Awake! My Good Disciple

Deathly silence!

The vicious expressions on the several Soul Elders who had come along were instantly replaced by terror, their minds violently shaken!

Only now did they realize that this young man, who looked harmless to man and beast, was no lamb waiting for slaughter.

He was clearly a terrifying fiend whose aura they could not even sense!

Even a Soul Ancestor had been killed so effortlessly in an instant!

He had not even been given a chance to resist!

What did a few insignificant Soul Elders like them amount to in this man's eyes?

They could not afford to provoke him! Absolutely not!

Would kneeling now still help?

Forget running—they no longer even had the courage to move a finger.

They stood rooted to the spot, not daring to breathe, their faces white as paper as they awaited judgment.

Zhu Zhuqing was also stunned by what had just happened in that flash of lightning.

Watching the Soul Ancestor die and collapse in an instant, she turned and stared at Jiang Yunzhou with an incredulous look.

"Y-you killed him?" Her voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Yunzhou was rather speechless at her reaction. What a pointless question—wasn't the answer obvious?

"What, I can't kill him?"

"He was just trying to take my life."

"When it comes to enemies, I've never had a habit of showing mercy."

Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily at a loss for words. That was not what she was worried about.

"Y-you'll be in big trouble. They are..."

Jiang Yunzhou cut her off directly, his gaze sweeping over the few Soul Elders who stood silent as cicadas.

"What about those people? Should I deal with them too? Not to criticize you, but you can't—at the very least, you shouldn't—be as indecisive as this."

"They came for you. Think carefully about how you ended up in such a miserable state. Think about what would be waiting for you if they caught and took you back. You should know that better than anyone."

"What? Am I wrong? Or should I leave?"

Zhu Zhuqing's emotions were in turmoil, her mind a complete mess.

Jiang Yunzhou's words left her unable to refute him for a moment. She even vaguely felt that he seemed to have a point.

Was I really the one in the wrong?

She struggled inwardly for a while. Looking at the pale-faced Soul Elders, she remembered that throughout the chase, none of them had truly tried to kill her.

Otherwise, how could one Soul Ancestor and several Soul Elders have let a Soul Grandmaster like her escape all the way here?

"Let them go. They're only following orders."

"I don't plan to return to that place anytime soon."

"I'll personally take revenge for this. Let them go back and deliver the message."

Jiang Yunzhou said nothing more. He merely shook his head lightly and respected Zhu Zhuqing's choice.

He turned to the Soul Elders. "Did you hear her? Consider yourselves lucky. Get lost."

Zhu Zhuqing's heart inexplicably tightened, and a sense that she had done something wrong quietly rose within her.

But then she became secretly annoyed. She had no relation to him at all, so why was she worried about this?

When the Soul Elders heard the words "get lost," it was as though they had heard heavenly music!

Their overwhelming terror was instantly drowned by the wild joy of surviving a calamity.

They no longer cared about their dignity. They frantically kowtowed toward Jiang Yunzhou, babbling their thanks incoherently.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you for sparing our lives!"

"Thank you for your mercy, sir!"

Who would willingly choose death when they could live?

At that moment, there was even gratitude in their eyes. They scrambled to their feet and fled into the depths of the forest, terrified that Jiang Yunzhou might change his mind.

With the eyesores dealt with, Jiang Yunzhou's attention returned to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Alright, now you can answer my question."

"I want to take you as my disciple. Do you agree or not?"

The taut string in Zhu Zhuqing's heart finally loosened. The danger had been temporarily resolved.

She had just wanted to solemnly thank him, only for Jiang Yunzhou's incredibly persistent question to block her words again.

She truly could not understand it. She even felt that the man before her was utterly inexplicable!

Why did he insist on taking her as his disciple?

Though she could not gauge the depths of his strength, his instant killing of a Soul Ancestor had indeed shocked her beyond measure, proving that his power was unfathomable.

But he looked so young. No matter how strong he was, how strong could he possibly be?

A Soul King? Or a Soul Emperor?

Something was off. This man definitely had other motives—otherwise, why was he holding her so tightly?

She bit her lower lip and asked in return, "W-what if I refuse? Can we just be friends?"

Jiang Yunzhou raised an eyebrow slightly. "Refuse? Then you're refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit. I can only..."

Before he could finish, a wave of exhaustion swept over Zhu Zhuqing.

Her vision went black. Before she could say another word, her eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness.

Looking at the girl in his arms who had suddenly fainted, Jiang Yunzhou's face showed a trace of surprise and speechlessness.

"Uh, why did she faint?"

"Did I pressure her into fainting?"

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's injuries, Jiang Yunzhou raised a hand and unleashed his Third Soul Skill: Spirit Source Recovery.

A gentle emerald-green glow enveloped her.

He did not use this healing Soul Skill often, but its effects were surprisingly good.

He guessed that it might have something to do with the nature of his martial soul.

The crisscrossing wounds on Zhu Zhuqing's body healed at a visible speed beneath the light, revealing fresh new skin.

"Tsk, not bad at all."

Jiang Yunzhou nodded in satisfaction. Only after carefully checking her over and confirming that she had no other hidden injuries did he finally relax.

Without another word, he bent down, slung Zhu Zhuqing over his shoulder like a sack, and strode swiftly toward Suotuo City.

The closer he got to Suotuo City, the more travelers there were on the official road.

Jiang Yunzhou tried to avoid the crowds, but carrying a living person while traveling was simply too conspicuous.

All sorts of astonished, puzzled, and even condemning stares kept falling on him.

Several passersby who fancied themselves righteous even jumped out to play the hero and rescue the beauty, only to be kicked flying by an impatient Jiang Yunzhou without exception.

"Too noisy."

He could not be bothered to explain. He might as well cover more ground with that time.

His strength spoke for itself. If they did not like it, they could just swallow it.

After carrying her for nearly two hours, the towering walls of Suotuo City finally rose before his eyes.

Jiang Yunzhou stopped and looked up at the lofty city gates and the walls stretching into the distance.

"Whoa, pretty impressive!" he exclaimed.

The buildings within the city possessed a strong exotic style, but Jiang Yunzhou had little interest in them. After glancing around twice, he stopped paying attention.

Not long after entering the city, the girl on his shoulder began to squirm restlessly—Zhu Zhuqing had awakened.

The jolting ride had forcibly shaken her awake. Even after fainting, she could not get any peace.

"You! Put me down!"

She slapped Jiang Yunzhou's back hard, her voice tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.

Thanks to Jiang Yunzhou's treatment, her injuries were no longer serious, though she was still somewhat mentally exhausted.

The moment he set her down, she immediately steadied herself. Though her face was still pale, her body was no longer as weak and limp as before.

"Oh, you're awake! My good disciple."