Chapter 27: The Cold and Glamorous Goddess, Zhu Zhuqing

"You pack quite a punch."

Nian Yun’s gaze shifted. With a lithe movement, he landed at an angle, the "Musou no Hitotachi" sweeping outward.

"Clang—Clang—"

The man in black scrambled to respond. After parrying two strikes, he spun around, thrusting a floral staff from his waist. Nian Yun used the "Musou no Hitotachi" to pin the staff against his own waist, then, utilizing the recovery lag from the man’s attack, kicked out off the staff.

"Thwack!"

The force was significant; the man in black staggered back several paces before finding his footing.

"State your origins, or die." A flash of purple light crossed Nian Yun’s eyes as he leveled the "Musou no Hitotachi" at the man.

"Swish."

Above them, a cold breeze stirred. A set of crane claws tore through the air, leaving three gouges in its wake. Zhang Ping flickered, sidestepping the strike before rotating in mid-air to kick the attacker down.

"Zhang Ping. Don't hold back. End this quickly."

"Understood."

As the words fell, four figures lunged forward simultaneously.

"Thunder Seal, attach."
"First Soul Skill, Flower Cloud Break."

The man in black tilted his staff vertically, thrusting upward from the lower stance. Nian Yun spun once, tossing the "Musou no Hitotachi" into the air. Just as the floral staff was about to knock the blade away, a figure materialized rapidly at the hilt.

"Thwack!"

Bending low to dodge the staff, he drove the "Musou no Hitotachi" into the man’s abdomen, leaving a bloody trail as purple electricity surged into his body. With a series of violent spasms, the man in black collapsed to his knees.

On the other side, the woman in black was still using a pair of illusory crane claws to strike at Zhang Ping.

"First Soul Skill, Divine Era Archery."

Zhang Ping leaped and flipped to evade the razor-sharp claws, and from beneath her, two wind arrows shot toward the woman’s legs. The woman, initially terrified, felt only a chill in her legs and no immediate pain. Thinking to continue the assault, she moved to strike, but the next second—

"Thump."

A sudden, sharp agony in her legs forced her to her knees. Nian Yun walked slowly toward the kneeling woman, forming a ball of wind and aiming it at her forehead.

"Speak. Who sent you?"

"Whoosh—"

The wind ball, about to be unleashed, was dispersed by a surge of malice.

"The Spirit Hall is not a place for two children to be snooping around."

Heavy, rhythmic footsteps echoed from the exit of the path. The two turned to see a figure in a purple robe approaching slowly. Seeing that it was a Purple-robed Bishop, Zhang Ping prepared to reveal her identity and explain, but Nian Yun immediately raised a hand to stop her.

"Is Heaven Dou City so far from Spirit City that the Pope’s orders haven't reached you, or are you looking to secede?"

"Ha! You claim to have been sent by the Pope? I have received no such word. I only know that those who dare to investigate the Spirit Hall must die."

"Thump—thump—"

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black.

Looking at those five soul rings, Zhang Ping grew anxious. "Nian Yun, what do we do? If they haven't received the message, we have nothing to prove our identities."

"Who says we don't?"

Then, to Zhang Ping’s shock, Nian Yun pulled a token from his waist.

"Kneel!"

...

Time turned back to the afternoon.

Nian Yun woke up on the inn bed, his face stained with tears. He lifted his hands, and the "Zhong Yan" and "Shen Fu Tear" appeared in his palms.

"I should finish gathering the soul rings for Fu Fu first. System, open the map."

In the world of his consciousness, the system responded: "Loading data..."

Moments later, a map detailing the probability of triggering missions appeared before Nian Yun.

"The Soul Hunting Forest. The soul beasts there should be manageable. I can go for a walk."

After hailing a carriage and spending half a day, Nian Yun finally arrived at the entrance of the Soul Hunting Forest.

"Bang—"

A heavy, resounding knock echoed.

"Halt. Present your identification."

