What You Hear Hurts, What You See Hurts Even More

Dawn broke bright and clear, and the spring water murmured.

Sunlight poured down from above the canyon, dyeing the entire waterfall into a ribbon of golden silk.

This waterfall was hidden deep within the canyon, surrounded by steep cliff faces covered in moss and vines. Without someone to lead the way, it would have been impossible to find.

Below the waterfall, at the edge of the pool, lay a huge stone slab polished smooth as a mirror by the rushing water.

Several pieces of clothing were scattered across the slab. A few white towels hung over a nearby rock, still dripping water.

Xiao Wu sat on the stone slab, her palms facing upward as she held up two enormous "fish"!

"Oh my god! Zhuqing, what did you grow up eating?"

She could not help pinching them. They felt astonishingly soft and springy.

"Mm..."

Zhu Zhuqing's face burned crimson. She bit her lower lip, her eyelashes trembling nonstop, looking like a shrimp being roasted over a fire.

She turned her head and gently pushed Xiao Wu's hand away, her voice as soft as a mosquito's as she said shyly:

"Our family... has always been like this because of our Martial Souls."

She hurriedly grabbed a towel from beside her and covered her chest, hiding those proud twin peaks beneath white snow, as though closing a window that should never have been opened.

"Xiao Wu, I'm done washing. I'll go get dressed first..."

As she spoke, her left arm supported her chest from below while her right hand held the white towel over her lower body. Barefoot, she stepped onto the slippery stone slab and hurried toward the shore at an almost running pace.

Her back was smooth and fair, her waist slender enough to fit in one hand. Below it, her hips flared abruptly, followed by two straight, long legs.

As she walked, her hips swayed gently beneath the sunlight, like a beautiful mermaid swimming through a stream.

Xiao Wu remained where she was, watching Zhu Zhuqing's swaying back as she muttered to herself:

"Her figure is way too good, isn't it?"

"And she's even got a pair of 'buns'!"

"She's practically every man's dream lover!"

"Can my brother resist that?"

She tilted her head and thought for a moment. When she imagined the expression Zhao Linchuan might wear upon seeing that scene, a trace of panic suddenly rose in her heart.

She hurriedly stood up, splashing water everywhere as she rushed toward the shore.

If Zhao Linchuan failed to hold himself back, she would probably regret it to death.

She could not let this little girl, whom they had only known for a few hours, enjoy what she herself had held back from for so long.

About fifteen minutes later.

In front of the tent.

The campfire crackled on the ground.

The scent of roasted meat filled the air. Grease dripped onto the coals with a sizzling sound, sending up tiny bursts of sparks.

Zhao Linchuan crouched beside the campfire, holding a dagger as he carved into a roasted lamb leg with a fragrant charred crust.

The lamb was crisp outside and tender within. As the blade cut into the meat, golden juices ran down its edge.

He tore off two lamb legs and handed one each to Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing.

Xiao Wu took hers and bit into it without hesitation. Meat juice spilled from the corner of her mouth, and she licked it away before asking indistinctly:

"Zhuqing, what did you do?"

"How did you end up becoming a wanted criminal of the Star Luo Empire?"

Holding the lamb leg, Zhu Zhuqing did not eat right away. Her gaze fell upon the dancing flames, and her expression grew somewhat distant.

"Well..." Her tone was hesitant, as if she was debating whether to say it.

Seeing this, Xiao Wu waved her hand carelessly and continued:

"Zhuqing, just say whatever you want to say."

"Anyway, we're all in this together now. None of us can run away."

"It'll be good for us to get to know each other better."

"Xiao Wu is right."

Zhao Linchuan also encouraged her. He cut off a small piece of lamb with his dagger and put it into his mouth. After chewing twice, he spoke in a casual, natural tone.

"If there's anything, say it. Maybe we can help you."

Zhu Zhuqing bit her lower lip. After hesitating, she finally decided to tell Zhao Linchuan and Xiao Wu the truth about herself.

She took a deep breath and slowly began:

"It's like this. In our family, there is a cruel rule..."

Zhu Zhuqing slowly recounted the marriage alliance tradition between the Star Luo Empire's imperial family and the Zhu Family, a tradition that had lasted countless years.

She spoke of the cold rule that only the strongest could survive, and of the person to whom she had been betrothed, who had vanished without a trace when she needed him most.

"...The reason I ran away from my family was to find that person."

"And then..."

"Zhuqing, don't say another word!"

Xiao Wu cut Zhu Zhuqing off directly. Her cheeks puffed up with anger, and she nearly crushed the lamb leg in her hand out of shape.

"What is there worth finding about a coward like that?"

"He left without a single word. How was that any different from abandoning you outright?"

Her voice rose several notches, echoing through the canyon.

"If you ask me, he's just a spineless coward!"

"A beast like that isn't worth searching for at all!"

Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip and lowered her head without speaking.

The firelight flickered across her profile, brightening and dimming, unable to reveal her expression at that moment.

Seeing this, Zhao Linchuan slowly swallowed the lamb in his mouth, then added a remark in an offhand tone, seemingly intentional yet casual.

"I've heard a little about that Dai Mubai."

"He lives in Suotuo City. He's a debauched, arrogant thirty-fourth-level Soul Elder who wastes his days away."

"A person like that isn't worth looking for."

"Exactly!" Xiao Wu chimed in, nodding vigorously. "A beast like that isn't worth looking for at all!"

That was right. Dai Mubai had only just reached level thirty-four.

Because Zhao Linchuan had deliberately spread Wild Donkey Is Not As Good As Me throughout Suotuo City, Dai Mubai had wasted his days even more than in his previous life.

Those pills had entered Suotuo City's black market and circulated in secret as "premium aphrodisiacs." After Dai Mubai came into contact with them, he had fallen completely.

Before leaving Ox-Horse Town, Zhao Linchuan had even specifically sent someone to investigate.

The information he received was this: Dai Mubai spent nearly every day in places like that. Cultivation?

He had long since thrown it to the winds.

"He's only level thirty-four?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes immediately dimmed upon hearing that. "With strength like his, wouldn't that mean we're doomed to die?"

"Maybe it's just a rumor?" Zhao Linchuan still spoke casually. "Either way, we have nothing better to do. Why don't we go to Suotuo City together and take a look?"

He was not trying to make excuses for Dai Mubai. Whether that man lived or died had nothing to do with him.

He said it because some things had no real impact if they were merely spoken aloud.

Only after she saw them with her own eyes, heard them with her own ears, and experienced them for herself could she truly give up.

(The emotional author is asking online for continued reading.)