Zhu Zhuqing's Ordeal

"Xiaoyan, they're charging at us!!" Wang Xiaobo shouted hoarsely from outside the carriage, panic evident in his voice.

"I've got this. Charge straight through!" Yao Yan's voice came from inside the carriage, steady and powerful like an anchor in the storm.

Zhu Zhuqing was completely dumbfounded. She felt like she had kidnapped a lunatic and blurted out, "Are you crazy? They're Soul Elders!"

"Don't worry." Yao Yan gave her a reassuring look. Rising to his feet, he summoned his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul in his right hand as a yellow and a purple Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.

Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly from her seat. "A Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is supposed to reassure me? That's what he's relying on?"

Coming back to her senses, she cursed, "Lunatic!"

Unable to sit still any longer, she sprang up and tried to leap out through the carriage window.

In her understanding, Blue Silver Grass was a useless Martial Soul. Even though his second Soul Ring was purple, which surprised her slightly, it could not change the fact that Blue Silver Grass was a useless Martial Soul.

There were two Soul Elders on the other side. No matter how she looked at it, there was no chance of winning!

"What are you doing? It's dangerous!" Seeing that she wanted to jump from the carriage, Yao Yan reached out and pulled her to his side.

"Let go! I don't want to drag you into this!" Zhu Zhuqing struggled fiercely, but her wrist was held in an iron grip. The strength was astonishing; no matter how she twisted, she could not break free.

The carriage raced through the intersection without slowing down at all.

"Heh, big bro, they actually aren't afraid of dying!" one of the Black-clad Men said mockingly as he closed in on the carriage.

"Then we'll send them on their way!"

Before his words had even faded, the Purple Soul Rings on both men lit up simultaneously. Their speed abruptly surged as they pounced through the air from either side at Wang Xiaobo, who was driving the carriage.

Feeling two powerful waves of pressure descend upon him, Wang Xiaobo was so frightened that he clasped his hands over his head, squeezed his eyes shut, and kept muttering some unknown prayer.

"Something about blessings or whatever..."

Just as the black-clad men were about to reach the carriage!

Yao Yan's low shout rang out from within. "Blue Silver · Silent Kill Binding Technique."

The surrounding Blue Silver Grass grew at high speed, coiling around their bodies from behind like venomous snakes and sealing shut both their arms and mouths.

The Pupils of the two Black-clad Men contracted sharply. Instinctively, they tried to activate their Soul Rings to break free, only to discover in horror that their Soul Power was sluggish. Those seemingly pliant Vines did not budge in the slightest.

What was more, even more Vines wound around them, dragging them straight into the air. Like two enormous "Sunny Dolls," they swayed gently from a large tree by the roadside.

They struggled desperately, but it was futile. They could only watch helplessly as the carriage traveled farther and farther away, swiftly vanishing from sight.

As the carriage sped away, Zhu Zhuqing caught sight of those two Sunny Dolls and was jolted with shock!

The people who had chased her all the way from Star Luo City, who had driven her into desperate straits time and again, had actually... been crushed by him so easily!

She turned to Yao Yan in disbelief, only to see him leaning against his seat and gasping heavily.

"Y-you... are you all right?" Zhu Zhuqing hesitated before leaning closer and asking softly.

Yao Yan took out a bottle of water from his Soul Tool and tipped back several mouthfuls. Waving a hand, he said, "I'm fine. That move just drained over half my Soul Power. I'll be fine after recovering for a while."

In truth, there was another important reason why that attack had succeeded.

The two Black-clad Men had focused all their attention on Wang Xiaobo, while the Silent Kill Binding Technique excelled at sneak attacks—appearing suddenly from behind to bind its target.

You could say he had the advantage of timing and terrain!

"Haha! Xiaoyan, you're incredible! Even those elites from the advanced Soul Master Academies might not be a match for you!" Wang Xiaobo's voice drifted over.

His face was full of the joy of having escaped disaster, and even his movements as he drove the carriage became much lighter.

"No, Brother Wang, you flatter me." Yao Yan quickly shook his head. He knew his own situation very well.

He might seem to defeat others in one move every time, but those powerful offensive Soul Skills consumed a great deal of Soul Power. He could only use them in critical situations; they were all moves for saving his life.

For now, he could only use some defensive and control-type skills.

The move he had used earlier, "Blue Silver · All Cloth Bag Technique," had not made him feel tired because his body had been in a saturated state at the time.

He estimated that he could at most overwhelm ordinary Soul Elders. Against elites from advanced academies, he would still have to put in some effort.

After all, they all possessed the potential for ultimate Martial Souls. Their strength could not be underestimated.

"Xiaoyan, I know you're being modest, but you don't need to do that with your big brother." Wang Xiaobo shook his head. After seeing what had just happened, who would believe him?

Yao Yan was helpless as well. "Why does no one believe me when I tell the truth?"

