You're Actually a Pretty Nice Guy

"Second!"

Seeing his second-strongest fighter laid out by a single move, the leader felt a chill of unease. He stepped forward to block the gap in their encirclement, then said:

"Kid, we're from the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire. We're here on the Young Lady's orders to take that girl back. If you know what's good for you, get lost. Don't get in my way!"

"Oh, so you're not going to kill me anymore?"

Feng Xinglie grinned. The sight made the leader's blood boil. He was just about to speak when Feng Xinglie seemed to melt and begin to come apart. As confusion seized him, a sudden sense of danger hit. He hurriedly retreated:

"Fourth Soul Skill: Adamant Slash!"

He raised his Steel Blade Martial Soul and slashed forward. The keen instincts he'd honed over years of dirty work saved his life. The moment the Soul Skill was unleashed, Feng Xinglie was already right in front of him.

But...

Under the crowd's astonished gaze, Feng Xinglie swayed slightly, and his upper body abruptly vanished.

No one knew what had happened. The leader's slash cut through empty air, and before he could raise his blade again, pain struck both sides of his neck. His body crumpled to the ground against his will. Only then did everyone realize Feng Xinglie had already appeared behind him, both palms striking the sides of his cervical spine.

"Anyone else want to try?"

He kicked the unconscious Soul Master toward the others and asked with a smile, as if nothing had happened. The remaining three exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"This one's too tough. Retreat!"

The two strongest among them had been taken out in an instant. What was the point of fighting? They hoisted their fallen leader and second-in-command and quickly vanished into the forest.

Seeing that the danger had passed, the young woman's tense nerves relaxed all at once. A wave of dizziness and weakness swept over her, and she swayed, about to fall.

"Careful."

Feng Xinglie caught her and carefully helped her over to the fire to sit down. Only then did he take a seat opposite her.

"From the looks of you, you've had a rough time being chased. Rest here for a while. By the way, I'm Feng Xinglie."

The girl seemed quite unused to physical contact with men. She gently rubbed the arm he had just held, then pouted and hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Thank you. My name is Zhu Zhuqing."

"So you're Miss Zhu Zhuqing. A pleasure, a pleasure."

As they exchanged pleasantries, a sudden rumble came from Zhu Zhuqing's stomach. Her usually cool face flushed red, and she turned her head away.

"The porridge I just cooked should be about ready. If you don't mind, Miss Zhu Zhuqing, have some to fill your stomach."

Seeing this, Feng Xinglie courteously ladled out a bowl of meat porridge and offered it to her. The girl turned back and stared at the steaming bowl, swallowing hard. In the end, her famished stomach couldn't resist the temptation.

"Thank you..."

But just as she was about to take the bowl, Feng Xinglie suddenly pulled it back. Meeting her confused and slightly indignant gaze, he said seriously:

"You just escaped an assassination attempt, and yet your guard is far too low. What would you do if I'd poisoned the food?"

As he spoke, he poured a little porridge into the hollow of his hand and put it in his mouth. Then he offered the bowl again.

"Now this porridge is safe to drink."

Zhu Zhuqing froze. It took her a moment to recover.

"I understand. Thank you for the lesson."

She took the bowl and, without minding how hot it was, gulped down the porridge. Once her stomach was full, her panicked mind gradually settled as well. Seeing this, Feng Xinglie took a box of medicine from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to her.

"You're injured. I have some medicine here. You should treat your wounds first."

This time, however, Zhu Zhuqing didn't reach out to take it. She simply stared at the box and opened her mouth, but no words came out. Seeing this, Feng Xinglie smiled.

"You're clever."

He finished speaking, picked up a little medicine, and put it in his mouth. Only after she saw him swallow it did Zhu Zhuqing take the medicine.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have suspected you of poisoning it..."

"No, you should have. In the wilderness, you need to stay alert around everyone you meet. Don't use anything anyone gives you until you've confirmed it's safe."

"Mm..."

Zhu Zhuqing murmured a weak acknowledgment, then fell silent again. The atmosphere between them grew a little awkward. After she'd regained some strength, Feng Xinglie spoke first.

"Actually, I was planning to enroll at Shrek Academy near Suotuo City. I meant to rest here for the night and head into the city tomorrow. But after what just happened, this place isn't safe anymore. If you can still manage, let's set off now. We should reach the city gates around dawn. Then we can find an inn and get some proper rest. How does that sound?"

Zhu Zhuqing knew they shouldn't linger here either. She nodded at once and stood up.

"You're going to Shrek Academy too?"

"Yeah. Are you going there as well? What a coincidence. Since we'll be classmates, I hope we can look out for each other from now on."

The two packed their things, chatting on and off as they hurried through the night toward Suotuo City. After their figures had completely disappeared, three people suddenly rose from the darkness and bowed toward the direction they had gone. Just then, the clouds parted, and the bright moonlight illuminated their faces. One of them was none other than the coachman who had brought Feng Xinglie here. When the clouds covered the moon again, the three melted back into the darkness.

There had never been such a thing as coincidence in this world. There were only plans, each link connected to the next.

A year earlier, Feng Xinglie had staggered the timing and sent ten waves of sleeper agents into the Star Luo Empire. They didn't need to approach anyone or gather intelligence. They only had to lie low near the Zhu Family. Some posed as beggars, some opened little shops, and others joined the city patrols. Working in shifts, they kept the Zhu Family under constant surveillance, twenty-four hours a day.

They had only one objective: to confirm when Zhu Zhuqing would run away from home.

Long ago, Feng Xinglie had carefully arranged an escape route for Zhu Zhuqing. From the moment she began to act, every move she made fell completely under his control. Whenever she was about to stray from the planned route, Soul Beasts or bandits would mysteriously appear to block her way. Whenever she encountered danger, she would always run into a "coincidental" helping hand that got her out of trouble.

The pursuers on her heels were no different.

Not long after Zhu Zhuqing fled, Zhu Zhuyun received an anonymous tip. She immediately sent pursuers to hunt the girl down, but one mishap after another always let their quarry escape. Yet whenever they completely lost track of Zhu Zhuqing, they would meet some kind soul who appeared just in time to point them in the right direction.

And so the two groups maintained an ambiguous distance: the pursuers could neither catch up nor shake her off. Following the route laid out long ago, they arrived in front of Feng Xinglie right on schedule.

To ensure the timing was precise, the people of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion had rehearsed the plan countless times. They had even used Spirit Hall's influence and the Martial Soul Newspaper to impose curfews, martial law, and restrictions on entering cities along the way. The enemies who could reach Feng Xinglie had been carefully screened, ensuring that the pursuers sent by Zhu Zhuyun would be ones he could handle.

In the end, after a series of meticulous arrangements, the first step of the operation had been perfectly completed.