The Evil-Eyed Holy King's plan was simple and crude, but unbelievably, Zhu Zhuqing actually believed it!
This was because the Evil-Eyed Holy King had already prepared her mentally by emphasizing that she needed to abandon her dignity if she wanted to achieve her goal.
At this impressionable age, where youthful passion and ideals were most easily shaped, Zhu Zhuqing naturally charged ahead without hesitation!
But first attempts always brought anxiety. Though Zhu Zhuqing had been tailing Ye Wen and Huo Yu'er for a while, she hesitated repeatedly, unable to make a move.
This made the secretly guiding Evil-Eyed Holy King grow increasingly frustrated. He inwardly cursed humans for being so troublesome—she had already discarded her laughable pride, yet now, at the critical moment, she was shrinking back in fear.
However, neither Zhu Zhuqing nor the Evil-Eyed Holy King noticed that Ye Wen and Huo Yu'er had subtly led them to an extremely secluded location.
Realizing she was about to lose sight of them, Zhu Zhuqing panicked and hurriedly quickened her pace.
But in that instant, a sudden sensation of weightlessness overwhelmed her. The change happened so fast that even the Evil-Eyed Holy King didn't have time to take control of Zhu Zhuqing's body before she was already subdued.
When Zhu Zhuqing came to her senses, she found herself hanging upside down.
Instinctively, she activated her martial soul, attempting to use her claws to tear through the restraints binding her.
But what bound her wasn't rope or any similar material—it was a silvery, almost liquid-like substance.
Though it looked familiar, Zhu Zhuqing, in her panic, failed to recognize what it was.
Suddenly, the bindings on her body began to proliferate, spreading like a spider web across every inch of her skin, keeping her firmly suspended upside down in midair.
"I never expected that despite having so many skilled members in the Medical Alliance, someone would still be foolish enough to track us—and with such clumsy methods. Let me see who you are," Ye Wen's indifferent voice suddenly echoed through the alley.
Zhu Zhuqing's body stiffened instantly.
It was only then that she realized why the restraints felt so familiar. If she ignored their appearance, weren't they identical to Ye Wen's martial soul?
Ye Wen casually waved his hand, slicing off the hood Zhu Zhuqing had used as a disguise. Her waterfall-like black hair spilled out, framing her slightly childish face.
At this moment, Ye Wen's expression turned strange.
Wait—why is this little girl following me? Shouldn't you be competing with Shrek right now?
Though Ye Wen felt pity for Zhu Zhuqing's character, back when he was weak and preoccupied with Xiao Wu's issues, he hadn't dwelled on her after their brief encounter. But today, this little kitten had unexpectedly delivered herself to him, leaving him somewhat surprised.
Once Ye Wen confirmed Zhu Zhuqing's identity, he immediately ruled out the possibility that she was a spy.
Still puzzled, Ye Wen asked, "Why are you following us?"
Though Zhu Zhuqing desperately wanted to join them, being captured so easily on their first meeting left her acutely aware of her own weakness. She couldn't bring herself to voice her request to join.
Because at this moment, she felt utterly useless.
But staying silent wasn't an option either. After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Zhuqing finally muttered softly:
"Um… could you please put me down first?"
Ye Wen nodded indifferently and released the restraints holding Zhu Zhuqing.
Though Zhu Zhuqing had appeared weak when Ye Wen ambushed her, the fact that she performed a perfect 180-degree spin in midair and landed steadily on her feet revealed her impressive physical prowess.
At this point, Zhu Zhuqing knelt halfway on the ground. Her taut figure, accentuated by her slightly tight-fitting clothes, highlighted her curvaceous physique.
Ye Wen instinctively turned his head away, inwardly marveling at what Zhu Zhuqing must have eaten to develop such proportions at her age. Even though soul masters developed faster than ordinary people, this was still quite extraordinary!
But unbeknownst to Ye Wen, as Zhu Zhuqing maintained her kneeling position, her mind was racing with thoughts.
Wasn't this the perfect posture to say that line?!
A memory flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's mind.
It was from before she awakened her martial soul, when she had witnessed her father recruiting a subordinate.
That subordinate, introduced by one of the Duke of Underworld's men, was already well-versed in the preferences of the Zhu family. Without hesitation, he bowed deeply and exclaimed:
"Lord Duke! Please let me become your dog!"
At the time, the young Zhu Zhuqing had thought this was the standard phrase one should say when pledging full allegiance to another.
But Zhu Zhuqing didn't realize that this was entirely due to her father's peculiar sense of humor. Since their martial soul was a cat, there was something inexplicably satisfying about having a dog—a natural rival of cats—become a loyal subordinate.
After gathering her courage, Zhu Zhuqing fixed her burning gaze on Ye Wen.
"Lord Ye Wen! Please let me become your dog!"
---
!?(☉д⊙)!!!
Ye Wen froze, then quickly realized—what kind of bold statement is this coming from someone so young!
But before Ye Wen could reject her, he sensed a chilling glare piercing into his back.
He knew Huo Yu'er was displeased. If he said the wrong thing now, tonight wouldn't end well for him.
Forcing a bitter smile, Ye Wen sighed helplessly and quickly helped Zhu Zhuqing to her feet. While she was still dazed, he said:
"Umm…"
Only then did Ye Wen remember that he shouldn't know her name. He absolutely couldn't directly address her identity—it would be too suspicious.
After pausing briefly to gather his thoughts, Ye Wen continued:
"Little sister, do you want to join the Medical Alliance? We're a very relaxed organization—we don't require anything like calling yourself a dog.
Besides, you shouldn't approach me. If you want to join, just register with our recruitment team. Judging by your soul power fluctuations, you're likely a Soul Elder, which definitely meets our recruitment standards."
But Zhu Zhuqing suddenly realized that Ye Wen had misunderstood her. She broke free from his supporting hand and knelt again, lowering her head even further this time.
"Lord Ye Wen, you misunderstand. I wish to become your direct subordinate—not simply join the Medical Alliance."
Saying such things was difficult for a 12-year-old girl, but Zhu Zhuqing hardened her gaze and declared firmly:
"As long as you allow me to stay by your side and grow stronger, I will obey any command you give, no matter what it is—even that is acceptable."
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