[I died.]
The last words and the footage came to an abrupt end.
"..."
Lin Qing in the real world fell silent for a long while before slowly letting out a breath.
His feelings were a tangled mess.
He was angry and heartbroken over what his Parallel World self had suffered.
Yet he also felt a trace of comfort at the courage to resist unto death.
At least the Lin Qing of the Parallel World had not let that old pervert have his way.
He had chosen the most brutal, yet cleanest, way to end his own life.
"This really gave me a firsthand understanding of what it means when people say, 'Being cute is also a crime.'"
Lin Qing shook his head with a bitter smile.
He touched the face of his six-year-old self.
His emotions were complicated.
Boys needed to protect themselves when they went out too.
The world was far too dangerous!
[ Ding! Listening to the last words complete! ]
The system notification rang out without warning, interrupting Lin Qing's reflections.
[ Receiving Lin Qing's relics... ]
On the table, the pitch-black Ash Urn suddenly began to emit a soft white glow.
The light grew brighter and brighter, gradually enveloping the entire box.
Then—
"Pop!"
A soft sound rang out.
The lid of the Ash Urn sprang open on its own.
There were no ashes inside.
Instead, there was a small cloth pouch and three fist-sized pieces of dark-red, translucent gelatinous matter that radiated a warm aura.
[ Relics: "Gold Soul Coin" x100, "Melted Thousand-Year Whale Rubber" x5! ]
Lin Qing's eyes instantly widened.
He ignored the bag of Gold Soul Coins entirely and carefully took one of the five pieces of gelatinous matter from the box.
It felt warm in his hand, soft and elastic.
When he brought it closer and sniffed it, he caught a faintly fishy, sweet fragrance.
This was Whale Rubber!
And it was Thousand-Year Whale Rubber that had already been melted and could be consumed directly!
"This..."
Lin Qing was so excited that his hands trembled.
This was genuinely good stuff!
However, the system notification was not over yet.
[ Lin Qing's last wish received. ]
[ "If there is another life, I will definitely kill that old pervert Priest!!!" ]
The narrator's voice rang out again.
But this time, it was no longer calm narration. It was filled with overwhelming fury and hatred.
Every word seemed to have been forced out through clenched teeth.
The final three words were practically screamed.
The hatred in that voice was so intense it seemed ready to take physical form.
Lin Qing's heart tightened as he listened.
He could feel just how unwilling and furious his Parallel World self had been before his death.
[ Upon fulfilling the deceased "Six-Year-Old Lin Qing's" last wish of killing Viscount Priest, you may obtain the relic: "Melted Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber" x5! ]
"Hiss!"
Lin Qing sucked in a sharp breath.
This time, it was not only because of Parallel Lin Qing's overwhelming hatred, but also because the reward was too generous!
Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber!
That was far more precious than Thousand-Year Whale Rubber!
"This last wish... I'll accept it!"
Lin Qing looked at the warm Thousand-Year Whale Rubber in his hand, then at the remaining pieces in the Ash Urn. His gaze gradually turned firm.
Even without the reward of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, he would have done it.
That was the "himself" of a Parallel World!
Besides, that perverted priest deserved to die.
A cold glint flashed through Lin Qing's eyes.
He truly wanted to kill him too.
He would avenge his Parallel World self and rid the world of one more scourge.
He carefully put away the five pieces of melted Thousand-Year Whale Rubber.
"Viscount Priest, was it..."
Lin Qing walked to the window and gazed into the distance.
"I'll remember this debt."
Blood debts had to be repaid in blood!
The evening glow draped Emperor Soul Village in a veil of orange-red.
Lin Qing sat on the threshold of the dilapidated wooden house, watching the sun gradually sink beyond the ridge as he planned his next steps.
His first priority was naturally to consume the Whale Rubber and raise his Soul Power to level ten.
Just as he was lost in thought—
"Xiao Qing!"
A clear voice called out from the other end of the dirt road.
