Soul Land—Chapter 4: The Girl Who Longs to Become Stronger
"Tavern? Are you sure Dai Mubai will appear here?" Ling Qianyao asked in a low voice.
"You know," Zhu Zhuqing said, staring at Ling Qianyao with her beautiful eyes as if she wanted to read something from his face.
"Is it strange that I know?" Ling Qianyao spread his hands. "Don't forget, Dai Gonggong and the others are my younger brothers now. I may know more about the happenings in the aristocratic circle than you do."
Children have a natural tendency: when they possess good things or special news, they can't help but share it.
During this past month, Ling Qianyao quickly gained the recognition of his classmates with his strength and eloquence, becoming the king among the children here.
After all, a handsome, strong, and articulate person is popular wherever they go, right? Not to mention the fact that the Zhu family and the Dai family have been connected through marriage for generations. Each generation selects two pairs to compete for future imperial power, meaning he knows even the ambiguous news between a noble lady and a young knight.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, pursed her lips, grabbed Ling Qianyao's sleeve, and turned into the alley on the side. The alley was a little dark, and not many people were around. Zhu Zhuqing pointed to a pile of debris.
"Let's climb over here; we can see the scene above the tavern through the wall from up there."
Ling Qianyao felt a bit helpless. "No way! Do you still have to look secretly? Are you here to verify Dai Mubai's existence or something?"
The two stood side by side and carefully climbed up through the gaps in the debris, trying not to make any noise.
Ling Qianyao felt a bit amused. He wanted to know what expectations Zhu Zhuqing had for Dai Mubai and what she was worried about.
Atop the pile of debris, the scene on the second floor of the tavern came into clear view.
Some of the windows on the second floor were half open. People could be seen toasting and drinking, and several girls in fancy attire laughed softly.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at them one by one, and suddenly her gaze froze.
In the corner of the second floor, Dai Mubai lounged lazily against the back of his chair, a cynical smile curling at the corner of his mouth, playing with an exquisite wine glass.
Several girls surrounded him, either giggling or whispering, constantly caressing him. Dai Mubai seemed to revel in being the center of attention.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Zhuqing felt a pang of disappointment.
Since her martial soul awakened and she was chosen as Dai Mubai's fiancée, facing the impending battle, she had devoted all her energy to cultivation.
Zhu Zhuqing, with an innate soul power of level 7, was considered the lowest in talent among the Shrek Seven Devils in the original novel. Additionally, due to the mutation of Ma Hongjun's martial soul because of the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent Inner Pill, her talent ranked the worst among them. Even the Immortal Herb given to her was not tailored like it was for the others.
However, she was undoubtedly the one who worked the hardest. The threat of death and her unyielding spirit had driven her to never slack off.
Whenever it was late at night, while others rested or enjoyed themselves, Zhu Zhuqing tirelessly trained in the training field. She harbored one singular goal in her heart: to become stronger, strong enough to win the future decisive battle, even if the chance seemed slim.
Of course, she could vaguely sense a feeling of laziness and slackness emanating from Dai Mubai.
She originally thought that Dai Mubai would be like her: vigilant against future challenges and relentlessly pursuing self-improvement.
They had met once when their engagement was announced, and when they met again now, his laziness and indulgence contrasted starkly with the sharp boy she remembered.
"How can he be so relaxed?" Zhu Zhuqing murmured to herself. "Has he given up? But it's still too early, isn't it?"
"Have you finished looking?" Ling Qianyao spoke at that moment.
"Yeah." Zhu Zhuqing lowered herself from her tiptoes, turned around, sat down on the debris, and fell into silence.
Seeing this, Ling Qianyao sat down beside her and asked, "Are you disappointed?"
"Someone told me that he has been coming here more than once recently. His demeanor seems to have changed a bit," Zhu Zhuqing said softly.
"So what did you come here to confirm?" Ling Qianyao inquired.
Zhu Zhuqing was silent for a moment before saying, "I heard some rumors and news recently and wanted to see his situation for myself. What a pity."
"I can understand you very well, Zhu Zhuqing." Ling Qianyao rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"The marriage between the Star Luo Imperial Family and the Zhu Family is just a bloody political arrangement. Selecting a few pairs of successors from already outstanding younger generations means the talent differences among them will be extremely limited.
The advantages of age will expand infinitely, creating tremendous pressure that could easily overwhelm one side."
Unless the younger party obtains a significant opportunity while they are young, the older party almost always has the upper hand from the start.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her mouth, her hair brushing gently against her cheek, a barely perceptible look of confusion in her eyes. "But I can't stop, and I dare not stop. The road ahead is too dangerous. I can only make myself stronger, hoping that he will regain his focus."
Ling Qianyao frowned and stood up. "You have a healthy mindset towards becoming stronger, but gaining strength is never about others. You can't regard others as your source of hope.
Hoping that he will cheer up again? If he can't, are you going to stop working hard? Do you strive for self-improvement just for someone who may not be worth your effort?"
Ling Qianyao jumped down from the pile of debris, looking up at Zhu Zhuqing. "You feel lonely now because you have too many expectations of him. You are cold, but your heart is very fragile. Make up your mind as soon as possible."
Zhu Zhuqing sat on the pile of debris with her head lowered. Ling Qianyao's words were like a sharp sword, piercing the softest part of her heart.
She admitted that she had too many expectations of Dai Mubai, perhaps because, in such a competitive and dangerous environment, she longed for a partner to fight alongside, someone who could understand and support her.
The transformation of her sister at home, the cold gazes from the elders, and the loneliness she felt in the academy made her increasingly silent.
It was Ling Qianyao, sitting at the table in front of her, who often engaged her in conversation, and sometimes when they "bumped into each other" in the training field, he would generously offer insights and encouragement during her training, giving her a sense of warmth in this cold environment.
Today, she had pulled him along to verify the news she had received, seeking his presence to bolster her courage and strength.
"Ling Qianyao, you are right." Zhu Zhuqing finally spoke, her voice low but resolute. "I will no longer consider him; I want to become stronger for myself."
Ling Qianyao finally smiled, his fingertips flickering. Before Zhu Zhuqing could react, he approached her from behind and tapped her life gate acupoint.
"You!"
Zhu Zhuqing was startled, and her body instinctively wanted to shrink forward. However, the warm sensation at her waist made her pause.
"Don't move!"
The star power in Ling Qianyao's hand flowed and gathered toward Zhu Zhuqing's life gate acupoint.
(End of this chapter)