I... I'll Acknowledge Her as My Sister

He couldn't wait to start reporting his achievements from the past five and a half years to his father:

"Dad, I'm already level thirty-six. I've perfectly mastered both my second and third soul skills. Combined with the concepts you left me back then, I can even use my spiritual power to instantly strip opponents of their control over metal weapons."

"Dugu Bo has already told me everything. You've done an outstanding job; you are truly worthy of being the son of Qian Xunji." Qian Xunji praised him with a smile.

Hearing his father mention Dugu Bo, Qian San immediately shifted the topic, his tone filled with a mix of awe and curiosity:

"Dad, how exactly do you know Old Poison? If he hadn't been secretly protecting me these past few years, and even personally taking me to the Star Dou Forest and the Falling Moon Forest to hunt soul beasts, I would never have grown so smoothly. But Old Poison... he is actually a Titled Douluo! How were you able to get a Titled Douluo to act as my bodyguard?"

Not far away, behind a dense cluster of bushes dozens of meters from the father and son, Xiao Qing's body suddenly stiffened.

"A Titled Douluo?"

These four words exploded in Xiao Qing's mind. For the second time, she felt as if the sky were collapsing; the first time was when her mother was hunted by Bibi Yin.

Dugu Bo, fearing he might displease Qian Xunji and implicate his own granddaughter, had never appeared in front of Xiao Qing these past few years, even instructing Qian San not to reveal his existence when taking him to hunt soul beasts.

Her breathing stalled in that instant, and her face turned deathly pale. For over five years, she had occasionally felt as if a pair of eyes were watching this area from the shadows, but she had always assumed it was just one of the teachers at Nuoding Academy. After all, in such a remote primary academy, having a teacher at the level of a Soul Elder or Soul Ancestor was already the absolute peak.

But now, Qian San had said with his own mouth that the person who had been secretly protecting him for over five years, the one he called Old Poison, was a Titled Douluo!

A Titled Douluo had been by the side of her, a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in human form, for five and a half years!

Xiao Qing felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar; a bone-chilling cold surged from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Her true identity must have been exposed long ago, but why hadn't the other party made a move? Why hadn't they killed her to take her soul ring and soul bone?

Fear and a massive mystery instantly engulfed Xiao Qing. She bit her lower lip so hard that she managed to suppress a trembling sound. Only one thought remained in her mind: she was finished, completely finished.

Under the tree, Qian Xunji had long since noticed the little girl behind the bushes. He raised an eyebrow slightly, and the corners of his mouth beneath the mask curled into an imperceptible arc.

He turned to look at Qian San, his tone relaxed and casual as he brushed it off:

"Oh, Old Poison. Back when I was traveling the continent, I happened to do him a small favor. He's just an old friend who owes me a debt of gratitude. Let's not talk about him."

Qian Xunji reached out and patted Qian San on the shoulder.

"I see you and that girl named Xiao Qing are quite close? What, did you mistake her for a little sister this time?"

Qian San's originally smug expression froze instantly. His cheeks turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye. He stammered for a long time before scratching his head in embarrassment: "No... I didn't mistake her for a little sister."

"Oh?" Qian Xunji raised an eyebrow. "Then?"

"I... I acknowledged her as my older sister." Qian San's voice was as small as a mosquito's hum.

Qian Xunji was stunned for a moment, then nearly laughed out loud in his heart.

In this life, facing a high-quality female like Xiao Qing—who possessed formidable strength, a cold personality, and fought like a humanoid tyrannosaurus—Qian San, who lacked love in his previous life and craved warmth deep down, had actually been conquered by such assertiveness? Was this some kind of forced sibling love?

"Acknowledging her as a sister is fine, very fine." Qian Xunji suppressed his laughter and patted his son's shoulder.

"That girl has a steady temperament. With her watching over you, I can rest easy."

"Alright, San, go back to sleep first. Dad just came out of seclusion and has some urgent, private matters to handle near Nuoding City. I originally just wanted to stop by and see you. Go get some rest; I'll come find you at the dormitory tomorrow morning."

Qian San was taken aback, a flicker of doubt crossing his clear eyes. His father had finally come out of seclusion and called him out, yet after only a few words, why was he suddenly leaving for urgent business?

However, the filial piety and near-blind worship of his father ingrained in Qian San's bones made him swallow all his questions. In his view, if his father could arrange for a Titled Douluo to be his guardian even while in seclusion for five years, his father's vision and planning were far beyond what he could fathom. If his father said there was urgent business, it must be something earth-shattering.

"I understand, Dad. Please be careful with everything. I'll wait for you at the academy." Qian San bowed respectfully. Without any hesitation, he turned and unleashed his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, quickly disappearing into the night.

The forest returned to a deathly silence, save for the rustling of leaves in the night wind.

Qian Xunji stood quietly for a moment. Only after confirming that Qian San had fully returned to the dormitory did he slowly turn around.

"Alright, come out, Xiao Qing."

Qian Xunji's voice was not loud, but to Xiao Qing's ears, it sounded like a death warrant from the Grim Reaper.

Behind the bushes, Xiao Qing slowly stood up. Her legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead; every step she took seemed to exhaust all her strength. When she stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight, not a trace of color remained on her cold face, and her eyes were filled with gray despair.

She did not run. In front of a terrifying powerhouse who could make a Titled Douluo act as a willing bodyguard—and whose strength might even far exceed that of an ordinary Titled Douluo—running was merely a laughable joke.

She walked to a spot five paces from Qian Xunji and stopped. She raised her head, and in those eyes that were originally like deep, bottomless springs, there was now only the desolation of resignation and the last shred of pride belonging to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

"You knew my identity all along, yet you endured for five years without making a move..." Xiao Qing's voice trembled slightly, yet she still stubbornly held her chin high.

"If you want to kill me, do as you please. I only ask that you make it quick."

Looking at this Sky Azure Bull Python who appeared ready to face death, Qian Xunji suddenly laughed.

He walked forward slowly. With every step he took, Xiao Qing's body tightened uncontrollably. The pressure of facing such a powerhouse made her almost unable to breathe.

However, the fatal blow she expected to tear her body apart never came.

A broad, warm hand reached over her tense shoulder and landed gently on the top of her head, then stroked it softly, as if soothing a frightened kitten.

Xiao Qing froze completely. She opened her eyes in disbelief, staring blankly at the silver mask just inches away.

"Kill you? Why would I want to kill you?" Qian Xunji's tone held not a hint of killing intent; instead, it carried the gentleness and helplessness of an elder looking at a junior.