Ch. 81Zhu Zhuqing's Stubbornness
Plot points and events
- Jiang Lin notices Zhu Zhuqing struggling under her stone-filled basket, takes it from her so she can rest, and offers water and help. She refuses his offer to carry some of the load, determined to continue on her own.
- Jiang Lin later finds Ning Rongrong resting after only one lap. He points out that Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Xun are much farther ahead, but when Ning Rongrong dismisses the training as unreasonable, he leaves rather than coaxing her.
- While finishing his own laps, Jiang Lin wonders whether separating Xiao Xun from Tang San would disrupt the world’s correction. The system warns that interfering with someone created by that force could erase him unless he reaches the world’s power limit: level 100 Soul Power. Jiang Lin believes he can reach that level after the next stage of his inheritance.
- Jiang Lin encounters Zhu Zhuqing again, now close to collapse. He takes more than half the stones from her basket. When she stumbles, he catches her briefly, then lets go at once.
- Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing has exhausted her Soul Power, Jiang Lin offers to lend her some so she can finish her final lap. She accepts, and he begins transferring blue Soul Power through her palm.
Character developments and interactions
- Zhu Zhuqing remains fiercely proud and determined, refusing help at first and continuing despite severe exhaustion. Jiang Lin’s restraint and practical kindness soften her initial wariness; she comes to regard him as a gentleman and accepts his help when she can no longer continue alone.
- Jiang Lin shows selective patience: he supports Zhu Zhuqing’s resolve without pressuring her, but quickly abandons attempts to motivate Ning Rongrong. He also continues to treat the world’s correction as something he may eventually challenge, once strong enough.
- Ning Rongrong resists Jiang Lin’s attempt to spur her on and hopes he might carry some of her load, but he leaves instead. She is surprised and frustrated that he does not keep persuading her.
- Xiao Xun briefly notices Jiang Lin’s unusual speed, while he observes her without approaching.
Significant themes
- Stubbornness and perseverance: Zhu Zhuqing’s determination drives her through the training even as her strength fails.
- Respectful help and personal boundaries: Jiang Lin offers assistance without forcing it and immediately withdraws after catching Zhu Zhuqing.
- Different responses to hardship: Zhu Zhuqing endures the challenge, whereas Ning Rongrong questions its fairness and opts to rest.
- Fate versus agency: The system’s warning establishes that challenging the world’s correction carries an existential risk, though Jiang Lin intends to grow strong enough to do so.