Family

As the steel doors opened a crack, the butler's aged voice came from outside.

"Young master, His Majesty will arrive in an hour. People from the Huang Family and Zhou Family have already come ahead of him."

Hearing his butler's reminder, Zhu Zhufeng knew it was time to hurry his father along. If he failed to remind him and something went wrong, his father would certainly make him pay.

But shouldn't the old butler have left after delivering his message? Why was he still planted in the doorway, holding the door open? Was he trying to sneak a peek at his eldest sister's voluptuous figure?

Wasn't the old butler nearly seventy, though? Did he still have a taste for that?

Zhu Zhufeng decided to ask. After all, those had only been his own mischievous thoughts; there might be something important. He said calmly, "Yes, Uncle Fu, I understand. Is there anything else?"

The old butler lowered his hands. He had not wanted to say anything, because today was the Zhu Family Celebration. To put it bluntly, it was the day the Dai Family came to choose women. For the Zhu Family, it was both a blessing and a curse.

As the Zhu Family's butler, he carried both its pride and its sorrow. Judging by Zhu Yang's delighted expression, this daughter of the family head would meet the same fate tonight as the third young lady and the eldest young lady before her.

"Young master, Steward Zhu Yang is waiting outside with Miss Zhu Zhuqing. He seems to have something urgent to report to the family head."

Upon hearing that it was Zhu Yang and Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhufeng's expression immediately grew grave. Today was the day his younger sister awakened her martial soul. Had something gone wrong?

He wanted to go out and check immediately, but Zhu Yang had expressly asked to see the family head, so he had to inform his father first. He replied at once, "All right, Uncle Fu. Ask him to wait a moment. I'll tell Father."

The steel doors were left ajar again, and the two departed with very different feelings.

Countless stone pillars rose along the outer corridors of the vast, magnificent old residence. They formed a great circle, sheltering the grand building within.

The jade-inlaid steps and red-painted entrance all radiated a festive air. Even the family members sheltering from the rain outside the old residence wore happy smiles today.

Inside the Guest Reception Hall at the entrance to the old residence.

Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Yang were locked in a staring contest. The instant Zhu Zhuqing had woken up earlier, she had left a row of tooth marks on Zhu Yang's arm, biting so hard that he had howled.

Just as the two were glaring at each other, an elderly man approached the entrance to the Guest Reception Hall.

Seeing the old man approach, Zhu Yang immediately went to meet him. "Uncle Fu, when will the family head come?" he asked anxiously.

Uncle Fu glanced at little Zhu Zhuqing standing beside the window, then pulled Zhu Yang outside.

Zhu Zhuqing had no interest in what the old man and the younger man were saying. They would only be discussing her aptitude and future prospects.

As a great clan of the Star Luo Empire, the Zhu Family's marriage alliance with the Dai Royal Family was nothing more than an exchange of benefits. Truthfully, she looked down on a family that used its women's futures as bargaining chips.

Watching the torrential rain pour down outside the window, Zhu Zhuqing's heart was a tangled mess. She could already imagine the miserable days ahead, along with the family's cold gazes and the cruel spectacle of sisters fighting one another.

Tap, tap, tap.

Footsteps sounded outside the Guest Reception Hall, followed by the voice of an imposing man, mingled with a woman's voice.

"What? A martial soul mutation, with level-eight innate soul power?"

Zhu Zhuyun was astonished. Jealousy slowly took root in her heart. As the woman of the Star Luo Empire's eldest prince, she would never allow a rival to emerge.

If her younger sister were merely useless, that would be fine. She would not have to waste any effort and could simply lock her up when the time came. But now her youngest sister had actually awakened a mutated martial soul, with level-eight innate soul power at that.

Zhu Zhuyun knew perfectly well what level-eight innate soul power meant. It gave her an excellent chance of becoming a Soul Douluo in the future.

If her partner also reached the Soul Douluo realm, the two of them could perform the martial soul fusion skill, Hell White Tiger, and rival a Super Douluo.

I must get rid of this younger sister. Zhu Zhuyun hardened her heart and made her decision.

By the window, Zhu Zhuqing finally failed to suppress her curiosity. She wanted to see what her father and older sister in this life looked like, and whether they truly were as cold and heartless as they were in the novel and animated adaptation.

Step by slow step, she walked toward the entrance to the Guest Reception Hall.

The first person she saw was a tall, imposing man dressed in silver battle armor. Armor covered his entire body, gleaming with a cold sheen. Along with that gleam came an utterly icy gaze sweeping toward her, seemingly devoid of even a trace of emotion.

He had an exceedingly cold appearance, a face covered in stubble, and a vicious scar across his forehead that ran through the corner of his eye. Without that scar and his utterly frigid gaze, he would have been an exceptionally handsome man.

Beside him stood a handsome young man in black armor and a short-haired beauty with an exquisite figure.

The handsome young man's face lit up with delight when he saw Zhu Zhuqing. He slowly approached little Zhu Zhuqing, spreading his arms as though he wanted to hug her.

The short-haired beauty, meanwhile, wore a complicated expression. First came surprise, then disgust, followed by an icy chill. Finally, her demeanor abruptly changed again, and she looked especially happy. She, too, slowly approached Zhu Zhuqing.

The handsome young man reached little Zhu Zhuqing first. Ignoring the resistance in her eyes, he swept her into his arms, then happily lifted her high and spun her around.

Holding Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhufeng brushed her small, adorable nose with his right hand. Seeing that his younger sister seemed unhappy in his arms, he hurriedly said, "Little sister, congratulations on awakening your martial soul! Your big brother didn't bring any treats today, but I'll buy you your favorite fragrant piglet meat another day."

How could Zhu Zhuqing possibly be happy? This fellow had lifted her up and spun her around. I may only be six, but I'm wearing a skirt! That spin put everything on display!

Still, the thought that she had an older brother in this family who loved her sent waves of warmth through Zhu Zhuqing's heart.

"Oh my, I heard our little sister awakened a mutated martial soul today, with level-eight innate soul power, too. Why don't you show us your martial soul?"

A voice that sounded delighted, with a touch of envy, rang out beside Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing knew who it was: her eldest sister, nine years older than her, a fifteen-year-old level-thirty-nine Soul Elder. She was hailed as the future empress of the Star Luo Empire, a reputation that had spread throughout the empire. Many of its families and factions had already begun leaning toward her, and even within the Zhu Family, over eighty percent of the elders had taken the initiative to gather around her.

But at this moment, she did not know what her eldest sister would be like in the future. With her most sincere smile, she answered, "Big sister, I don't know what my martial soul has mutated into, either. I'm a little nervous."

"Hehehe, look at you, silly girl. Even if my little sister awakened an ornamental cat, what would it matter? Your big sister would take care of you." Zhu Zhuyun covered her mouth with one hand, her voluptuous figure trembling as she laughed.

At that moment, the imposing man in silver battle armor spoke. "Show your martial soul!" he said coldly.

His voice held not a trace of emotion, as though he would not even have bothered looking at Zhu Zhuqing if her martial soul had not mutated.