Confession, Comfort, Borrowing Flowers to Offer Buddha

"I traveled thousands of miles, evading my elder sister's pursuit time and again, fully believing I had found hope and someone to rely on... but what was the result?"

"He spent his days drinking and carousing, treated me like I was nothing, and in the end... in the end, he even wanted to violate me that way... I..."

"Zhu Qing!" Zhao Linchuan suddenly reached out and gently pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her from saying anything more degrading about herself.

"Lift up your head and look at me."

Zhu Zhuqing trembled. With tears clouding her eyes, she slowly raised her head. "Take back that disgusting word you just used!"

"Never, ever say it from your mouth again, Zhu Zhuqing. And you should never use it on yourself!"

He stared into her eyes as if he wanted to carve those words into her heart. "Tell me, what does 'cheap' mean?"

He answered his own question. "Enduring everything without resistance, letting a bastard humiliate and manipulate you, giving up all dignity and resistance—that is what being 'cheap' means!"

"Knowing full well that the road ahead is a fire pit, an abyss, yet still closing your eyes and jumping in for the sake of some hypocritical title or an empty promise—that is what being 'cheap' means!"

"And what about you?" His voice abruptly rose. "In desperate circumstances, facing oppression far stronger than yourself, you still bared your claws to defend your dignity and your body. That is called courage!"

"You would rather bear the possible stain on your reputation than hesitate to break free from that suffocating cage. That is called decisiveness! That is called clarity!"

A person like Dai Mubai would never understand your worth or your convictions.

"He only wanted you to 'lie down' and become a docile, thoughtless accessory—a tool to prove his own sense of existence and desire for control."

"Remember, Zhu Qing. A true strong person never needs to prove himself by conquering a woman or trampling on her dignity."

"Only weak-hearted cowards inflict violence and their desire for control on those weaker than themselves, or on those they believe 'belong' to them."

His words were like heavy hammers striking her frozen heart. "You are not some kitten or puppy for others to manipulate. You are Zhu Zhuqing!"

"A strong person who struggled to survive amid cruel competition, held fast to her true heart amid family strife, defended her bottom line under humiliation and oppression, and resolutely chose to break free from her shackles in confusion and darkness!"

"If you insist on saying you were 'wrong,' then your only 'mistake' was wasting too much of your precious time on trash who was never worthy of you!"

Zhu Zhuqing listened to every word. The Beautiful Eyes that had once been filled with lifelessness and self-abandonment gradually regained their light.

A long-lost feeling—of truly being seen, understood, and cherished—sprouted and grew anew in the frozen depths of her heart like a tender shoot breaking through the soil.

She stared fixedly at Zhao Linchuan, as if she wanted to etch his appearance at this moment into the depths of her soul.

She tried hard to remember: when was the last time someone had valued and affirmed her so unreservedly?

It seemed... ever since she had awakened her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul and been drawn into that cruel competition for the family Heir, everyone around her, including the elder sister who had once been closest to her, had put on masks.

They either distanced themselves from her or treated her with hostility.

Her childhood had ended at that very moment, leaving behind only cold training and endless loneliness.

At that thought, she suddenly smiled. Tears shimmered in her smile, like a pure lotus blooming after the rain.

She spoke softly, her voice carrying the lightness of a burden lifted. "Thank you... Lin Chuan..."

"Alright, alright. You two youngsters can flirt after you fill your stomachs first!"

A thoroughly ill-timed voice sounded from the doorway, interrupting the warm—or rather, ambiguous—atmosphere.

Dugu Bo stood with his arms folded, leaning against the Door Frame with a teasing smile on his face.

"This Old Man has prepared the food. Come on, Kid, have a couple of drinks with this Old Man. While we're at it, let's settle the matter of how you plan to repay me for saving your life again."

Like a startled deer, Zhu Zhuqing immediately sprang out of Zhao Linchuan's arms. She hurriedly turned her back to them and fumbled to tidy up her slightly disheveled hair and dress, her cheeks as red as the evening clouds.

Zhao Linchuan smiled helplessly and looked at Dugu Bo. "Old Man, I really have you to thank this time."

"Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have escaped this disaster." As he spoke, he looked at Zhu Zhuqing, whose cheeks were still flushed, and invited her, "Zhu Qing, come with us?"

Zhu Zhuqing quickly shook her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "N-No, it's fine. I've already eaten. You two go ahead."

After saying that, she practically fled, picking up the Water Basin from the floor, lowering her head, and slipping past Dugu Bo with quick steps out of the room.

Dugu Bo watched Zhu Zhuqing's retreating figure disappear, then turned to Zhao Linchuan and said in a strange tone, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Kid~ You're really something. How long has it even been?"

"You've already pulled your former opponent from the Soul Fighting Arena into your arms to comfort her? Such skills—this Old Man admires you, truly admires you!"

Zhao Linchuan had long become immune to his teasing and calmly retorted, "Old Man, show some respect at your age. Be careful, or Yanzi will come back and straighten you out."

The two continued teasing and bickering all the way to the prepared Banquet Hall.

Inside the Banquet Hall, the table was already laden with exquisite dishes.

Dugu Bo sat down in a grand manner, glanced at the empty wine cup before him, then gave Zhao Linchuan a meaningful look.

Zhao Linchuan naturally understood what he meant. Smiling helplessly, he stepped forward, picked up the Wine Pot, and respectfully filled his cup with Fine Wine.

"At least you know what's good for you." Dugu Bo snorted in satisfaction, lifted his cup, and drained it in one gulp, looking utterly pleased.

Zhao Linchuan filled his cup again. Then his expression turned serious as he took a Bronze Long Box from his Soul Tool.

He gently placed the long box on the table and looked at Dugu Bo, his tone solemn. "Old Man, I truly have you to thank for arriving in time this time."

"Great kindness needs no words of thanks. I have some gifts for you, as a small token of my appreciation."

As he spoke, he opened the Box Lid with a click.

In an instant, powerful and distinct Soul Power Fluctuations erupted explosively from within the box!

Azure, yellow... several kinds of Soul Light in different colors, all equally brilliant and dazzling, intertwined and bathed the entire Banquet Hall in flowing radiance!

Inside the box lay several Soul Bones of different shapes, each one radiating powerful energy fluctuations without exception!

Dugu Bo's eyes went wide. He nearly failed to hold onto his wine cup as he instinctively swallowed. "Th-These... were all... stripped... stripped from that Kid Tang Hao?"

"That's right." Zhao Linchuan nodded and continued, "Old Man, you saved my life. Your kindness is as great as granting me life anew."

"So I intend to borrow flowers to offer Buddha. You may choose any three Soul Bones from this box and take them."

The protagonist was actually quite scheming. If he were truly a simp, Ning Rongrong's Martial Soul would have become the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda long ago.

If he hadn't turned around and left in the first chapter, was he supposed to stay for a midnight snack? Or stand his ground against Sword Bone?

Was he staying in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect because he didn't want to leave?

If Qian Renxue hadn't come in the second chapter, then the protagonist could only have gone back.

Besides, what was wrong with using his status and resources to obtain greater benefits?

If you actually spent money to insult me, I could put up with it.

But you don't have a membership, have zero reading time and zero subscriptions, freeloaded on an external site until you finished the story, then came here to insult me. Don't you think that's a bit too much?