Devouring Soul Emperor

Chu Qingyun still had the Cao Family’s IOU for eighty thousand top-grade Primordial Stones.

The last time he went to collect the debt, he was stopped by the Zhao’s Three Heroes, and back then, Chu Qingyun didn’t have the strength to deal with the three of them.

But things were different now.

Not only were the Zhao’s Three Heroes all dead, but Chu Qingyun himself had advanced to become a Level 7 Martial Artist. In terms of actual combat strength, one could say he was nearly unrivaled among Martial Artists!

With this level of strength, on top of his status as a Great Xia Dragon Guard, he could practically scare the piss out of the Cao Family!

Thinking of this, Chu Qingyun couldn’t help but snicker.

Seeing Chu Qingyun laugh, Xia He and the others couldn’t help but ask why. When they heard he was going to collect a debt, their interest was piqued.

It wasn’t every day you came across something so interesting.

Besides, waiting around in Flame City was quite boring. Thus, both Xia He and Sun Daxiong were eager to go with Chu Qingyun.

Only Zhao Jing remained silent to the side, not uttering a single word, lost in his own thoughts.

Chu Qingyun had planned to go right away, but Sun Daxiong had to arrange for people to retrieve the bodies from the Mist Forest, and he roped in Chu Qingyun and Xia He for the task.

The four of them were busy all afternoon. That evening, they had dinner together to celebrate surviving their near-death experience, after which Chu Qingyun finally returned to the Golden Lion Martial Arts Hall.

The news that only two candidates had survived and passed the assessment had already spread throughout Flame City. When Chu Qingyun returned, the people at the Golden Lion Martial Arts Hall naturally erupted in a lively celebration.

By the time he returned to his room, the moon was high in the sky, and the night had grown deep and still.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

There was a soft knock at the door.

When he opened the door, he saw You Yun step inside.

"You Yun, thank you for today. You saved me again."

Chu Qingyun closed the door and poured her a cup of tea with a smile.

He didn’t normally interact much with You Yun, but whenever he was with her, he felt something special.

It was a feeling Chu Qingyun himself couldn’t quite put into words, but it was relaxing and pleasant, something he wished could last forever.

After taking a seat, You Yun nodded slightly. "Chu Qingyun, tell me what happened during the third stage of your assessment."

Chu Qingyun pondered for a moment, then roughly recounted to You Yun what happened after entering the valley, omitting the parts related to his Devouring Martial Soul.

From evading Zhang Yunqiu and Huang Ju to his great battle with Xia He, and even to his acquisition of over ten thousand Military Merits, You Yun listened in silence.

But when Chu Qingyun described how he was surrounded and attacked by a large number of the Martial Soul Hall’s Martial Artists after he came out, You Yun’s expression shifted slightly, a hint of guilt flickering in her eyes.

"Did they... press you for the Vermilion Bird’s whereabouts again?" You Yun asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Chu Qingyun nodded. "Yeah, that’s right. They also told me the Vermilion Bird they’re looking for is a young woman. I didn’t say a thing, though."

After he finished, he looked at You Yun, his gaze questioning.

All signs seemed to point to one thing: You Yun was the Vermilion Bird the Martial Soul Hall was so desperately hunting.

You Yun pressed her lips together, then sighed softly. "You guessed right. I’m the one the Martial Soul Hall has been trying to kill all this time."

After she finished speaking, she raised her head and stared at Chu Qingyun without blinking, trying to read his expression.

However, Chu Qingyun’s face showed only a hint of surprise, and nothing more.

"You... don’t you have any thoughts on this?" You Yun asked, her expression serious.

Chu Qingyun smiled. "What thoughts am I supposed to have?"

"If you told the Martial Soul Hall my location, they would surely give you a reward that would boggle the mind—something hundreds, even thousands of times better than your ten thousand-plus Military Merits."

"Even if you don’t do that, you could choose to stay far away from me. That way, you wouldn’t have to be harassed by the Martial Soul Hall’s people anymore. You should understand by now how terrifying they are."

"Or..."

"Enough." Chu Qingyun cut You Yun off, shaking his head in resignation. "In your eyes, am I really the kind of person who would be ungrateful and sell out a friend?"

After a moment’s pause, Chu Qingyun suddenly sighed and said softly, "Being hunted by a power like the Martial Soul Hall... It must be exhausting, huh..."

Hearing this, You Yun’s expression visibly stiffened.

’Is he... worried about me?...’

’The feeling of being cared for...’

Though You Yun was a Martial Spirit Level expert and had always presented a very composed demeanor, at the end of the day, she was still just a girl of seventeen or eighteen.

Those words from Chu Qingyun were like a pebble tossed into the lake of her heart, sending ripples across its once-calm surface.

For a moment, You Yun felt a swell of grievances and bitterness in her heart, a thousand unspoken words she longed to share with Chu Qingyun.

But the words died on her lips as she forced them back down.

In the dim candlelight, they looked into each other’s eyes, gazing at one another in silence.

FLUTTER FLUTTER FLUTTER...

Suddenly, the sound of a flock of birds taking flight outside broke the silence in the room.

Startled, Chu Qingyun and You Yun both snapped out of it, feeling awkward and flustered.

"Ahem. Right, since you’re being hunted by the Martial Soul Hall, how about this? We can quietly leave Flame City tomorrow and head to Lianshan County City. The Great Xia Dragon Guards have a strong presence there, so the Martial Soul Hall wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly."

Chu Qingyun suggested with a light cough.

Seeing Chu Qingyun’s somewhat awkward expression, You Yun suddenly let out a small laugh. "You big idiot." In her heart, however, a trace of sweetness bloomed.

"You don’t have to worry about me. The Martial Soul Hall has no idea where I am right now. You’re the one who’s in grave danger. Don’t you realize that?"

"Me? What danger am I in? Are you talking about Liu Canghai?" Chu Qingyun asked, slightly taken aback.

You Yun shook her head, her expression growing serious. "I wounded Liu Canghai severely; he won’t dare to make a move against you again anytime soon. But I suspect the Martial Soul Hall has already locked onto you. And it’s very likely a Martial Spirit Level expert who has you in their sights."

Chu Qingyun’s pupils constricted. "That can’t be right. I’m just a minor Martial Artist. Even if I stood out a little, I’m hardly worth the attention of a Martial Spirit Level expert, let alone one from the Martial Soul Hall."

You Yun shook her head. "That’s because you don’t understand how desperate they are to hunt down the Vermilion Bird! They’ll latch onto the slightest clue and never let go!"

"Then... should we run?" Chu Qingyun suggested.

A light flashed in You Yun’s eyes, and she slowly shook her head. "I have a better idea. We can use the power of the Great Xia Dragon Guards to eliminate the Martial Spirits targeting you."

You Yun explained her plan in detail, discussed it with Chu Qingyun for a while, and then left.

Back in her own room, You Yun washed the disguise from her face. She sat before a bronze mirror, gazing at the exquisite beauty in the reflection as tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

"Idiot... the one who should be running is me. Maybe... I’ve really stayed here for too long..."