The veins on Yang Yunhai's forehead bulged, his right fist clenched instinctively, and his soul power rippled outward. In the next instant, the vines around his body lashed out violently.
The barbed tendrils twisted and shredded, and in the blink of an eye, the seven Gale Demon Wolves bound by him were torn to pieces.
The sound of tearing flesh echoed, blood and gore splattering across the ground.
Seeing such a brutal scene, the girl stiffened, her heart trembling.
'Did I say something wrong just now? But… what terrifying control. He can manipulate eight vines at once, and each carries such power.'
There was no doubt—his strength surpassed hers.
As she thought, Yang Yunhai's vines slowly retracted, condensing into a small azure-blue vine that disappeared into his right palm. He then turned fully toward her, shook his head slightly, and spoke firmly.
"I am not a girl!"
"A man!"
Her face turned pale, her body frozen as if struck by lightning.
The one who had pulled her from the water, dried her body, treated her wounds, and dressed her… was a man!
That meant her body… She shuddered, tears welling in her eyes, impossible to hold back.
'Ah… after all, she's just a young girl. At her age, inexperienced with the world, suddenly finding out something like this—it's impossible for her to keep her emotions in check…'
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Yang Yunhai felt embarrassed. After all, she was shocked because of him. He was the one who electrocuted her, he was the one who caused this mess.
Of course, he couldn't just tell her the truth outright. Otherwise, she might challenge him to a fight to the death on the spot. He needed to ease things in slowly. Taking a quiet breath, he scratched his head awkwardly and softened his tone.
"I actually waited for a while. When you didn't wake up, and no companions came for you, I decided I had to step in."
A spark of thought flashed in his mind. He pointed at the corpses of the Gale Demon Wolves nearby, using them as a comparison.
"You saw it yourself—seven Gale Demon Wolves attacked. If I hadn't acted, I don't think you'd want to imagine what the result would have been."
He had intended to explain further, recalling what he remembered about these wolves from the original story. He wanted her to understand that his actions, though improper, had been forced by the situation. Because if he had done nothing, she might have been violated and killed by soul beasts.
And not just one wolf—but seven. That would've been a nightmare.
Compared side by side, what he did was clearly the lesser of two evils. At least he was human. Judging from her reaction earlier, she obviously knew about Gale Demon Wolves.
In truth, he had only been able to identify them because she had shouted it in panic.
But that didn't stop him from repeating it! 'I really am a clever one,' he thought smugly before continuing aloud.
"That, um… you know about Gale Demon Wolves, right? It's said they're… well, very lustful."
"They're known to mate with almost anything of a similar size. You know… that."
Considering her age, he deliberately spoke vaguely. Unlike in his previous life, where just an eye roll and a "you know" was enough for people to understand.
"I know. You don't need to say more."
Her face turned pale, biting her lip as she cut him off.
"Ahem, alright then."
Seeing that his words had at least drawn a response, Yang Yunhai sighed in relief. He patted his chest with a serious expression.
"Rest assured, I, Yang Yunhai, swear on my honor. What I did was strictly for treatment. I never did anything inappropriate to you."
"Also, I've healed your wounds. There shouldn't be any scars left."
No scars left… but what about the old ones that were removed?
Her body trembled again.
'She's reacting so strongly… is she thinking about how I touched her?' Yang Yunhai guessed, his lips twitching. He didn't press further, choosing to wait for her to calm down and hopefully speak first.
But after a while, she remained silent. Not only that, her spirit seemed to waver—her gaze growing empty and hollow, almost like a walking corpse.
'Don't tell me she's thinking about suicide?'
Startled, Yang Yunhai gritted his teeth and spoke firmly.
"Listen, I… I can take responsibility!"
"My name is Yang Yunhai. I'm… 12 years old, and I've just reached the rank of Soul Elder. In terms of strength, I'm not any weaker than you!"
In short, being with him wasn't shameful.
Besides, this kind of information would spread anyway after the Soul Master Tournament. He wasn't revealing anything too personal. 'As for the rest—sorry, but we've only just met. We'll need time before sharing everything.'
"So young… already a Soul Elder!?"
Her expression froze, eyes filled with disbelief. She recalled the details she had glimpsed earlier—his simple clothing, the lack of a storage soul tool, and his modest belongings. He didn't look like a noble. That meant he was most likely a commoner soul master.
A young commoner, already a Soul Elder, venturing into the Star Dou Forest alone for a soul ring!?
She glanced at the light outside. It was daytime. Which meant this boy had guarded her all through the night. If he had companions, they would have shown themselves during the wolf attack. He was about her age… and yet, a Soul Elder?
How was that even possible? Even prodigies born with innate full soul power in great clans couldn't reach this level so fast.
She had never heard of such a thing.
Noticing the spark in her eyes, Yang Yunhai gave a slight nod and added, "Anyway, it's all up to you. I'll respect your decision. Just know, I'm not the type to abandon someone halfway or betray them in times of crisis."
He frowned, his tone turning sharper.
'Unlike Dai Mubai, who abandoned his fiancée and ran away—I'll always despise men like that.'
'And don't get me started on Yu Xiaogang. He knew it was his cousin, but instead of cutting ties clearly, he ran away, leaving her waiting in vain for decades.'
'Is that something a man should do?'
His words rang with scorn before he finished bluntly:
"In short—don't expect me to kill myself out of guilt, or castrate myself in apology. That will never happen!"
Her fists clenched, teeth grinding as she listened.
Against her will, memories of him surfaced. The man who abandoned her before she was even nine years old, who had been gone for over three years.
And now, hearing Yang Yunhai's words about betrayal, her chest ached bitterly.
Comparing the two, she had to admit—Yang Yunhai was far better. His strength aside, he was at least honorable, bold, and principled. Otherwise, she would have already lost her dignity.
That other man, the playboy everyone adored—could he have resisted in the same situation? Most likely not. He was probably chasing other women even now.
She fell silent again.
The truth was clear. Yang Yunhai hadn't crossed the final line, but there had been intimate contact—contact she believed only a husband should have. Her so-called fiancé, on the other hand, was just a name on a family contract arranged before she even understood what marriage was.
Which was real? Which was false? The answer was obvious.
'What should I do…?'
She thought of her origins, her clan, the fate she had been taught to shoulder since childhood. And then she looked at this stranger before her—someone she had only just met.
Her mind spun in turmoil.
'She must be so conflicted right now,' Yang Yunhai thought, watching her expression.
His gaze shifted to the bloody battlefield around them.
'We should leave the Star Dou Forest first. Once we're out, whether she stays or goes is up to her.'
He spoke up again.
"This place reeks of blood. It's not safe to linger. We should leave as soon as possible."
"And besides… you're alone. If you run into another pack of wolves, how will you handle it? Why not travel together for now? We can watch each other's backs. Whatever happens, we can decide after we leave the forest."
He hesitated, then asked, "By the way, miss… may I ask your name? After all, we need something to call each other."
Direct words, nothing hidden.
She stayed quiet at first.
Yang Yunhai waited calmly.
After a few seconds, she finally spoke. Her voice was cool, whether by nature or intent.
"Zhu Zhuqing. My name is Zhu Zhuqing."
(End of Chapter)
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