Little Kitten

At an inconspicuous grove on the edge of Shrek Academy, Xiao Wu stood gracefully with one hand on a tree trunk. Through the dappled shade, her gaze followed Qian Yun and Hu Liena as they walked away.

She had no idea what she was feeling. Thinking back to the time she had just spent alone with Qian Yun, she realized that, just like when they first met, he had suddenly appeared and then hurried off. But this time, he had undoubtedly left a much deeper impression on her.

Xiao Wu rose onto her tiptoes, gazing longingly until Qian Yun disappeared from view. Remembering how he hadn't given an inch earlier, and how she had cried out "Master" from the bottom of her heart when he pinned her beneath him, Xiao Wu blushed and muttered, "You stinking boss, you're so rough. You don't know the first thing about treating a lady gently."

Xiao Wu pouted unhappily. The slap Qian Yun had given her on the butt still stung. She'd never been treated that way in her life. Everyone around her, whether Tang San, Grandmaster, or anyone else, had always treated her like a treasure and given her whatever she wanted.

A gust of wind rustled the swaying leaves. Startled by the sudden sound, Xiao Wu realized how bold she'd been and spun around to look. Qian Yun was nowhere to be seen, so she patted her chest. "Phew, that scared me."

Xiao Wu rubbed her butt. Maybe even she hadn't noticed that, deep down, she didn't actually dislike Qian Yun's rough treatment. If anything, she found it... kind of special?

"Whatever. I'm not thinking about him anymore. Xiao Wu's ready for dinner." She gathered her scattered thoughts, finally cheered up, and strode down the path with her head held high. But she hadn't taken more than a few steps before something suddenly occurred to her. She slowed to a stop and gently raised a jade-like hand to her cheek, unable to hide her disappointment.

She might usually be carefree and boisterous, but she was actually very confident in her looks!

She'd long since gotten used to all the compliments. If anyone else had called her ugly, she would've scoffed and been completely unaffected. At most, she would've felt sorry for them for being so blind.

But...

Xiao Wu lowered her eyes and murmured, "Average... Do I really look that average?"

Perhaps the speaker had meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart. The more Xiao Wu thought about it, the more Qian Yun's expression from earlier seemed genuine. He really did think she was average.

"Ugh, this is so annoying." With a sigh, Xiao Wu felt even more vexed. Remembering Qian Yun's parting advice only made it worse. She kicked a pebble off the path and muttered, "Whatever. I should just focus on cultivating."

Meanwhile, after leaving Shrek Academy, Qian Yun didn't hurry back to Suotuo City. Instead, he followed the map along a small path until he found a secluded spot.

The scenery was lovely, with lush vegetation, birdsong, and fragrant flowers. Sunlight fell directly on the lake, where mist rose from the water—a vibrant, life-filled scene.

"Good, this is the place." Qian Yun put away the map and nodded approvingly, very pleased with his choice.

"Qian Yun, what did you bring me here for?" Hu Liena looked around.

Qian Yun didn't rush to explain. "You'll find out soon. Get a fire going first."

"Hmph, always so mysterious." Hu Liena shook her head and took dry firewood, flint, and a thin blanket from her bracelet.

Qian Yun piled the dry grass he'd gathered on top of the neatly stacked firewood. "Once the fire's going, put the pot over it."

Hu Liena finally couldn't contain her curiosity. "Hey, what exactly are you planning?"

Qian Yun grinned, unable to hide his excitement. "I want to cook you a dish called Boiled Fish. I guarantee you've never tried it."

"Boiled Fish?" Hu Liena repeated the name to herself. She'd never heard of that dish.

Qian Yun went to the edge of the lake and gazed at its crystal-clear water. Rubbing his hands together eagerly, he reached for the Cat's Eye Stone on his chest. It flashed, and the fishing line and shiny artificial bait he'd bought in Big Tree Town appeared in his hands.

After setting the pot over the fire, Hu Liena came over to him. Seeing what he was doing, she asked in confusion, "You're going fishing? But they say clear water has no fish. You don't even have a fishing rod. Can you really catch anything?"

Qian Yun was full of confidence. He tied the fishing line to a branch and hefted the wooden mallet in one hand. "Don't worry. A true master doesn't need any fancy equipment. I could catch a fish with just a branch. My technique works really well, too. I call it Hammer Fishing!"

"Fishing?"

