The carriage rolled along the road back.
Bai Wei huddled in a corner of the carriage.
Her small body pressed against the carriage wall, both hands clutching the hem of her clothes.
She stole timid glances at Ling Xiao across from her, then quickly lowered her head.
Even now, it all still felt like a dream.
Just a few hours ago, she had been in a dilapidated mud-brick house.
Waiting to be sold by her parents to a wealthy merchant and become a maid who could be beaten and scolded at will.
Now, she was sitting in a luxurious carriage.
Beside her was the handsome young man who had rescued her from despair, along with a gentle, beautiful older sister.
They were heading toward a place she had never dared imagine.
She secretly looked up again at Ling Xiao, seated across from her.
The young man leaned against a soft cushion, flipping through a book in his hands.
His profile was handsome, with sword-like brows and bright, starry eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the carriage window and fell on him, gilding him with a halo.
There was a strength about him that somehow put her at ease.
"You don't have to be so reserved."
Ling Xiao hadn't even looked up, yet he had already sensed her gaze.
He spoke calmly, his voice gentle.
"From now on, you'll stay with me. No one will bully you again, and no one will ever sell you off."
Bai Wei's body trembled violently, and she looked somewhat flustered.
She lifted her head, her little face instantly turning red.
Then she quickly lowered her head again and answered in a small voice:
"Th... thank you, my lord."
Seeing her like that, Ling Xi looked at her with a trace of sympathy.
She moved over beside Bai Wei, gently took her cold little hand, and smiled warmly:
"Don't be afraid. Boss is a very good person. He's never treated any of us unfairly."
"From now on, think of this place as home. You can tell me if anything happens."
Ling Xi's hand was warm, and her smile was gentle.
Like a ray of sunshine, it dispelled the unease in Bai Wei's heart.
She nodded, and her tense body relaxed a little.
All along the way, Ling Xi spoke softly with her.
She told her what Spirit City was like and explained the rules of Qinghui Hall.
Bai Wei listened quietly, occasionally murmuring a reply.
The timidity in her gaze toward Ling Xi and Ling Xiao gradually faded, replaced by trust and dependence.
Before long, the carriage entered Spirit City.
It stopped in front of Qinghui Hall.
Bai Wei followed Ling Xi out of the carriage and looked at the magnificent hall before her.
Her eyes widened, her face filled with astonishment.
The sweeping eaves and interlocking brackets were imposing, and the blue stone floors inside the hall were smooth and gleaming.
Tall, verdant bamboo grew on either side. As the wind passed through, its leaves rustled.
Was this Spirit Hall?
The legendary top Soul Master force on the entire continent?
"Come on, I'll take you inside."
Ling Xi smiled, took her hand, and led her into Qinghui Hall.
The maids standing guard at the entrance saw Ling Xiao and immediately bowed in greeting.
They spared him no unnecessary glances, behaving with impeccable decorum.
This made Bai Wei understand all the more that the master of this place held a status beyond anything she could imagine.
After entering the hall, Ling Xiao gave only one calm instruction:
"Ling Xi, take her to wash up and get something to eat. Once she's settled, bring her to my study."
"Yes, Boss."
Ling Xi answered at once, took Bai Wei's hand, and led her toward the side hall.
The side hall was spacious and bright, with exquisite, luxurious furnishings.
A complete set of dressing implements sat on the vanity, and several sets of well-fitting dresses had been prepared in the wardrobe, with everything she could need from undergarments to outerwear.
The bathtub had already been filled with hot water and sprinkled with fresh flower petals.
The misty steam carried a faint floral fragrance throughout the room.
Bai Wei stood there, at a loss.
In all her life, she had never stayed somewhere so nice.
"Don't just stand there. Come see if the water's warm enough."
Ling Xi smiled as she helped undo Bai Wei's hair, her heart aching even more when she saw the girl's dry, brittle hair and worn-out dress.
"This will be your room from now on. These things are all for you, so don't feel shy."
"Sister Ling Xi, th-this is really all for me?"
Bai Wei looked up, disbelief in her eyes.
"Of course it is."
Ling Xi nodded, helped her out of her old clothes, and supported her into the bathtub.
"Boss has a kind heart and is a good person, too."
Warm water enveloped her body.
It washed away the dust from the journey and the grievances she had carried for years.
Watching Ling Xi crouch beside the tub and gently wash her hair, she asked in a small voice:
"Sister Ling Xi, d-did you go through the same thing as me?"
"Mm."
Ling Xi's touch was light, and her voice gentle.
"When I awakened my Martial Soul at six, they measured my innate Soul Power at level nine. But the Martial Soul I awakened was the most useless one of all: Blue Silver Grass."
"Everyone called me trash. They mocked and bullied me. I had a miserable time at the orphanage."
"Back then, I was exactly like you are now."
Bai Wei abruptly raised her head and looked at Ling Xi.
She was gentle in manner, strikingly beautiful, and possessed unfathomable strength.
Bai Wei could hardly imagine that Sister Ling Xi had once gone through the same things she had.
"Th-then what happened?"
Bai Wei's voice was urgent as she asked in a small voice.
"Then Boss found me."
Ling Xi's eyes lit up, sparkling like a sky full of stars.
Her voice held undisguised admiration and affection.
"He was like a ray of light, appearing when I was at my most desperate."
"He gave me the chance to defy fate and change my life, turning me from a laughingstock into a true Soul Master."
"Boss is mysterious and powerful."
"He's His Holiness the Pope's second direct disciple, a peerless genius with Innate Full Soul Power!"
"He's very handsome. He may seem cold, but he's actually incredibly gentle."
As she spoke of Ling Xiao, her whole being seemed to glow.
The loyalty and admiration that came from the bottom of her heart couldn't be faked.
Bai Wei listened, dumbfounded, her heart pounding.
His Holiness the Pope's direct disciple?
A peerless genius with Innate Full Soul Power?
These were words she had never even dared to imagine before.
Such an important person had not only saved her but was also going to give her the chance to change her fate?
"Sister Ling Xi, c-could he really give me a new life?"
Bai Wei's eyes brimmed with hope, though she feared it was all just a dream.
"My Martial Soul is completely useless. Everyone says I'm trash. I... can I really become a Soul Master like you?"
"Of course you can!"
Ling Xi looked at her and nodded firmly.
"Boss can accomplish things no one else would even dare to dream of. Since he brought you here, he'll give you a bright future."
"All you have to do is believe in him and stay loyal to him forever, just like I do."
Looking at the light in Ling Xi's eyes, Bai Wei nodded with all her might.
She didn't know what kind of new life awaited her.
But she knew that the young man and older sister who had brought her away were the only chance she would ever have.
Half an hour later, Bai Wei followed Ling Xi into Ling Xiao's study.
She had changed into a brand-new ruqun. Her whole appearance had transformed, and she looked like a demure young lady.
Much of her original timidity had faded, and her eyes had grown lively.
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