Would You Like to Become My Family?

For twin Martial Souls, I'm going all in!

Qian Renxue was now fifteen, and her cultivation was around the Soul King level. If she hadn't wasted time going undercover, it would probably have been even higher.

Still, with a Soul King's cultivation, detecting Qian Guxing's approach couldn't have been easier.

Qian Renxue raised her eyes and was about to scold him, but stopped herself short.

In the peach blossom grove, crimson petals drifted down around Qian Guxing. Standing there, he looked as though he had stepped out of a painting, unreal in his beauty.

Qian Guxing's eyes met Qian Renxue's.

Qian Renxue's presence here meant that both Titled Douluo, Pufferfish and Snake Lance, were protecting her from the shadows.

It would have been a lie to say he felt no pressure.

But the fiercer the wind and waves, the more valuable the fish.

Qian Guxing forced down his unease, quickened his pace, and ran up to Qian Renxue. He tilted up his little face, his eyes full of little hearts:

"Big sister, you're so pretty."

Looking at Qian Guxing's impossibly adorable face, Qian Renxue felt her long-frozen heart quietly thaw a little.

She reached out, stroked Qian Guxing's head, and asked:

"Little one, why did you come here by yourself? Where are your mom and dad?"

"I don't have a mom or dad... Grandma Director raised me."

A trace of grievance crept into Qian Guxing's voice.

With Qian Guxing's current looks, even a slight frown was enough to tug at others' hearts.

Hearing that, Qian Renxue practically wanted to slap herself. Even when she had held sway in the Heaven Dou Empire, she had never been as flustered as she was now:

"Little brother, I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

Seeing Qian Renxue scramble to comfort him, Qian Guxing burst out laughing:

"Don't worry, big sister. I'm not that fragile. Even though I don't have a mom or dad, Grandma Director and everyone else are my family."

Qian Renxue stared blankly at Qian Guxing's smile. Something seemed to be sprouting deep in her heart, and she remained speechless for a long while.

Qian Guxing was very pleased with his performance.

First, he had used his looks to get close, then launched a guilt attack, and finally delivered the killing blow with his strong-child persona.

After all that, wouldn't prying open Qian Renxue's defenses and undoing the knot in her heart be as easy as catching something within reach?

Seeing that Qian Renxue still hadn't spoken, Qian Guxing raised a hand and waved it in front of her eyes:

"Pretty sister, you looked really sad just now. Can you tell me about it? Maybe I can help."

Qian Renxue burst out laughing. She reached out, picked Qian Guxing up, and set him on her lap, gently stroking his hair.

"It's all grown-up business. What would a little brat like you understand?"

"I'm already six." Qian Guxing met Qian Renxue's gaze without the slightest fear.

The smile on Qian Renxue's face widened. She kneaded Qian Guxing's cheeks. "All right, all right, I know you're not a child anymore."

"So what happened, pretty sister? What made you so sad?"

Qian Guxing blinked his big eyes and said earnestly:

"Grandma Director said that if you bottle up sad things in your heart for too long, they'll only rot and stink. Only by talking about them can you keep your heart clean."

"You little rascal, you certainly know a lot."

Qian Renxue tapped Qian Guxing's nose and let out a long sigh.

Six years.

To spite Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue had spent a full six years undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire.

Over those long years, Qian Renxue sometimes couldn't even tell whether she was Xue Qinghe or Qian Renxue.

Through those stifling, lonely nights, she had questioned her choice more times than she could count.

Perhaps finding someone to confide in wouldn't be so bad.

With that thought, Qian Renxue said to Qian Guxing:

"Little brother, I have a story. Would you like to hear it?"

"I would." Qian Guxing nestled in Qian Renxue's arms, exercising a child's privileges without restraint.

Qian Renxue gathered her words and slowly began:

"Once upon a time, there was a child named Xue'er. After her mother gave birth to her, she hated her and wouldn't even let Xue'er call her Mom.