"I am a student of the Balak Junior Soul Master Academy. I wish to hunt soul beasts. Here is my student ID."

A soldier took it, glanced at it, and said, "Go on in."

"Clang—"

"Ding."

System: "Mission refreshed: [Hunt alongside the Goddess Zhu Zhuqing]. Reward: Two levels of soul power, Favorability: +2."

Nian Yun looked back. It was indeed Zhu Zhuqing, dressed in black, her figure exceptionally curvaceous and fiery, walking toward them.

"Halt. Present your identification." The guard at the gate immediately moved to block her.

"I—"

"You're here to hunt as well? Perfect, let’s go together." Just as the guard began to grow suspicious of Zhu Zhuqing, Nian Yun spoke calmly to defuse the situation.

"Are you two together?" The guard swept a suspicious gaze over them.

Seeing Nian Yun helping her, Zhu Zhuqing nodded calmly, offering a slight smile as she greeted him.

"Rest assured, when we return, if we don't emerge together, you can arrest us and take us back to the academy for questioning."

Hearing Nian Yun’s guarantee, the guard said no more and opened a path for them.

Once they were out of the guard's sight, Zhu Zhuqing merely said a faint "Thank you" before leaping into the tree branches and disappearing. Nian Yun did not speak or stop her; he simply continued walking slowly, step by step, into the forest.

Night fell.

The first soul skill of "Zhong Yan" clung to Nian Yun, and the beasts on the outer perimeter were unable to inflict any damage on the shield. With the help of "Shen Fu Tear," the venomous creatures that posed the greatest threat to Nian Yun could not approach, and it provided him with light as well.

"Swish—rustle."

"A tiny place like this—how far do you think you can run?"

Nian Yun sighed as he moved toward the sound.

As Nian Yun had guessed, on the other side:

"First Soul Skill, Nether Thrust."

"Swish."

Three gashes were suddenly ripped into the back of a hundred-year-old Wind Spirit Wolf. The beast’s glowing eyes searched frantically for Zhu Zhuqing. Soon, in the darkness, it precisely located the figure with the well-proportioned, lithe limbs.

"Poof—"

The wolf lunged. Zhu Zhuqing used her agility to flip over the claw, simultaneously carving several more bloody marks into its exposed, defenseless back.

"Urgh!!"

After letting out a miserable howl, the Wind Spirit Wolf stopped searching for Zhu Zhuqing and bolted toward the thicket. Not letting the opportunity slip, Zhu Zhuqing chased after it without hesitation.

"Rustle."

Man and beast pursued each other frantically through the woods. Seizing the moment, Zhu Zhuqing’s claws lashed out again.

"Thwack."

Having learned from the previous two encounters, the Wind Spirit Wolf heard the sound and dodged the attack the instant it was launched.

"Aooooo~~~~"

A long howl echoed throughout the forest.

At that very moment, Zhu Zhuqing delivered the final blow to the tenacious Wind Spirit Wolf. Watching the beast lying on the ground, gasping its last breaths, Zhu Zhuqing heaved a sigh of relief.

She aimed for its throat.

"Rustle."

The sounds from all directions made Zhu Zhuqing stop her movements. She observed her surroundings warily, only to find that in every direction, at least two pairs of wolf eyes were watching her.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing immediately struck a defensive pose.

"Grrr—"

After the howl, two opposing Wind Spirit Wolves lunged at Zhu Zhuqing simultaneously. Reacting quickly, she evaded them naturally, but from behind, another wolf pounced.

"Swish."

Then, from the shadows, more Wind Spirit Wolves began to leap out one after another. A stinging sensation in her back caused Zhu Zhuqing’s movements to involuntarily slow down.

After one narrow escape, the largest Wind Spirit Wolf slowly closed in. Only then did Zhu Zhuqing realize that the wolves that had attacked earlier had not only worn her down but had also blocked off all paths of retreat.

"Grrr—"