Saving Zhu Zhuqing

Yang Xiu did not rush to attack again. Even if he revealed himself now, his superior strength would let him defeat these men. But even a lion used its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Who knew whether they had any trump cards?

The silence was unbearably oppressive. Even these men, who regularly licked blood from the edges of their blades, found it hard to endure. In the past, they had only inflicted this feeling on others. Retribution never failed; Heaven's Cycle of Reincarnation had come around.

As time passed, Yang Xiu recovered his soul power while remaining concealed.

He did not target the Soul Saint right away. Instead, he began using the Clone Technique to slit the assassins' throats one by one. Although each clone was killed after taking down two men, before long, only the Soul Saint remained alive. Overwhelming terror left him weak and drained. His expression showed that he had already abandoned hope of surviving. Yang Xiu stopped playing cat and mouse and revealed himself.

"What? Scared?" Yang Xiu taunted.

"When you killed people before, you should have known this day would come. Did it come too soon for you to accept?"

"It's all right. This day would've come sooner or later. Don't be scared."

"Are you a devil?"

"Could you let me die a quick death? Tell me when I offended you."

"Recently, you accepted a job you shouldn't have. I imagine you still remember Dai Weisi?"

"I knew it. I should never have meddled in the imperial family's struggles," the Soul Saint said regretfully.

"All right, I've told you what you wanted to know. Take your own life."

The Soul Saint did not answer Yang Xiu.

Instead, he attacked with a soul skill, which Yang Xiu easily dodged.

Then Yang Xiu put on a look of bitter disappointment.

"You don't keep your word. You said you wanted a quick death, and I told you what you wanted to know. Why haven't you killed yourself?"

Then he spoke seriously.

"Good thing I knew you couldn't be trusted. Otherwise, your sneak attack might have caught me. Still, you've taught me another trick this time. Sneak attacks really work."

The Soul Saint looked at the corpses on the ground. Sneak attacks? You still need to learn those? You're practically the forefather of sneak attacks! His face darkened, but he did not answer Yang Xiu. He simply watched him with grave vigilance.

Seeing him like this, Yang Xiu lost the desire to keep playing.

"Since you won't talk, let's have a proper fight."

"I'm warning you, don't think about escaping. There's a Titled Douluo outside."

Hearing this, the Soul Saint abandoned every other thought. He had to either kill Yang Xiu or seize him as a hostage. Those were his only ways out. Of course, it was far more likely that Yang Xiu would kill him. By now, Yang Xiu had activated his martial soul. That array of black Soul Rings truly frightened him.

"Come on." Yang Xiu beckoned to him.

Soon, the two were locked in combat. The Soul Saint discovered that, whether in soul power or soul skills, Yang Xiu surpassed him by a wide margin, despite being lower in level and only a Soul Emperor. As the battle continued, he gradually abandoned hope of surviving. His wounds multiplied. Just before his death, he suddenly asked a question.

"Can you tell me who you are?"

"Yang Xiu. Xiu, as in never resting until death." As Yang Xiu finished speaking, he also ended the man's life.

Before the Soul Saint died, he thought of the home he had once had, and how wonderful it had been. His eyes held both regret and release. He felt that his sinful life had finally ended.

"Zhang Liao."

"Sect Master," Zhang Liao said respectfully as he appeared before Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu waved a hand, indicating that such formality was unnecessary.

"Pack up every usable resource here and take it with you. I'll go on ahead." With Hua Xiong secretly protecting Zhu Zhuqing, she certainly would not die, though that did not mean she would escape injury. Soon, Yang Xiu left the city and followed the trail until he found Hua Xiong.

Looking down at the battle, which had only just begun, Yang Xiu felt relieved to see that Zhu Zhuqing had suffered only a few superficial wounds.

There was no last-second rescue, no arrival in her final moment of despair. Yang Xiu simply appeared on the battlefield with his martial soul activated. His sudden appearance stunned everyone. When they saw his Soul Rings, no one dared speak first, even though they could not comprehend a soul ring configuration beyond their wildest imagination. Yang Xiu approached Zhu Zhuqing and gazed at her with pure eyes, free of any stray thoughts. Gradually, affection and heartache filled them. Finally, he spoke.

"My name is Yang Xiu. Hello. It's our first time meeting."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at the complicated emotions in Yang Xiu's eyes.

In the end, she answered somewhat blankly.

"Zhu Zhuqing." Her voice was cool, but it no longer carried the feeling of keeping everyone a thousand miles away.

"Wait a moment. I'll deal with this scum first," Yang Xiu said gently.

As though moved by some unseen force, Zhu Zhuqing softly uttered one word. "Okay."

Facing Yang Xiu, these men were soon wiped out. Hua Xiong threw back everyone who tried to flee, but they still could not escape their fate of being killed.

Soon, Yang Xiu came before Zhu Zhuqing.

