A Fanatical Believer

The person driving the carriage outside didn't react at all.

Xin'er saw this and kept shouting.

"So cute..."

She wasn't just talking about his looks, but his innocence, too.

Maybe she'd shouted herself hoarse. Xin'er sat down in a huff and kicked the carriage floor twice.

Those two kicks made Zheng Li notice the faint white patterns on the floor. After a moment's thought, he reached out and felt one of the carriage walls—the one he was leaning against.

Patterns. More patterns.

A Soul Tool? The words surfaced in Zheng Li's mind.

He'd seen Soul Tools before—his classmates in Class One had them—but he hadn't been very interested. The system had said that he needed to reach the peak through his own abilities; Soul Tools were just external aids. Of course, he didn't mind using one. They could increase his combat strength, after all.

"I wonder what level it is, and what it does."

He guessed it had a soundproofing function. Otherwise, they would've reacted by now, after Xin'er had practically cursed their ancestors for eighteen generations.

Besides, there was no way nobody had shouted for help during the day, or that they hadn't encountered any passersby. If they'd been in an ordinary carriage, their cries for help would surely have carried outside.

And... it was definitely sturdy.

What Zheng Li couldn't understand was why they'd bother poisoning them and using a carriage made with Soul Tools when they had a Spirit Saint.

Zheng Li checked his condition. He didn't have a trace of Soul Power in his body, and his limbs felt weak and useless.

"They're really careful..."

"Grr..."

As Zheng Li wondered if there was any way to escape, a strange sound came from beside him. He looked over in confusion.

Xin'er had been looking down and rubbing her stomach. When she felt his gaze, she looked up, her little face instantly turning awkward and shy.

But she spoke in a fierce tone. "What are you looking at? Am I not allowed to have a rumbling stomach? I'm hungry, so what?"

"...You can."

This was his first time meeting her. Zheng Li's first impression had been that Xin'er was lively and cute. Now, though... she was a little tiger through and through.

"Hmph! Those despicable people even stole my Soul Guidance Ring..." Xin'er said through gritted teeth.

A while later, her stomach rumbled twice more, and she frowned.

"Hey, do you have any food?"

Xin'er asked in a barely audible voice, sounding embarrassed.

Zheng Li pointed at himself. "Are you asking me?"

"Obviously. You're the only one beside me who's awake. Do you have any?" Xin'er rolled her eyes and asked hopefully.

Zheng Li didn't answer right away. He glanced discreetly at the middle-aged woman and the others. Once he saw they weren't paying attention, he leaned closer to Xin'er and whispered, "I do, but not much. And there's more than one person awake, so it won't be enough to go around. If you can hold out, do it. Otherwise, it could cause trouble. The people who kidnapped us aren't trying to kill us or rob us. It seems more like human trafficking, so they won't let us starve to death."

Xin'er had tensed when Zheng Li leaned closer, but she relaxed after hearing him. The fact that he had food had clearly excited her, but she hesitated when she heard the rest.

"If you get too hungry and the people outside still haven't brought us food, I'll give you some when I get the chance. I'll cover for you. It's dark in here, so if we're careful, no one will notice," Zheng Li added.

He did have food. It was in the System Space.

It was true he didn't have much—only enough for one person for two days.

"Okay..." Xin'er was just about to agree happily, but then her expression changed. She froze for a few seconds before asking suspiciously,

"Do you like me?"

Chapter 34: A Fanatical Believer

"Do you like me?"

When Xin'er said this, Zheng Li froze in shock.

Good heavens!

"Why would you think that?"

What kind of crazy idea was that? They'd only just met. Counting this time, they'd met three times.

"Hm? Why can't I think that?"

Xin'er frowned, put her hands on her hips, and shot back.

How should he describe that expression?

Cute, with a bit of silliness?

At any rate, Zheng Li was completely speechless.

"Talk properly, or I'll keep the food for myself," Zheng Li threatened.

"No way!"

Xin'er panicked as soon as she heard that. How could she let that happen? Did he think she was stupid? As a captive, even if he had food, it probably wasn't very good, while what Zheng Li had was sure to be much better.

"Then can you talk properly?"

"I can!" Xin'er quickly nodded.

"Sigh..." Zheng Li covered his forehead. His first impression of Xin'er had been completely ruined.

Why did he feel like he could trick her into following him with delicious food?

"Why are you sighing?"

"Can't I sigh if I want to?" Zheng Li waved a hand dismissively.

"You... You're brushing me off!" Xin'er said angrily, raising an eyebrow.

Zheng Li frowned. "Who are you calling your 'me'? Talk properly."

If Xin'er weren't the granddaughter of his benefactor, he would've given her a piece of his mind.

"I won't..."

Xin'er had barely said the words before she fell silent, because Zheng Li quietly said, "Food."

