Zhu Zhuqing, the Disciple

On the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, Shi An stood atop the Puppet Snake's head as he hurried toward the forest's exit.

Now that he had obtained his fifth Soul Ring, Shi An was truly a Soul King.

With his endless methods and inexhaustible supply of Soul Power, even a Soul Emperor should not have been his match. He might even have been able to contend with a Soul Saint.

"I can be said to have gained a foothold on the Douluo Continent." Shi An sighed. Suddenly, a ripple came through his earth perception.

His gaze turned toward a certain direction, and his brows furrowed slightly.

A Soul Grandmaster, and apparently fleeing for her life.

He had not intended to interfere in such matters and was about to have the Puppet Snake speed up and leave.

However, the information that came through his perception once more made him stop.

That was because the Soul Grandmaster was actually charging in his direction—and it was also the direction he intended to take out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Shi An frowned slightly. A coincidence... or intentional?

If it was intentional, that seemed unlikely. How could a Soul Grandmaster sense him from several hundred meters away?

Then it could only have been a coincidence.

Shi An crossed his arms and quietly watched ahead as the two sets of footsteps in his perception drew closer and closer.

He could even hear the heavy footsteps of the Soul Beast by then.

Whoosh~~~

At that moment, a figure burst out from behind the bushes ahead.

She was agile, but she looked extremely bedraggled.

Her black cat ears and tail swayed, and she was filthy, like a little tabby cat.

Shi An paused slightly when he saw who it was.

A Spirit Cat Martial Soul, eleven or twelve years old, in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Wasn't this... Zhu Zhuqing?

Zhu Zhuqing was also slightly stunned upon seeing Shi An. When she saw the great snake beneath his feet, her expression turned fearful and wary.

Roar!!!

Immediately afterward, an ape Soul Beast charged out from the direction Zhu Zhuqing had come from, letting out an excited roar.

Yet when it saw the unfamiliar Shi An and the great snake beneath him, its eyes went blank.

With its limited intelligence, it believed all humans were prey.

As for that intimidating-looking giant snake, it had no life aura and seemed to be dead, so it should not have posed much of a threat.

The ape roared excitedly and pounced at Zhu Zhuqing.

In its eyes, females were more attractive than males.

When Zhu Zhuqing saw the ape pouncing at her again, her expression changed, and she turned to flee.

However, the very next second, the great snake beneath Shi An moved. Its thick tail lashed out like a steel whip, releasing a piercing howl.

Bang~~~

The ape did not even have time to react before its entire body was sent flying like a cannonball. After smashing through four or five large trees, its head tilted to one side, and it lost all signs of life.

A yellow Soul Ring floated out, hovering quietly in the air, somewhat abrupt and somewhat deathly still.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened slightly. Her pale lips formed an O, and her little face looked utterly dazed.

Shi An glanced at her, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as he said,

"Little girl, that was a pretty good way of shifting trouble onto someone else."

Upon hearing him, Zhu Zhuqing's face turned even paler. She spoke in panic,

"No, I... I didn't. I was only running for my life. I really didn't know..."

A giant stone hand gripped her in its palm and brought her before Shi An.

Zhu Zhuqing struggled, her heart turning cold as despair began to spread through her.

"You say you didn't, and that makes it so? Do you think I'm easy to talk to?" Shi An looked at her slowly, a teasing glint flashing through his eyes.

"Senior, I..." Zhu Zhuqing felt utterly powerless. Her pale face was hidden behind strands of hair, and her voice was exhausted and lifeless, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

"How must I beg Senior to spare me..."

"Heh." Shi An chuckled softly and said indifferently,

"Enough. There is no point teasing a little girl like you."

"How old are you?"

"T-ten... eleven."

After being set down by the giant hand, Zhu Zhuqing was still a little dazed as she answered blankly.

"What is your name?"

"Zhu Zhuqing."

"Soul Power Level?"

"T-twenty-sixth level."

"Eleven years old, level twenty-six. Your talent is passable."

Shi An rubbed his chin and looked Zhu Zhuqing over from head to toe, quietly calculating.

Should I abduct Zhu Zhuqing? At the very least, I won't let her go play some Martial Soul Fusion Skill with Dai Mubai and let Tang San's Shrek Seven Monsters gather successfully.

Xiao Wu has already been driven away. If I take Zhu Zhuqing away too, then with only that little witch Ning Rongrong left, she will probably leave after meeting Shrek's bunch of freaks as well.

The Shrek Seven Monsters will have only four left: one who plays with poisonous weeds, one sickly cat, one brothel grass chicken, and one sausage.

Heh heh, I happen to miss Mimi. Raising a cat in this world doesn't sound too bad either.

(Mimi was the black cat he had raised in his previous life.)

Zhu Zhuqing noticed Shi An's appraising gaze. She lowered her eyes and did not dare make any rash movements.

"Are you interested in becoming my disciple?" Shi An asked, making Zhu Zhuqing freeze.

She wanted to refuse, but she was afraid that this temperamental man would turn hostile.

That was right.

In Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, Shi An was an unpredictable man.

"Senior, I... can I refuse?" Zhu Zhuqing asked weakly.

"What do you think?" Shi An said with a smile. In Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, that smile was no less terrifying than the savage maw of a Soul Beast.

"Enough. From now on, you are my disciple—and my personal maid as well."

With a thought from Shi An, the Puppet Snake lowered its head.

"Get on. I'll take you out of here."

Although Zhu Zhuqing was extremely unwilling, she still stepped up.

"Don't pull such a long face. Smile, and your master will give you a gift."

Zhu Zhuqing's mouth twitched, but she still forced out a reluctant smile.

"Mm." Shi An nodded in satisfaction. "Smile more from now on. If I get unhappy, I might have to educate you with a little whip."

"Here, this is your gift for becoming my disciple. Keep it safe."

Shi An took out the External Soul Bone he had obtained from the Blazing Savage Bear and stuffed it into Zhu Zhuqing's arms.

Although this Spirit Bone's attributes did not quite suit Zhu Zhuqing,

it was still very suitable for her, since they both attacked with claws.

With this Spirit Bone to protect her, it could serve as a trump card.

After all, who would have thought that an assassin-type Soul Master with dark attributes could use fire-attribute attacks?

Feeling something added to her arms, Zhu Zhuqing instinctively caught it.

When she saw what it was, her eyes instantly widened.

"A... a Spirit Bone."

"Mm. An External Soul Bone from the left hand of a Blazing Savage Bear more than ten thousand years old. Its attributes do not quite match yours, but it is highly suitable for an assassin-type Soul Master like you."

Shi An stood with his arms crossed as the Puppet Snake beneath his feet crawled toward the Star Dou Great Forest's exit. Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at his tall back, and the heart that had been cold for years suddenly felt a trace of warmth.

"It is... too valuable."

"Take it. Didn't I say it? It is a gift from your master for becoming my disciple."

There was a trace of impatience in Shi An's tone, and Zhu Zhuqing did not dare say another word.