On the road to the Heaven Dou Empire with Zhu Zhuqing, Ye Xuan learned a little about this world from her.
Although Ye Xuan had read the novel and knew how the story of this world unfolded,
he wasn't familiar with some of its basic facts.
After all, no book could possibly describe every little thing in painstaking detail.
But if you lived in this world, these were things you needed to know.
As they talked along the way, Ye Xuan gradually came to appreciate the young Zhu Zhuqing's charms.
He didn't mean her looks, of course. When it came to looks, none of the important female characters were unattractive.
What mattered more was her character.
She had traveled thousands of miles from the Star Luo Empire to find Dai Mubai at Shrek Academy. Where could you find a woman that devoted?
Unfortunately, Dai Mubai was now wasting his life in Suotuo City. For her sake, it really wasn't worth it.
But Ye Xuan didn't say much about it.
He had only agreed to escort her along the way. He had no intention of getting involved in anything else.
Mainly, five years of training in that illusion had changed his outlook.
And since he had lived two lives, he had no interest in playing house with those youngsters.
They encountered no danger for the rest of the journey.
The time he'd saved Zhu Zhuqing was probably the greatest crisis she would face.
After all, if she'd faced an even greater crisis, she wouldn't have made it to Shrek Academy in the original story.
Several days later.
Ye Xuan and Zhu Zhuqing arrived in Suotuo City.
Naturally, the first thing they did was have Zhu Zhuqing treat him to a hearty meal.
At the restaurant, Zhu Zhuqing watched Ye Xuan eat like a glutton reborn and couldn't help wondering what kind of person he was.
He was so young and so powerful, yet he wolfed down food like a refugee in a famine, as if he hadn't eaten his fill in years.
But Zhu Zhuqing didn't believe someone as powerful as him could be unable to afford enough to eat.
How could she know? Ye Xuan hadn't merely gone years without a proper meal—he hadn't eaten at all.
After they finished eating, Ye Xuan said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Now that we're in Suotuo City, I won't escort you any farther."
"Thank you, Big Brother Ye. Here are 100 Gold Soul Coins. Please accept them as thanks for escorting me." As Zhu Zhuqing spoke, she took out a little pouch, full to the brim with Gold Soul Coins.
Ye Xuan took it and gave it a slight heft. "All right, I'll accept it."
He really was penniless at the moment and needed money to live on.
As for how to earn money from here on, that wouldn't be difficult.
This world had bounties, and people also hired others to form teams and hunt Soul Beasts. There were plenty of ways to make money.
With enough strength, you could get by anywhere.
But as he was about to leave, Zhu Zhuqing asked curiously, "By the way, Big Brother Ye, you're not that old, are you? Don't you plan to train at Spirit Hall Academy?"
"Train at Spirit Hall Academy? I'm not interested."
Ye Xuan waved to her over his shoulder and walked out of the restaurant.
But the moment he stepped outside, someone blocked his way.
The man had blond hair and wore luxurious noble's clothes. His identity was obvious.
"Looking for me?" Ye Xuan asked, looking at him.
"Who are you? How dare you go after my woman, Dai Mubai?"
Dai Mubai glared at Ye Xuan and demanded.
"Go after your woman? Why don't you ask her what happened?" Ye Xuan replied coolly.
Zhu Zhuqing had heard the commotion outside and came out as well.
When she saw Dai Mubai, she stepped forward and asked, "Big Brother Ye escorted me here to find you. What do you mean by this? Why are you blaming him instead?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't yet feel any resentment toward Dai Mubai.
In the original story, she had hated him for a time after arriving at Shrek Academy because she learned what kind of life he was leading there.
But now she had only just arrived and run into Dai Mubai. She didn't know the truth yet, so she explained things to him calmly.
"Big Brother Ye? Escorted you?" Dai Mubai disliked that form of address. It sounded far too intimate to him.
"You two can sort it out. I'm leaving."
Ye Xuan started to go, but Dai Mubai wouldn't let him.
He didn't want Ye Xuan to leave before they'd cleared things up.
"Wait. You haven't told me who you are or how you met Zhuqing," Dai Mubai demanded.
Ye Xuan hadn't wanted to get involved in any of this, but Dai Mubai was being so unreasonable that even a clay figure had a temper—and Ye Xuan was no exception.
Ye Xuan turned around and gave him a glance.
That single look made Dai Mubai shudder.
But he quickly steadied himself. The man looked even younger than he was, and he didn't believe Ye Xuan could be stronger than him.
Since Ye Xuan had escorted Zhu Zhuqing, she'd reached Suotuo City earlier than she would have otherwise.
So Dai Mubai hadn't met Tang San yet.
If he'd already fought Tang San, he probably wouldn't have thought that way.
"Who I am is none of your business. Since you insist on asking how I met Zhuqing, why don't you explain how many girls you've met and how many you've played around with here in Suotuo City?" Ye Xuan demanded.
At those words, Dai Mubai's face flushed bright red.
Because everything Ye Xuan had said was true.
But he certainly couldn't admit it. He snapped angrily, "Stop slandering me! I get it now. You're trying to get close to Zhuqing by framing me, aren't you? If I hadn't spotted Zhuqing on the street today, recognized her, and followed you, she might really have been deceived by you."
That day, Dai Mubai had been out around the city with a couple of girls, as usual, when he spotted Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Xuan.
Something seemed off, so he followed them.
Of course, so Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't see him with other women, he had sent the two girls away first.
That was why he'd arrived a little late, after Ye Xuan had already finished eating.
Watching Dai Mubai's face turn red as he argued, Zhu Zhuqing, clever as she was, had already realized that Ye Xuan was probably telling the truth.
She didn't know how Ye Xuan had found out, but compared to what Dai Mubai had done, that didn't matter anymore.
She had traveled all the way from the Star Luo Empire, sparing herself no hardship. What for?
To find Dai Mubai and support each other.
She had always believed the imperial struggles in the Star Luo Empire were too cruel, and that Dai Mubai must be having a terribly hard time out there on his own.
But if he was throwing his life away here, what did all her efforts mean?
Was she just fooling herself?
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Mubai. Her voice turned colder as she asked flatly, "What Big Brother Ye said is true, isn't it?"
"How could it be? I've been working hard to cultivate at Shrek Academy. You'll see for yourself how strict the academy is if you go inside. How could I have time to do the things he said?" Dai Mubai hurriedly explained.
"You're lying!" Zhu Zhuqing looked at him. She had known him since they were children, so she could tell at a glance when he was lying.
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