"Thank you. If I survive, I will repay you in the future."
Zhu Zhuqing, her face pale, uttered a polite remark and, clutching her shoulder, prepared to leave.
Although her sister's subordinates wouldn't kill her in public, being here meant she was constantly under their watch. She needed to find a safe place quickly to hide and recover from her injuries.
Watching her staggering figure, Li Xun muttered to himself with a strange expression, "How can you repay me if you don't even know my name?"
He had seen this kind of verbal gratitude many times before.
It usually amounted to nothing.
Although Li Xun admired those who did good deeds without leaving their names, he wasn't one of them.
He felt that if he didn't ask for money or material rewards, and if he didn't even leave his name, then wouldn't this good deed be done in vain?
Perhaps her hearing was too sharp, or perhaps Li Xun's muttering was too loud, but Zhu Zhuqing paused in her steps and slowly turned around, "My name is Zhu Zhuqing. May I ask yours?"
"My name is Li Xun," Li Xun replied, carefully examining Zhu Zhuqing, his heart stirring.
He was all too familiar with this name.
No wonder Zhu Zhuqing would have such stunning beauty and figure in the future; she already had the foundation now.
"Li Xun, I'll remember it. Thank you," Zhu Zhuqing nodded.
"It was just a small effort, nothing worth mentioning."
Li Xun waved his hand, looking indifferent, "By the way, are you really okay? In your current state, it's probably hard to escape the pursuit of those two from earlier. Do you want me to escort you home?"
"..."
Hearing Li Xun's offer to take her home, Zhu Zhuqing fell silent.
Born into the Star Luo Zhu Family, the concept of "home" had long been irrelevant to her.
Due to the successive marriages with the royal Dai Family, the rule of brothers competing for the throne also applied to her Zhu Family.
Every generation of Zhu sisters would fight each other until a victor emerged.
"What's wrong? Has something happened at home?" Li Xun asked with concern, "If you have other places to rely on, I can take you there safely."
Zhu Zhuqing's body trembled, and her right hand clutching the wound unconsciously tightened, "No need, thank you."
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, lowered her head, and turned to walk back the way she came.
Dai Mubai, that coward, had fled, and her aunt, who had always helped her, had been gone for two months to investigate Dai Mubai's whereabouts.
She had no one to rely on now, only herself.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have come to Longxing City, but now even this place was no longer safe.
"If you really have nowhere to go, you can come with me to Heavenly Dou. Given your current situation, staying in Star Luo doesn't seem very safe," Li Xun frowned and pondered for a moment.
Zhu Zhuqing was slightly taken aback, "Thank you, but no need."
She had heard that Dai Mubai had fled to Heavenly Dou...
"Miss Zhuqing..."
Watching Zhu Zhuqing walk away, Li Xun called out softly.
He had deliberately provoked her earlier.
Since he had encountered Zhu Zhuqing, he felt that not doing something would be wrong.
If he could take her away, that would be the best—it would disrupt Shrek Academy, reducing Tang San's team to five, and add a member to the Heavenly Dou Team.
If he couldn't take her away, it didn't matter; causing her some trouble now would prepare for the future.
"Doing a good deed and getting a return is normal, right?" Li Xun thought to himself.
If it were an ordinary person, Li Xun would have just left his name after doing the good deed.
But as for Tang San's teammate, Li Xun felt that since he had saved her life, it would be unreasonable if Zhu Zhuqing didn't repay him in some way.
Although even if he hadn't saved her, Zhu Zhuqing wouldn't have died.
But who asked him to intervene?
"Brother Li, do you want to catch up and check on her?"
Yang Qianjun walked over with a mischievous look, patting Li Xun on the shoulder.
He was quite perceptive and had been watching from the side without interrupting Li Xun's heroic rescue.
Li Xun glanced at him: "Brother Yang, weren't you supposed to treat me to a meal? Are you trying to back out now?"
"Of course not, today you can order whatever you want."
Seeing that Li Xun didn't intend to discuss the topic, Yang Qianjun tactfully dropped it.
Noticing his tactfulness, Li Xun only ordered dishes worth two hundred Gold Soul Coins in the end.
The meal lasted until evening, with Li Xun enjoying himself immensely while Yang Qianjun wept bitterly.
When they returned to the Yang residence, Yang Qianjun still hadn't recovered from his sorrow.
"Why the long face?" Yang Wudi glared at Yang Qianjun.
Yang Qianjun forced a smile: "It's nothing, I just remembered something happy."
Hearing this, Li Xun couldn't help but chuckle.
"Oh? How happy? Tell me about it."
Yang Wudi narrowed his eyes; if his grandson's answer didn't satisfy him, he would use his belt to make Yang Qianjun happy.
Having been beaten since childhood, Yang Qianjun knew what was coming when he saw his grandfather's expression and quickly forced an awkward smile.
"Grandpa, Li Xun invited me to participate in the Soul Master Competition at the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy in a few years. I'm happy."
Yang Wudi was taken aback, his expression gradually softening.
He glanced at Li Xun and then said to Yang Qianjun: "That's fine, but when you're out there, follow Li Xun's lead and don't cause any trouble, understand?"
Since they had already decided to cooperate with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, it was only a matter of time before the Breaking Clan appeared in the public eye.
They didn't care much about a Soul Master Competition anymore.
Perhaps the moment they started doing business with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, their information would appear on the Pope of the Spirit Hall's desk.
"Understood, Grandpa." Yang Qianjun's smile became much more genuine; he had passed this hurdle.
"Since Senior Yang has made his decision, I won't disturb you further. The follow-up matters will be discussed by my Teacher and Senior." Li Xun cupped his hands towards Yang Wudi.
"Sect Master Ning is fortunate to have a disciple like you."
Yang Wudi nodded with a smile: "I won't keep you any longer, but Qianjun will need to wait a bit. He needs to inform the Bai He clan."
"After all, he's already engaged."
"The Soul Master Competition is still far off, as long as Brother Yang can make it."
Li Xun had no objections; Soul Masters could cultivate anywhere, and the academy wasn't much faster.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Li Xun and Sword Douluo left the residence.
"Sword Grandpa, can we not fly so fast this time? The faster we go, the colder it gets."
Li Xun took out a cotton coat from his Soul Guiding Device and put it on.
He had bought this coat in a distant town along the way when he couldn't bear the cold anymore.
"Are you sure you want to go slower?"
Sword Douluo looked at Li Xun with a smile.
"Will it still be cold if we go slower?" Li Xun was puzzled, finding it hard to believe.
"You can try it. We'll stop to rest along the way anyway, so the speed is up to you." Sword Douluo chuckled without explaining further.
He controlled the Flying Sword to hover beneath his feet.
"Then let's try it slowly first."
Li Xun carefully stepped onto the Flying Sword, standing in front of Sword Douluo.
He had initially protested about this, feeling that he
was being used as a windbreak.
But when he stood behind Sword Douluo, holding onto his arm for just half a day, his arm became unbearably sore.
Helplessly, he had to move forward and act as Sword Douluo's windbreak.
(End of Chapter)