Heavenly Thief System: Starting in Douluo

Chapter 44: Zhu Qing's Question

Good times never last long—three days passed in a flash.

Zu Zong had by now grown thoroughly familiar with this "Zhu Qing" girl. Each day, he either used the Nine Yang Divine Technique to treat her damaged meridians or cooked delicious food while telling her strange tales from his past life on Blue Star.

Before long, even the cold persona "Zhu Qing" tried to maintain melted away, revealing a little glutton who loved stories and laughter.

At first, Zhu Qing resisted his help.

But Zu Zong didn't press her. He simply mentioned, offhandedly, that untreated injuries might leave scars (completely made up). Instantly, the little girl became obedient.

As she had said herself—since her body had already been seen, it would be a real loss to end up with scars too. Just to clarify, only the area around her abdominal wound had been exposed.

Taking a bite of a freshly picked wild fruit, Zu Zong asked, "Zhu Qing girlie, how's the recovery going?"

"Mm, I'm almost all better," Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

At first, when Zu Zong used his unique soul power to treat her, she had thought he was taking advantage of her. But as time passed, she was shocked by how fast her wounds were healing.

Even with high-grade medicine, injuries like hers shouldn't recover without a healing-type soul master. It should've taken at least ten days. Yet in just two or three days, she was nearly healed.

This only deepened her curiosity about this unusually handsome boy.

As they spent more time together, she gradually learned more about him. Aside from those strange phrases like "nani" and "yamete," one fact stood out—he was an orphan who came to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a soul ring.

It made her think of her own situation.

Compared to him, was she lucky or unlucky? The Zhu family was cold and ruthless, but at least she still had a mother who loved her.

What did he have?

Why could he look at everything with such lightness?

With those questions weighing on her mind, Zhu Zhuqing fell into thought. She even forgot the half-eaten fruit in her hand.

"After we eat, I'll escort you out of the Star Dou Great Forest," Zu Zong said. "Let's see if we can find any of your 'elders'."

While speaking, he began setting up a grill. Today's main course: steak. Courtesy of a generous ten-year-old soul beast—Green Ox.

Hearing that, Zhu Zhuqing's body trembled slightly. The fruit in her hand slipped and rolled onto the ground.

"You're leaving?" she asked.

These past three days had been the happiest of her life.

No fear of assassination from her sister. No burdens of cultivation. No need to think about that self-degrading "fiancé." She had grown fond of this quiet life.

It wasn't until Zu Zong mentioned sending her back that she realized how much she didn't want to leave.

"Yeah. I still haven't gotten my third soul ring," Zu Zong replied. "My target is a thousand-year-old Earth Cavern Demon Spider. I'm planning to try my luck in Sunset Forest."

Zhu Zhuqing wasn't surprised. This was someone who could casually defeat Soul Elders.

"Then be careful," she said quietly.

Leaving meant returning to the days of constant fear and unease.

Holding back those emotions, Zhu Zhuqing asked a question that had troubled her for years.

"Zu Zong, do you think fate really can't be changed?"

Fate—?

Zu Zong froze when he heard the question.

Swish—he casually tossed the fruit pit with a shuriken-like motion. It embedded cleanly into the cave wall.

"So this girl, though born into nobility, carries a heavy burden too."

"If I just tell her what she wants to hear," he thought, "she'll probably fight to change her so-called destiny."

But he wouldn't do that.

To casually affirm or deny someone's life path would be arrogant.

Picking up a dry branch and stirring the fire, Zu Zong answered seriously.

"Actually, most of the time, ordinary people can't change their fate. Like this firewood—fragile, powerless."

"It can only be pushed around by others. Wherever it's moved, it burns. Until it goes out."

"In those moments, I think… if I'm going to be pushed around anyway, I might as well look for ways to change things."

"And if I still can't, then so be it. I'll keep moving and see how far I get. Even if the end is terrible, at least I'll have enjoyed the scenery along the way."

At that, Zu Zong couldn't help but reflect.

If he hadn't awakened the Plunder System just before his martial soul awakening…

Or if he'd been unlucky and stolen something like Gu He's Transformation Pill right away…

Then he might be nothing but a useless slacker by now—or even dead.

Hearing those words, Zhu Zhuqing fell silent.

From the moment she was born, her fate had been sealed—destined to battle her own sister.

Even though she had never wanted to hurt anyone, her sister would still harm her in the name of self-preservation.

That was the cruel burden carried by daughters of the Zhu family in the Star Luo Empire.

—To survive.

This kind of struggle had already gone on for who knew how many generations.

"But, I'm not an ordinary person." Zu Zong's tone shifted. He gathered soul power in his hand, and the Blue Silver Emperor flared out in its extreme flame state, wrapping around the campfire.

He picked up a dry stick with his left hand and nudged it forward. Before it even touched the fire, it was incinerated by the intense heat from the Blue Silver Emperor.

"What is that?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes lit up brightly. "Your martial soul? A fire-attributed plant-type martial soul?"

Zu Zong withdrew the Blue Silver Emperor. He first nodded, then shook his head. Instead of answering, he asked back, "Do you still think people can't change their fate?"

"I think… I know what path I need to take from now on."

Zu Zong (dazed): What do you mean you figured something out? I was just showing off! Hey, hey—

As she spoke, Zhu Zhuqing walked over to the fire, took the grill from beside Zu Zong, and began preparing it herself.

"Wait, wait—are you serious? You know how to grill meat?" Zu Zong stared in disbelief. Wasn't she supposed to be a noble lady? The type whose delicate hands never touch cold water?

Zhu Zhuqing shot him a glare and pouted. "I may not have eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run, haven't I? I've watched you do it these past few days. I learned by watching. Since we're parting ways soon and who knows when we'll meet again, I'll let you try my cooking at least once."

Though she sounded confident, Zhu Zhuqing wasn't too sure of herself deep down.

She had always spent her time cultivating, never learning how to cook. As for grilling meat? She didn't have the faintest clue. She simply assumed putting meat near fire and sprinkling some seasoning would do the trick.

Ten minutes later, the cave was filled with the smell of steak.

Delicious? Not quite—burnt.

Zu Zong took the steak that Zhu Zhuqing handed over. It had turned into tough jerky.

Swallowing hard, he bit into it under her expectant gaze.

"Blegh—!"

Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

The outside was charred black, the inside barely cooked and dripping with blood. Don't even try to tell him it's just myoglobin—he'd flick your forehead.

But this was Zu Zong, after all. No matter how bad it tasted, he couldn't hurt Zhu Qing's confidence.

So, he acted like it was delicious and even urged her to eat more.

As Zu Zong put it: "Yeah, it's burnt, but it's got this crisp crackle to it—very crunchy!"

Zhu Qing didn't doubt him and took a bite herself.

The moment it entered her mouth, her face turned pale. "Blegh!"

"Hahaha—" Seeing her miserable reaction, Zu Zong couldn't help bursting into laughter.

[End of Chapter]

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