A princess carry

The invitation was brimming with sincerity, without a trace of falsehood. To Zhu Zhuqing at that moment, it was undoubtedly coal delivered in the snow.

She had fled the Zhu Family alone, wandering a thousand miles with no one to rely on and an uncertain road ahead.

Not only had she needed to evade her family's pursuit, but she had also faced the world's dangers alone. Just moments ago, she had nearly been violated, trapped in a desperate situation.

After enduring so much throughout her wandering, she was already exhausted in body and mind. She desperately longed for a safe place to stay, a harbor that could shelter her and let her cultivate in peace.

She raised her eyes toward Mo Yuan, whose presence was steady and bearing extraordinary, then glanced at the upright young man beside him, Lin Chen, who had stepped forward to save her.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Zhu Zhuqing's cool eyes, then swiftly hardened into resolve.

After a brief silence, she nodded gently. Her voice was cool yet soft, tinged with exhaustion but perfectly clear. "I'm willing."

Those simple words sent a tremendous shock through Lin Chen's heart as he watched quietly nearby, leaving him utterly stunned.

He frowned instinctively, swiftly recalling the original story's plot, yet could make neither head nor tail of it.

According to the original timeline, Zhu Zhuqing should have headed straight for Suotuo City to seek out Dai Mubai.

But now, the plot had quietly shifted.

Without complicated inner struggles or excessive misgivings, Zhu Zhuqing had accepted the invitation decisively, veering completely away from her original destiny.

Lin Chen marveled inwardly. Sure enough, once the gears of fate began to turn, countless unknown variables would emerge.

His early intervention had already quietly rewritten the destiny of the Shrek Seven Devils and severed the original storyline. For him, this was unquestionably a blessing as vast as the heavens.

Suppressing the turmoil within, Lin Chen quickly gathered his thoughts and steadied himself. Now that Shrek's lineup was incomplete, Tang San's future path was destined to be anything but smooth.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing agree, Mo Yuan revealed a satisfied smile in his eyes. He nodded slightly and said no more.

He turned back toward the people still prostrate on the ground, his expression instantly shifting from gentle to stern.

His gaze swept over everyone as he spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying unquestionable authority. "All of you, get up."

As his words fell, the onlookers felt as though they had been granted a pardon. Trembling with fear, they scrambled up from the ground on their hands and feet.

Still shaking all over, they dared not raise their heads to look directly at Mo Yuan. They kept their heads lowered as they cautiously backed away, their hearts filled with terror.

Within moments, the densely packed crowd scattered in a rush. No one dared remain even a moment longer, afraid that this terrifying Soul Saint might vent his anger on them and bring disaster upon their heads.

In the blink of an eye, most of the clearing had emptied. Only the members of the Iron Tiger Mercenary Group remained pressed flat against the ground, their bodies rigid, not daring to move an inch.

They knew perfectly well that they had been the first to commit evil and had offended a powerful man's disciple. There was no way they could escape so easily. All they could do now was tremble and await punishment.

Mo Yuan's icy gaze settled on the mercenaries, without a trace of warmth.

He had never tolerated scum like these, who bullied the weak, possessed vile characters, and used their power to oppress others.

Before anyone could react, Mo Yuan waved his hand. A dense, powerful surge of Soul Power erupted instantly, enveloping Lu Jia precisely where he lay at the front.

Thud—

A dull sound rang out. The glowing Soul Rings revolving around Lu Jia shattered instantly, and the Martial Soul Origin rooted in his meridians was forcibly crushed. Savage yet precise Soul Power destroyed the entire foundation of his Soul Power in an instant.

"Aah—!"

A shrill scream of agony suddenly tore through the clearing. Lu Jia convulsed violently, blood seeping faintly from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His face was as white as paper, his eyes filled with despair and a savage grimace twisting his features.

He could clearly feel that the Martial Soul he had cultivated for years had shattered completely. All the Soul Power within him dispersed, and his meridians ruptured inch by inch.

