The black figure visibly trembled upon hearing the name "Zhu Zhu Qing," followed by anger, and its attacks became even more agile.
Noticing the black figure's reaction, the zu zong nodded to himself, "It really is Zhu Zhu Qing! I just don't know what's wrong with her today. She actually attacked me at night. If I hadn't recognized her Moon Fiend (zuzong: cough cough cough, don't look), I'm afraid the kunai I just used would have already slit her throat."
He dodged Zhu Zhu Qing's attack again, and the zu zong said helplessly, "I say, Zhu Qing, why did you attack my second brother for no reason? He didn't offend you."
Hearing the zu zong call out "Zhu" Qing, the black figure stopped moving, its tone icy, and replied, "Beat me, and I'll tell you!"
"First Soul Skill - Netherworld Thrust"
"Second Soul Skill - Netherworld Hundred Claws"
"I'll come back," the zuzong had no choice but to activate his Martial Soul, Blue Silver Emperor. As the zu zong's soul power gathered in his right palm, hundreds of thick Blue Silver Emperor vines surged forth, shooting towards Zhu Zhuqing.
For girls, especially beautiful girls, and especially one of the girls he liked in the original story, the zu zong was tolerant. As long as the other party didn't intend to kill him, he still loved them, hmm! So this time he only used ordinary Blue Silver Entanglement.
Unsurprisingly, Zhu Zhuqing, who couldn't even withstand Tang San's ordinary Blue Silver Grass in the original story, was no match for the zu zong's Blue Silver Emperor.
Zhu Zhuqing's first and second soul skills didn't even touch the hem of the clan leader's clothes, merely breaking dozens of Blue Silver Emperor vines before the clan leader bound her to the wall with the Blue Silver Emperor, her body spread out in a spread-eagle position with her hands and feet tied.
"Now you can talk, right! Zhuqing, my little sister."
Zhu Zhuqing glared fiercely at the clan leader, "Pah! ZuZong, I misjudged you. I didn't expect you to be the same kind of trash as Dai Mubai?"
What the hell? This is just a bolt from the blue!
Could it be that she saw me bring Xiao Wu and Ye Lingling into the Rose Hotel and thought I was playing the double game?
Clearing his throat, Zu Zong said, "Ahem... First of all, let me clarify! Xiao Wu, Lingling, and I are just from the same academy. There are nine students from our academy in Soto City, and because the hotels were full, we split into groups to find accommodations. The three of us just happened to be in one group. Besides, I have a room to myself! It's not as bad as you make it out to be!"
Zu Zong's explanation eased Zhu Zhuqing's furrowed brows slightly. "Really?"
"Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, go ask the front desk at the Rose Hotel."
Of course, Zu Zong didn't say another thing: What does it matter to you if I am playing the double game?
Zhu Zhuqing met the zu zong's gaze for a while, confirming he wasn't lying, before finally exhaling a breath of stale air and saying, "Phew, let me go!"
"Oh! But you have to promise not to hit me again." The zuzong feared nothing but a stubborn little girl, especially the kind he liked—what a disaster!
Rolling her eyes, Zhu Zhuqing said in a deep voice, "Do you think I'm that resentful?"
"Yes, that's right!" The zuzong snapped his fingers, and the Blue Silver Emperor vines in the alley instantly vanished.
Freed, Zhu Zhuqing moved her joints, easing the stiffness from being bound. When she looked down, the deep cleavage was a feast for the zu zong's eyes.
Noticing the zu zong's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing's originally cold face flushed slightly. "Tell me! Why did you pretend not to know me at the entrance of the Soto City Great Soul Arena today?"
"What?!"
I know her, that's true, but only from the anime and novels I watched in my previous life! How come it suddenly feels like we've known each other for years?!
Zhu Zhuqing pouted her cherry lips and complained, "What? It's the same as last time, just spouting words I don't understand. Don't interrupt, answer me quickly."
Wiping away non-existent sweat from his forehead, Zu Zong pondered. Could he possibly travel back in time? No, impossible. Zhu Zhuqing was half a year younger than him, and judging from her expression, she wasn't surprised by his appearance. That possibility could be ruled out.
"Hey, Zhuqing, can you give me a hint?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's expression, which had finally calmed down, turned icy cold again. She questioned, "You recognized me in the darkness, but you couldn't recognize me in the brightly lit arena at the entrance of the Soto City Soul Arena? Tell me, is it because of that Xiao Wu and that Ye Lingling?"
As she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes reddened, tears blurring her vision. She sobbed, "ZuZong, do you still remember Zhu Qing from the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!
ZuZong mentally shouted "Holy crap!" three times in a row!
He finally understood why, from the first moment he saw Zhu Zhuqing today, her eyes had given him a feeling of being in a melodramatic soap opera.
"Your Majesty, do you still remember Xia Yuhe by the Daming Lake?"
"ZuZong, do you still remember Zhu Qing from the Star Dou Great Forest?"
Look at this déjà vu! A typical Douluo Continent version of "Princess Returning Pig."
No wonder the zu zong didn't recognize her. Two years ago, Zhu Zhuqing used the alias "Zhu Qing," and her breasts were only the size of a fried egg. Who could have imagined that she would be the Zhu Zhuqing with an ostrich egg two years later? Perhaps this is the drawback of preconceived notions!
Let's go back two years.
Zhu Zhuqing had just broken through to level 20.
Led by the clan guards, the ten-year-old Zhu Zhuqing went to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for her second spirit ring.
The clan guards asked with a smile, "Second Miss, what type of spirit ring do you plan to hunt for?"
At this time, Zhu Zhuqing hadn't fully grown up yet, much more delicate than her hot figure two years later, a cute little loli.
However, the expression on her face was already somewhat cold, a coldness from the heart, a pure coldness. Her dark eyes were devoid of any life, a stark contrast to her rosy cheeks. "Uncle Zhu, I'm going for an agility-based build, so please find me a Black Wind Leopard with around 700 years of cultivation!"
The guard, addressed as Uncle Zhu, nodded. The Black Wind Leopard was a speed-type soul beast; a soul master absorbing it had a high probability of gaining speed-related soul skills, which was perfect for Zhu Zhuqing, who possessed the Netherworld Cat martial soul.
Uncle Zhu was a guard assigned to Zhu Zhuqing by her mother. His martial soul was the Mad Leopard, and his cultivation was as high as level 51, making him a true agility-based soul king, primarily responsible for protecting Zhu Zhuqing's daily safety. Zhu Zhuqing
came from the noble Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire. Born into a wealthy and powerful family, she appeared outwardly glamorous, but because the Zhu family's Netherworld Cat martial soul and the Star Luo Empire's royal Dai family's White Tiger martial soul could perform a martial soul fusion skill—the Netherworld White Tiger—it possessed immense power capable of fighting opponents of higher levels.
Therefore, the two families had a close relationship and generations of intermarriage, and Zhu Zhuqing was betrothed to Dai Mubai from childhood.
Bound by family rules, Zhu Zhuqing had to compete with her older sister, Zhu Zhuyun, for the family heir. The loser would be eliminated or imprisoned to prevent internal strife within the family.
This was Zhu Zhuqing's destiny.