Zhu Zhuqing

"..." The veins on Yang Yunhai's forehead bulged at once. His right fist clenched instinctively, Soul Power rippling around him. The vines surrounding him suddenly surged forth.

Their barbs sliced and ground, shredding the seven bound Gale Devil Wolves to death in the blink of an eye.

"Screech, screech." Flesh and blood sprayed everywhere.

"..." At the sight of such brutality, the girl's body visibly stiffened, and she could not help thinking:

Did I say something wrong just now? But what terrifying control... He can manipulate eight vines at once, and every one of them possesses such strength.

There was no doubt that he was stronger than she was.

As she thought, the vines around Yang Yunhai retracted inch by inch, ultimately turning into a small blue-green vine that vanished into his right palm. He then turned fully toward her, shook his head slightly, and spoke with firm conviction.

"I'm not a girl!"

"A man!" The girl's face instantly turned pale, her body frozen in place as if struck by lightning.

The person who had pulled her out of the pond, dried her body, treated her wounds, and dressed her...

Was actually a man!

In other words, my body... Her whole body trembled, and tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes.

"..." Sigh, she was a girl, after all. At an age where she had never experienced such things, how could she possibly keep her emotions in check after suddenly learning this...? Seeing that the girl looked ready to burst into tears at any moment, Yang Yunhai felt somewhat embarrassed as well.

After all, he was the one who had shocked her, and he was the one who had caused this mess.

Of course, he definitely could not say that outright. Otherwise, they might have a duel to settle both victory and death right then and there. He needed to take things slowly. Thinking so, he quietly let out a breath, scratched his head awkwardly, and tried to soften his tone. "I actually waited for a while back then. When you didn't wake up for a long time and no companions came looking for you, I decided to step in."

At that, an idea flashed through his mind. He pointed at the Gale Devil Wolf corpses nearby and made a comparison.

"Miss, you saw it too. There were seven Gale Devil Wolves attacking you. If I hadn't stepped in, I don't think the situation now would be something you wanted to see."

As he spoke, he prepared to explain what he knew about Gale Devil Wolves, making the girl understand that he really had been forced by circumstances to do a few improper things while treating her. But from another angle, if he had simply left her alone, she would probably have been violated by Soul Beasts by now.

And there had been seven wolves. That was terrifying.

Comparing those two possibilities, being rescued by him was obviously easier to accept. At least he was human. Still, judging from her earlier reaction, she clearly knew about Gale Devil Wolves.

Come to think of it, he had only been able to identify them as Gale Devil Wolves because of the startled shout she had let out earlier.

But that did not stop him from saying it again!

I really am clever. Muttering to himself, he immediately said, "Um, you know about Gale Devil Wolves, right? I heard that Soul Beasts like them are rather... well."

"They're said to be able to do that sort of thing with almost any creature close to their own size. You know, that."

The girl was still young, so he felt it was better to put it tactfully. Unlike in his previous life, where one look or a simple "you know what I mean" was enough for someone to understand.

"I know. You don't need to say any more." Before he could finish, the girl's face had already turned pale. She gritted her teeth and interrupted him.

"Cough, cough. All right." Seeing that his words had worked and that she was finally speaking, Yang Yunhai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He patted his chest and said solemnly, "Miss, don't worry. I, Yang Yunhai, guarantee on my honor that I only provided necessary treatment. I absolutely did nothing else improper to you."

"Also, I've already treated the wounds on your body. There shouldn't be any scars left."

No scars left? Then how had the old scars that had fallen away been dealt with? The girl's body trembled again.

Her reaction was so intense. Had she realized that I touched her? Yang Yunhai immediately guessed, and the corner of his mouth twitched. However, he said nothing. He planned to let her calm down first. It would be best if she could take the initiative to say something, giving him something to work with.

Yet after a long while, the girl still said nothing. Not only did she remain silent, but her mental state began to seem wrong. Her gaze gradually turned vacant and lifeless, as though she were becoming a walking corpse.

She isn't thinking of ending her life, is she? Yang Yunhai's heart jolted. He then hardened his resolve and blurted out, "Miss, um, I can take responsibility!"

"My name is Yang Yunhai. This year, I'm... years old. I just became a Soul Elder, and in terms of strength, I should be no weaker than you!"

In short, following me would not be embarrassing.

These basic details would spread anyway during the Soul Master Competition later on, so there was no harm in saying them... he thought to himself.

