Douluo: Ruo Tuo Save Me

Appearances were born from the heart—on Douluo Continent, that saying was probably wrong. Martial souls could greatly influence a person's personality, preferences, habits, and so on. But if it was a cat... it should be acceptable, right?

Watching Zhu Zhuqing eat fish balls with the grace of a lady, Zhong Li revealed a faint smile.

No one knew where love began, yet once it did, it ran deep.

He reached out and wiped the grease from the corner of Zhu Zhuqing's mouth, making her blush furiously. She had already been so mindful of her image, so why had grease still gotten on her?

She picked up her chopsticks, grasped a fish ball, and held it to Zhong Li's lips. Without saying a word, she simply stared at him blankly.

"Ah."

Sharing something you loved with the person you loved—wasn't that a wonderful thing too?

Passersby looked at the handsome man and beautiful woman, their hearts filled with envy. If I could find love like that too, then even if the other person were a little worse... it would be fine, right?

The stall owner was quite perceptive. Even her movements became much gentler. She did not want to disturb these two "distinguished guests." Such a scene had only ever appeared in her dreams. Unfortunately, her old companion was gone.

There had always been little verbal communication between Zhong Li and Zhu Zhuqing. Yet he could perfectly understand every one of her movements.

Zhu Zhuqing's personality could not truly be changed in such a short time. After all, where she had once lived, aside from her parents, there had been basically no one who interacted with her.

Even her sister would "mock" her whenever they met, without the slightest hint of affection. At the time, she had only been a six-year-old girl who had just awakened her martial soul.

There were only two or three tables at the roadside stall. The owner was an elderly auntie, but Zhong Li still approved of her cooking.

At that moment, two people walked over. One was dressed extravagantly and seemed accustomed to bowing and scraping; his back never quite straightened.

The other was different. Dressed all in white, he wore a confident smile at the corner of his lips. As he walked, he glanced around here and there, looking every bit like a street loafer.

Once they drew closer, the lavishly dressed man pointed at Zhong Li and Zhu Zhuqing before saying to the young man in white ahead of him, "Young Master, look. Aren't they the two people who beat us outside Suotuo City last time?"

After being beaten last time, they did not even know the other party's names. As for revenge, they had considered it, but first they had to find them.

The young man in white was Zheng Taixu, who had broken through to Soul Elder last time and been slapped twice by Zhong Li on the way to Suotuo City, knocking him unconscious.

"Can't you keep your voice down? Can't you see they're eating?"

Zheng Taixu smacked his lackey on the head and whispered to him. Normally, it did not matter if the lackey spoke loudly; he even enjoyed that kind of flattery. But Zhong Li was looking at him right now!

And there were only him and this lackey here. If they charged straight in, wouldn't they get beaten terribly? A true man knew when to yield and when to stand tall.

Knowing full well that he would get beaten if he went over to cause trouble, yet still rushing in—now that would not be a wise choice. He was merely a wastrel, not an idiot.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes. Young Master, you're right. How could I disturb them while they're eating?"

The lackey was no fool either. He had also noticed Zhong Li looking at them just now. The two of them were outnumbered and weak at the moment. If a conflict broke out, they would be the ones getting beaten. It was not worth it. Good thing Young Master had reminded him early.

"Boss, we'll pay for the table over there. Consider it an apology for disturbing their meal. Here's a Gold Soul Coin. We'll be leaving first..."

After setting down a Gold Soul Coin, Zheng Taixu hurriedly wanted to leave this troublesome place. Today, he had truly only been passing by. He had no other intentions.

As for returning to his clan to bring reinforcements, forget it. The strongest member of his clan was his grandfather, a Soul King in his fifties. Better to avoid trouble whenever possible.

Besides, that man had knocked him unconscious with a single slap without even using his martial soul. At the very least, he had to be a high-level Soul Ancestor. Did someone like that really have no backing? Heh...

The first time he had caused trouble out of ignorance, blinded and muddled by those two Slimes. If he provoked him again this second time, that would be courting death.

The fact that they had not been killed the first time was already merciful. Who knew whether they would survive a second time? There were not many real Spirit Masters with good tempers.

Fighting at the slightest disagreement was perfectly normal. Only over the past ten or twenty years had the conflicts that could erupt across the continent at any moment become far fewer. Spirit Hall truly deserved much credit for that.

Zheng Taixu hurriedly gave his lackey a look. The man had followed him for over a decade, so he understood instantly.

Outwardly steady as an old dog, inwardly panicking like mad.

Seeing that Zhong Li had no intention of causing trouble, the two slowly retreated. After backing away more than a hundred meters, they scrambled and fled into the distance...

Zhong Li had also seen Zheng Taixu's reaction. He had thought Zheng Taixu would come over and provoke him again, seeking revenge for those two slaps last time.

He never expected him to chicken out and even pay the bill before running away. What an interesting fellow.

