Carriage to Xingluo
The carriage wheels rumbled softly along the dirt road outside Tiandou City.
Inside, Lu Yuan and Zhu Zhuqing sat side by side.
Zhu Zhuqing never thought he'd actually take her words seriously that night when they drank together in Yuexuan. But here they were. Lu Yuan wasn't just talking anymore—he was really bringing her to Xingluo City to break her lifelong marriage contract.
Her slender fingers curled nervously over her knees. At first, she tried to refuse. She knew how dangerous this was. The contract wasn't just family business—it was knotting together the Dai clan and her Zhu clan, enforced by the Xingluo imperial family. To break it was to spit in the face of the empire itself.
But Lu Yuan… was absolute.
He grinned and said, "Your fate is yours. Isn't it just a contract? Cancel it."
How could she resist him?
So here she sat, anxious and restless, biting her lip while sneaking glances at him.
The man in question? Relaxed like he was going on a holiday. Drinking, humming, swaying with the bumping of the carriage as though oblivious to the storm clouds they were driving into.
"Tons, tons, tons… ha!"
Lu Yuan tipped his wine jar again, face flushed but eyes sharper than any blade, far calmer than hers.
She frowned faintly. Her gaze fell on his chin. A faint, red imprint marred it, shaped like clear tooth marks.
"Lu Yuan… what happened to your chin?"
He coughed, suddenly less carefree. "…A female dragon bit me."
Zhu Zhuqing blinked in surprise.
If anyone else said something so outrageous, she would think they were drunk babbling. But with Lu Yuan? Somehow, the ridiculous always turned out true.
That past night, he had actually given Liu Erlong the bed, even tucking her under the blanket politely. Only for the fiery woman to roll over in her sleep and bite his chin like a starving cat.
To this day, Lu Yuan still looked offended. "Tsk. Good deed punished."
Zhu Zhuqing pressed her lips together. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or worry.
Lu Yuan grinned again, stretching out lazily. "Don't overthink, little cat. It'll be fine. Dangerous or not, I won't let anyone hurt you."
Her heart skipped.
But instead of replying, she glanced out the window, hiding her burning cheeks.
Dai Mubai's Rage
Back at Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai stomped madly through the courtyard.
"Damn it all—!" His roar echoed like a beast in pain.
When news spread that Lu Yuan was leaving Tiandou City, Dai Mubai almost celebrated. He prayed to every ancestor that he would never return. Finally, Zhu Zhuqing would be away from that menace, finally Mubai could approach her again, inch by inch.
But now?
Lu Yuan didn't just leave. He took Zhu Zhuqing with him.
Dai Mubai nearly coughed blood out of pure fury. His whole body shook, veins bulging on his neck.
"This is unbearable!"
The Min Clan Blocked
Elsewhere, on a lonely road, dust storms rose as a group of ragged figures fled. At the head was an old man with snow-white hair, his body still wiry with the strength of decades. Behind him, the Min clan stumbled desperately, children and disciples gasping.
"Stop, old man!" sneered a booming voice. A group of soul masters surged from both flanks, encircling them.
"We finally cornered you, Bai He. Where's your speed now, Sharp-Tailed Swift?"
Surrounded, Bai He's face darkened.
His people were exhausted, breath wheezing. His enemies—led by the rough brute called Lei Datou—were jeering, blades glinting, ready to spill blood.
"Another ten days," Bai He rasped. "I told you—I'll repay the loan after ten days."
Lei Datou spat. "You think I'm your nanny? You dare plan some Sect alliance meeting behind my back? You'll pay today!"
He waved a hand. His lackeys immediately advanced.
"Damn you…" Bai He braced himself. As a Contra, he could escape on his own. But his clan was here—his granddaughter Chenxiang especially. He couldn't run without abandoning them.
"Xiangxiang, go!" He unleashed all his strength, hurling his granddaughter hundreds of meters out of the encirclement.
She rolled mid-air, her sharp-tailed swift spirit wings snapping open, blurring into the horizon.
"Grandpa!" she cried, tears streaming. "Hold on for me… I'll get Grandpa Niu!"
Bai Chenxiang Meets Lu Yuan
Carriage wheels clattered.
"Tons… tons…"
Lu Yuan was drinking peacefully on Zhu Zhuqing's lap when suddenly the carriage jolted. Hooves neighed in terror.
A slim figure slammed onto the roof of the carriage.
Zhu Zhuqing reacted instantly, martial claws flicking from her hands to guard.
Then came a desperate female voice.
"Please—save my grandpa!"
Zhu Zhuqing blinked. A girl's voice?
A heartbeat later, a petite figure slipped down in front of the carriage.
Lu Yuan stepped out lazily, sword half-raised out of habit. Then stopped dead.
The girl had striking beauty, delicate yet fiery, clad in tight purple clothes revealing her flat stomach. Her figure was tall, youthful energy bursting off her. Twin purple ponytails bounced vividly as she gasped for air, a sight that would snare any man's gaze.
Lu Yuan whistled under his breath. Cute.
The girl pressed her palms together, eyes filling with frantic tears. "Please, save my grandpa!"
"Your grandpa?" Lu Yuan squinted around. The roads were empty. Not a soul in sight.
"My grandpa is Bai He, the Min Clan patriarch—he's surrounded by soul masters, they'll kill him if no one helps!" she rattled off quickly, fear lacing every word.
Lu Yuan nodded slowly. "Ah, so this is about borrowed money and debt collection, eh?"
"It's not that we refused to pay!" Bai Chenxiang cried, voice near breaking. "We're just late. Please, he'll die—!"
Lu Yuan scratched his chin. He actually meant to help. But then—he glanced at his Soul Guidance Device.
Empty.
Nothing inside but wine jars. Not a single gold coin. He blinked awkwardly.
"…Right. I don't actually carry money."
Bai Chenxiang nearly fainted. "You… what?"
Lu Yuan held up a jar seriously. "How about a discount with wine?"
Her jaw dropped. Discount… with wine?
"Don't worry," he said proudly. "Qian Renxue's personal tribute collection. Top quality. Worth every horse you could buy."
Bai Chenxiang stared blankly. Was he serious? But her gaze flicked to his calm face, then the aura of power radiating faintly around him. Even drunk, he was terrifying.
Her only choice was to believe.
"Please. I'll fly as fast as I can to get help if you give me that wine. Or can you really…"
"Little beauty," Lu Yuan interrupted, stepping down with a smirk. He tapped his sword against his shoulder casually. "No need. Just point me in the right direction. I promise—I won't be slower than you."
She blinked. Then pointed with a trembling hand toward the distant hills. "There—"
Before she could breathe, her vision blurred.
When her eyes focused again—Lu Yuan was gone.
Only the rippling afterimages of Sword Qi remained, streaking into the distance faster than her desperate gaze could even follow.
Bai Chenxiang's lips parted in awe. "So fast… too fast…"
Beside her, Zhu Zhuqing watched calmly, arms folded. She didn't look surprised at all.
Because this was Lu Yuan.
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