Eager to Begin

Should I do something with the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm?

But the thought lasted only an instant before he suppressed it.

The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was certainly a priceless treasure, but using it to expend that tear would be far too extravagant. It wasn't worth it.

As he pondered, Yue Shen stood quietly at his side, hands elegantly folded before her abdomen and head slightly bowed. She had an unexpectedly gentle, girlish air about her, utterly unlike her usual aloof and proud self.

Only the occasional furtive glance she cast toward Zhao Linchuan betrayed the unrest within her.

Zhao Linchuan raised his eyes to her and asked directly, "Yue Shen, what you said in the main hall just now—that from now on, you would be my woman—did you mean it?"

Two blushes bloomed on Yue Shen's cheeks at once, spreading all the way to her ears.

She bit her lower lip, then nodded resolutely. "What Yue Shen said... came from the heart, every word."

"Having chosen to follow you in this life, Young Master, my body and soul naturally belong to you."

"If... if Young Master despises me and doesn't want me, then Yue Shen would rather spend the rest of her life alone than serve another."

By the end, Yue Shen's voice trembled, carrying a trace of sorrowful resolve.

Zhao Linchuan gazed into her eyes.

On the system panel, Yue Shen's Loyalty was clearly displayed: [Yue Shen, Loyalty: 79].

Seventy-nine points of loyalty... He understood.

That number meant that, so long as he didn't cross her ultimate boundary, she would do almost anything for him in every other regard.

"Good." Zhao Linchuan no longer hesitated, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "Since you've made up your mind, I naturally can't keep holding back from you."

As soon as he finished speaking, his thoughts stirred.

Soft treasure-light flashed across the tabletop, one after another!

First came four golden bones of different shapes, radiating immense energy—the Head Soul Bone, a left arm bone, a left leg bone, and a right leg bone!

Immediately afterward, nine golden points of light appeared out of nowhere, hovering above the four Soul Bones.

In an instant, the entire room filled with such dense, pure Soul Power that it seemed impossible to disperse. Even the candlelight dimmed beneath it. The air seemed to turn into a viscous slurry of Soul Power, and every breath made one's own Soul Power faintly increase!

Yue Shen's breath stopped. Her pupils dilated as she stared in a daze at the pile of treasures on the table—enough to drive the entire Douluo Continent mad. Her red lips parted, and she swallowed unconsciously, her throat suddenly dry.

She could even hear her heart pounding wildly inside her chest.

"These four Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones and these nine God-Bestowed Soul Rings are yours." Zhao Linchuan's voice brought her back from her shock. "I'll leave the right arm bone aside for now. I have other plans for it, and they might give you something even better."

Yue Shen abruptly came to her senses and hurriedly composed herself, but the delight in her eyes nearly spilled over.

She nodded vigorously, her voice trembling with excitement. "Yes! I'll leave everything to you, Young Master! Yue Shen... Yue Shen will not disappoint you!"

Carefully, she placed the Soul Bones and Soul Rings one by one into her white jade storage ring, handling each with great delicacy.

Watching her look as though she couldn't wait to retreat and absorb them, Zhao Linchuan chuckled to himself. On the surface, however, he remained calm. "Cultivate well. I look forward to seeing what you'll look like after your transformation. I'll be going now."

"Young Master, I'll see you out!" Yue Shen immediately suppressed her longing and hurried to offer.

"No need. I can leave on my own."

Zhao Linchuan waved a hand and walked to the door. Then he stopped, his back to her, and added earnestly, "Yue Shen, remember: in this completely unfamiliar world, Yan Fei may be the person you know best, and someone who was once among the closest to you."

"She's the only one who comes from the same world as you, the only one who shares your past."

"If anything happens to her, you'll truly have no one here with whom you can even speak the language of your homeland."

He turned his head slightly, his voice softening.

"Your sights should be set on a much wider world, on the road to reaching its peak in the future."

"Those childish sulks and petty rivalries—you should let them go."

The meaning behind his words couldn't have been clearer: he didn't want Yue Shen to do anything rash to Yan Fei out of jealousy or a desire to compete for his favor.

At his words, Yue Shen unconsciously clenched her teeth.

She knew this was the Young Master's warning and advice, but the inexplicable competitive fire she felt toward Yan Fei wouldn't die down so easily.

She hesitated, then asked in a small voice, tinged with reluctance, "Young Master... then... can Yue Shen... teach her a little lesson?"

"Just a little, so she knows better..." She raised a finger and made an insulting gesture.

Zhao Linchuan fell silent for a moment, then opened the door. "Don't go too far."

The door closed softly.

Yue Shen stood where she was, looking at the closed door before lowering her gaze to the storage ring. Her eyes flickered, and at last her expression turned into a complicated smile.

"Don't go too far? I understand..."

Zhao Linchuan had barely taken a few steps from Yue Shen's room when a slender figure silently emerged from the shadow of a nearby pillar.

She raised a delicate finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. At the same time, a faint voice sounded in Zhao Linchuan's ear: Young Master, please follow me.

Zhao Linchuan paused, glanced at her, and nodded. Then he followed Yan Fei silently to her room.

Yan Fei's room was simply yet elegantly furnished, much like her own temperament, gentle but touched with understated nobility.

She invited Zhao Linchuan to sit, skillfully brewed a cup of tea at just the right temperature, and respectfully set it beside him. Then she stepped back and stood with her hands lowered.

Zhao Linchuan picked up the teacup, blew away the foam, and took a sip. He looked up at her. "Yan Fei, there's no one else here. Whatever you have to say, go ahead."

Yan Fei looked at Zhao Linchuan, uncertainty and conflict showing in her beautiful eyes.

She seemed to be searching for the right words. After a moment, she finally asked cautiously, "Young Master, you and Yue Shen...?"

Zhao Linchuan set down his teacup and replied evenly, "Nothing special. I just kissed her on a whim earlier, in the Soul Hunting Forest."

"I see..." Yan Fei's gaze drifted for an instant. Her long lashes lowered, concealing the complicated thoughts in her eyes.

Then Yan Fei drew a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. Through gritted teeth, she said, "Young Master, Yan Fei can offer you the same loyalty."

"Whatever Yue Shen can do, Yan Fei can do as well—and... I won't do any worse than her."

Zhao Linchuan watched her quietly. After a moment, he spoke slowly. "You're a smart person. You should be able to tell that I... actually value you more and am more lenient with you."

Yan Fei froze slightly.

"What Yue Shen received today was a reward for taking the initiative to work for me and revealing her feelings."

"But with you, even though you've never asked me for anything or gone out of your way to do anything, I've already given you the same starting resources as her."

"That's my 'favor' and 'investment' in you."