Chapter 196: Danger in the Cold Pool

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Lei Qing always found women with a “princess complex” like Zhu Yuer unapproachable. He would avoid them whenever possible, and if he couldn’t avoid them, he would simply ignore them. If they dared to attack him, Lei Qing would never be weak or easy to bully.

As the saying goes, if someone respects me a little, I will return three times that respect.

Zhu Shenhou was in his thirties before he finally married a daughter of the Li Clan. He first had two sons and did not have Zhu Yuer until he was forty. Having a daughter in middle age, he naturally treated her like a treasure, afraid she would melt if held in his mouth, or break if held in his hands. People in the Marquis Zhu Residence knew that Zhu Yuer was the Marquis’s heart and soul, so they were often lenient with her.

It was precisely because of this that Zhu Yuer’s personality, while not domineering or unreasonable, had become used to being self-centered.

One could say that from childhood to adulthood, Zhu Yuer had never been scolded so mercilessly. Immediately, her delicate body trembled with anger. She pointed at Lei Qing, stuttering “you, you, you” without being able to say a single coherent sentence.

“Godmother, my internal injuries have not healed yet. My lungs are faintly aching,” Lei Qing said, ignoring her. He bid farewell to Zhu Xiyu and prepared to return to his room to rest and heal.

For the newly adopted godson, Zhu Xiyu naturally treasured him as well. She hurriedly asked Wan Yongxing to arrange a new room for Lei Qing, assigning him the Number One Heaven Room. She was afraid that Wan Zhilan and others might bully Lei Qing again. Being close by was also convenient for taking care of him.

Wan Yongxing smiled with a serious expression as he personally helped arrange everything, but in his heart, he felt bitter. The lord of the Wan Family Fort was being ordered around like a common servant. However, who could blame him? His sister had nearly caused a huge disaster before.

Under Wan Yongxing’s personal arrangement, Lei Qing moved into the luxuriously decorated Number One Heaven Room. Taking off the Black Dragon Armor, he began to circulate his Fighting Qi and sit in meditation to heal.

After several hours, Lei Qing thoroughly nourished and regulated the internal injuries in his five viscera and six bowels before returning the Fighting Qi to his Qi Sea. He slowly opened his eyes, revealing a trace of sharp glint in them.

Touching the Jade Pendant in his chest, Lei Qing could not help but think of his parents again. Were they still alive? Where were they? He wondered how they were doing.

A slight sadness appeared in his eyes.

Fortunately, he was a person with strong willpower. He quickly suppressed those distracting thoughts and began to visually inspect his body. Under the combined treatment of various methods, the severe internal injury caused by that palm strike had actually healed about seven or eight percent. This was undoubtedly due to the healing effects of Zhu Xiyu’s Light Fighting Qi and the Little Rejuvenation Pill, but it was also largely thanks to the efficacy of the Jade Pendant in Lei Qing’s bosom.

Lei Qing’s Jade Pendant seemed unremarkable, but it had helped him many times before. Every time he suffered a heavy injury, a trace of extremely pure and clear power would flow out of the pendant, helping him recover quickly.

Not only that, but the Jade Pendant also subtly helped Lei Qing stabilize his realm and improve his cultivation. Indeed, after this ordeal, Lei Qing’s Fighting Qi had become slightly purer, showing some small progress.

This was a rare occurrence. Although life-and-death battles often allowed people to break through to new levels, such obvious progress as Lei Qing’s was not common.

Could it be that the Jade Pendant, in addition to helping him heal, had other effects? Lei Qing couldn’t help but feel his heart race. A Jade Pendant that could help a person self-heal when injured was already a very rare treasure, undoubtedly worth far more than the Heart-Cleansing Pendant. If it also had strong auxiliary cultivation effects, invisibly increasing a person’s potential, it would be simply heaven-defying.

However, these things were hard to verify. Lei Qing only had a vague feeling that it might have such effects. This made him start to wonder what had happened to his parents? How did they come to possess such a divine object?

After a moment of confusion, he gathered his thoughts. Thinking too much about this was useless. He would have to wait until he reached the Gold-rank and got news of his parents’ whereabouts from Uncle Xiahou before making any further plans.

Standing up, he took a refreshing bath, and the sky was already faintly bright. Zhu Xiyu came to knock on the door and invited him to play at Panlong Mountain, located dozens of miles behind the Wan Family Fort.

Panlong Mountain was a famous scenic spot in Lingnan. Its mountain roads wound ninety-eight turns, exuding a majestic and heavy atmosphere amidst the beautiful scenery. The winding paths often led to secluded and quiet places. Just wandering around could reveal countless unique and elegant spots, such as waterfalls, cold pools, private valleys difficult for ordinary people to reach, lonely cliffs, or bamboo forests and peach blossom paradises.

It was now autumn, with the colors gradually deepening. Visiting Panlong Mountain in autumn was not as dazzling as the blooming flowers of spring, which intoxicated the mind with their beauty. However, the crisp autumn wind blew fallen leaves flying everywhere across the mountains. Under the mapping of the rising golden sunlight, they shimmered brilliantly, presenting a different kind of charm.

Lei Qing would not refuse his Godmother’s invitation.

Zhu Xiyu only brought three Silver-rank guards and set off. As soon as they left the Wan Family Fort, they saw Zhu Yuer waiting there early. She wore a tight white outfit, with a white fox fur cloak draped over her back, riding a magnificent and sturdy white horse, looking heroic and vigorous.

