Chapter 190 Even a wary kitten can become docile.
Jiang Nian dried Zhu Zhuqing's hair and got up to cook some food for the girl; he had heard her stomach rumbling earlier.
After he left, the girl silently clutched her warm hair, her usually calm pupils flickering slightly, lost in thought.
The moment Zhu Zhuqing saw him, she knew Jiang Nian's identity.
That face—probably everyone in the world recognized it.
Not to mention her Zhu family.
"Teacher, are you from the Spirit Hall?"
"Yes."
Qingyu nodded, staring blankly at Zhu Zhuqing's head, as if seeing her former self reflected in her.
"His Highness the Holy Son seems different from the rumors..." the girl muttered to herself.
Rumors in the capital said that the Spirit Hall's Holy Son loved killing and had a tyrannical personality.
Although he had a handsome appearance, his mind was extreme; if he were to take power over the continent, he would inevitably unleash a bloodbath.
Zhu Zhuqing was a woman of few words; in unfamiliar places, she preferred to observe, think, and listen.
Soon, Jiang Nian brought over two bowls of noodles and a plate of fried dried fish.
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up, and she sat up straight.
It smelled so good…
So the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall could cook?
This was hard to believe!
"Eat."
"Thank you…" Zhu Zhuqing murmured, picking up the warm bowl, feeling it was a little hot, and then shifting her grip.
She glanced at Qing Yu, who was eating slowly and deliberately, then relaxed and savored the food.
Zhu Zhuqing pricked up her ears, squinted her eyes, and looked very pleased, then picked up a dried fish and gently bit into it.
Crispy and tender, with an unforgettable aftertaste.
The girl ate with a sense of joy, and after finishing, her lower abdomen slightly bulged, and her body felt warm, dispelling the chill of the rainy day.
After seeing that she had finished eating, Jiang Nian began to get down to business.
This girl had ties to the Star Luo Empire's imperial power, and if he completely abandoned that, he would take her to the Spirit Hall for training.
If she still had any illusions about Dai Mubai, then he would have to cut them off as soon as possible.
"Zhu Qing."
"Yes! Here."
Zhu Zhu Qing straightened her back and looked at Jiang Nian with her bright, watery eyes.
"I'm asking you, do you want to go back to the Spirit Hall with us, or stay here? You need to understand that once you choose to join the Spirit Hall, you and the Star Luo Empire will be enemies from now on, do you understand that?"
"I understand! I'm willing to go back to the Spirit Hall with His Highness the Holy Son and my teacher."
Jiang Nian stared at her resolute gaze for a few seconds, then showed a relieved smile.
"Good."
"Then you'll come with us for a while, so you can see what this continent is like."
Jiang Nian took out a small piece of ten-thousand-year whale glue from his storage space, burned it, and placed it in her hand.
"Swallow it."
Zhu Zhu Qing looked firmly at the fragrant object in her hand, and swallowed it without asking what it was.
A moment later, her body began to flush red.
"Try absorbing this; it'll be very beneficial to your body."
"Mmm..."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, closed her eyes, and began refining.
Not long after, the girl opened her eyes, her expression slightly excited.
She could clearly feel that her body seemed much stronger than before.
"During this time, just observe, think, practice, and eat more. Ask me anything you need to know."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Two days later, the clouds cleared.
Bright sunlight streamed down the streets, and the closed markets began to operate again, with various stalls springing up.
Qingyu seemed to really like apples; she would buy one whenever she saw them for sale.
Now, she had bought two.
Zhu Zhuqing ate the apples in small bites, her cheeks bulging, her head filled with a big question mark.
Where were the Young Master's apples?
Xiaobai, perched on Qingyu's shoulder, looked down at Zhu Zhuqing, seemingly already planning how to brainwash the girl.
To gain some status in the future, it had to start laying the groundwork now!
"Oh ho~"
Several cheerful laughs came from above the three of them. Looking around, they saw a group of young men, all flying on swords, clumsily trying to fly.
Occasionally, someone would fall from the air, drawing laughter from the onlookers.
However, the onlookers didn't seem to care; instead, they were excited and wanted to continue trying.
Unfortunately, their sword control was still too immature; maintaining it for half a minute was already quite good.
"Looks like we've arrived at Wind Sword Town."
Jiang Nian looked towards the distant mountains, where the major sects of this area were located.
It was the Wind Sword Sect.
They only recruited disciples with sword spirits and also learned sword formations, whose power was not to be underestimated.
"Sigh, flying on a sword is too difficult. I wonder when I'll be able to fully master it..."
"Soul Emperor, right?"
"Pah! I think it was only Soul Saint..."
"Our senior brother could fly on a sword when he was a Soul Saint, it's truly enviable..."
Several young Wind Sword Sect disciples chatted and laughed, occasionally someone falling from the sky. No one laughed at them, after all, flying on a sword was beyond their age to master.
Zhu Zhuqing blinked, feeling a sense of novelty.
From childhood to adulthood, she had never flown before, feeling that such a thing was still very far removed from her.
Jiang Nian looked at the Wind Sword Sect disciples swaying precariously in the sky, shook his head, and sighed inwardly.
Even at eight years old, Little Golden Hair's understanding of swordsmanship surpassed the combined abilities of all these people. Even the most slow-witted person couldn't fly on a sword at eight years old, could they?
Jiang Nian activated his Martial Soul, and the small umbrella quickly transformed into a silver longsword. He lightly stepped onto it, then gestured for Qing Yu and Zhu Zhuqing to follow.
The little girl raised her eyebrows in surprise, curious that her Martial Soul could actually change forms!
Zhu Zhuqing stood between the two, not daring to look down.
The people of Wind Sword Town, watching the remarkably stable sword flight, exclaimed in astonishment.
"Holy crap! Who is this big shot?!"
"To be able to carry two people so steadily, he must be at least a Soul Saint or Soul Emperor!"
"He looks so young! I've never heard of such a powerful young Soul Master with a sword Martial Soul on the continent..."
The Wind Sword Sect disciples, swaying precariously in the air, were stunned by Jiang Nian's stability, their Martial Souls faltering and they fell to the ground.
Zhu Zhuqing found the scene somewhat amusing, but she suppressed it. Looking at the long-haired man with his hands behind his back, she suddenly felt a strong sense of security.
His long hair brushed against her cheek, soft and delicate, carrying a unique fragrance that was truly intoxicating.
Zhu Zhuqing's pupils flickered slightly as she gazed at him for a long time before lowering her head.
Her palms were slightly sweaty.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, they arrived at the foot of the Wind Sword Sect mountain.
Out of respect, Jiang Nian did not continue flying on his sword.
"Let's go, let's go up the mountain together."
"Okay!" Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head slightly, raising her chin to look at the sunlight shining from above, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes…
(End of Chapter)