Xiao Yun pushed open the guest room door, his footsteps pausing for a moment at the threshold.
Someone was sitting in the room's parlor—the Zhu family head, Spirit Cat Duke Zhu Debiao.
He sat on the sofa, a cup of tea by his hand. The tea had already gone cold; clearly, he had been waiting for some time.
When he saw Xiao Yun come in, Zhu Debiao did not rise. He only nodded slightly. "You're back? Sit."
Xiao Yun closed the door, walked over, and sat opposite Zhu Debiao.
A rosewood tea table stood between them. An oil lamp rested on it, its flame swaying gently in the faint breeze.
"Your Grace has come calling late at night. May I ask what important matter brings you here?" Xiao Yun skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.
Zhu Debiao did not beat around the bush either. He leaned forward slightly. "Brother Xiao, I saw everything that happened on the Training Ground this afternoon. Those Soul Skills Zhuqing used—were they Self-Created Soul Skills?"
Xiao Yun looked at Zhu Debiao and did not answer immediately. He was thinking about why Zhu Debiao was asking.
"Yes." Xiao Yun nodded.
Calling them Self-Created Soul Skills was not really a problem. Although they were not true Soul Skills, in this world, Martial Skills were Self-Created Soul Skills.
Zhu Debiao's eyes lit up. "Were those Soul Skills created by you, Brother Xiao?"
Xiao Yun did not answer directly. "Why does Your Grace think Zhuqing didn't create them herself?"
Zhu Debiao shook his head, a faint wry smile on his lips. "She's my own daughter. I know her. That girl Zhuqing has decent talent, and her comprehension is passable too. But asking her to create her own Soul Skills? She doesn't have that ability."
Xiao Yun