I Am Not a Soul Master

Zhu Zhuqing became a member of Dan Heng's household.

She was very diligent. Though she was a royal young lady, she had a keen eye for work.

Unlike his bargain wife, who had gotten sulky again today for some unknown reason.

At breakfast, he had clearly made enough for four people, yet Gu Yuena ate two and a half portions. Her mood visibly improved, while Zhu Zhuqing only ate half a portion.

"..."

As Dan Heng walked down the road, he thought that his salary did not seem enough to support the household.

One Gold Soul Coin was normally enough to cover a family of three's meals for several months.

But he not only had to pay for food; he also had to ask traveling merchants to bring him the books he wanted.

His money was becoming a little insufficient...

Where could he earn some money?

Thinking this, Dan Heng ignored the "little tagalong" behind him.

Yes, Zhu Zhuqing followed him to the library.

Gu Yuena strongly supported it, and when Dan Heng tried to refuse, she said, "You're not Zhu Zhuqing's teacher, so you have no reason to order her around."

Dan Heng let her do as she pleased, thinking, Let her go, then.

While working at the library, Zhu Zhuqing quickly attracted the attention of many men because she was simply too outstanding.

They watched her serve Dan Heng tea and water, rushing to help with any task he had.

It made the eyes of countless men turn red with envy.

The curator found time to call Dan Heng into her room. She looked at him and sighed. "Dan Heng, you're newly married. Didn't I give you paid leave? Why did you come back?"

"I like working," Dan Heng replied calmly.

"..." The curator choked on her words.

After a moment of silence, she continued, "Fine, coming back is one thing, but why did you bring someone else? She's so beautiful that the readers in the library now aren't even here to read."

"And you only just got married. How can you... how can you be so fickle?"

Dan Heng froze at the curator's words. "???"

Fickle? What did the curator take Zhu Zhuqing for?

The curator continued, "Dan Heng, I know you're popular, but you need to be faithful to your marriage. It's not as though you can't have several wives and concubines, but you're a good man, a good husband..."

The more Dan Heng listened, the more absurd it became. He suddenly realized that, in everyone else's eyes, did he have that sort of image too?

Just having Zhu Zhuqing by his side could lead to so much speculation?

"Over the years, I don't know how many girls have asked me to arrange blind dates for you. You never took interest in any of them, and there was never any gossip about you. Why did you change your mind after marrying Nana?"

The curator spoke earnestly, determined to give Dan Heng some guidance.

"..." Dan Heng's scalp went numb, and he hurriedly explained the situation.

He said that Zhu Zhuqing only wanted to study under him and that they did not have the sort of relationship the curator imagined.

Then he went outside and sent Zhu Zhuqing home.

Without Gu Yuena there to fan the flames, Zhu Zhuqing obediently followed his instructions and left right away.

At that moment, the curator leaned close again and said, "Dan Heng, you should know that we're close to the Star Dou Great Forest. Soul Masters and traveling merchants often stop here. That little girl is so beautiful—are you really comfortable letting her go home alone?"

"..."

Thus, Dan Heng could only accompany her home as well.

Along the way, just as the curator had said, many men were eyeing Zhu Zhuqing.

Quite a few of those gazes were greedy and sinister.

And in the eyes of some Soul Masters who lived by the blade, they might very well commit something ruthless.

Dan Heng sighed inwardly. Setting aside Zhu Zhuqing's status as a member of the Star Luo Royal Family, her appearance and figure alone had already brought him troublesome hidden dangers.

Zhu Zhuqing bit her lower lip, her face filled with intense guilt.

"I-I'm sorry, Teacher Dan Heng. It's all my fault. I... I caused you trouble..."

Dan Heng shook his head without saying anything reproachful.

When they returned home, Gu Yuena was once again having a "friendly" exchange with a group of women outside the courtyard.

When the women outside saw Dan Heng return, they covered their faces and left one by one. Quite a few of them were even sobbing loudly.

Gu Yuena, meanwhile, stood with her chest out, her face practically spelling out the word smug.

Three days passed like this.

Zhu Zhuqing was very obedient. If Dan Heng did not want her to follow him, she stayed home, cleaned the house, watered the vegetables, and even prepared the ingredients in advance so that Dan Heng could cook as soon as he returned.

She truly fulfilled the duties of a perfect disciple.

Every day, Gu Yuena praised Zhu Zhuqing and urged Dan Heng to accept her as his disciple.

That day, the three of them ate together. Gu Yuena moved her chopsticks most frequently. Though she remained elegant, her little mouth seemed never to stop moving.

As they watched the dishes on the table nearly vanish, they had cleared their plates once again.

Dan Heng put down his chopsticks and suddenly said, "Zhu Zhuqing, you want to study under me so that you can improve your strength as a Soul Master, right?"

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes immediately widened. She looked at Dan Heng excitedly and stood up so abruptly that she knocked over her chair. While hurriedly agreeing, she tried to set the chair upright.

In her fluster, she knocked her chopsticks onto the floor when she bent over.

"I-I'm sorry, Teacher..."

Embarrassed beyond measure, Zhu Zhuqing's entire face turned red as cloth.

Gu Yuena snorted with laughter, then quickly covered her mouth, maintaining the image of a cold and aloof Master's Wife.

Dan Heng said, "First of all, I am not a Soul Master."

"Ah?" Zhu Zhuqing froze.

Gu Yuena nodded slightly. Of course Husband was not a Soul Master. He was not even human, but a dragon from some unknown world!

That was one of the reasons she had placed her hopes of restoring the glory of soul beasts upon Dan Heng.

Dan Heng truly was not a Soul Master. After coming to Douluo Continent, he had been interested in the Soul Master system for a time. But the nature of an energy like Soul Power was too primitive. After studying it for a few months, he had abandoned it.

Therefore, he could not be considered a Soul Master.

Zhu Zhuqing blinked and stared blankly at Dan Heng.

Dan Heng continued, "When you cultivate to the rank of Soul Emperor, you will have completed your training. At that time, you will leave this place."

"!!!" Zhu Zhuqing's breathing immediately quickened.

A Soul Emperor!

If she cultivated step by step, she would need to be at least thirty years old before reaching Soul Emperor rank.

And if she could become a Soul Emperor, she would no longer need to worry about that decisive battle.

Zhu Zhuqing's breathing became even more rapid.

Gu Yuena also looked at Dan Heng in surprise. The essence of her current strength was at the Soul Emperor level. On Douluo Continent, that already counted as a high-level Soul Master, capable of matching a thousand soldiers!

Seeing the reactions of the two women, Dan Heng was slightly taken aback. Had he deliberately lowered the requirements too much, leaving them both dissatisfied?

Though Soul Emperor was indeed ridiculously weak, it did not seem to be all that common either?

Dan Heng frowned slightly. "Is that too easy?"

"N-No..." Zhu Zhuqing came back to her senses. She suddenly realized that her teacher might truly not be a Soul Master and simply did not understand the value of a Soul Emperor. Even if her cultivation accelerated greatly, she could not possibly reach Soul Emperor rank before thirty, could she?

"Then it's settled. Go outside and run laps around the courtyard. When you can't run anymore, we'll proceed to the next stage of training..."