Di Tian Lacks Strategy, Silver Dragon Lacks Wisdom (Part 1)

"Mmm... ah..."

Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but moan, startling herself; she hurriedly covered her mouth, her eyes wide.

Her ears burned a scorching red in an instant, and even her fair neck flushed with an alluring rosy hue.

"Did I hurt you?"

"N-no, not at all!"

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head frantically, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum, "Please, continue..."

Gu Chensha said nothing more; with his fingertips coated in the cooling ointment, he continued to gently rub it in circles over the abrasions on her back.

Until his movements suddenly stopped.

"Are you finished?"

Zhu Zhuqing's tense spine shifted slightly.

"Not yet, there's another wound here. It's a bit large, so please bear with it for a moment."

Zhu Zhuqing's heart skipped a beat for no reason; she felt there was something off about that phrasing.

What did he mean by "a bit large," and why did she need to "bear with it"?

Before she could dwell on it, his fingertips pressed against the most severe abrasion.

The stinging sensation of the ointment seeping into the broken skin struck her suddenly, several times more intense than before.

Her entire body shuddered, and she couldn't help but cry out.

"Teacher, slower, it hurts a little..."

"Lighter... ah..."

"Don't touch there..."

The tone of her words was far too soft and sweet, the tearful inflection at the end sounding ambiguous and seductive, completely unlike her usual cold and distant self.

She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, and could only bury her face deeper.

Gu Chensha's movements paused for half a second before he lightened his touch.

Finally, after applying the ointment to the last wound on her back, he withdrew his hand and asked casually.

"What about other places? Like lower down, are there any you can't reach?"

Zhu Zhuqing's entire body stiffened violently.

It took a full three seconds for her to realize that by "lower down," he meant her waist, abdomen, and thighs.

But the words, as they fell into her ears, uncontrollably veered toward a much more suggestive direction.

She hurriedly pulled the animal hide wrapped around her tighter, covering herself completely, her voice hurried and shy.

"I-it's all applied! I can reach them myself! Everything is finished!"

Gu Chensha glanced at her hesitantly. Seeing that she had buried her head so deeply that only a few strands of hair remained visible, he didn't press the matter.

"Alright, then lie down and rest."

"Mm."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded obediently, lay back down, and whispered.

"Teacher, I feel like the wounds on my body are healing exceptionally fast."

"This is an ointment brewed from the Soul-Condensing Grass and Healing Flower unique to the Star Dou Great Forest; it accelerates the healing of skin and flesh."

Gu Chensha tidied up the stone bowl, "At this rate, you'll be able to move normally by tomorrow."

"By the way, Qing'er, tell me, why did you come to the Star Dou Great Forest?"

"Eh? Teacher, you don't know about my experiences during this time?"

A look of surprise appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's face.

She had always assumed that even while Gu Chensha was in a deep sleep, he could synchronize with her memories.

"I don't."

Gu Chensha shook his head, "During my slumber, our soul connection is temporarily severed, and those memories were not synchronized."

Zhu Zhuqing didn't mention the daily training routines of the Martial Soul Hall.

She only briefly described the content of this mission, the process of hunting the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, and everything that happened after encountering the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, Wangcai.

Gu Chensha listened, then pondered for a moment.

"So that's how it is."

"This wasn't some ordinary mission at all; it was yet another test from the Martial Soul Hall directed at you."

Zhu Zhuqing was stunned.

She hadn't considered this aspect at all, thinking that the Martial Soul Hall's tests would ease up for a while, or at least that some time would pass before the next one.

She never expected that her very first mission would turn out to be a trap.

Yet she was no naive, ignorant little girl; had she truly been that innocent, she would not have held out until the very last moment to release her Second Martial Soul.

But at this moment, her heart was filled with worry.

Does this mean I have already been exposed? Can I no longer return to Martial Soul Hall?

She bit her lip.

Although she could cultivate here with peace of mind, she could clearly sense that her Teacher was determined to obtain something within Martial Soul Hall.

No matter what, she could not be the one to hold him back.

But how was she to return?

She couldn't exactly say that she was friends with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger and that it had let her go, could she?

Even she found that statement absurd, let alone anyone else.

Seeing through the tangle of thoughts in her mind, Gu Chensha chuckled softly.

"Qing'er, you are underestimating Wangcai's deterrent power."

"To us, it is just a spoiled little pet, but in the eyes of outsiders, it is the notorious ten-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, with strength enough to rival an ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

"High-level soul masters are already rare in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest, and given the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's fearsome reputation, let alone a Soul Saint, even a low-level Titled Douluo would make running their first priority upon seeing it."

"Rest assured, the moment that agility-type Soul Saint catches even a glimpse of Wangcai, their only instinct will be to flee for their life; they wouldn't have the guts to stay and watch you use your skills."

Zhu Zhuqing let out a sigh of relief, then immediately frowned again.

"But how should I explain how I survived? If I return to Martial Soul Hall, there will inevitably be an interrogation."

"An interrogation is unavoidable, but that doesn't matter."

Gu Chensha already had a plan. "When the time comes, just say that you fainted from your injuries and, in your daze, saw the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger being lured away by a Three-Headed Red Gold Lion."

"A lion?"

Gu Chensha nodded. "Correct. That lion is five meters long, has three heads, and its canine teeth are red gold."

"If they continue to press you, just say you were too severely injured at the time and cannot remember anything that happened afterward."

"Eh? Is it really that simple? Will they believe it?"

"Hmph, you are the only survivor at the scene; that is the best justification."

Gu Chensha sneered. "Even if they are suspicious, they have no evidence whatsoever."

"Besides... 'When the Evil Tiger passes, everyone shouts for a beating' is not just a saying for nothing."

Wangcai, lying to the side, was displeased. It secretly rolled its eyes and let out a dissatisfied whimper, muttering to itself:

When a Demon Spider passes, isn't it also 'everyone shouts for a beating'...

Gu Chensha reached out silently and gave its ear a light pinch.

Wangcai immediately put on a dramatic performance, letting out a pitiful whine and drooping its head, not daring to make another sound.

"Furthermore, those fellows in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest love to wander about under the banner of protecting the interests of soul beasts."

Gu Chensha continued, "If they have nothing better to do, they might send a few lackeys out to put on a show and 'chase' Wangcai."

"For instance, that stray dog they call the Scarlet King."

"Scarlet King?"

Zhu Zhuqing tilted her little head, her face full of confusion.

She had heard of the fearsome reputation of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, but she had never heard of any Scarlet King.

"That is the 'lion' I mentioned just now."

"Of course, it isn't a lion at all; it is a Three-Headed Red Demon Mastiff."

Gu Chensha said indifferently, "The one ranked eighth among the Ten Great Fierce Beasts, a fire-attribute soul beast possessing a trace of true dragon bloodline."

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes suddenly lit up, and she exclaimed in pleasant surprise.

"Teacher!"

Gu Chensha looked down in confusion, meeting her sparkling, worshipful gaze, feeling somewhat puzzled.

"What is it?"