Chapter Thirty-Nine: Do You Like Me?

At that moment, a flurry of footsteps sounded up ahead. The little girl looked flustered, quickly moved away from Zheng Li, and ran crookedly toward the city gate.

The next moment, a group of soldiers appeared before Zheng Li. One of them spotted the little girl running off and shouted, "The young miss is over there! After her!"

The young miss?

Zheng Li's mouth twitched.

The little girl was one of the two women he'd seen after Wang Xian'er rescued him, right after he'd first crossed over. Zheng Li remembered her calling Wang Lao her great-grandmother.

He'd been planning to help the little girl, but judging by the way they addressed her, their uniforms, and the bystanders' reactions, they were her own people. That put his mind at ease.

He could never forget Wang Lao's kindness in saving his life.

"Did she sneak out to play?"

Zheng Li thought that might be what had happened, but didn't dwell on it. He headed into the city.

He planned to get everything sorted out today, then spend two days exploring Xingluo City before returning to Shrek Academy. He had plenty of time.

Xingluo City was divided into an outer city and an inner city, and the Starlight Auction House, where the Blade of Life was located, was surely in the inner city.

From what Zheng Li remembered, the Starlight Auction House should be near Xingluo Square, in front of the imperial palace in the inner city.

He just needed to ask around once he got there.

A while later, Zheng Li walked into a decent-looking inn.

Plans never kept pace with change.

Xingluo Imperial Capital was enormous. At this rate, it would be dark by the time Zheng Li reached the Starlight Auction House.

Little did he know, a small auction was being held at the Starlight Auction House that very night.

He'd been traveling for days without getting proper rest, so Zheng Li chose not to cultivate. He planned to get a good night's sleep instead.

"A bed really is the best..." Zheng Li lay on the large bed in his room, looking content. After chatting with Xiao Nai for a while, he drifted off to sleep.

Xiao Nai still kept her usual routine of staying up late and getting up early, even though she didn't need to sleep.

She didn't need to cultivate, either. She usually slept in the Sea of Consciousness at night.

As for bathing, they'd just confirmed that it was still possible.

In a haze, Zheng Li seemed to hear: Ding! Warning, warning! Danger approaching...

He drowsily cracked his eyes open, but a wave of fatigue and weakness swept over him. His eyes closed again.

At last, he heard two lines of conversation.

"Are you sure there won't be any mistakes?" It was a deep, cold voice.

"Relax! The kid looks like he only arrived in Xingluo City today. He's dressed plainly, and his Soul Power is pretty good for his age. He doesn't even have a Soul Guidance Ring. He's probably a talented commoner." The second voice sounded hoarse and sinister.

"Mm. Then..."

After that, Zheng Li lost consciousness.

He didn't know how long passed before his consciousness finally awoke in the Sea of Consciousness.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Xiao Nai looking extremely serious.

Noticing Zheng Li's consciousness, Xiao Nai glanced at him. "Xiao Li, you really know how to pick an inn."

Zheng Li still hadn't come to his senses. Looking confused, he asked, "What's wrong, Xiao Nai?"

"Take a guess." Xiao Nai glared at him.

At that point, Zheng Li remembered the system's hazy warning, as well as the two lines he'd heard before blacking out.

He put the pieces together and thought it over.

"Holy crap! Did I end up in a crooked inn?"

"Right. And a very calculating one! After I was tied up, I overheard them talking. They only target outsiders, and they go after Soul Masters who aren't high-level. They don't care about age. Of course, their preferred targets are children around eleven or twelve, but they only go after talented commoners." Xiao Nai spoke while keeping an eye on what was happening outside.

Zheng Li looked miserable. "System, I remember you warned me. Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Ding! Host, do not wrong this system, and please do not be so foolish. The kidnappers drugged you. Under this system's hands-off rules, this system is under no obligation to help you detoxify. You should be grateful that this system warned you at all..." The system's mechanical voice was tinged with contempt.

Zheng Li: "..."

"Xiao Li, it's not your fault you didn't wake up in time. They put a drug in the room. It was colorless and odorless, and it could make people fall asleep in an instant. Soul Masters below level thirty had no chance of resisting it," Xiao Nai explained.

"So I didn't wake up in time?" Zheng Li gave a bitter smile and muttered.

"You didn't wake up at all." Xiao Nai glanced at him.

"...Same difference."

Zheng Li sighed.

What could he say? That he'd just had bad luck?

"Crooked inns are a menace! Once I escape, I'm smashing that place to pieces!"

"Escape? Xiao Li, can I just say you're getting ahead of yourself?" Xiao Nai turned to look at Zheng Li, her expression calm. A closer look revealed a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

"Hm?"

"After you were unconscious and they took you out of Xingluo City, they gave you another drug... No, this time, it'd be more accurate to call it a poison."

Zheng Li: "!!"

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Do You Like Me?

"Damn it! Isn't that going too far? I'm just a Soul Master. Do they really need to go that far?"

Zheng Li didn't ask what kind of poison it was. He just complained in dismay.

