Soul Land—Chapter 13: Spicy Rabbit Head Should Be Paired with Blue Silver Grass
"Okay."
"Very good." Zhu Zhuyun handed him a token engraved with the character "Zhu." "You can come to me if you need anything important. I'll also notify you when it's time for you to leave."
After Zhu Zhuyun departed, Ling Qianyao packed his belongings and hurried back.
There was still some pain in his chest. Although Zhu Zhuyun's punch hadn't used soul power, it had landed much harder than he expected.
"This woman packs a punch," Ling Qianyao muttered, but he didn't harbor much resentment.
Zhu Zhuyun's punch was more of a catharsis for the complex emotions surrounding his relationship with Zhu Qing.
If he were in Zhu Zhuyun's position, Ling Qianyao suspected he might have been even more ruthless. He would have resented the yellow-haired man to the extent that he would have flattened him without hesitation.
Fortunately, he didn't have a sister; otherwise, he would be furious if someone like himself suddenly appeared.
"Zhu Qing, I'm back! Grandpa Jason?" Ling Qianyao was stunned.
He noticed Zhu Zhuqing seemed to have been listening to something very seriously, her little face expressing curiosity.
Seeing Ling Qianyao return, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes sparkled with surprise before darting to Grandpa Jason, where she briefly displayed a look of regret.
Ling Qianyao's heart sank. Grandpa Jason wouldn't have told her about his dark history, would he? But wait, did he even have a dark history? It seemed that he didn't.
"Qianyao, you're just in time! I was just talking about you with Zhuqing," Jason said.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her beautiful eyes slightly and hurriedly coughed a few times, tilting her head to subtly signal Old Jason to stop talking.
She quickly stepped away to join Ling Qianyao.
Seeing this, Old Jason stroked his beard and smiled. "Compared to me, it looks like Zhuqing prefers to be with you."
Zhu Zhuqing blushed.
Ling Qianyao smiled and scratched his head. "Zhuqing and I just got back not long ago. We had lunch and were thinking about visiting everyone in the village tomorrow. I didn't expect Grandpa Jason to show up first."
"Why? You little brat, are you saying you don't welcome me?" Old Jason raised an eyebrow. "It seems Zhuqing is a good girl. If you weren't coming, I would have preferred to chat with her."
"Haha," Ling Qianyao shrugged, "You know that's not what I mean! Will you stay for dinner tonight?"
He pulled out the prey he had just hunted. "I happened to catch two rabbits on the way back. We can have spicy rabbit meat tonight! I also brewed a jar of wine in the backyard. It will be perfect for Grandpa Jason to enjoy."
Old Jason examined the rabbits in Ling Qianyao's hands and nodded. "Rabbit meat? Spicy rabbit head is the best, but..."
He glanced at Zhu Zhuqing behind Ling Qianyao, smiled, and stood up. "I won't bother you today; you just got back. Settle in well, and remember to come see me tomorrow."
Ling Qianyao tilted his head to look at Zhu Zhuqing, whose face was still a little flushed. "Grandpa Jason didn't tell you about my dark history, did he?"
"No, of course not."
---
As dusk fell, Ling Qianyao dug out a roasted rabbit and a wine jar from the backyard and brought them to Old Jason's house.
Ling Qianyao respected this elder. As one of the few educated individuals in the village, Jason played a significant role in their community. After his grandmother passed away, he took good care of her legacy.
Ling Qianyao was not the type to make his ideals known to the world; he preferred to express himself through actions. If others treated him sincerely, he would respond in kind, repaying their kindness with a genuine heart.
On the other hand, he had little patience for those who took kindness for granted and squandered it.
Relationships should be built on mutual respect and understanding. "If you're good to me, I will remember it and treat you better; if you disregard my kindness, then there's no need for me to be fervent."
"Good boy," Old Jason remarked, taking the items from Ling Qianyao. However, his gaze drifted past Ling Qianyao into the distance.
"Don't look; Zhuqing didn't come," Ling Qianyao said helplessly.
"Haha," Old Jason laughed awkwardly and patted Ling Qianyao on the shoulder. "Tell Grandpa honestly, do you have feelings for her? I hinted to Zhuqing that she seems to like you very much."
Old Jason suddenly sighed. "You need to seize this opportunity. Don't wait until you're older and regret it—just like a friend of mine did."
Ling Qianyao grinned. Did he want to make friends out of nothing? "Grandpa, do you want a wife? If you do, just say the word, and I'll go to the city to introduce one to you."
"Go to hell! You have no respect for your elders!" Old Jason waved his hand with a smile and scolded him, raising his crutch as if to playfully hit Ling Qianyao. His eyes, however, sparkled with affection.
Ling Qianyao laughed and dodged Old Jason's crutch, turning to leave. "Don't worry, Grandpa Jason. I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Hmm." Old Jason leaned against the doorframe happily, watching Ling Qianyao's retreating figure, his heart filled with relief.
"Nah," Old Jason took a bite of the rabbit head, frowning slightly. "The taste is okay, but why didn't he add blue silver grass? Did this kid forget about it? Um, I think I didn't tell him."
Old Jason shook his head and moved a little further to pull out some blue-silver grass. He broke it into pieces and added it to the rabbit meat before taking another bite.
"Hmm, cool and spicy! Not bad; not bad at all."
---
When Ling Qianyao returned home, he found Zhu Zhuqing waiting for him in the courtyard. He greeted her before heading off to wash up.
After cleaning himself, Ling Qianyao wiped his damp hair and returned to his room, with the Star-Breaking Sword floating in front of him.
The battle against Zhu Zhuyun had given him a wealth of inspiration.
He had just activated the seven acupuncture points along his spine that represented the Big Dipper, and this was the first time he had utilized the amplification of all seven stars at once.
Army Breaking Star had enhanced his attack power, Star of War had instilled a boiling fighting will, and Giant Gate Star had fortified his defenses, among other boosts.
The coordination between the seven stars provided him with greater versatility and options in battle. Ling Qianyao stood in the center of his room, gazing at the suspended Star-Breaking Sword, silently reflecting on every detail from the day's engagement.
"The force is still too weak; the straight stab didn't hit the mark."
"Using all seven stars together consumes soul power at a rate that far exceeds that of six stars. It seems to have directly doubled the consumption.
However..."
He looked at the sword guard of the Star-Breaking Sword, where the pattern of the Big Dipper shimmered. "I feel like something is still missing. The power of the seven stars should exceed this."
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