[Life God Trial, Second Trial: Save a female soul master with a Soul Power Level of around 18 who is facing a life-threatening crisis.] [Status: Completed] [Evaluation: Perfectly accomplished] [Reward settlement: Affinity with the God of Life increased by 10%. Current total affinity: 20%] [Reward granted: One God-Bestowed Soul Ring. The age of all Soul Rings increased by 1,000 years.]
Two currents of warmth surged forth from the Mark of Destruction and the Mark of Life respectively. One was scorching and violent, the other gentle and mild. They swiftly coursed through his entire body, nourishing his bones and meridians before finally settling deep within his two hearts.
Although his affinity had only increased by 10%, and his Soul Ring ages had only risen by a thousand years,
Zichuan could clearly sense that his connection to those two God Kings had grown a little closer. His control over the powers of destruction and life had also become increasingly effortless.
The two God-Bestowed Soul Rings stored within his Sea of Consciousness were even more of a safeguard for the future.
"Mm, not bad." The God of Destruction's voice rang out, carrying a trace of satisfaction.
"Pretty efficient. The rewards may not be much, but every little bit counts. Besides, you saved someone, killed someone, and even picked up an extra..."
He did not finish, but the teasing implication in his tone was obvious.
Zichuan automatically ignored the rest of his words and turned his attention back to reality.
He looked at the blue-haired girl—Tang Ya—who was still sitting on the ground, tightly holding the unconscious old woman. She had raised her little face and was staring fixedly at him with a complicated expression that mixed shock, confusion, fear, gratitude, and a hint of dull disbelief.
She looked terribly frightened. Naturally. Anyone who saw a six- or seven-year-old child crush weapons barehanded, instantly kill a Soul Ancestor with one claw, and slaughter ten vicious pursuers as easily as chopping vegetables would probably wear the same expression.
Zichuan walked over, crouched in front of her, and tried to make his voice sound gentler. "Are you all right?"
Tang Ya did not answer immediately. She merely continued staring at him with her wide, tear-filled eyes, her little mouth slightly open, as though she had yet to recover from that bloody, shocking scene.
Several seconds later, she seemed to suddenly realize that he had been speaking to her. She jolted, and her tears fell even harder. Yet some of the fear in her eyes faded, replaced by the dazed relief of surviving a disaster and an indescribable gratitude.
"Th-thank you..." Her voice was thick with sobs and trembling, but she tried her best to speak clearly. "Th-thank you for saving us... Although... although Grandma and the others..."
She lowered her head to look at the old woman in her arms, whose breathing was faint and whose chest wound was still bleeding. Then she looked toward the two corpses of Tang Sect disciples nearby. Her tears burst forth again, and she began to sob uncontrollably.
Zichuan did not offer any comforting words. He simply watched in silence.
He understood the pain of losing family. Although he had no firsthand experience with it—he had been an orphan before transmigrating, and an orphan-plus after transmigrating—he could still understand.
Tang Ya cried for a while before she barely managed to stop sobbing. She wiped her face haphazardly with her filthy sleeve, then lifted her swollen, reddened eyes to Zichuan and asked hoarsely, "Y-you... what's your name?"
"Zichuan. Zi as in purple, Chuan as in mountains and rivers." Zichuan answered crisply.
"Zichuan..." Tang Ya repeated softly, as though trying hard to commit the name to memory. Then she asked, "Are you alone? Where are your father and mother? Aren't they... aren't they with you?"
She looked at Zichuan's face, which was clearly even more childish than hers, then recalled the terrifying strength he had displayed earlier. Her heart filled with confusion and sympathy.
Such a young child, yet so strong, alone in Sunset Forest... Where was his family?
Zichuan shrugged, his tone as calm as if he were talking about someone else. "I'm alone. No father, no mother. I don't know who they are or where they are."
That was half true. He truly did not know who this body's parents were. As for the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life... could they count as "parents"?
Maybe, but not parents in the true sense.
However, to Tang Ya, who had just lost all her family and believed they were fellow sufferers, those words instantly struck the softest and most painful part of her heart.
"Y-you too..."
Tang Ya's eyes immediately reddened again, and an intense feeling of shared misery welled up within her.
She looked at Zichuan's little face. Though it was calm, in her eyes it seemed filled with "loneliness" and "strength" entirely of her own imagination. The distance and fear she had felt due to his terrifying power were instantly overwhelmed by surging sympathy and closeness.
She suddenly opened her arms and pulled the crouching Zichuan tightly into her embrace!
Zichuan: "!!!"
His body stiffened. He had never expected Tang Ya to make such a move.
A strange scent lingered around his nose—the faint fragrance of a young girl mingled with sweat, blood, and a trace of grass and wood. His cheek pressed against her thin but slightly trembling shoulder.
He could clearly feel Tang Ya's warm tears falling onto the hollow of his neck, as well as her arms wrapped tightly around him with the desperate strength of someone seeking comfort.
"Waaah... Zichuan... thank you... thank you so much..."
Tang Ya buried her face in Zichuan's shoulder and burst into loud sobs, as if she wanted to vent all the fear, grievance, hatred, and loneliness she had accumulated over these past days through this embrace and her tears.
"We... we're the same... We're both orphans that nobody wants now..."
Zichuan was so flustered by the hug that he did not know where to put his hands. He tried to break free, but Tang Ya was holding him tightly and crying heartbreakingly.
He sighed. In the end, he relaxed and let her hold him, though he could not help complaining inwardly:
Girl, you've got it wrong! I may not have parents, but I have God King parents—remnant-soul versions—who chase after me to feed me, a Super Douluo teacher who protects me to an absurd degree, and a whole valley of hundred-thousand-year immortal herbs waiting for me to dote on them... My life has gone so smoothly that even I'm scared!
It has absolutely nothing to do with the word "miserable," okay!
Still, seeing Tang Ya cry so sorrowfully, he ultimately did not say any of that. Forget it. Let her misunderstand. At least it was some comfort.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the God of Destruction let out an utterly undisguised laugh filled with malicious amusement. "Hahaha! Kid, she's holding you pretty tight! Looks like this little girl has a good first impression of you! There's hope, there's hope!"
Zichuan was speechless. He replied inwardly, "Old Zi, can you be a little more serious? How old is she? How old am I?"
"What's wrong with being young? You can settle it first!" The God of Destruction had an entire set of theories ready.
"Feelings are cultivated! Look at how much she relies on you now. How much she trusts you. This is a good start! This wife candidate I picked for you—my judgment's not bad, right?"
"Wait!" Zichuan caught the key phrase. "Candidate? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." The God of Destruction spoke as though it were only natural. "Tang Ya is only one of your wife candidates. What, did you think there'd only be one?"
Zichuan: "...???"
Before you continue