266. They All Bullying Me

"You… you’re not afraid?" Zhu Zhuqing couldn’t help but cautiously ask, seemingly worried that Qian Renjue might die in front of her.

"Why should I be? How could an elder sister poison her younger sister?" Qian Renjue casually tossed two more fish balls into his mouth.

Not only was he immune to all poisons, but even if he wasn't, he was confident that Zhu Zhuyun wouldn’t go so far as to poison her.

"..."

Hearing his words, Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip and softly sobbed, "Our family is different from others."

"Is that so?" Qian Renjue didn’t say much more, continuing to eat the food Zhu Zhuyun had left for Zhu Zhuqing, lost in thought.

After a while, he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Zhu Zhuqing immediately became alert.

Even though she hadn’t sensed any malice from him, as a lady of the Zhu family, she had the duty to protect her family’s interests.

Gathering her courage, she warned him, "I suggest you leave now and don’t get any bad ideas! Otherwise, my father won’t spare you!"

Qian Renjue glanced at the tense Zhu Zhuqing and couldn’t help but smile. "Don’t worry. I’m not up to any bad business right now."

As he spoke, he dragged his long tail and left a gray energy marker in Zhu Zhuqing’s room.

The purple-black mark between his brows gleamed, and the Evil God’s Heart enveloped him.

In an instant, Qian Renjue’s figure disappeared from where he stood.

"Gone? Just like that?" Zhu Zhuqing stood up in shock, looking around. The man had vanished just as he had appeared — out of thin air.

Growl~

Her stomach, which had been hungry for some time, brought her back to reality. Looking down, Zhu Zhuyun’s food had already been finished by Qian Renjue. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she felt utterly aggrieved.

"They’re all bullying me!"

...

Meanwhile, outside, Qian Renjue, using the Evil God’s Heart, strolled through the luxurious Zhu family estate, invisible to almost everyone due to his powerful abilities.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, he found himself at a large training field, filled with lively young women of the Zhu family.

He couldn’t help but notice that the Zhu family’s genetics were quite remarkable — all the women were exceptionally beautiful and fit.

At the same time, he thought about the strength of the Star Luo Empire, finding it much superior to the Heaven Dou Empire.

The royal family’s White Tiger martial soul was one of the best on the continent for offensive power, and with allies like the Zhu family, they were even stronger.

"The Star Luo Empire is indeed tough to deal with," Qian Renjue muttered as he continued walking, considering whether he could use Zhu Zhuqing or Zhu Zhuyun to his advantage.

One of them would eventually become the future empress. "Should I use the system reward I got from Ah Yin?"

Muttering to himself, he turned back and headed towards Zhu Zhuqing’s room.

She seemed like a good option, and since she was still young, there was time to correct any problems she might have.

"Wonder if she’ll agree."

...

Qian Renjue re-entered Zhu Zhuqing’s room, where she lay weakly on the table, looking completely defeated.

Buzz!

The Evil God’s Heart shrank back into the mark on Qian Renjue’s forehead.


Zhu Zhuqing immediately raised her head, still teary-eyed. "Why are you back? Leave already!"

"I’ll leave soon." Qian Renjue looked at the tear-streaked girl, slightly puzzled at why she seemed to have grown even more hostile toward him.

Growl~

The sound of hunger once again filled the room.

Qian Renjue glanced at the now-empty table, realizing the situation.

Smiling, he sat back down across from Zhu Zhuqing. "Sorry, I didn’t realize you were hungry too."

"..."

Zhu Zhuqing was still miserable, but not just because Qian Renjue had eaten her meal.

Qian Renjue opened his mouth to say something, but in this situation, he wasn’t sure how to comfort her.


After all, this was a long-standing family tradition — an outwardly harmonious but bloodthirsty reality where sisters competed for survival.

Crack!

The scent of food suddenly began to fill the room.

Zhu Zhuqing’s appetite was piqued, and her stomach growled loudly.

Wiping her tears, she looked up to see the table now filled with all kinds of delicacies, including a steaming grilled fish and a bowl of white rice — foods prepared for Qian Renjue by Bibi Dong, kept fresh in his system’s storage.

Growl~

Zhu Zhuqing couldn’t help but swallow her saliva, her eyes fixed on the food.

She hesitated, looking at the bowl and chopsticks placed in front of her.

"Don’t worry, I’m not trying to harm you," Qian Renjue said with a smile, picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat.

Swoosh!

Seeing him start eating, Zhu Zhuqing could no longer control herself.

She grabbed her chopsticks and took a bite of the fish. Her eyes lit up at the taste.

"Heh." Qian Renjue chuckled.

He tasted every dish, then put down his chopsticks and watched Zhu Zhuqing, whose tear-streaked face made her look like a little kitten.

"Th-thank you." Zhu Zhuqing sniffled, blushing as she thanked him.

Qian Renjue shook his head. "No need to thank me. Consider it compensation for earlier."

"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded heavily and began eating with fervor, as if all her sadness had transformed into hunger.

She stuffed her mouth until her cheeks puffed out and nearly choked.

"Mm!" She made a muffled sound.

Qian Renjue laughed and placed a small bowl of chicken soup in front of her.

Zhu Zhuqing no longer hesitated. She drank the soup without asking him to taste it first, feeling safe.

"Is it good?" Qian Renjue asked with a soft smile.

"Mm-hmm," Zhu Zhuqing nodded, too focused on eating to speak.

With no intention of lingering, Qian Renjue moved on to the real reason he had come. "Zhu Zhuqing, would you like to become my disciple?"

"Hmm?" Zhu Zhuqing stopped, swallowed her food, and stared at him in confusion.

"If you take me as your master, I can teach you to become stronger, protect you, and help you escape this prison," Qian Renjue said earnestly.

Zhu Zhuqing hesitated, her lips shiny from the food. After a moment, she carefully shook her head. "I’m sorry."

"There’s no need to apologize. It’s something you should agree to willingly." Qian Renjue had expected her answer.

After all, he looked young, was a stranger, and his abilities were unknown.

If Zhu Zhuqing had immediately accepted, it would have been suspicious.