Was she really that afraid of going hungry?

Zheng Li wondered. Even an ordinary person could go a day without eating.

Xin'er pouted, looking dejected. She was adorable.

"Xin'er, you still haven't answered my question. Why did you think I liked you?"

He had to clear this up, or Xiao Nai would give him a look that could skin him alive!

"Oh, that. Look, we're in danger right now, aren't we? You don't seem to have a storage Soul Guidance Ring, so even if you had food, it couldn't be much. What if the kidnappers really don't give us any? Then the food you have would be precious, but you're willing to give it to me, even though you..."

As Xin'er spoke, her voice grew touched, and her jade-green eyes even seemed a little teary.

"Would you do that if you didn't like me?"

"Cough, cough..." Zheng Li nearly choked to death on his own saliva. Speechless, he reached out and patted Xin'er's head. "Xin'er, you're overthinking it."

He just wanted to repay a kindness.

Xin'er slapped his hand away and pouted. "Don't pat my head. And I don't believe you, either. Lots of people like me. Admitting it isn't anything to be ashamed of."

What kind of boy hadn't Wang Xin'er met before? She'd seen plenty of boys like Zheng Li, who denied liking her even as they treated her well.

Wang Xin'er looked at Zheng Li and thought the word "hypocrite" was written all over his face.

"..."

Zheng Li was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say.

He wisely chose to keep quiet.

Silence fell between them.

No one had heard their conversation. Wang Xin'er was quite discreet, keeping her voice barely audible the whole time. Zheng Li wouldn't have heard her if he hadn't leaned so close.

"Hey! I just thought of something. How did you know my name was Xin'er? I don't think I ever told you." After a while, Wang Xin'er suddenly asked.

She'd only just realized this.

But before Zheng Li could say anything, Wang Xin'er looked enlightened. "I get it! You must have asked around because you like me, right?"

Zheng Li rolled his eyes at her. "No!"

"I'd have to be an idiot to believe you." Wang Xin'er looked like she'd already figured everything out.

"What's your name?"

"Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking someone else?"

Come to think of it, Zheng Li knew that her name was Xin'er, but not her surname.

Her great-grandmother wasn't her great-grandfather. Normally, Xin'er should've taken her great-grandfather's surname.

"You already know. Forget it... I can't be bothered arguing with you. I'm afraid I'll die of anger! I'm Wang Xin'er, almost eight years old, and a Soul Master..."

"Wait!" Zheng Li cut Wang Xin'er off, looking shocked. "You're only seven?"

Almost eight meant she was seven, didn't it?

"Yeah. Is there a problem? You're a terrible admirer. You don't even know how old I am..."

Zheng Li didn't hear the rest of what Wang Xin'er said. A strange look slowly appeared on his face.

She was seven and already as tall as an eleven- or twelve-year-old?

What had she eaten to grow that big? Hormones?

Of course, that was by the standards of the Douluo World.

She was already... almost as tall as Xiao Nai.

A moment later, when Wang Xin'er asked again, Zheng Li said, "Zheng Li, ten years old, a Soul Master."

He didn't say much more.

"Ten years old, and a Soul Master? Not bad, but you're still not as talented as me."

Zheng Li turned his head away. For some reason, he suddenly wanted to pin Wang Xin'er down and...

Give her a good thrashing!

Wang Xin'er shivered. She sensed a sudden hostility for some reason and looked at the other captives near her. They were all ugly, so Zheng Li seemed more reliable. She edged closer to him.

Zheng Li glanced at her but said nothing.

Time passed.

The others gradually woke up. They weren't as calm as Zheng Li. Once they realized they'd been kidnapped, they panicked.

Some cried, some pounded on the carriage, and some called out their identities and connections.

Surprisingly, the middle-aged woman and one of the two middle-aged men were married, and their son was here, too.

So an entire family had been taken in one swoop!

Who knew how long had passed before the carriage door opened and light streamed in.

One of the two middle-aged men immediately rushed forward, his face full of rage.

Didn't he understand the situation, or what?

Zheng Li frowned.

Sure enough, the next moment, the man was blasted backward with a bang and slammed into the carriage wall. The patterns on it glowed faintly white, perhaps because of the Heavy Strike.

Those around Zheng Li's age seemed startled and stopped moving.

Then the upper half of a person appeared in the carriage doorway, accompanied by immense pressure and a chilling aura. The others didn't notice anything, but Zheng Li's breathing abruptly hitched.

From where he was sitting, Zheng Li could see the seven Soul Rings around the man: white, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, and black.

"Is that the Spirit Saint you mentioned?" Zheng Li asked Xiao Nai silently.

"Yes. Be careful."

The person outside was an old man with a cold, vacant gaze. He was very thin, all bone and sinew.