From that day onward, he was no longer a mighty Soul Elder. He had been reduced to a cripple without even the strength to truss a chicken.

After destroying Lu Jia's Martial Soul, Mo Yuan's expression remained icy. He spoke indifferently, his voice devoid of emotion:

"You bullied the weak, acted vilely, and sought to violate an innocent woman. Destroying your Martial Soul will serve as your punishment. Leave everything of value as compensation."

"Then, get lost!"

The members of the Iron Tiger Mercenary Group felt as though their lives had been handed back to them. Even amid their wild relief, their hearts were filled with terror, and they dared not disobey in the slightest.

They hurriedly fumbled through their clothes and storage devices, pulling out every valuable possession they had—Soul Master gold coins, low-grade Soul Bone fragments, ores and materials, small soul tools, and everything else—and piled it all into a small heap on the ground.

Once that was done, several of them hurriedly helped up Lu Jia, whose body had gone limp, who was in unbearable agony, and who had been reduced to a cripple.

They fled the clearing in a disheveled scramble, stumbling and crawling without once daring to look back, afraid that Mo Yuan might change his mind and take their lives.

With that, the entire disturbance finally came to an end.

Silence returned to the clearing, leaving only master and disciple, along with Zhu Zhuqing, who had just agreed to join the academy.

Zhu Zhuqing, who had been forcing herself to remain upright and gritting her teeth against exhaustion, finally let her taut nerves relax.

Unable to support her overtaxed body any longer, her legs gave way, and she slumped straight down onto the ground. Her slender shoulders rose and fell slightly as she panted.

Utter exhaustion, weakness, and loss of strength swept through her body all at once, leaving her without even the energy to raise a hand.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen was crouching on the ground, examining the pile of valuables left behind by the Iron Tiger Mercenary Group with keen interest. He carefully checked for any useful cultivation materials, completely oblivious to the girl's condition behind him.

Watching his disciple pinch pennies and remain utterly blind to romance, Mo Yuan did not know whether to laugh or cry.

He shook his head helplessly, looking as though he lamented that iron could not become steel, and reminded him in a stern voice:

"Stop rummaging through that pile of junk. It's barely worth anything. Can't you see the young lady has collapsed on the ground? You have no eye for what's happening at all. Don't you know to go help her up?"

Lin Chen paused at those words and hurriedly looked back. Seeing Zhu Zhuqing slumped on the ground, pale-faced and weak, he immediately understood, set down the odds and ends in his hands, and strode quickly toward her.

He gently crouched down and asked warmly, "Are you all right?"

By then, Zhu Zhuqing had lost all her strength. Even the energy to stand had been completely exhausted. She could only raise her eyes slightly toward the young man before her and gently shake her head, her gaze full of weakness.

Seeing this, Lin Chen asked no further questions. He reached out, gently supported her arm, and slowly helped her to her feet.

No sooner had she found her footing than Zhu Zhuqing's legs buckled and she swayed again, unable to stand on her own.

Once she had completely relaxed, all the tension holding her mind and body together drained away, leaving her aching and powerless.

She could only lean instinctively against Lin Chen, relying on his support to barely remain standing.

The girl was slender and light, her body slightly cool as she rested softly against his shoulder, carrying a faint, cool fragrance.

Feeling the weakness of the girl beside him, Lin Chen hesitated slightly.

Then he stopped hesitating and extended both arms, slipping one beneath her knees and supporting her back with the other. With a gentle lift, he scooped her securely into his arms in a proper princess carry, his movements soft and steady, without the slightest roughness.

The girl in his arms was light and delicate. Seemingly sensing that she had suddenly been lifted off the ground, she stiffened slightly.

Her fingers instinctively curled tight, but she was far too weak to muster the strength to pull away. She could only rest quietly in Lin Chen's arms.

Not far away, a teasing smile instantly flickered in Mo Yuan's eyes as he witnessed the scene.

He secretly gave Lin Chen a thumbs-up, the smile on his lips growing broader. Clearly, he was very pleased with his disciple's performance.