Upon seeing Zhu Xiyu, Zhu Yuer’s face lit up with joy. She was about to urge her horse forward when she spotted Lei Qing riding Wuzhui, mixed in with the guards. Her expression immediately changed, her small mouth pouted, and she complained to Zhu Xiyu, who had galloped up to her: “Little Aunt, why did you bring that bad guy too?”

“Stop talking nonsense. No matter what, Qing’er is your brother now,” Zhu Xiyu scolded gently. “You may not like him, but you must respect him. This time, I called you both out to visit Panlong Mountain together because I hope you can put aside past grudges and start to understand each other again. Qing’er, you are a few years older than her and more experienced. You should set a good example. Regardless of other things, brothers and sisters should not be hostile to each other.”

According to Lei Qing’s usual temperament, he would absolutely ignore a princess-complex girl like this. However, to save face for his Godmother, Lei Qing raised his fist in salute and showed a friendly smile. “Zhu Yuer, my mouth was too toxic before. Please forgive me, please forgive me.” He spoke with some sincerity. In truth, he and Zhu Yuer did not have any deep hatred. He did not want to argue too much with a little girl, nor did he want to lose face for his Godmother by bickering with a girl.

Seeing Lei Qing apologize, Zhu Yuer’s expression improved slightly. She sniffed disdainfully. “It’s good that you know your mouth was toxic. Hmph, anyway, I will remember those words you said for the rest of my life.”

Speaking, she urged her magnificent white horse onto the riding path and accelerated towards Panlong Mountain.

Lei Qing chuckled inwardly. Remember for the rest of her life? Why bother?

“Qing’er, actually, Yuer is a nice person. Her personality is simple and kind, but she has been spoiled by my Big Brother.” Zhu Xiyu explained softly to Lei Qing. “After all, you are her older brother. From now on, let her have her way as much as possible and don’t quarrel with her like a typical girl.”

“I understand, Godmother.” Lei Qing nodded solemnly. His Godmother’s words made sense. Why should a grown man argue with a woman?

Everyone remained silent, and they galloped towards Panlong Mountain. Perhaps because the Wan Family Fort considered Panlong Mountain its private backyard, a wide and flat riding path had been built, wide enough to accommodate three carriages passing side by side.

In just half an hour, they had covered the thirty-mile distance and arrived at the foot of the mountain. The mountain road was winding and steep, so they left one guard to watch the horses. The group of five walked on foot along the winding mountain path.

It was indeed worthy of being a famous local attraction. Panlong Mountain had a sense of grandeur amidst its beauty. The dense forest of red leaves rustled in the shallow autumn wind, looking like a sea of red waves rolling up and down.

Once people arrived here, their hearts suddenly opened up. Various pent-up frustrations were driven away by the beautiful natural environment, replaced by a sense of tranquility and distance.

Excited, Zhu Yuer took out a short bow from her Storage Space and began shooting at some beasts and birds. However, her archery skills were average, and she missed eight out of ten shots, but she still enjoyed it, displaying the mindset of a young girl.

Lei Qing had also liked hunting since childhood. In the Tianlan Imperial Capital, he often went hunting with Young Masters and flirted with girls. His archery skills were not top-tier, but they were better than average. However, Qianqian, who was more skilled in archery, had always been by his side, so Lei Qing rarely had the opportunity to show off.

But now, Lei Qing was different from before. He had little interest in ordinary beasts and birds. Moreover, since Panlong Mountain was a popular tourist spot close to the Wan Family Fort, it was hard to expect any Demonic Beasts, or even fierce beasts.

The group walked and stopped, enjoying various different landscapes. After a couple of hours, they leaped over a few remote cliffs and arrived at a Cold Pool in a rarely visited area.

The water in the pool was clear and slightly cool, with a faint hint of sweetness. Lei Qing could vaguely see a few green-backed white fish swimming in the depths of the Cold Pool. A thought occurred to him, and he took out his Silver Snake Spear and a rope from his space. After tying them securely, he performed several spear throws to stab the fish.

“Godmother, let me grill some fish for you to eat,” Lei Qing said with a chuckle. In just a few moves, he cleaned the fat fish, built a campfire, and skewered the fish to roast.

After a moment, the fat fish emitted a rich aroma. As Lei Qing was about to take the fish to offer to his Godmother, he suddenly heard a charming and somewhat reckless giggle. “These fish smell so good. I could smell them from far away. Lei Qing, you don’t mind giving me one to taste, do you?”

That voice…

Lei Qing was slightly stunned, and his face changed drastically. With a clang, he drew his Treasure Sword, Lian Zhan, and rushed to stand in front of Zhu Xiyu. He whispered, “Godmother, you must leave quickly. My enemy has come.”

“Enemy?” From the corner of the Cold Pool, a woman wearing a red palace dress, mature and gorgeous, slowly revealed her figure. She giggled incessantly. “Lei Qing, you flatter yourself too much. Do you think you are worthy of making me travel thousands of miles just to pick a fight? Don’t worry, I am here to catch up with my Sister-in-law. Sister-in-law, seeing your little sister-in-law, why don’t you even say hello?”

“Dongfang Si,” Zhu Xiyu’s delicate body trembled slightly. She said angrily, “What are you doing here?”

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