"Looks like I came out on top after all. From today on, I'm a man with a dragon to warm my bed."
Qin Jiuxiao was in an excellent mood.
Kunpeng truly was the fastest creature under heaven. When it came to speed, even Zi JI fell a little short.
Zi JI gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
Damn it! She'd been so close!
Seeing Qin Jiuxiao's unbearably smug grin, Zi JI felt her life as a dragon had lost all hope at the thought of having to warm his bed from now on.
She looked utterly hopeless.
"Don't get cocky. Aside from warming your bed, I won't let you get your way about anything else."
Zi JI ground out the words through clenched teeth.
But Qin Jiuxiao didn't care in the slightest. If she was already warming his bed, surely he could try appealing to her feelings?
I'll only hold you. I won't do anything to you. I'll only rub against you—I won't go in.
All he could say was that a man's mouth was full of lies.
Heh heh heh.
After entering Suotuo City, they soon returned to the Qin Family.
His father, Qin Yuntian, had received word the moment he stepped through the city gates.
He had come early and was waiting outside Qin Jiuxiao's courtyard.
Seeing another beauty at Qin Jiuxiao's side, Qin Yuntian felt his blood pressure shoot up.
"You unfilial brat, can't you settle down and focus on your cultivation?"
"With your talent, becoming the youngest Titled Douluo on the continent is a sure thing."
"Can't you let your old man go out and bask in a little reflected glory?"
All right, all right. This old geezer hadn't been beaten for three days, and now he was climbing onto the roof to tear it down.
Only a few days had passed, and he was back to acting like this.
Qin Jiuxiao shot him a sidelong glance and put on airs. He had just coughed twice when he spoke.
"Old geezer, I advise you to watch your tone when you talk to me."
"So what if I'm a Titled Douluo?"
"The girls I've just brought to my side are all Titled Douluos."
"Zi JI, show him a little something and scare the old geezer."
At his words, Zi JI rolled her eyes, but still did as he asked, releasing a hint of her aura.
Qin Yuntian's pupils immediately contracted. Under that aura, he felt like a tiny boat adrift in the vast ocean.
A chill crawled from his spine through his entire body.
Seeing the old geezer's stunned expression, Qin Jiuxiao couldn't have been more pleased.
He stepped forward, patted Qin Yuntian on the shoulder, and spoke with grave sincerity.
"Old geezer, you don't understand the world of geniuses."
"You're only thinking about how to get me to become a Titled Douluo as soon as possible, but you don't realize that the people by my side are already Titled Douluos."
"You, the Soto City Lord, need to raise your standards."
With that, he led Zi JI into his courtyard.
Qin Yuntian was left behind, still standing there in a daze.
He kept muttering, "My Qin Family has a Titled Douluo now."
As he spoke, the corners of his mouth slowly stretched wider, all the way to his ears.
At last, he threw his head back and burst into laughter.
So what if she was a Titled Douluo? Qin Jiuxiao could even win over a Titled Douluo now.
Who could stop the Qin Family from soaring to new heights?
"Hahahaha! My son Jiuxiao has the bearing of an emperor!"
The next moment, he followed them into Qin Jiuxiao's courtyard, his expression changing completely.
"Jiuxiao, you must treat Miss Zi JI well."
"Miss Zi JI, now that you're at the Qin Family, make yourself at home. If you need anything, just give the order."
He rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting between the two of them. The corners of his mouth kept rising, and he couldn't bring them back down.
They really were a match made in heaven.
Qin Jiuxiao searched the courtyard but couldn't find Zhu Yun anywhere, so he returned to the main courtyard.
"Old geezer, where did Zhu Yun go?" Qin Jiuxiao furrowed his brows slightly.
Qin Yuntian seemed to suddenly remember something and slapped his thigh. He was about to speak, but then noticed Zi JI standing nearby.
The words on the tip of his tongue stopped short.
This female Titled Douluo was at his son's side. If he brought up another girl close to Qin Jiuxiao, would something happen?
The Qin Family couldn't withstand the wrath of a Titled Douluo right now.
"Old geezer, quit dithering and just say it."
Seeing how unruffled Qin Jiuxiao was, Qin Yuntian immediately understood where he and Zi JI stood with each other.
He could only marvel inwardly: as expected of my son.
He explained slowly, "After you left, another girl from the Zhu Family came looking for you."
