"That guy's reactions are quick."
Only Su Qing remained alone in the Sea of Consciousness. What a pity I'm just a spirit body. Otherwise, her lingering fragrance would surely have stayed in my arms. In truth, Gu Yuena had gone over those memories again and again for years, and had long since accepted Su Qing. But for over a million years, she had been utterly alone and helpless. Now that she suddenly had someone to rely on, it was only natural that it felt a little strange to her.
Outside, Zhang Lexuan, who had slept for a full three hours, slowly opened her eyes—and found herself gazing straight into a pair of violet eyes. His gentle gaze rippled like water, and before she knew it, she had fallen into it. There was something strangely captivating about his eyes, something that made it hard to look away.
"What are you staring at, Sister Lexuan? Is there a flower on my face?"
Faced with Zhang Lexuan, who was slightly dazed, Su Qing was just as confused. He couldn't recall Zhang Lexuan ever being smitten with anyone's looks. But none of that mattered right now. The priority was to hunt a Soul Ring, then send Zhang Lexuan back. That was the plan, anyway, but most likely she'd be the one sending him out of the Star Dou Great Forest. He'd pretend to leave, then come back after she was gone...
This time, he'd probably stay here until he was old enough to enroll. Three-Eyed Golden Lion would likely be the happiest of all during this stretch. Not only could she go out and play every day, she'd also have another playmate. But she'd dared to spread rumors about him, so he'd have to have a serious talk with her about that later.
Zhang Lexuan came back to her senses and shot him a sidelong glance, then muttered, "That mouth of yours really is your biggest flaw. But if you keep running it, the first thing I'll do when I get back is find you the world's best mute potion. Then I'll lie in wait until you become the mute bridegroom of all the junior sisters."
"But how did you break through to Soul King at such a young age?"
After teasing him, Zhang Lexuan suddenly remembered that he'd just said he wanted to hunt a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring. She glanced at Su Qing like he was some kind of monster, but in the end, she couldn't resist her curiosity.
"Who said I'm a Soul King? I'm only at level thirty."
Su Qing looked utterly helpless. He wanted to level up faster, but with dual Ultimate Attributes, he really couldn't do it! Then again, with cheats this absurd, Soul Power Level wasn't all that important.
"Level thirty? You're choosing a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Ring as your third ring? Are you sure you won't explode?"
Zhang Lexuan stared at him in disbelief. She wouldn't have been this shocked even if Su Qing had said it was his fourth Soul Ring. But a third ring? Just what kind of freak was he?
Then she suddenly remembered the two Soul Skills he'd mentioned: one concealed his aura, while the other gave him transparent wings. His third Soul Skill should require hunting a Soul Beast with strong offensive power. If he hadn't run into her, a two-ring Soul Elder-to-be would have faced a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast alone!
Did this guy not care about his own life at all?
"Of course I won't. My second ring is already seven thousand years old, so what's wrong with a Ten-Thousand-Year third ring? Oh, right—Sister Lexuan will keep this secret for me, won't you?"
Su Qing replied as if it were only natural. Then he stopped and looked up at Zhang Lexuan. Those same beautiful eyes held none of their earlier warmth.
"Since you've chosen to trust me, I won't let you down. Don't worry—I won't tell anyone how old your Soul Rings are. But... you're not allowed to go around telling people I leaned on your shoulder, either!"
She had seen too much of the world's warmth and coldness to misunderstand why Su Qing didn't want his talent exposed. Of course she would respect his wishes. But a promise made by only one side was too flimsy, so she chose to hand over some leverage of her own.
"Sister Lexuan, that's not exactly an even trade. How about you tell me another secret of yours?"
"Nice try. You just want to know my secrets!"
Zhang Lexuan pushed Su Qing away as he sidled up to her. The last time she'd talked this much had been with Bei Bei, but ever since that boy got a girlfriend, he hardly spoke to her anymore. He didn't even come by.
"Oh, right—I forgot to ask earlier. What kind of Soul Beast do you want to hunt?"
The two had walked side by side for quite a while before Zhang Lexuan remembered she hadn't asked what kind of Soul Beast he wanted. She couldn't help wondering what was wrong with her. She was always meticulous about her work, so why did she become so unreliable whenever she was around Su Qing?
"A Silver Hero Beast."
Su Qing walked along on his own, a blade of grass between his teeth. There was no way he'd find a Silver Hero Beast around here. He just wanted to take Zhang Lexuan for a walk through the forest and give her mind a breather. Not long ago, she had witnessed a teammate's death with her own eyes, and a haze had settled over her heart.
Guilt, self-blame, and overwhelming grief piled atop one another. Without a chance to recover, those negative emotions would quickly fill her heart. Just as in the original story, her shattered heart had left her unable to find any meaning in living. She had been determined to dedicate everything she had to Shrek. Could that really be considered the thinking of a normal person?
A girl as beautiful as her ought to smile more.
"A Silver Hero Beast? A Soul Beast that rare won't be easy to find. Don't you have a backup plan?"
Zhang Lexuan was taken aback. According to the books, hardly anyone had seen this kind of Soul Beast in over ten thousand years. It might even have gone extinct on the mainland. Was this kid serious?
"How would we know if we don't look? Besides, a boy who smiles is bound to have good luck. Sometimes, you just have to shout your wish to the sky like this. Who knows? Maybe the heavens will grant it."
As he spoke, Su Qing began shouting at the sky. "I want to find a Ten-Thousand-Year Silver Hero Beast!"
Faced with this ridiculous sight, Zhang Lexuan didn't know what to say. He really was still a child. If wishes came true just like that, why would anyone say that things didn't always go as they hoped? Still, she kept those thoughts to herself and didn't discourage Su Qing. She simply walked beside him in silence.
"I hope you get your wish."
Zhang Lexuan murmured softly. She didn't want Su Qing to feel disappointed, either. A face that handsome didn't deserve such an ugly expression.
"Maybe I will. If Sister Lexuan is my goddess of fortune, then I'll get my wish, won't I?"
Su Qing smiled faintly. She was definitely going to be his goddess of fortune. After he'd shouted just now, the Silver Hero Beast would probably be sent over by Gu Yuena. They only needed to walk a little farther, and they were sure to encounter one. He was already looking forward to Imprinting its Soul Skill.
"You sure know how to cheer someone up. But your Sister Lexuan isn't buying it. If I really brought good luck to the people around me, I wouldn't have ended up like this."
Memories from her childhood flashed through her mind like scenes on a screen. From beginning to end, she'd seemed more like a calamity destined to bring misfortune to others. After this, I have to stay away from Su Qing. Otherwise, he'll end up dead because of me, too...
"Sister Lexuan, save your judgment on how you've turned out until you're an old granny. At least for now, you really have brought me good luck. Don't believe me? Just look over there..."
Pulled out of her memories by Su Qing, Zhang Lexuan followed the direction he was pointing—and froze on the spot.
"This... how is this possible?!"