Saying nothing more, he sat cross-legged inside the carriage and circulated the Inner Elixir Technique to restore his Soul Power.

The carriage continued onward.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Yao Yan beside her, her gaze unfocused. She could not help recalling how she had threatened him with a knife not long ago, and now it felt somewhat ridiculous.

If he had used that move on her back then, she would probably already have become his prisoner!

"But why did he help me?" Doubts quickly arose in her heart. With his strength, he could have easily avoided this conflict.

"Could it be... because he saw injustice and stepped in?"

Zhu Zhuqing pondered it from every angle, yet she could not find an answer.

She could never have guessed that Yao Yan had known her since childhood, knew everything about her, and even knew her future.

Just as Zhu Zhuqing's thoughts were in turmoil, Yao Yan finished regulating his breath.

He stood up and smiled as he extended a hand to her. "Let's properly introduce ourselves. My name is Yao Yan."

"Zhu Zhuqing." Meeting Yao Yan's clear gaze, she stood as well and lightly shook his hand.

"So you're from the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Royal Family." Yao Yan feigned surprise.

Zhu Zhuqing was not surprised by this. The imperial family of the Star Luo Empire bore the surnames Zhu and Dai, something everyone on the continent knew. Yet upon hearing the words "royal family," an almost imperceptible bitterness surfaced at the corner of her lips.

If she had a choice, she would rather have been born into an ordinary family. At least then, she would not have to live constantly beneath the shadows of suppression, exclusion, and death.

Yao Yan precisely caught that trace of bitterness, but he did not expose it. He merely quietly activated his Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone Skill to heal her wounds.

A gentle green glow enveloped Zhu Zhuqing. To her surprise, the wounds on her body began to scab over and heal at a visible speed.

"Sorry, this is all I can manage for now," Yao Yan said apologetically.

As for why he did not heal her completely, with Zhu Zhuqing's reserved personality, he needed a reason to keep in contact with her.

If he won Zhu Zhuqing over, he could weaken Tang San's side.

After all, their Martial Souls were both Blue Silver Grass. Sooner or later, they would have to fight for the throne.

"Thank you." Zhu Zhuqing gave a slight bow. After being hunted continuously these past few days, with her wounds repeatedly splitting open, this was the first time she had felt such warm and effective treatment.

"It was nothing." Yao Yan waved a hand. "We'll rest in the town ahead tonight. Do you need me to escort you home tomorrow?"

"This place isn't far from the Imperial Capital anymore, so you don't need to worry about delaying us." He deliberately tested her.

"Home..." Hearing that, Zhu Zhuqing silently sat back down and lowered her head, her eyes filled with confusion.

Could that place, filled with schemes, calculations, and kin slaughtering kin, still be called home?

"No need. I have my own arrangements." She shook her head, her voice low.

"Then where are you going?" Yao Yan pressed with concern. Though he already knew her answer, he still wanted to try and see whether he could change her mind.

After all, among the Shrek Seven Devils, she was the most normal one.

"I... have somewhere to go." Zhu Zhuqing kept her head lowered, speaking vaguely.

Yao Yan sat beside her in silence for a moment, already having made up his mind.

Kidnap her!

The carriage fell silent, leaving only the sound of wheels rolling as it carried the three of them toward the distant town.

Back where they had been, the two Sunny Dolls were still twisting frantically, swaying beneath the tree. It took them a long while to bite through the vines in their mouths.

The moment they could speak, curses rang out.

"Damn it, don't let me catch you, or you'll be sorry!!"

"Big Brother, stop cursing and think of something."

"What can I do? These damn vines are wrapped too tightly." Big Brother complained, before a glint suddenly flashed in his eyes. "Right, Second Brother! I hid a short blade in my shoe sole. If we get it out, we can cut through this stuff!"

"Our hands are tied. How are we supposed to get it?"

"What do you think?" Big Brother had already raised his foot in front of him.

The younger brother caught the sour, pungent smell rushing at his face, and his expression turned green. He shook his head repeatedly. "Big Brother... th-this should probably be forgotten, right?"

"Do you want to stay tied up here for three days and three nights? Don't forget the consequences of failing the mission!" Big Brother's face darkened, his tone turning stern.

Thinking of the horrifying consequences of mission failure, the younger brother could only close his eyes in resignation. Enduring his nausea, he leaned over and laboriously pulled the short blade out from the shoe sole with his mouth.

An indescribable taste spread through his mouth. "Big Brother, why do your feet... taste like salted egg?"

"Oh! I accidentally stepped in a pile of dog shit during the fight!!"

"I'll kill you...!!"

PS: Dear readers, please go easy on me. This is this little author's first time writing a novel, and I know there are many shortcomings.

Just point them out, and I'll see whether I can fix them. No personal attacks, please!!!

Thank you!!