A Minor First Encounter

The distance from Phantom Star to Suotuo City wasn't far. At Zhu Zhuqing's speed, it took about half an hour to get there.

Zhu Zhuqing freshened up a little, then walked over.

The road was fairly safe. After all, it was near a major city, where bandits were uncommon, so Zhu Zhuqing made no effort to conceal her whereabouts along the way.

"Is this Suotuo City?"

Outside the city walls, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the plaque above the gate and murmured.

She was being inspected by the guards.

"Name and origin!"

The guard's tone wasn't pleasant, but at least he wasn't leering.

She'd never personally encountered a lecherous guard, but she'd heard plenty about them.

"A student of Phantom Star Academy, Zhu Zhuqing."

She took out her travel permit. The guard's expression shifted, as if he doubted it was genuine, but he still recorded it properly. The document was authentic.

"Everything checks out. Please come in, miss."

"Uncle, can I ask why your expression changed when I said Phantom Star Academy?"

There weren't many people entering just then, so the guard had time to answer. Zhu Zhuqing was also being quite polite, which made him willing to respond.

"Ahem. Phantom Star Academy is known around here for being unable to attract students. Last year, I took my kid to have a look at the academy, but in the end, we didn't choose it."

He said no more. Zhu Zhuqing understood and didn't press him for details.

He was just a wage earner. Why make things difficult for him? It wasn't as if he deserved to die.

She walked in by herself, thinking as she went.

"The academy only has two students right now. Next time Master recruits, I'll have to help."

That was only a minor incident. The guard didn't go around telling people about it afterward. He still figured that even if Zhu Zhuqing was a Phantom Star student, she wouldn't stay long.

Suotuo City couldn't compare to other major cities. After seeing it, Zhu Zhuqing even felt it was inferior to Phantom Star.

That was aside from the facilities it lacked, like a Soul Fighting Arena. Still, she'd heard that Master was considering offering subjects like blacksmithing.

He was also planning to turn part of the back mountain into an arena, though apparently they were waiting for the right opportunity.

"If I'm not mistaken, it should be here."

Zhu Zhuqing stood in front of the Rose Hotel, but had no intention of checking in.

She had just checked a few likely places and found no sign of her target. Based on the information she'd heard back in Star Luo, other than those places, Dai Mubai wouldn't be obediently cultivating at an academy right now.

"Hello. Do you have a double room for couples? The most expensive kind."

Zhu Zhuqing disguised herself a little and went to ask at the front desk.

Knowing him, he definitely wouldn't stay in a cheap room. He was from the Star Luo imperial family, after all. Even she had needed time to adjust when she first arrived at Phantom Star.

What's more, this prince had more money on him than she did.

The receptionist apologized professionally. "I'm sorry, miss, but we're fully booked today."

Zhu Zhuqing acted as if nothing had happened and didn't say much else before leaving the desk.

She was posing as a tourist.

Once she stepped outside, she wondered if she should just head back.

She had no interest in going to the other person's academy to look for him. Besides, she was already a student at Phantom Star.

"Wait, no."

She muttered to herself. She had a feeling that if she waited here, she might run into him.

She didn't know where the feeling came from. It wasn't quite a sixth sense or an instinct, and its lingering presence made her uneasy.

Another feeling urged her to leave at once, or things would get troublesome.

"Talismans..."

Zhu Zhuqing looked down at the spatial ring her master had given her a few days ago, and felt much more confident.

"What's there to be afraid of? Master gave me talismans."

As soon as that thought surfaced, the two earlier feelings disappeared.

Her mind cleared at once. Right—Master was there for her. What was there to fear? It wasn't as if she was doing anything wrong.

With that in mind, Zhu Zhuqing found a nearby restaurant, ordered some food, and kept her eyes on the hotel.

"So this is my fiancé? He doesn't look as handsome as Master, and he doesn't have my junior brother's fine bearing, either."

After waiting a while, a man really did emerge from the Rose Hotel. Though he was far away, Zhu Zhuqing had sharp eyes. His double pupils, deep blue eyes, and distinctive air were unmistakable.

He clearly looked like he'd been out indulging himself. She just didn't know how many girls he'd ruined.

Zhu Zhuqing found such behavior utterly despicable. She'd received a noble's education, but that didn't mean a woman had to accept this sort of thing.

"Hmm? Why do I feel like someone's watching me?"

Dai Mubai had some strength, and he also possessed the White Tiger Martial Soul, so he was especially sensitive to that kind of feeling.

When Zhu Zhuqing noticed Dai Mubai looking her way, she didn't even think of avoiding his gaze. She continued to stare straight at him.

"It's a shame we're engaged. But if he dies, does that mean the engagement won't count anymore?"

She thought about it, and the more she did, the more feasible it seemed.

Compared to Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai felt his body tense when he saw her.

With her outfit and the stirring of his own Martial Soul, there was no way he wouldn't recognize her.

"Boring."

Zhu Zhuqing muttered, called the owner over to settle the bill, and prepared to return to the academy.

Just then, Dai Mubai hurried over and called out.

"Wait!"

Zhu Zhuqing gave a cold snort and ignored him. Her thoughts weren't on him in the slightest.

When Dai Mubai saw that Zhu Zhuqing was ignoring him, he acted like he had no brain and made a move against her anyway.

Perhaps he was used to throwing his weight around. People in Suotuo City rarely defied him, so he instinctively reached out to grab Zhu Zhuqing.

"Watch your behavior, young master."

Zhu Zhuqing dodged his grab, her expression sour. She hadn't thought much of Dai Mubai to begin with, and now she thought even less of him.

"Who are you, exactly?"

Dai Mubai lowered his gaze and glared at Zhu Zhuqing, growling.

Zhu Zhuqing was a little surprised. Was this young master never rejected? He got this angry just because she ignored him?

"That's none of your business."

Her words seemed to stab Dai Mubai in the spine, instantly drawing out his temper.

"Hmph. If you won't tell me, then you're not leaving."

The young master had taken a loss and needed to get even, so he immediately started fighting.

"Just as you'd expect from a young master. Picking a fight in broad daylight without a care."

"Say what you want. Once I take you to the dungeon, the guards won't dare say a word."

Although Dai Mubai attacked, he still didn't dare go all out. There were too many onlookers.

"Crude technique. It's not fit for the grand stage."

Zhu Zhuqing dealt with Dai Mubai's attacks with ease, relying on her martial arts. As long as she didn't use a Soul Skill, that was all there was to him.

"Forget it. I'm done playing with you. Instead of wasting your time on this, you should worry about your little sweetheart."

She changed her claw into a palm and thrust it forward, making Dai Mubai stumble back two steps.

The shock in his eyes was plain to see. He was probably thinking:

How the hell is this chick so strong?

While he was stunned, Zhu Zhuqing had already slipped away. When he looked toward the Rose Hotel, one of his mature-looking lovers had indeed stuck her head out to watch.

The guards he'd expected never showed up. Seething with resentment, Dai Mubai had no choice but to return to Shrek Academy. Later, Flender even asked him about what had happened.

Dai Mubai felt rather awkward. After giving a deliberately vague account, he went back to his room in a bad mood.

Meanwhile, after the guards questioned Zhu Zhuqing about what had happened, she was allowed to leave. They didn't take any action against her.

She bought some ingredients and souvenirs, then left Suotuo City. On the way, she remembered something.

"Oh, right. Master thought I'd invite that scumbag. Hmph, what a bad master. Why can't he think of anything good?"