"Xue'er was very sad. She asked her father and grandfather why, but neither could give her an answer.

"In the days that followed, Xue'er tried all sorts of things, hoping to win even the tiniest bit of a mother's love.

"But she got none.

"Every time Xue'er saw her, she heard the most vicious insults and felt undisguised killing intent.

"Later, perhaps to prove herself, or perhaps because she was tired, Xue'er chose to leave and carry out an extremely difficult task..."

Qian Renxue stopped there and gave a bitter smile:

"I'm sorry. That story must have been very boring."

Qian Guxing didn't answer.

A little puzzled, Qian Renxue lowered her head and found herself looking straight into Qian Guxing's clear eyes.

Qian Guxing reached out and gently stroked Qian Renxue's head like an adult:

"Sister Xue'er, thank you for all you've endured. All these years, life must have been so tiring for you."

Qian Guxing's gentle caress seemed to open a floodgate. Qian Renxue hugged him and burst into tears.

All these years, Bibi Dong had cared only whether Qian Renxue could complete her task, while Qian Daoliu had pinned his hopes on her beginning the Angel God Trial. As for the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, it was a dragon's pool and a tiger's den...

Whether close to her or distant, no one had ever cared whether Qian Renxue, a child of only fifteen, was tired.

Qian Guxing's comfort turned all of Qian Renxue's grievances into tears.

Watching from the shadows, Snake Lance and Pufferfish felt a pang in their hearts.

After all, Qian Renxue was only a child.

She had been just nine when she went to the Heaven Dou Empire to carry out the Nation-Stealing Plan.

A nine-year-old child had to make sure not a drop leaked under the noses of those old foxes at court.

The pressure on her body and mind was beyond what ordinary people could imagine!

Pufferfish and Snake Lance ached for her, but they couldn't dissuade her. After all, the orders had come directly from the Great Enshrined and the Pope.

"Alas, it's good for her to cry it out. The young mistress has suffered far too much these past years."

"Hmph, if it weren't for that woman, how could the young mistress have..."

"Pufferfish, some things can't be said."

Porcupinefish Douluo shut his mouth in frustration. Snake Lance Douluo watched the sobbing Qian Renxue and fell silent too.

Qian Guxing held Qian Renxue, her face like a pear blossom drenched in rain, and gently patted her back.

He offered no words of comfort, simply staying with her in silence as he waited for her to release everything pent up in her heart.

After an unknown length of time, Qian Renxue gradually stopped crying. Looking at Qian Guxing's clothes, which were more than half soaked, she blushed and didn't know what to do for a moment.

Qian Renxue didn't know what had come over her, either. She had let down her guard so easily in front of Qian Guxing.

Still, after that cry, Qian Renxue felt much better.

But Qian Guxing was dissatisfied.

Why hasn't the system reward arrived yet?

The system task required him to undo the knot in Qian Renxue's heart.

It seemed that letting her vent her emotions wasn't enough.

A task involving a god-level Martial Soul really wasn't so simple!

Qian Guxing gritted his teeth.

Looks like I can only bring out the big move!

Qian Guxing released Qian Renxue, cupped her smooth cheeks in both hands, and looked straight into her eyes. Word by word, he spoke with the solemnity of someone making a vow:

"Sister Xue'er, my parents abandoned me when I was little. I was lucky that Grandma Director found me and raised me.

"Over the years, I've met all kinds of children. Before they came to the orphanage, some had gone hungry, some had been beaten day and night, and some had even had their limbs cut off and been forced to beg...

"So, Sister Xue'er, no one says parents are born obligated to love their children unconditionally.

"And no one says children have to be loved by their parents.

"Sister Xue'er, only people who love you deserve to be called family.

"So there's no need to feel sad over a mother who doesn't love you. She has no right to make you sad."

Qian Guxing looked straight into Qian Renxue's eyes, held out his hand to her, and gave her a radiant smile:

"Sister Xue'er, would you like to become my family?"

"I promise you'll never be lonely again!"