"She looked rather upset."
"Miss Zhu Yun brought her inside. The next day, they both left together."
"I had someone secretly keep an eye on them. They should be at the Rose Hotel in Suotuo City now."
Qin Jiuxiao lowered his eyes. It seemed Zhu Zhuqing had already met Dai Mubai and seen how he was living a debauched life.
The token he'd given her back then had done its job.
Now it was time to win over this little kitty.
And by the timeline, Tang San and Xiao Wu had already reached Suotuo City, too.
This was a good chance to get his hands on their traits.
"Zi JI, you're new around here. I'll show you around Suotuo City—and we can look for a couple of little cats while we're at it."
Zi JI rolled her eyes to herself. What did he mean, he'd show her around? He clearly just wanted to use her as a free bodyguard.
Still, she got up and followed him. After all, he was the man she had chosen.
Watching them leave, Qin Yuntian stroked his beard, unable to hide his satisfaction.
His son really did bring him one surprise after another.
Meanwhile, outside the Rose Hotel's top-floor suite,
two Soul Ancestors stood at the door like statues.
In front of them stood a blond young man with heterochromatic eyes.
At the moment, though, he looked quite agitated.
"Zhuqing, I told you, it was only an act. What more do you want from me?"
"I only made the same mistake any man in the world could make. Do you really have to make such a fuss about it?"
"Are you even listening to me?"
Dai Mubai's face was livid. His fists clenched as his temper flared higher and higher.
He had tried several times to force his way into the suite, but the hotel owner's men had blocked him at the door.
Inside the room, Zhu Zhuqing stared coldly toward the door without saying a word.
Zhu Yun, meanwhile, leisurely lifted a cup of tea and took a slow sip.
Seeing how cold her younger sister looked, she smiled seductively.
"Dear little sister, do you believe what I told you now?"
"You thought he'd come here to secretly build up his strength, but in truth, he was just running away—and living a life of wine and women."
"As for what will become of you, he probably hasn't even given it a thought."
"When will you learn to be as clear-eyed as your big sister and recognize a truly good man?"
"Master's talent is even greater than you imagine. Ten men like Dai Mubai wouldn't measure up to him."
"If you don't seize the chance now, later you won't even be able to find a place at Master's side."
Zhu Zhuqing fell silent.
The man she'd encountered in Star Dou Forest that night—the mysterious man—had kept appearing in her mind ever since they parted.
Especially after seeing Dai Mubai's lack of ambition with her own eyes, Qin Jiuxiao's face had grown ever clearer in her heart.
She remembered what Qin Jiuxiao had said by the campfire that night.
It seemed he had known her purpose from the very beginning and had pointed her toward a path.
He had let her see Dai Mubai's true nature with her own eyes.
Had everything he'd done been for her?
Could he really have taken a liking to her?
Zhu Zhuqing felt butterflies in her stomach. She bit her lip lightly, her fingertips twisting together over her legs.
Outside, Dai Mubai was still calling to her.
But it seemed he'd finally lost it. He cursed aloud.
"Zhu Zhuqing, what are you pretending for?"
"Don't think I don't know whose suite this is."
"You know perfectly well how you got into this room."
"What is that Young Master Qin from the Qin Family? Just a country bumpkin with a bit of influence."
"I heard he had Innate Full Soul Power, but he still hasn't even obtained his Second Soul Ring."
"He's an utter disgrace. I've never seen such a good-for-nothing."
"Some lowborn nobody who got a little status and started acting high and mighty. He's not even fit to lick my shoes."
Boom!
The suite door burst open, and Zhu Zhuqing's cool, slender figure appeared in the doorway.
Dai Mubai's face lit up, thinking she'd come to her senses.
"At least you know what's sensible—"
Before he could finish, a sharp slap rang out.
The crack of her palm echoed through the corridor.
Dai Mubai's head jerked to the side, his cheek burning with pain.
But more than that, he couldn't believe what Zhu Zhuqing said next.
"You can insult me if you want, but what right do you have to insult Young Master Qin?"
"You good-for-nothing, you think you're worthy of comparing yourself to Young Master Qin? You could cultivate for ten lifetimes and still not measure up to one of his toes."
"That's right, I've taken a liking to Young Master Qin. And not only that—I'll spend the rest of my life by his side, serving him."
"You'll spend your whole life as nothing but a useless, sickly cat."
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