Hu Liena wondered if that wasn't just ordinary fishing. But then Qian Yun motioned for her to be quiet, nimbly climbed onto a branch, and cast the line. The bait landed in the clear water without even making a ripple.

"Boring." Hu Liena lost interest and went back to watch the fire.

Before long, Qian Yun, waiting patiently on the branch, used his keen eyesight to peer through the shimmering water and spot a dark shape swimming below.

"Finally. Go on, take the bait." He gripped the fishing line in one hand, while the heavy wooden mallet in his other hand was poised to strike.

Because of how light refracted through the water, Qian Yun knew that what you saw on the surface wasn't always real. To land a successful hit, you needed experience—and a little... brute force!

At last, the fat fish in the water swallowed the hook. Qian Yun's wooden mallet came crashing down with unstoppable force.

"Heh. There, that did it."

Hu Liena stood up in spite of herself. Seeing the completely still grass carp in Qian Yun's hand, she swallowed. "So this is the Hammer Fishing you were talking about? Who fishes like that?"

Qian Yun didn't care in the slightest. "That's right. Don't worry about how I caught it. Just tell me, does my method work or not?"

"It works, it works." Hu Liena replied helplessly and reached for the fish in Qian Yun's hand. "Give it to me."

Qian Yun pulled it back and shook his head with a smile. "No need to trouble yourself. I'll take it from here."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Qian Yun led her to the comfortable blanket and pressed her down onto it. "You don't have to do anything. Just sit back and watch me work."

Hu Liena could only nod. Resting her chin on her hand, she watched the water in the pot with a helpless expression. She never thought even a top chef like her would end up doing odd jobs.

Qian Yun went to the water's edge. His knife flashed, and in an instant, the plump grass carp had been sliced into fillets. After burying the leftover scales and innards, he returned to Hu Liena and began bustling about.

Hu Liena watched Qian Yun without blinking or looking away. People said a man was most handsome when he was focused, and now she understood exactly what they meant.

Hu Liena sniffed, then immediately widened her eyes in amazement. "That smells so good!"

She didn't know what Qian Yun was cooking in the pot. She only knew it smelled wonderful. It was a fragrance she'd never encountered before. Compared with the cloying sweetness of spices stewed in a pot, this aroma was much stronger. It didn't even need her to deliberately sniff; it boldly filled her nostrils and shot straight to her head.

She could no longer stay calm. Just the smell had made her mouth water. "Is it ready? Is it ready? If it is, hurry up and serve it!"

"Don't rush," Qian Yun said with a smile as he worked. "There's one last step."

With that, he poured the hot oil in the pot over the fish fillets in the bowl. Sizzle, sizzle—the already rich aroma grew even stronger as the hot oil brought it out.

"All done. Boiled Fish. Enjoy." Qian Yun set the dish down, satisfied. As he caught the familiar scent, he couldn't help sighing. He'd been in this world for almost five years.

Five years! Five whole years!

In other words, he'd been eating bread for five years. At this rate, he felt like he'd soon wear his back teeth flat.

At last, Hu Liena could eat. She'd been waiting impatiently, and she cheered—but then she was stumped at the last moment... How was she supposed to eat it?

She stared at the steaming, delicious food in the bowl, feeling helpless despite her eagerness.

Qian Yun suddenly understood and placed a pair of chopsticks in her hand.

"What are these?" Hu Liena held one chopstick in each hand, rubbed them together, and asked Qian Yun in bewilderment.

Qian Yun didn't explain. He simply told her to copy his movements.

Hu Liena tried to imitate him, but after a few awkward attempts, she gave up and set the chopsticks aside. "Forget it. This is too awkward."

Qian Yun didn't insist. "Your loss, then. How do you want to eat?"

Hu Liena's eyes shifted. She propped herself up and leaned her pretty face close to Qian Yun, parting her lips. "I want you to feed me. Ah—"

Qian Yun had no choice. He picked up a piece of fish, blew on it to cool it, then held it to Hu Liena's mouth. "Careful, it's hot."

"I know. Mm... It's so good! No, it's spicy too." Hu Liena mumbled, fanning her mouth with her hand.

The fish was delicious, but since she'd never tried this flavor before, it was a little too spicy for her.

