A Little Cat

"I didn't, Tianfeng, you must believe me, I truly didn't..."

Zhu Wanying collapsed, throwing herself onto the floor and sobbing with a heart-wrenching intensity:

"Qian Xunji is indeed arrogant, but he never touched me!

He only... only... made me knead his legs for the entire night, using it to humiliate me, to humiliate the Star Luo Empire!"

"Knead his legs? Hahahaha! A fine 'kneading of legs' indeed!"

Dai Tianfeng acted as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world, laughing so hard his wounds burst open, ignoring the blood seeping through his bandages.

"A man and a woman alone in a secret chamber, and you tell this Imperial One you only kneaded his legs? Zhu Wanying, do you think Qian Xunji beat me into a fool? Does his scent still linger on your body even now?"

Monarchs are inherently suspicious, and within the depths of Dai Tianfeng's extreme chauvinism and obsession with imperial dignity, Zhu Wanying's explanation was nothing short of pale and laughable.

Looking at the disgust, and even the faint trace of murderous intent in Dai Tianfeng's eyes, Zhu Wanying's heart turned completely cold.

To protect him, to preserve the family, she had endured humiliation beyond what any ordinary person could imagine, even being forced to agree to send her own younger sister into the tiger's den.

If not for these burdens, she would have died yesterday; why else would she have submitted to Qian Xunji...!

Yet, after escaping back from the jaws of death, what was her reward?

In that moment, Zhu Wanying closed her eyes, tears sliding down in silence.

There is no sorrow greater than a dead heart; what was all this sacrifice for?

She knew that everything between her and Dai Tianfeng was over.

The strongest trump card passed down through generations of the Star Luo Imperial Family and the Zhu Family—the Martial Soul Fusion Skill: Hell White Tiger—required the two to be of one mind and to trust each other completely.

But now, the viper of suspicion had bitten deep into Dai Tianfeng's heart; this rift, this "cuckold's hat," would forever stand between them.

From this day forward, the Star Luo Empire would never again see their Hell White Tiger!

"Since Your Majesty does not believe me, this concubine has nothing more to say."

Zhu Wanying slowly stood up, wiped away her tears, and her gaze turned hollow and icy, devoid of any past tenderness:

"The condition for Pope Qian Xunji to let me return was that a daughter of the Zhu Family must go to Martial Soul Hall to become his personal disciple. For the sake of Star Luo's safety, I have already agreed."

"You not only sold your body, but you also sold out the family?!" Dai Tianfeng gritted his teeth.

Zhu Wanying ignored his roar, turned, and walked out of the imperial bedchamber that made her feel suffocated.

Returning to the Zhu Family estate, Zhu Wanying locked herself in her room.

She looked at the six-year-old girl before her, who wore her black hair in a short cut and possessed a delicate, doll-like appearance, with a hint of stubborn pride hidden in her features.

This was her younger sister from a concubine, Zhu Yan.

"Big Sister, why are you crying?" Six-year-old Zhu Yan reached out with a small hand, trying to wipe the tears from Zhu Wanying's face.

Zhu Wanying pulled her sister into a tight embrace, her tears flowing like a broken dam: "Yanyan, I'm sorry... it's Big Sister's fault, Big Sister couldn't protect you."

Originally, she had felt immense guilt and despair at the thought of sending her sister to that demonic Pope.

But after experiencing Dai Tianfeng's heartlessness, Zhu Wanying suddenly wondered: is staying in this cold, cruel Star Luo Imperial Palace, filled only with suspicion and greed, or remaining in this Zhu Family destined for sisterly infighting, truly better than going to Martial Soul Hall?

That Qian Xunji might be a madman, a devil, but he kept his word. Since he said he would take her as a disciple, perhaps... this was actually a path to escape the man-eating cage of Star Luo.

"Yanyan, you must remember." Zhu Wanying cupped her sister's small face, staring intensely into her eyes, and spoke word by word:

"Once you go to Martial Soul Hall, no matter what the Pope asks you to do, you must obey. You must cultivate with all your might, you must strive to become strong!

Never, ever trust a man's affections; only power is your true reliance, do you understand?"

Zhu Yan, only half-understanding, looked at her sister's frantic expression and felt a bit afraid, but she still nodded heavily.

The next day, an ordinary carriage without any Star Luo Empire markings, carrying six-year-old Zhu Yan and escorted by a team of death-sworn guards, quietly left the Star Luo Imperial City and sped toward the direction of Martial Soul Hall.

A few days later.

Martial Soul City, Pope Hall.

Qian Xunji was sitting in his study, happily watching the Subversion Points on his system panel, which had already broken the 200,000 mark and were still skyrocketing due to the spread of General Theory of Martial Souls. He was calculating whether he should go on a shopping spree in the mall.

"Reporting to Your Holiness the Pope!"

A Cardinal walked in quickly, his expression respectful yet tinged with a hint of strangeness:

"People from the Star Luo Empire have arrived. They... have brought a six-year-old girl, saying it is a 'gift' from the Zhu Family for you..."

Upon hearing this, Qian Xunji spun his chair around abruptly, set down his wine glass, and the curve of his mouth widened.

"Oh? They've arrived?"

Qian Xunji stood up and smoothed out his snow-white, flawless papal robes.

"Let's go, bring them to the main hall. This Seat wants to personally inspect this little kitten from Star Luo."

Pope Hall, assembly chamber.

As the heavy bronze doors emitted a low, rumbling groan, two Cardinals respectfully led a tiny figure into the grand hall.

It was a little girl who looked to be only about six years old.

She was wearing a plain, even somewhat oversized, greyish-black cloak.

It was clearly meant to keep her inconspicuous on the road, but once the hood was pushed back, the delicate, porcelain-like face revealed beneath was enough to brighten one's eyes.

With short, ear-length black hair, her features were as exquisite as a porcelain doll.

Although she appeared somewhat pale and haggard from the long journey, those large, obsidian-like eyes held none of the ignorance or fear one would expect from an ordinary six-year-old child.

This was the apology sent by the Zhu Family of the Star Luo Empire: Zhu Wanying's own younger sister, Zhu Yan.

"Reporting to Your Holiness the Pope, the people from the Star Luo Empire have been delivered. The escorts didn't even dare to drink a drop of water after unloading the carriage; they turned around and fled back the way they came," the cardinal reported respectfully.

"Mm, you may withdraw."

Qian Xunji waved his hand, and soon only he and the solitary little girl standing below the steps remained in the great hall.

"Your name is Zhu Yan?"

Qian Xunji did not deliberately release any pressure. Instead, with a flicker of thought, he switched his Martial Soul to its second form. A gentle, sacred aura, reminiscent of the warm spring sun, radiated from him, instantly dispelling the chill within the hall.

Zhu Yan was slightly stunned, her small hands gripping the edge of her cloak tightly.

Before she arrived, her eldest sister Zhu Wanying had described this Pope as the most terrifying, perverted, and soul-devouring devil in the entire world. She had even hidden a sharpened stone in her sleeve, prepared to put up a futile struggle at any moment.

But now, the man before her—with his golden hair, handsome face, and body radiating a sacred glow—didn't look like the type of person who would bully a woman at all.