The fish ball vendor happily accepted the Gold Soul Coin and hurriedly tucked it into her pocket. She might not earn that much in half a month.

Fortunately, there was only one coin, so the passersby did not have any ideas. In a "fantasy" world, when an ordinary person possessed wealth they should not have, they might disappear at any time...

Zhong Li paid no attention to Zheng Taixu, who had run away with his servant. A dragon would not casually step on ants...

After the two finished eating the fish balls, Zhong Li still placed a Silver Soul Coin beneath the bowl. Only then did he take Zhu Zhuqing to find an inn, intending to set off again tomorrow.

At the inn...

Heaven Dou City was the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire and directly governed by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. Most of those living in the city were nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire or members of Spirit Master clans.

Commoners and slaves naturally existed as well. Although the Heaven Dou Empire openly prohibited the sale of slaves, the Heaven Dou Auction House in the city openly sold catgirls. Who would believe it had no ties to the imperial family?

That was also why, after the Spirit Hall Empire was established, commoner Spirit Masters answered its call in droves. The nobles, the Heaven Dou Empire, and the Star Luo Empire had all rotted away.

Yet the lofty gods above did not see it that way. They merely needed the faith of ignorant masses, nothing more.

If the Spirit Hall Empire won, it might become the next Heaven Dou Empire or Star Luo Empire. But if the Spirit Hall Empire lost, no one knew how long it would be before someone else stood up for the common people...

Qingcheng and Qingguo

Early the next morning, Zhong Li carried Zhu Zhuqing on his back as they left this city of commemorative significance. She had probably sprained her ankle, making it inconvenient for her to walk.

Zhu Zhuqing lay on Zhong Li's back, her face still slightly flushed. Perhaps it was the pain from her sprained ankle.

As for why an Agility Attack Type Great Soul Master would sprain her ankle, there was no need to mention it. The room had been sealed and pitch-black, which had made people panic.

After leaving that nameless little city, Zhong Li continued on the road toward Heaven Dou City. What sights would await them along the way...

Still thinking about what had happened last night, he smiled faintly. He had not expected her to have such a cute side.

The woman in yellow within his Sea of Consciousness clenched her delicate fists and hummed an unknown tune. "The grasslands of the human world need watering..."

"Hey, handsome lad carrying that girl over there, come let us sisters have a look at you."

A domineering voice full of masculine vigor reached Zhong Li and Zhu Zhuqing's ears. Looking toward its source, they saw two brightly dressed "burly men."

One was powerfully built, with a physique like a bear. Her face was coarse, her chin covered in stubble. Dressed in gaudy red and purple clothes, she even used her dainty pinky to pick her nose...

The other's build was the complete opposite—extremely "slender," practically nothing but bones. Her clothes were no different from the sturdy one's. With her hands on her hips, she wore an arrogant expression.

The one who had spoken was the tall and burly "young lady," the older sister of the pair. Seeing Zhong Li's extraordinary bearing and elegant manner, she thought he should be worthy of the sisters' beauty.

So what if he was carrying a girl? The continent did not state that a man could only marry one wife. If you had the ability, go find more.

Zhong Li: If my ears weren't malfunctioning just now, he said sisters, right?

Zhu Zhuqing: ...

Even with Zhong Li's current state of mind, the corner of his mouth twitched. His eyes revealed thirty percent disdain, thirty percent disgust, and forty percent disbelief.

Why did his eyes feel as though they had been splashed with chili water? They burned so fiercely.

"Handsome lad, didn't you hear my sister calling you? Let me tell you, we sisters have high standards. We only feel that someone like you is worthy of our beauty that could topple cities and kingdoms."

The skinny one spoke in a hoarse yet faintly seductive voice, looking at Zhong Li as though hearts were popping from her eyes.

"Exactly. With the looks we have, only a handsome lad like you can be worthy of us. We sisters don't ask much. You don't need to abandon that little girl, but on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, you have to keep me company!"

The broad and muscular sister said this with a glowing face and heroic spirit.

"Exactly, exactly. We don't need you to abandon that little girl either, but on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, you have to keep me company!" the skin-and-bones woman added.

"My name is Gu Qingcheng, and this is my younger sister, Gu Qingguo. Don't worry, I'm thirty-eight this year, and Qingguo is thirty-seven. We're both level thirty-three Battle Soul Masters, so protecting you normally won't be a problem. And together, we can receive two hundred Gold Soul Coins from Spirit Hall every month..."

Gu Qingcheng spoke to Zhong Li with both emotion and reason, completely ignoring whether he had said anything. She was practically about to name their future children.

Gu Qingguo added, "Two hundred Gold Soul Coins every month. As long as we don't do anything we shouldn't, we three—no, there's a fourth one here too—can live happily..."

Zhong Li and Zhu Zhuqing were both dumbfounded. When had they ever seen such a spectacle? They barely stopped themselves from giving these two an All-Encompassing. The two looked outrageous and spoke outrageously, but they truly did not have any "malicious intent."

