307. Just A Child

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Qian Renjue and raised her hand to cover her face.
Confused and hesitant, she asked, "Teacher, am I really at level 20 now?"

"Of course, and not just that," Qian Renjue replied with a smile.

He took out a blue crystal ball from his system space and placed it in Zhu Zhuqing's hands.


"This crystal ball has a limit of level 30."


"Why don't you try it and see for yourself?"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded gently, holding the crystal ball with her lips pressed tightly together. She channeled her soul power.
In an instant, the crystal ball emitted a blinding light, filling more than two-thirds of the sphere.

Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at the crystal ball in her hand, muttering,
"Teacher, is this real?"

Before she finished speaking, Qian Renjue pinched her tender cheek and shook it playfully.

"Oww..."

Zhu Zhuqing winced in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.

"It hurts, right? That means you're not dreaming. It's as real as it gets," Qian Renjue said with a chuckle, releasing her cheek and gently ruffling her hair. His tone softened.

"You're probably around level 23 now. After tomorrow, when I take you soul hunting, surpassing your sister will be a breeze."

Surpassing her sister?


Zhu Zhuqing stared at Qian Renjue in shock, gazing at his face full of encouragement, trust, and fondness, as if she were living in a dream.

She had never imagined that surpassing her sister, who was seven years older, could be so easy, taking only a few hours.
But the warmth from the hand on her head told her it wasn’t a dream.

The sunlight, the shade from the trees, the breeze, and her teacher—all were real!

"Ugh..."

Tears suddenly welled up in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, and she pouted, her face full of grievance.

"Uh..." Qian Renjue's smile froze. He laughed awkwardly, "Zhuqing, I didn't pinch you too hard just now, did I?"

Before he could finish, Zhu Zhuqing began crying harder, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Ah Yin, nearby, paused her actions, puzzled.

"Zhuqing, why are you crying? Teacher didn’t mean to hurt you," Qian Renjue bent down, flustered, wiping her tears.

"Teacher!" Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, suddenly throwing herself into Qian Renjue’s arms, the crystal ball rolling from her hands.

"No, teacher didn’t hurt me..."

Qian Renjue was baffled but held her close, gently patting her back.

"As long as I didn’t hurt you, that's good. Don’t cry anymore, okay?"

"Zhuqing is just so happy. I couldn’t control myself... Thank you, teacher... thank you..."
Zhu Zhuqing clung to Qian Renjue’s clothes, snuggling into the warmth of his embrace, her tear-filled eyes and voice still choked with emotion.

Qian Renjue paused for a moment, his confusion slowly fading.


After all, Zhu Zhuqing was still just a child.


Her defiance, like refusing to eat, didn’t reflect the true strength she portrayed.

The suffocating indifference from her family weighed heavily on her.

"Teacher, I’m so scared. So scared I’ll die at my sister’s hands."


"So scared that father and mother will side with her."

Zhu Zhuqing sobbed uncontrollably, sharing all the fears and grievances she had been bottling up.

"From now on... Teacher will protect you," Qian Renjue nodded softly, holding the small figure, speaking comfortingly.

Ah Yin picked up the blue crystal ball and knelt quietly nearby, waiting for Zhu Zhuqing to calm down.

———————

Time passed slowly.


After half an hour, Zhu Zhuqing stopped crying and gradually sobered up, still leaning on Qian Renjue’s chest.

Her tear-streaked face blushed slightly, and she felt shy, keeping her head down as her ears turned red.

Qian Renjue’s warm hand gently stroked her hair. He softly caressed her moist, smooth cheek and whispered,
"If you’re still tired, rest a little longer."

"Mm."

Zhu Zhuqing, her face buried, responded shyly with her lips pressed together.
The faint scent of fragrance lingered as her embarrassment slowly dissipated.

"Thank you, teacher." Zhu Zhuqing’s voice was now soft and slightly hoarse.

"Mm," Qian Renjue nodded slightly.

At the same time, a system notification echoed in his mind.

[Congratulations on successfully spreading great love! (Target: Zhu Zhuqing)]
[Reward: 800 points.]

He ignored the occasional system voice and, taking advantage of the moment, quietly instructed her on what to keep in mind for the next day.

"Zhuqing, tomorrow, we’ll meet in your room, and then I’ll personally take you to the Soul Hunting Forest."

"Mm, I understand," Zhu Zhuqing obediently nodded, her long lashes drooping, her eyes slightly closed.

"By the way, this box of hidden weapons is for you," Qian Renjue raised his hand, and a large black box appeared beside them.

"Hidden weapons?"


Zhu Zhuqing finally looked up, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.

Although she had many blueprints in her head, she couldn’t forge anything herself.


And going out to find a blacksmith was far too strange for her.

Qian Renjue smiled and instructed, "Ah Yin, open the box."

"Yes," Ah Yin complied, opening the black box to reveal a variety of hidden weapons inside.

Click!

Qian Renjue casually took out a small black box, showing it off.

"What do you think? You should recognize all of these, right?"

"This is the Zhuge Divine Crossbow. Inside, there are Willow Leaf Blades, Bone-Piercing Nails, Coin Darts, Silent Wrist Arrows, Flying Claws, Compact Back Crossbows, and Hidden Sand Shooters."

Zhu Zhuqing eagerly stepped forward to inspect each one, her eyes filled with wonder as she nodded repeatedly.

"I recognize them all! Thank you, teacher, for the gift."

"Heh, if you’re going to practice using hidden weapons, how could I not prepare the right ones for you?"


Qian Renjue looked at the box of weapons with pride.

Lou Gao’s passion for blacksmithing was beyond imagination.


Even though there was tension between him and the Spirit Hall, once he saw Qian Renjue’s blueprints, he couldn’t resist their allure.

Negotiations were easy.


By last month, the Spirit Hall had already established a weapons factory for hidden weapons, with an elder stationed to oversee production.

Aside from those requiring special materials, like the Buddha’s Fury Lotus or Peacock Plume, other hidden weapons were being mass-produced.

Most of them were mechanical, requiring little skill—just hands to use them.

With the system space's large capacity and fast spatial jumps, Qian Renjue had easily transported the first batch of parts from Gengxin City yesterday to assemble in Spirit City.

Swoosh!

Zhu Zhuqing, excited, immediately grabbed a handful of Willow Leaf Blades and began practicing throwing them.

Though her movements were still a bit clumsy, Qian Renjue believed that agility-based soul masters were the best match for hidden weapons.



The way Tang San used hidden weapons practically ruined the Tang Sect’s reputation.


His hidden weapons were never really "hidden" at all.