A Flutter of the Heart

Zhu Zhuqing didn't ask about Mu Qian's strength or his Spirit Rings. She wasn't the sort to pry, and she knew everyone had their secrets.

Before they knew it, the mood had turned strangely melancholy.

Mu Qian rubbed his head. Not wanting the conversation to get too serious, he couldn't help chuckling. "As far as I'm concerned, this isn't a problem at all."

"Do you know what the essence of cultivation is?"

"What?" Zhu Zhuqing's gaze never left Mu Qian.

Mu Qian gathered his thoughts, then said slowly, "The essence of cultivation is struggling against fate and the rules."

"Look at me. Before you met me, had you ever heard of a Spirit Master whose First Soul Ring could be a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. The cool evening breeze stirred her silky hair, carrying a refreshing fragrance.

Watching the beautiful scene before him, Mu Qian couldn't help staring for a moment. In the end, he shook his head to clear it, not wanting her to think he was some lecherous womanizer.

"So, as far as I'm concerned, fate and rules belong to the strong, while they bind the weak."

"Only when you become a truly powerful Spirit Master can you take control of your own fate."

"When one day, everyone loves what you love, and what you hate becomes forbidden across the entire continent..."

"That's when you'll realize that fate and rules are actually within your reach."

"Everyone loves what I love, and what I hate becomes forbidden across the entire continent..." Zhu Zhuqing murmured, repeating Mu Qian's words.

It was a vision that really made her yearn for it.

"To be honest, I've never seen my parents, not since the day I was born. I never even received a formal education at a Soul Master Academy, yet I still figured things out on my own and made it this far."

"People say the limit for the First Soul Ring is a hundred years, but I didn't believe them. So I created a miracle."

"Believe me, sometimes it's worth trying a different path. You should be glad—you still have the right to choose, and the chance to create a miracle."

Though his words sounded rather heavy, Mu Qian looked relaxed.

It wasn't as if he was brainwashing a girl; he was just offering some well-meaning advice.

He didn't want to deceive himself, but he had to admit that the girl before him had stirred his heart.

Zhu Zhuqing seemed genuinely tempted. A hint of longing entered her eyes as she looked at Mu Qian. "But even if I leave here, where could I go?"

Mu Qian stretched, then rested his head on his hand again. "The world's a big place. You can go wherever you want. If you can't stay in the Star Luo Empire, you can go to Heaven Dou, or even Spirit City. You'll find somewhere you can call home."

"But I don't want to go on living alone. Can I... go with you?" Zhu Zhuqing's voice grew quieter and quieter. Perhaps even she hadn't noticed the hint of pleading in it.

"This..." Mu Qian hadn't expected her to ask on her own before he'd even continued trying to persuade—no, advise—her.

"You should know I'm a man. Do you understand what it means to choose to follow me?"

It would have been a lie to say he wasn't tempted, but in the end, Mu Qian couldn't bring himself to take advantage of her. The girl was too pure, so pure that he didn't want to sully her.

"I understand..." Zhu Zhuqing's face flushed like the fiery evening clouds. She felt her cheeks growing hotter and hotter, and her gaze darted away, unable to meet Mu Qian's eyes.

Her adorable expression made Mu Qian unable to resist ruffling her cat-ear-like hair.

"Uh, sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself." Mu Qian awkwardly rubbed his nose.

"It's fine."

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, lowering it even further. She held the utterly bewildered Little Flower in her arms and kept plucking at what little fur the dog had left.

"Are you really sure?"

"You should know we've only just met. You didn't even know my name until a few hours ago."

Mu Qian's repeated questions only made Zhu Zhuqing more certain she'd judged him correctly.

She nodded firmly.

Though she knew nothing about his past, just one night spent together had been enough to make her decide something that would affect the rest of her life.

Perhaps Dai Mubai had something to do with it.

She wanted to change her fate. She wanted to take control of her own life.

She'd lost all hope in that coward.

Mu Qian shook his head helplessly.

This was the outcome he'd wanted, yet for some reason, he couldn't quite bring himself to feel happy.

"Fine, then. I respect your choice. And if you ever want to leave, just tell me. You can go whenever you like."

"You'll always have the right to choose your own life."

Zhu Zhuqing didn't answer, but a warm feeling passed through her heart.

Though more mature than any girl her age, she had made a decision that seemed rather absurd.

After all, she'd only recently been disappointed by someone she'd trusted.

But she didn't regret it.

Her long-dormant heart had chosen to trust someone once again.

The sky had begun to grow faintly bright. The first rays of dawn streaked across the night sky, driving away the darkness.

It seemed to herald the life she was about to embark on...

Now that things had come to this, Mu Qian stopped dwelling on it.

"Miss Zhu has been gone all night, and there are signs of fighting in the city. I'm sure Star Luo City will soon be in an uproar."

"Weren't you going to get your Second Soul Ring? Come on, I'll find you the one that suits you best. Even a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast will be a piece of cake!"

Mu Qian waved his hand grandly, lightening the rather somber mood.

He'd suddenly realized that he preferred the wild, primitive forest to the complicated human world.

At least here, he wouldn't have to face malice from every direction.

"Liar. You're always making big claims."

Zhu Zhuqing smiled. In that moment, her smile seemed capable of melting even the coldest snow.

Mu Qian couldn't help ruffling her hair again, earning a reproachful glare.

He couldn't help feeling glad he'd arrived at just the right time.

The cold, icy beauty Zhu Zhuqing would become two years later in the original story seemed to have another side hidden within her...

And he'd brought out that adorable side a year early.

Did he feel a sense of accomplishment?

Probably not. Mu Qian, who was just as clueless about romance, didn't understand why he felt so conflicted.

"Do you want to go back and say goodbye to the place you've lived for ten years?"

"No. To say goodbye... there has to be someone worth saying goodbye to..."

"They're probably hoping I'll disappear, too."

Star Forest, Star Luo Empire.

Mu Qian held the slender girl around the waist as the Dragon Wings behind him beat rapidly, carrying them through the forest like a streak of light.

Of course, he wasn't trying to take advantage of Zhu Zhuqing. It was a little awkward to explain, but they were running for their lives.

That was right—they were fleeing for their lives.

Mu Qian had never imagined that one day he'd be running for his life with a Spirit Beast on his heels, utterly stripped of the imposing presence befitting the "Little Master" of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North.

But what surprised him even more was that apart from the Amethyst Imperial Epiphyllum, the Star Forest was home to a terrifying Spirit Beast with a cultivation base of more than eighty thousand years...