Zhong Li did not waste words on them. He did not even need to put Zhu Zhuqing down before the Wind Element God's Eye floated before him.

Purple, purple, black, black, black, black—six Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet. The aura belonging to a Soul Emperor pressed toward Gu Qingcheng and Gu Qingguo, instantly making them feel just how terrifying a Soul Emperor was.

This sight truly frightened Gu Qingcheng and Gu Qingguo badly. Oh, heavens! This handsome lad was actually a Soul Emperor! Our judgment really was excellent. He truly deserved to be the man we had taken a liking to.

But this was not the time to think about that. This Soul Emperor had not released his martial soul for no reason. He wanted to kill them!

This expert was clearly no ordinary person. His first and second Soul Rings were Thousand-Year Soul Rings, and from the third onward, they were actually Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Rings! Forget seeing such a thing—they had never even heard of it!

What a terrifying Soul Ring configuration. What a young Soul Emperor!

Thud.

Thud.

"Spare us, my lord!"

The Qingguo and Qingcheng sisters immediately threw themselves down in worship without another word. Though the thoughts in their hearts had not changed, their ability to recognize the situation was vividly demonstrated by their bodies.

Zhong Li no longer needed to conceal his cultivation. He had already grown strong. Even if a Title Douluo stood before him, he would not be afraid. At most, when the time came, he would say:

At the peak of immortals, above all the world, I, Zhong Li...

This was also Zhu Zhuqing's first time seeing the Soul Rings of the Wind Element God's Eye, but she was not overly surprised. Zhong Li had another martial soul too. Had she been surprised by that? At most, she just found it absurd...

Looking at the two kneeling on the ground and continuously kowtowing, Zhong Li directly flew away with Zhu Zhuqing. These two could be left for someone fated to grind experience from.

After a while, seeing that Zhong Li had not attacked, the Qingguo and Qingcheng sisters suddenly stopped kowtowing and looked around. Upon discovering that Zhong Li had long since left, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Who could have known there would be such a young Soul Emperor, and that he would be so handsome? As two women with beauty capable of toppling cities and kingdoms, it was only natural that they could not hold themselves back.

"Big Sister, that was far too scary. I don't think I'll ever love again."

Gu Qingguo said this to Gu Qingcheng, who was still kneeling beside her. Her voice was filled with fear, along with the faintest trace of reluctance.

Gu Qingcheng glanced at her younger sister Gu Qingguo and shook her head. "We sisters are graceful and elegant. If he doesn't accept us, that's his loss! What a pity. If our cultivation had been a little higher, perhaps he would have taken a liking to us sisters."

"Big Sister, you can't put it that way. If he doesn't fancy us, that's his loss!"

Gu Qingguo stood up and patted her knees, sore from kneeling for too long.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes. It's his loss!"

Gu Qingcheng answered arrogantly.

Fortunately, Zhong Li and the others had left early. If they had stayed to hear those words, they probably would have been disgusted all over again—and casually dropped an All-Encompassing on them...

"Zhuqing, you saw it too, didn't you? The world is vast, and all kinds of bizarre people exist..."

Zhong Li casually found a place to land and spoke to Zhu Zhuqing on his back.

That Handsome Lad

"Brother Li, didn't you see that they were even willing to accept me as their fourth? Though you'd only have one day a week to keep me company."

Zhu Zhuqing smiled and teased Zhong Li by his ear. She had never seen Zhong Li look so embarrassed before. It was also her first time seeing people so capable of toppling cities and kingdoms. It was truly terrifying.

"Zhuqing, when did you become so cheeky?"

Zhong Li lightly smacked Zhu Zhuqing's perky backside to express his dissatisfaction. He had no blessings to enjoy from those two. Better introduce them to Dai...

After being smacked, Zhu Zhuqing blushed. But she did not resist. Wrapping her arms around Zhong Li's neck, she blew a warm breath into his ear and whispered, "Hehehe..."

"..."

Zhuqing, you really shouldn't laugh like that. Where did you learn it?

After the two teased each other for a while, they continued leisurely toward Heaven Dou City.

Half a month later, the two finally arrived at Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.

When they entered Heaven Dou City, the general guarding the gates did not ignore Zhong Li this time. Instead, he saluted Zhong Li before letting them pass. He did not even mention the entrance fee.

This left Zhong Li speechless. The guards in other cities had all acted as though they could not see the two of them. When they reached Heaven Dou City, he had thought they might receive special treatment. Unexpectedly, they truly did receive special treatment.

After entering the city, they found it differed from other cities. The streets of Heaven Dou City were not bustling. There were no calls from street vendors and less of the liveliness of ordinary people.

Most passersby were lavishly dressed and impeccably groomed. There were always one or two lackeys or servants following behind them.

"Zhuqing, is Star Luo City the same?"