"Really? I already held back a lot." Qian Yun tried a bite, too. He'd made it in a hurry, so it wasn't quite authentic, but it was still worth savoring. The familiar yet strange flavor touched his taste buds, as if he'd returned to the hometown of his dreams.

Qian Yun was lost in thought when Hu Liena leaned closer again with a giggle. "I want more."

"Sure." Qian Yun came back to himself, picked up another piece of fish, and fed it to her. Seeing her satisfied expression made him feel pleased, too.

And so, they took turns eating. Before they knew it, the fragrant bowl of Boiled Fish was gone.

"Delicious." Hu Liena rubbed her soft belly. A single bowl of Boiled Fish wasn't nearly enough for the two of them. She started to raise her arm, ready to begin the next round, but Qian Yun shook his head to stop her.

Qian Yun stood and brushed the dirt and grass from his clothes. Now that they'd finished eating, it was time to handle business.

With his hands behind his back, he turned toward the still forest and called out, "Since you've been following us for so long, why not come down and meet us?"

Hu Liena stood up, too. She'd noticed a tail following them ever since they'd left Shrek Academy. She'd wanted to deal with it, but Qian Yun had told her to wait.

After a brief silence, a graceful figure dropped from a nearby tree.

The newcomer fell rapidly, but landed with barely a sound, displaying remarkable control over her body.

Yet even that small sound sent a shock through Qian Yun and Hu Liena.

As he looked at the woman stretching out before him, Qian Yun's eyes widened in surprise. Tight black pants hugged a pair of long, straight, shapely legs. The smooth curves rose sharply before narrowing at her waist, then continued upward until they reached a breathtaking fullness across her chest.

And the most dangerous part was that, despite her stunning figure, her face held none of its own allure. Instead, it was strikingly pure and untouched by the world.

Help! Hu Liena stared fixedly at the woman's proud curves, her gaze lingering on her chest until she couldn't pull herself away. Without thinking, she glanced down at her own barely developed chest.

Confusion, disbelief, and utter bafflement!

Hu Liena was shaken to the core.

But reality was cruel. While some were still gazing up at the mountains, others had already become mountains themselves.

No—Hu Liena quickly realized that the girl or woman standing before them was hostile. From the moment she'd appeared, her gaze had been glued to Qian Yun.

Zhu Zhuqing noticed the admiration in the eyes of the two people before her and felt a little embarrassed. She knew exactly where Qian Yun and Hu Liena were looking. When she was younger, such looks might have troubled her, but now she was used to them. The Zhu Family's genes were simply that exceptional. There was nothing she could do about it.

"I..."

Hu Liena darted between them, blocking Zhu Zhuqing's view. She snapped, "Who are you? What do you want? Why have you been following us?"

The three questions made Zhu Zhuqing, who was already poor at expressing herself, even more nervous. She couldn't explain why she'd followed Qian Yun and Hu Liena, either. She'd simply happened to see Qian Yun sparring with Xiao Wu at Shrek Academy, and realized that she and Qian Yun had resonated with each other. So she'd followed them on impulse.

"My name is Zhu Zhuqing. I'm from Shrek Academy, and I live in the Star Luo Empire. I'm twelve years old. My Martial Soul is the Hell Spirit Cat, and I'm a level twenty-eight agility-type Battle Soul Master."

Hu Liena and Qian Yun exchanged a look. Why did this sound like a marriage interview?

"My name is Qian Yun, and she's Hu Liena. You... don't have to be so detailed." Qian Yun interrupted her. At this rate, she might even tell them all her Spirit Skills.

Hearing that Zhu Zhuqing was from Shrek Academy, Hu Liena's hostility eased, though she remained wary. "What do you want with us?"

Zhu Zhuqing's gaze fixed on Qian Yun again. She spoke softly. "Could I see your Martial Soul? Mine resonated with yours, and I think it might be a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."

Her voice didn't match her fiery figure. Instead, it suited her cold expression, just as cool and aloof.

Qian Yun hesitated at her request. Zhu Zhuqing's words were quite forward, to be honest. On Douluo Continent, asking someone to show you their Martial Soul without a reason could be taken as a declaration of war.

What truly tempted Qian Yun was the fact that Zhu Zhuqing had mentioned a Martial Soul Fusion Skill. He looked into her earnest eyes. Could she and he really have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill?

"All right." Qian Yun slowly nodded as Hu Liena stared in surprise and Zhu Zhuqing looked delighted.