As for more detailed information...

Sorry, they had only just met. They truly were not close. He would have to wait until they knew each other thoroughly first!

So young, yet already a Soul Elder!? The girl was visibly stunned, disbelief appearing in her eyes as she recalled the information she had observed earlier.

There was a bundle beside him, so he presumably did not have a Storage Soul Tool. Judging by the material of his clothes, he did not seem to be from some noble family either. Therefore, he was most likely a commoner Spirit Master.

He had just become a Soul Elder. Could it be that he had just obtained a Spirit Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest? And he had done so alone!?

One glance at the light around them made it clear that it was daytime. In other words, this man called Yang Yunhai had guarded her for at least an entire night. If he had companions traveling with him, they would have emerged long ago to fight alongside him. The same age as her, yet a commoner Spirit Master?

A Soul Elder! How was that possible!?

With that cultivation speed and strength, even Spirit Masters with Innate Full Soul Power from sects could not achieve that, could they?

At least, she had never heard of anyone who had.

Seeing some life return to the girl's eyes, Yang Yunhai nodded slightly and continued, "In any case, it all depends on your attitude. I'll respect your choice. Also, you can rest assured that I'm not the kind of person who abandons someone after taking advantage of them or flies off separately when disaster strikes. I, Yang Yunhai, still have some pride."

He had always firmly despised Dai Mubai, who in the original story had abandoned his fiancée and run away alone.

And Yu Xiaogang as well. He had known she was his cousin, yet instead of making things clear on the spot, he had chosen to run away directly, leaving someone else clinging to hope and waiting for decades.

Was that something a man could do?

"Anyway..." His tone suddenly shifted. "If you want me to atone with my life or castrate myself with a blade, that is absolutely impossible!"

"..." At Yang Yunhai's bluntness, the girl could not help clenching her fists, her teeth lightly gritting together.

Involuntarily, she thought of that man—the man who had abandoned her and fled alone when she was not even nine years old, the man who had already been gone for more than three years.

Then she recalled Yang Yunhai's words about flying off separately when disaster struck, and for some reason, her heart filled with bitterness.

Compared like this, she had to admit that Yang Yunhai was indeed better than that man. His strength was secondary. At the very least, he dared to take responsibility and had principles.

Otherwise, she would no longer be whole by now.

And that man, the playboy in everyone's eyes—if faced with such a situation, would he truly have been able to restrain himself? Right now, he might already be indulging in women somewhere.

She fell silent, then thought of her current situation.

At this point, although Yang Yunhai had not done that sort of thing to her, they had still shared physical intimacy. And it had not been simple physical intimacy. In her eyes, those were things only a husband could do. As for her connection with that man, it was nothing more than a Marriage Contract arranged by their families before she was old enough to understand.

Which was real, and which was empty, was obvious at a glance.

What should I do!?

She thought of her background, her family, and the fate she had been taught to bear since childhood. Then she thought of the person before her, a stranger she had met for the first time today.

For a moment, her thoughts became utterly tangled.

Sigh, her heart must be in a mess right now. Seeing her expression, Yang Yunhai could not help thinking.

The next moment, he glanced at the sky from the corner of his eye, then swept his gaze over the chaotic ground stained with blood.

Let's leave the Star Dou Great Forest first. Once we're out, whether she stays or leaves will be up to her. Thinking so, he spoke again. "The smell of blood here is too strong. This isn't a place to linger. We'd better leave as soon as possible."

After saying that, he added, "You have no companions with you right now. If you travel alone and encounter a pack-type Soul Beast like the Gale Devil Wolves, it probably won't be easy to deal with. Why don't we travel together? We can look out for each other. Whatever happens, we can discuss it after leaving the Star Dou Great Forest. How about it?"

"Also, miss, may I ask something?"

"What is your name? No matter what, we should have some way to address each other, shouldn't we?"

His words were direct and straightforward.

"..." The girl remained silent.

Yang Yunhai's expression did not change as he waited quietly.

A few seconds later, the girl finally spoke. Whether that was simply her personality or intentional, her voice was somewhat cold.

"Zhu Zhuqing. My name is Zhu Zhuqing."

PS: I spent eleven hours on the train and only got home at noon, so I'm a little out of it. Writing in Word again feels a bit unfamiliar. I'll sleep early tonight and post an extra chapter tomorrow.