Lin Qing looked up and saw Er Ni carrying a ceramic plate as she jogged toward him.
The girl was already ten years old.
Although she still wore the same old cloth dress washed pale from use, and her hair was only casually pinned up with a wooden hairpin—
Anyone could tell that she had excellent natural looks.
Her brows and eyes were delicate, and despite years of labor, her skin still retained a healthy color.
Her figure had also begun to fill out, taking on the curves a young girl should have.
She merely lacked decent clothes and a clean, proper appearance.
Otherwise, she would definitely have been a striking little beauty even in the city.
"I killed a chicken today. I saved half of it for you!"
Er Ni smiled and set the ceramic plate on the broken wooden table before Lin Qing.
On the plate was half a free-range chicken stewed until tender, its broth rich and fragrant.
She had even thoughtfully added two corn buns.
"Eat up. It's still hot."
Er Ni sat down on the wooden stool beside him, propped her cheeks in her hands, and watched Lin Qing with sparkling eyes.
Her gaze was filled with undisguised affection.
"..."
"What's wrong?"
Er Ni keenly noticed that something was off with Lin Qing's expression.
She leaned closer, her brows knitting slightly.
"Did Er Gouzi cause trouble for you again?"
As she spoke, she sprang to her feet and rolled up her sleeves.
"I'll go settle the score with him right now!"
She looked just like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
"Don't!"
Lin Qing hurriedly grabbed her wrist.
The girl's wrist was thin, and her skin rough. He could feel the calluses left by years of farm work.
"It has nothing to do with him."
Lin Qing carefully considered his words.
"There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"In a few days, I'll probably be leaving Emperor Soul Village."
"Huh?"
The smile on Er Ni's face instantly froze.
"Leaving?"
She murmured the word, panic flashing through her eyes.
"Going... where?"
"To become a Soul Master."
Lin Qing tried to keep his tone calm.
"I was always going to leave eventually."
That was the truth.
He possessed level-eight Innate Soul Power and the Heavenly Eye Martial Soul.
He was destined not to spend his whole life holed up in this tiny village.
Whether he went to Nuoding City or Spirit Hall, he would eventually leave this place.
And Er Ni...
Lin Qing sighed inwardly.
When Er Ni awakened her Martial Soul at six, it had been an utterly ordinary white wildflower.
Her Innate Soul Power had barely even reached level one.
And now that she was already ten, she had long missed the best age for cultivation.
For Er Ni, the path of a Soul Master was basically cut off.
"Soul Master..."
Er Ni softly repeated the term.
She lowered her head and stared at her rough hands, weathered from work.
She remained silent for a long time.
Then she lifted her head and forced out a smile.
"Th-then... that's good."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Xiao Qing, you're so amazing. You'll definitely become a powerful Soul Master and live a good life."
When she said "a good life," her voice caught, and her eyes quickly reddened.
"Xiao Qing, remember to eat the chicken. It won't taste good once it gets cold. I'll head back first."
After leaving those words behind, she ran away without looking back.
Not long after.
"Lin Qing!!!"
An angry roar drew closer and closer.
Er Gouzi charged over like a little calf, stopping before Lin Qing with his face full of fury.
"Did you bully my sister?"
He pointed at Lin Qing's nose, his eyes wide and round.
Lin Qing rubbed his brow. "I didn't bully her."
"Bullshit!"
Er Gouzi did not believe him.
"My sister was upset after she came to see you today."
He stepped forward. Though he was half a head shorter than Lin Qing, he had plenty of momentum.
"I'm telling you, Lin Qing, don't think you can bully my sister just because she likes you!"
"If there's a next time..."
Er Gouzi waved his fist.
"I won't let you off!"
After saying that, he glared fiercely at Lin Qing before turning and stomping off in a huff. There was nothing else he could do—he could not beat Lin Qing, so all he could do was talk tough.
Lin Qing was left alone, smiling helplessly.
What a melodramatic development.
Before you continue