Zhu Zhuqing Gives Up

Zhu Zhuqing had not gone far. She had been hoping all along, hoping Dai Mubai would abandon those twin sisters and chase after her.

Watching the three of them enter the hotel from afar, she knew she had been indulging in wishful thinking.

Even Zhu Zhuqing, who had always been strong, could not stop a tear from falling from the corner of her eye at the sight.

"What? You saw Dai Mubai?" After an unknown amount of time, Han Yu and Ye Lingling appeared beside her.

Han Yu slowly sat down next to Zhu Zhuqing and handed her a tissue.

After wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes, Zhu Zhuqing looked utterly despondent.

"It's only noon. How could he..."

He was already starting his nightlife at noon. Zhu Zhuqing did not even dare imagine what he did at night.

"He's the Suotuo City Cannon King. He dates the City Lord's Daughter in the morning, spends noon with those twin sisters, and hooks up with a Rich Merchant's Daughter at night," Ye Lingling said with a cold sneer.

She did not even need to investigate Dai Mubai's affairs. Everyone in Suotuo City who liked gossip knew of Young Master Dai's romantic exploits.

As for whether the women he played with knew what they were getting into, that was another matter.

"What! Sister Lingling, is what you said true?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened in disbelief.

Han Yu said, "You don't need to question whether Lingling is telling the truth. Ask around or follow him yourself, and you'll naturally find out."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head in silence.

When she had asked around the city about Dai Mubai before, she had heard quite a few rumors.

She simply had not been willing to believe them at the time.

Han Yu continued, "I know a little about the competition among the princes of your Star Luo Empire. After all, Dai Mubai's martial soul is an inherited martial soul of the Star Luo Royal Family. It wasn't difficult to figure out his identity."

"If I remember correctly, once you and Dai Mubai turn twenty-five, you'll have to compete against your elder sister and the Star Luo prince. Victory or defeat will determine your future fates."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly.

Han Yu smiled faintly. "Actually, you don't need to force yourself to accept Dai Mubai. You don't have only one choice. You can choose to live the life you want."

"I can't. Without strength, the Zhu Family won't let me go." Zhu Zhuqing shook her head.

"If you join Spirit Hall or the Heaven Dou Empire, would the Zhu Family still dare do anything to you? With your talent, wouldn't you be treated as a genius wherever you went?"

"I can't betray the empire."

"A country that wants you dead at every turn, and you still want to defend it?"

Han Yu's words successfully left Zhu Zhuqing speechless.

After a moment, Zhu Zhuqing asked tentatively, "Teacher Han, I want to cultivate under you. Would that be possible?"

Han Yu had reached Soul Emperor at such a young age, so he must have had his own cultivation methods. Moreover, his entire body radiated a blazing, righteous aura. He was clearly not one of those sinister Evil Soul Masters.

"Of course. From now on, cultivate with Lingling under my guidance. Tonight, stay with Lingling. I'll give you something."

Naturally, Han Yu intended to give her a Sub-fire of the Fallen Heart Flame. There was no opportunity to use the Immortal Herbs yet, so using the Sub-fire to raise Zhu Zhuqing's cultivation was not a bad choice.

Congratulations, Host. You have successfully completed the mission. Reward: one Fallen Flame Palm manual.

Fallen Flame Palm: Releases the fire-attribute energy within the body through the palm. The intensity of the flames is linked to its power.

Han Yu stroked his chin. The cultivation requirements for this Self-Created Soul Skill were not as demanding as Divine Flame Seeking. On the contrary, even Ye Lingling could cultivate this soul skill. After all, she had a Sub-fire of the Fallen Heart Flame within her body.

The power of Heavenly Flames far surpassed ordinary flames. Even a Sub-fire was close to the intensity of ultimate fire. (The author's own setting. Please don't criticize if you dislike it.)

Before that, however, Han Yu needed to cultivate this soul skill to minor mastery. As a teacher, he had to test it himself before teaching it to his students. He was not Yu Xiaogang, who liked using his own students as test subjects.

That night, Zhu Zhuqing indeed saw Dai Mubai enter the Tulip Hotel with a Rich Merchant's Daughter.

This time, she had truly given up on him completely.

With an uneasy heart, she knocked on the hotel room door.

"Zhuqing, you're here." Ye Lingling quickly welcomed her inside.

"Teacher Han, sorry, I'm late." Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head.

"You went to see Dai Mubai?"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

Han Yu did not say much. He pushed aside the sofa in Zhu Zhuqing's living room and gestured for her to sit cross-legged.

"You should already know the effects of the flames from our time in the Star Dou Great Forest. Before you, Lingling relied on the effects of the Sub-fire to reach thirty-seventh rank soul power."

Ye Lingling added, "Zhuqing, I went from thirty-first rank to thirty-seventh rank in just over half a year."

"How is that possible?" Zhu Zhuqing asked in astonishment.

Even an eleventh-rank soul master who was an unparalleled genius with Innate Full Soul Power could not possibly rise six ranks in half a year.

"Facts speak louder than words. Lingling has no reason to lie to you," Han Yu said calmly.

"The process may be somewhat painful. You must hold on."

As he spoke, Han Yu separated the Fallen Heart Flame from the glass-colored flames.

Then, using the Burning Art's method of controlling flames, he sent the fire into Zhu Zhuqing's body.

The night passed in silence, and soon it was the following morning.

The Fallen Heart Flame's Sub-fire had already fused perfectly with Zhu Zhuqing.

As expected, Zhu Zhuqing's clothes had been burned to cinders. Fortunately, Ye Lingling reacted quickly and threw a blanket over her, avoiding an awkward situation.

Feeling the soul power within her becoming increasingly condensed, Zhu Zhuqing said gratefully, "Thank you, Teacher Han."

Han Yu smiled. "It's nothing. As my student, consider this a meeting gift. There's something else I forgot to mention before. Lingling, Zhuqing, this Sub-fire can be used as an attack method."

With Han Yu's guidance, a Sub-fire appeared in each of their palms.

The flames were extremely hot. If anyone else touched even a trace of them, they would be reduced to ashes in an instant.

"For now, you don't need to know how to use the flames. I'm learning a soul skill. Once I've fully mastered it, I'll teach it to you. Releasing flames through a soul skill will at least prevent you from burning yourselves."

That was right. Neither of their martial souls possessed the fire attribute. If they failed to control the flames properly, self-immolation would be the least of their problems.

The Fallen Heart Flame could even damage the soul. If things went wrong, there was even the risk of one's soul scattering completely.

"A Self-Created Soul Skill! Teacher, isn't that far too precious?" Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Lingling exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock.

On the continent, for a soul master to create a Self-Created Soul Skill required an enormous amount of time for practice and refinement. Even then, success was not guaranteed.

As a result, soul masters who possessed Self-Created Soul Skills would only pass them on to trusted members of their families. Outsiders had no chance to learn them, nor would they teach them to outsiders.

The most typical example was the Clear Sky Sect's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer. Even Tai Tan, one of the three great Divine Blacksmiths, had never had the opportunity to learn it despite his unwavering loyalty to the Clear Sky Sect.

P.S. Some of the author's settings may differ from the original work. If readers notice anything, please feel free to point it out.

Please don't forget to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, follow the story, and add it to your collection.