"All right. From now on, no one can hurt you. I know your name is Zhu Zhuqing, so I'll call you Zhu Zhuqing. I also know you're going to the Heaven Dou Empire. I'm going there too, so come with me. I can protect you," Yang Xiu said earnestly and gently.

Zhu Zhuqing stared intently into Yang Xiu's eyes, and Yang Xiu looked gently back at her. He knew that Zhu Zhuqing was like a wounded hedgehog now. He needed to soften her with love and make her feel safe. Eventually, Zhu Zhuqing became too embarrassed under his gaze. She slowly lowered her head and spoke softly.

"I don't know the way. You lead." Her voice was truly cool, but pleasant to hear.

Yang Xiu smiled at her answer. He stepped ahead of Zhu Zhuqing and headed in the direction from which he had come, toward the Heaven Dou Empire.

Soon, the system's voice rang out.

Congratulations, host, on completing the mission. Rewards: Martial Soul Coordination Pill ×2, Zhu Zhuqing's favorability +30, Martial Soul Evolution Pill ×1 (exclusive to Zhu Zhuqing).

As the system added those thirty favorability points, something new appeared in Zhu Zhuqing's mind. Yang Xiu's image gradually emerged there, bringing a feeling like first love.

Name: Zhu Zhuqing

Soul power: Level 25 (yellow, yellow)

Martial soul: Hell Spirit Cat (Advanced)

Innate soul power: Level 8

Favorability: 61

Martial Soul Fusion Pill: (Place a drop of another person's blood on the pill before taking it. Two pills are required for use. They allow two people to understand each other's hearts. When Intimacy or favorability exceeds seventy-five, the two can perform Martial Soul Fusion.)

"So that's how it works? Martial Soul Fusion... what would a leopard and a cat become?"

"Zhu Zhuqing's innate soul power is only level eight. No wonder her soul power was the lowest early on."

Soon, Yang Xiu and his group checked into a hotel.

"Zhu Zhuqing, do you trust me?" Zhu Zhuqing looked at Yang Xiu for a while, then nodded.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing nod, Yang Xiu took out the pills and spoke.

"This is an Innate Soul Power Pill, and this is a Martial Soul Evolution Pill. Also, put a drop of your blood on this pill." As he spoke, Yang Xiu placed a drop of his own blood on another pill and handed it to Zhu Zhuqing.

Seeing what Yang Xiu did, Zhu Zhuqing added a drop of her own blood as well.

"This one's mine." Yang Xiu swallowed the pill immediately after speaking, then addressed Zhu Zhuqing.

"Take them first. Start with the Martial Soul Evolution Pill. I'll wait outside. Call me when you're done."

Two hours later, Zhu Zhuqing appeared before Yang Xiu. He said nothing, instead sensing her with his heart. He could feel her happiness, as well as the love for him that had just begun to bloom. Beyond that, he sensed nothing else.

Name: Zhu Zhuqing (age 11)

Soul power: Level 29 (yellow, yellow)

Martial soul: Hell Spirit Cat (Top-Tier)

Innate soul power: Level 11

Intimacy: 68

Level eleven innate soul power? And she's level twenty-nine now. That's quite a gain.

"Zhu Zhuqing, there's no rush to travel. Let's go for a stroll."

"Okay."

Zhu Zhuqing still treasured her words like gold, even now that she had fallen for Yang Xiu.

Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's answer, Yang Xiu boldly took her hand and headed outside. A little flustered, Zhu Zhuqing tried to pull her hand back, but he held it firmly. After struggling briefly, she stopped resisting.

She followed silently behind Yang Xiu.

Looking at the figure holding her hand, she felt warmth and safety beside him. A faint, happy smile touched her lips. That smile was like a snow lotus blooming on an iceberg. Unfortunately, no one but the sun in the sky saw it.

With Yang Xiu deliberately slowing their pace, they traveled in fits and starts. This time, it took them a month to return to the Sect.

Through his actions, Yang Xiu slowly melted Zhu Zhuqing's defenses. A month of companionship made her feel lonely no longer. Her favorability also rose to an exceptionally high ninety-five points. She was much like Yang Xiu: once she chose someone, she spared no effort in giving her all. That was why her favorability had risen so quickly. In her eyes, she had already chosen Yang Xiu.

Perhaps happiness was a source of strength. Both of their soul power levels rose by one. By the time Zhu Zhuqing arrived at the Flame Emperor Sect, she was already level thirty.

Yang Xiu did not rush to send Zhu Zhuqing into the Sect Secret Realm. Instead, he became her sparring partner, and their training lasted a month.

In a clearing, Yang Xiu and Zhu Zhuqing cuddled together after finishing a sparring session.

"Zhu Zhuqing, go into the Secret Realm tomorrow."

"All right, Brother Xiu."