"…" Yang Yunhai's forehead twitched with a visible vein. His right fist clenched instinctively, soul power rippling around him. Suddenly, vines erupted around his body with violent force.
Each vine was covered in barbs, slicing and grinding with terrifying speed. In the blink of an eye, the seven Wind Demon Wolves that had been bound were shredded to death.
Rip! Tear!
Blood and flesh flew everywhere.
"…" Witnessing such brutality, the girl's body stiffened noticeably. She couldn't help but think to herself,
"Did I say something wrong just now? Still, that's terrifying control… He can control eight vines at once, each with such force…"
There was no doubt,his strength exceeded hers.
As these thoughts ran through her mind, she watched as the vines slowly retracted inch by inch, finally merging into a small bluish-green vine that disappeared into his right palm. Yang Yunhai turned around fully and fixed his gaze on her. With a shake of his head, he spoke firmly.
"I'm not a girl!"
"I'm a man!"
Her face instantly went pale. It was like being struck by lightning, her body frozen in place.
The person who had pulled her out of the water, dried her off, treated her wounds, and helped her get dressed…
Was a man!
Which meant,he had seen her body…
She shivered all over, tears welling up uncontrollably in her eyes.
"…"
Well, she is just a young girl, after all. At her age, still inexperienced in the ways of the world, it was understandable she couldn't hold back her emotions after finding out something like that.
Seeing that she looked on the verge of tears, Yang Yunhai felt a little awkward too.
After all, he had been the one who shocked her unconscious, and he had been the one to intervene.
Of course, he couldn't just say that outright. Otherwise, it might turn into a duel that decided both victory and death on the spot. He had to handle this delicately…
Thinking this, he let out a quiet sigh and scratched his head with a somewhat awkward expression. He tried to keep his tone gentle as he spoke.
"I actually waited a while at first. But when I saw you weren't waking up and no companions showed up, that's when I decided to step in."
As he spoke, inspiration struck. He pointed at the Wind Demon Wolf corpses nearby to make a comparison.
"You saw them yourself,seven Wind Demon Wolves. If I hadn't acted then, I doubt the situation now would be anything you'd want to see."
He was about to continue explaining, describing the wolves based on what he remembered from the original lore, to make her understand that although his actions had been inappropriate, they were necessary under the circumstances.
If he had just walked away, she probably would have been ruined by the soul beasts by now.
And not just by one,by seven wolves. That was horrifying.
Put side by side, the comparison was clear. It would be easier for her to accept having been saved by him,at least he was human.
Judging by her earlier reaction, it seemed she knew what kind of soul beasts Wind Demon Wolves were.
In fact, it was thanks to her earlier scream that he had recognized them in the first place.
Still, that wouldn't stop him from saying it again!
I really am a clever guy, he thought proudly.
So he said, "Uh, do you know what Wind Demon Wolves are? I've heard they're… um… like that."
"They're said to be able to mate with any creature of a similar size, basically, uh… yeah."
Since the girl was still quite young, he figured it was better to phrase things delicately. Unlike in his past life, where a glance or a simple "You know what I mean!" would be enough.
"I know. You don't need to say more."
Before he could finish, the girl cut him off, her face pale as she bit her lip.
"Ahem… Alright then."
Seeing that his words had at least drawn a response, Yang Yunhai breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He patted his chest and said seriously,
"You can rest assured. I, Yang Yunhai, swear on my character,I only did what was necessary to save you. I absolutely did not do anything improper."
"Also, I've treated your wounds. There shouldn't be any scars."
No scars? Then how did he clean the old ones…?
The girl trembled again.
Such a strong reaction,did she think I touched her?
Yang Yunhai guessed as much, his mouth twitching slightly. But he didn't say anything. Better to let her calm down first. Ideally, she'd speak on her own so he could respond more naturally.
But after a long while, she still didn't speak. Worse, her mental state began to change. Her expression turned vacant and lifeless, like a walking corpse.
Don't tell me she's thinking about ending her life?
The thought startled him, and he gritted his teeth before blurting out,
"Hey, listen. I can take responsibility!"
"My name's Yang Yunhai. I'm… years old, and I just became a Soul Exalt. In terms of strength, I'd say I'm not weaker than you."
In short,being with me isn't something to be ashamed of.
This basic information would eventually spread during the Soul Master Tournament anyway, so no harm in saying it now… he reasoned internally.
As for anything more detailed?
Sorry,we just met. That kind of thing only comes with time and trust.
So young… and already a Soul Exalt?
The girl's expression clearly shifted. A trace of disbelief showed in her eyes. She recalled the details she had noticed earlier.
His bag lay to the side,no storage soul tool, apparently. His clothing wasn't made of fine fabric either, not the kind nobles wore. So he was likely a commoner soul master.
A new Soul Exalt,did he just get his soul ring in the Star Dou Forest? And he was alone?
Judging by the daylight, he must have watched over her the entire night. If he had companions, they would've come to help fight off the wolves. So he was around her age… a commoner soul master… and a Soul Exalt!?
How was that possible?
His cultivation speed and strength,she had never heard of even a noble-born innate full-soul-power soul master doing that.
Seeing that her eyes had regained some clarity, Yang Yunhai nodded slightly and continued,
"Anyway, I'll leave the decision up to you. I'll respect whatever you choose. But you don't have to worry,I'm not the kind of person to abandon someone in danger or act like nothing happened."
He deeply disdained the likes of Dai Mubai, who had abandoned his fiancée and run away.
And then there was Yu Xiaogang. Even knowing someone was his cousin, he didn't clarify publicly,he just ran, letting her wait in false hope for decades.
What kind of man does that?
"Anyway…" he changed tone, "if you're hoping I'll commit suicide to atone or, I don't know, castrate myself,forget it!"
"…"
The girl clenched her fists and bit her lip.
Involuntarily, her mind turned to a certain man,the one who had abandoned her and fled more than three years ago, when she was not even nine years old.
Thinking about Yang Yunhai's words,not abandoning someone in danger, her heart felt inexplicably bitter.
In comparison, she had to admit: Yang Yunhai was indeed better. Strength aside, at least he was honest and had principles.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be intact now.
And that man, a known womanizer, could he really have restrained himself if he were in the same situation? More likely, he'd be fooling around somewhere right now.
She fell silent, then turned her thoughts to the present.
Though Yang Yunhai hadn't done that to her, they had already shared close contact,far beyond what was acceptable. In her mind, such intimacy should only be between husband and wife. And that other man… was merely bound to her by a childhood engagement.
Real vs. imaginary, it was obvious.
What should I do!?
She thought about her background, her family, the destiny she had carried since childhood. And then she looked at the boy before her,a complete stranger.
Her mind became a storm of confusion.
Sigh. She must be really torn right now, Yang Yunhai thought as he observed her expression.
Then he glanced at the bloodstained ground around them.
They had to leave the Star Dou Forest first. Whatever happened afterward would depend on her.
With that in mind, he spoke again,
"This place reeks of blood. We shouldn't stay here long. It's better to leave as soon as possible."
He added, "You don't have any companions with you. If you run into another group of soul beasts like the Wind Demon Wolves, it'll be hard to handle alone. Why don't we travel together? That way, we can look out for each other. We can talk about everything else once we're out of the forest. How about it?"
"And, uh… one more thing."
"What's your name? No matter what happens, we need to at least know what to call each other, right?"
His words were straightforward.
She remained silent.
Yang Yunhai showed no reaction, simply waiting quietly.
A few seconds later, she finally spoke. Whether it was her personality or her intent, her voice was slightly cold.
"Zhu Zhuqing. My name is Zhu Zhuqing."
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