The Slap Descends!

In a hotel in Heaven Dou City, Douluo Continent.

Lu Chuan slowly opened his eyes. The rich, tempting aroma of food immediately reached him.

"Brother Lu, you're finally back. Come eat."

Zhu Zhuqing hurried over, took him gently by the wrist, and led him to a table laden with food.

Lu Chuan looked at the steaming dishes, curious.

"Zhu Qing, how did you know I'd be back now?"

Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "I didn't. I just have a meal ready every time it's time to eat, in case you come back hungry."

Warmth spread through Lu Chuan's chest. He smiled without realizing it, picked up his chopsticks, and tucked in.

Once he had eaten his fill,

Lu Chuan took Zhu Zhuqing into the bedroom to teach her a Cultivation Method.

"First, I'll help you learn where the Meridians and Acupoints are throughout your body."

He gently held her slender wrist and sent a strand of mild, pure Dou Qi into her Meridians. It flowed slowly through the channels across her body.

Whenever it reached an Acupoint, he explained it carefully, helping Zhu Zhuqing sense exactly where each point lay and what it did.

"All right. Did you remember everything?"

"Mm. Thank you, Brother Lu."

Zhu Zhuqing could hardly contain her excitement.

She sat cross-legged and began trying to practice the Shadow Prison Art.

"Ten thousand shadows forge a hidden prison; the body conceals the world's shade.

Where light is born, a thousand layers of darkness rise; one breath binds the soul.

Still the breath and hide the form; follow the shadows and draw in the dark.

Set a hidden mark upon each point; let no faint light disturb the heart..."

As she changed her hand signs, the Soul Power that had flowed freely inside her began circling along a fixed path. At last, it gathered in her Dantian and continued to swirl.

The moment the Cultivation Method began to run, a powerful pull drew in the surrounding Soul Power, which surged into her body.

Lu Chuan could clearly feel the concentration of Soul Power in the bedroom rise sharply.

But he did not relax for an instant. He kept his eyes on Zhu Zhuqing, watching her condition closely.

She was only at the Dou Qi stage, with a weak foundation, yet she was practicing an Earth Rank Cultivation Method. The risk was considerable.

True, replacing violent Dou Qi with gentler Soul Power had reduced the strain on her Meridians.

But an Earth Rank Cultivation Method still battered the body and its channels as it circulated. One misstep could damage her Meridians.

About half an hour passed. More and more sweat beaded on Zhu Zhuqing's forehead and streamed down her cheeks.

She gritted her teeth and forced the method to keep running. After another seven or eight minutes, she could no longer bear the exhausting pressure swelling through her Meridians and broke out of her cultivation state.

"Hah... hah..."

Zhu Zhuqing gasped for air. Sweat had soaked her clothes, and she collapsed onto the bed, utterly drained.

Lu Chuan hurried over, took her wrist, and carefully examined the state of her Meridians.

"Phew... You scared me. Why push yourself so hard? At least your Meridians are fine."

Frowning, he gave Zhu Zhuqing's chest a light pat.

Boing~

Zhu Zhuqing paid it no mind. A faint smile appeared on her face, and delight colored her voice.

"Brother Lu, this Cultivation Method is so fast. At this rate, I think I can raise my Soul Power by one level in a week."

Lu Chuan rolled his eyes helplessly and lay down beside her.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Your Meridians are still fragile. You have to limit how long you practice each time, not force yourself through it. Once you've recovered, help me copy out a few Dou Techniques. I'll sell them later."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and agreed without hesitation. "All right."

Seeing her drenched in sweat, Lu Chuan had several buckets of hot water brought in to fill the bathtub.

Zhu Zhuqing tried to undress herself, but Lu Chuan firmly refused and scolded her in a stern voice.

"Zhu Qing, this is the pre-meal ritual. You can't interrupt me!"

Her cheeks flushed, and she let Lu Chuan have his way. He peeled away her clothes like the shell of an egg, revealing the fair, tender skin beneath, then gently lowered her into the bath.

The pair frolicked in the water, thoroughly enjoying themselves. There was even time for a little volleyball and sewing.

The water churned. When Zhu Zhuqing made a mistake, Lu Chuan punished her soundly, making her kneel beneath the surface for a vigorous spanking.

Hot water splashed onto the floor with a steady patter.

One arrow pierced the clouds, and countless descendants came to meet.

Lu Chuan dried the exhausted Zhu Qing and carried her back to the bedroom.

The moment she felt the warmth of the bed, the weariness of the past several days washed over her.

Zhu Zhuqing's eyelids grew heavy, and her head began to nod. Her breathing gradually became slow and even. Before long, she had fallen fast asleep, a trace of contentment still lingering on her peaceful face.

Lu Chuan smacked his lips and rose, still wanting more.

He still needed blank paper and brushes to copy the Dou Techniques, so he planned to buy some in the street. Then Zhu Zhuqing could start writing as soon as she woke up.

At the shop, Lu Chuan stared at the stacks of paper and writing brushes on the shelves, at a loss for words.

Douluo Continent's development really was bizarre. It had phone booths, live-broadcast equipment, and dazzling lights.

Yet the paper people used was Xuan Paper and Parchment meant for writing with a brush...

Damn it. He really couldn't be blamed for making Zhu Qing do the work. He simply didn't know how to use a writing brush.

As Lu Chuan grumbled to himself, he spotted a richly dressed young nobleman striding into the shop. The man's arrogance was so blatant he might as well have had "I'm a bully" written across his face.

"Hey, old man! Time to pay this month's protection money!"

The shopkeeper looked troubled. "My lord, you only came to collect it yesterday."

The young man's brows shot up, and he grew even more overbearing.

"Hah! If this prince tells you to pay, you pay! Enough excuses, or I'll smash up your shop!"

"Please don't... I'll pay..."

The shopkeeper looked close to tears. He could only take twenty gold coins from a drawer and place them in the young man's hand.

Lu Chuan raised an eyebrow.

Did that guy just call himself a prince?

At a time like this, the only prince who'd openly bully commoners was Xue Beng, playing the fool.

Tsk. Qian Renxue still isn't ruthless enough. With Xue Beng causing trouble everywhere, she could just have a Soul Master pretend he'd bullied him, then kill him. No one could find fault with that.

Aside from Xue Xing, everyone would think he'd brought it on himself. No one would suspect Qian Renxue.

Xue Beng noticed Lu Chuan studying him. He shot him a sidelong look, his expression haughty.

"What the hell are you staring at? You're a commoner. Why aren't you kneeling to greet this prince?!"

"Who the fuck do you think you are? I'm not kneeling to you."

"You dare insult me?! Do you know who I am?"

"What, didn't your parents tell you? You had to come ask me? That's hilarious."

Lu Chuan gave a disdainful snort.

Xue Beng turned red in every sense of the word.

He snatched up the inkstone on the counter, ready to teach this insolent commoner a lesson.

"Oh, you want to fight? The Slap Descends!!"

Smack!

"Aaah—!!!"

The blow sent Xue Beng flying. His body spun through a full 720 degrees in midair as he let out a piercing scream.

His expensive robes flapped wildly. His face swelled at once until it looked like a pig's head.

He crashed to the floor in a heap, his head ringing.