"It's not just you. Everyone who was kidnapped along with you got the same thing. Its effect... it disperses Soul Power. Some returns, then some disappears again. Once your consciousness comes back, you'll understand. I don't know how long it lasts." Xiao Nai explained, then paused. "Get ready for Reincarnation."

Zheng Li: "..."

Was his first time really going to end like this?

He let out a long sigh. "Let's wait and see. If it comes to it, I'll choose Reincarnation."

"What's going on outside right now?"

"There are three carriages pulled by unknown Spirit Beast horses. More than a dozen of us were bound and crammed into the largest one. There are five enemies, and we're heading northwest. They've been taking the main roads the whole way."

"The main roads?! Aren't they afraid of being discovered?" Zheng Li asked in surprise.

"They split into two groups as soon as they left Xingluo City. The other group has captives too, and they're about the same number. And even though they're using the main roads, they aren't entering any cities," Xiao Nai said.

"...All right. How many days was I out?"

He'd finally gotten some Gold Soul Coins and reached his destination, only for the Blade of Life to remain out of reach. Now he'd gone north again...

What a headache.

"Why would you think it's been days? It's the afternoon of the second day. Go outside and see. There's a surprise waiting for you." Xiao Nai spoke with a strange look on her face.

Zheng Li: "??"

"This is surprising enough already. What else could there be?"

"Xiao Li, you'll find out when you go out."

"Oh."

Zheng Li frowned slightly. Why was she being so cryptic? Still, he didn't say anything. He said goodbye and left the Sea of Consciousness.

Then he opened his eyes...

He immediately sensed something was off. There was a heavy weight on his left shoulder!

He turned his head to look.

Hm??

Was he seeing green?

No, it was pale green.

"Little girl? Xin'er?" Zheng Li stared in surprise, his mouth open. "Holy crap! Why is she here?"

"Surprised?"

Xiao Nai asked.

"Surprised my—damn it! Shouldn't Xin'er have someone protecting her? How did she..."

Before Zheng Li could finish, the little girl let out a sleepy "mm," then hazily lifted her head and rubbed her eyes.

"Hm? Is it morning?"

What the hell, morning... Zheng Li was speechless.

Little girl, could you at least look at where you are?

Had she been kidnapped in her sleep, just like him?

"Huh?! This isn't my room? Who are you? Are you bad people? I'll have you know my great-grandmother is really powerful! Confess!" When she saw the people around her, the little girl Xin'er immediately put on a "fierce" expression and looked defensive.

Zheng Li beside her couldn't help clutching his chest with his right hand...

So... adorably fierce!

"You're hopeless." Xiao Nai spoke in a chilly tone.

"Maybe." Zheng Li didn't argue. "So..."

At that moment, a middle-aged woman who'd already woken up reminded her, "Little girl, weren't you trying to save us? How did you end up getting caught too?"

The carriage was spacious enough to fit more than twenty people without feeling crowded. It wasn't made of wood, but of a kind of lightweight black metal.

It wasn't all that light, though. Zheng Li found himself curious about the Spirit Beasts pulling it.

The carriage was very dim inside. There were no seats, and he sat on the floor with his back against one of the walls.

There were thirteen people in the carriage, counting him.

To his surprise, nine of them looked to be around his age. There were also two middle-aged men and the middle-aged woman who'd spoken.

The ones who were awake were him, the little girl Xin'er, the middle-aged woman, and three people around his age.

After hearing Xin'er's words, Zheng Li: "??"

The little girl Xin'er froze when she heard that.

It took her a full ten seconds to react.

She lowered her guard, awkwardly scratched her head, and gave a shy smile. "I guess... that is what happened..."

"..."

She'd tried to save someone, only to get captured herself?

What a... talent! By the way, where were her soldier bodyguards?

Zheng Li asked Xiao Nai, puzzled.

"All of the little girl's soldiers and bodyguards are Soul Masters. The strongest among them is a Soul Emperor..."

"A whole group of Soul Masters? The strongest is a Soul Emperor?" Zheng Li interrupted Xiao Nai. "And they still got captured?"

"Let me finish. This morning, the kidnappers brought you people to the outskirts of Xingluo City. The little girl Xin'er happened to come across you, and then she tried to save you and got caught herself. One of the two groups of kidnappers has a Soul Saint."

"For some reason, the little girl didn't have that many people with her. They were short on fighters."

"Her bodyguards weren't killed. The other group took them away."

After hearing Xiao Nai out, Zheng Li was speechless. A Soul Saint was actually working as a kidnapper? Was she kidding him?

"So you should still get ready for Reincarnation."

Xiao Nai thought Zheng Li had little chance of escaping.

Zheng Li calmed down and thought it over.

"Was the other group just a diversion? To draw out anyone who might come to Xin'er's rescue? They must know she has an important background."

"Hey! You bastard out there, hurry up and let your granny here... me?" The little girl Xin'er looked at Zheng Li and the others. "No, I mean us grannies! Let us go! Or else, hmph!"