

"All right, since you want to learn, big sister will teach you!"

"But... big sister, my talent isn't very good."

Zhu Zhuqing looked a little downcast. If she were more talented, would her father and mother pay her a little more attention?

"Does choosing a disciple require looking at talent? Talent? That's just an excuse for a master to be lazy. Whoever wants to learn my hunting skills, I will teach them."

Looking at Stelle, who seemed to be bathed in holy light, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes sparkled.

"Master Stelle! I want to learn!"

"Then don't complain that it's too hard~"

"I won't!"

Stelle silently gave herself a thumbs-up. Using the Stellaron to light herself hadn't been for nothing. Just look at how she'd fooled the child. All she could say was that Empress Dowager Jing's disciple-selection quotes were still doing their work.

"Next, let's start by loosening up. Follow me and dance."

With that, Stelle began performing one difficult movement after another, twisting and turning as if she had no bones.

"Once you can do this, you'll have completed the first step. Now, the eighteenth set of broadcast calisthenics, The Times Are Moving, officially begins!"

Zhu Zhuqing also began copying Stelle's movements in earnest.

At first, her movements were a little awkward, but Stelle taught her very seriously, pointing out her shortcomings.

"One-two-three-four, five-six-seven-eight..."

Zhu Zhuqing simply didn't notice where the song was coming from. They were out in the wilderness, after all.

(Mysterious person 1995, whose name starts with Long and ends with Jie: Good grief, using the Stellaron to play music again? Is that right?)

Little Zhuqing learned diligently, and Stelle had a great time.

"Little kitty, follow my rhythm! One-two-three-four, wiggle your bottom..."

Little Zhuqing vigorously wiggled her little waist.

"Two-two-three-four, turn around~"

A spotlight shone on Stelle. She took Little Zhuqing's hand and danced with her in its beam.

"Come on, keep to the beat. Da... da-da... da-da-da..."

At some point, a top hat had appeared on her head.

At that moment, the melody of Harmony fully unfolded.

Zhu Zhuqing didn't understand any of this. All she knew was that cultivating with Master Stelle was happier than being alone. She couldn't let Master Stelle down.

Under the spotlight stood one big figure and one small one.

They danced harmonious steps beneath the light, and the melody of Harmony blossomed fully at that moment.

This was a melody that belonged to them alone.

That was Stelle. Though she usually did things that only barely qualified as human, she could always bring people hope.

This was Trailblaze.