Chapter 22: The Young Man, Number One in the World
The next day, at the entrance of the village.
On a giant rock shaped like a ripe peach, the two characters "Nanshan" were carved—though crookedly.
Perhaps weathered by time, the boulder was covered with lush green moss, appearing dark and heavy, giving off a metallic, weighty presence.
A boy and a girl, unable to resist slowing down, eventually came to a stop here.
"Well, there's a saying, 'Even when seeing someone off for a thousand miles, parting must come.' This is as far as I go. You'll have to walk the rest of the way yourself," Su Ye said lazily, arms behind his head as he yawned, looking completely nonchalant.
Looking at the boy's somewhat indifferent face, Zhu Zhuqing's gaze dimmed slightly, though she forced a smile.
"Take care of yourself. Without me holding you back anymore, I guess your cultivation will go twice as fast with half the effort."
"Maybe by the time we meet again, your level will surpass mine."
"That's for sure!"
Su Ye flashed a confident smile and raised one finger.
"My goal is to be number one in the world!"
"If I can't even surpass you, how could I compete for the top?"
Number one in the world?
A soul master with only one ring dares to claim he'll become number one?
Such bold talk—if overheard by other soul masters, they'd definitely scoff at it.
After all, there are countless Titled Douluo across the continent. Even they don't dare call themselves number one—let alone a twelve-year-old boy.
But Zhu Zhuqing didn't mock him. Instead, she played along with a teasing tone: "Becoming number one on the continent isn't so easy. You'll have to defeat every strong opponent before you can truly be worthy of that title."
"Looks like I'll have to work hard too. It'd be a shame if I never got to see you achieve that goal."
In her gaze, the boy's star-like eyes gleamed, his presence as graceful as the wind—extraordinary and poised.
The breeze stirred the strands of hair on his forehead, and the whole of him exuded a quiet, unshakable confidence.
His raised finger, that symbolic "one," felt so certain—almost like he only needed to clench his fist to grasp it.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes sparkled, and a sweet smile bloomed like a spring breeze. She genuinely looked forward to the day he would reach that goal.
Su Ye said with mock irritation, "Listen to you, sounding like you're off to die or something."
"Catch!"
Zhu Zhuqing raised her hand and caught the object he tossed to her.
Opening her palm, she found a black gemstone ring lying quietly in her hand.
Huh?
She looked up at him in puzzlement—wasn't this the thing you snatched like a treasure? Now you're just giving it away?
Su Ye looked away nonchalantly and muttered, "What can I say? Your fingers are too slender. I could only wear it on my pinky."
"I mean, come on—I'm the future number one in the world. If word got out, it'd totally ruin my image."
"People would say something like, 'Number one in the world? More like a petty thief who steals undergarments—ah, I mean rings!'"
Zhu Zhuqing rolled her eyes at his stubborn pride but smiled with a touch of proud satisfaction as she slid the storage ring back onto her finger.
"Alright. Take care of yourself from now on."
Su Ye waved his hand casually, saying a bit more than necessary as his parting words.
"Don't go around with a cold face all the time. Your life belongs to you—no one else can decide it for you."
"Even if in the end you can't beat fate itself, it doesn't mean you can't live a brilliant life for it. Even if it's just a fleeting moment, it should be stunning."
Then he added with a grin, "Of course, forget about that Dai Mubai guy. Relying on a man like him? You'd be better off counting on yourself."
"You're beautiful, have a great figure—with a girl like you, you're worried about not getting married?"
A strange feeling stirred in Zhu Zhuqing's heart. She bit her lip softly.
Her face flushed red like a ripe apple, and she murmured in a soft voice, "Hey, what you said earlier… do you still mean it?"
Huh?
Su Ye looked puzzled, trying to remember what she meant, but couldn't figure it out. He gave her a look as if asking for a clue.
"N-Nothing!" Zhu Zhuqing denied immediately.
"??" Su Ye scratched his head in confusion and rolled his eyes at her—he hated being left hanging the most.
Afraid he'd keep pressing the issue, Zhu Zhuqing cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject, locking eyes with him.
"Su Ye, you've saved me so many times… I never really thanked you."
"Once I'm done hunting my soul beast, come find me in Soto City. I'll treat you to a meal."
Her gaze lingered with meaning. A barely noticeable expectant smile appeared on her blushing face, though she quickly tried to hide it.
"You were right. Since he's already chosen to give up his future just to indulge in temporary comfort, I won't place any hope in him anymore."
"Rather than relying on others, I'll just make myself stronger."
"Actually, I… I'm going to Shrek Academy this time just to end things with him."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at the boy with sincere eyes and a worried frown, clearly anxious that he might not believe her.
"Oh~" Su Ye replied with a lukewarm "oh," raising an eyebrow as if to say, Anything else you'd like to add?
As for Soto City, he was definitely going. After all, his treasure was still there.
You... blockhead!!
Zhu Zhuqing gnashed her teeth in frustration, let out a cold huff, and turned away.
Her blushing face tilted down, her breathing a little shaky—just saying that earlier line had taken all the strength she had.
"Well then, safe travels," Su Ye said. Seeing she had nothing more to say and that he'd said all he needed, he turned and headed back into the village.
Hearing his footsteps fade, the girl let out a quiet, disappointed sigh and turned westward without looking back.
She had planned to store her bundle in the storage ring when suddenly—something familiar caught her eye and rooted her to the ground.
"This is…!!"
It was a fragment of an old book. The words on the cover—"Pharmacopoeia"—glimmered in gold.
Holding the item in her hands, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the six bold words written on it:
"Read it yourself, don't spread it around."
Her nose tingled, and her eyes suddenly turned red with emotion.
After a moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth, turned around, and chased in the direction of the village.
Walking along the small path in the village, Su Ye seemed distracted, as if something was missing.
No, no, no—
There's no way I'd miss bickering with someone like her.
Illusion!
It's all just an illusion!
Shaking his head in frustration at his own lack of discipline, Su Ye clenched his fists and gazed with burning determination toward the distant mountains.
"The first page of the sword manual says: 'First, sever feelings for the one you love.'
That couldn't be more true.
Women only slow down cultivation."
"With a body like that constantly swaying in front of me, how can I stay focused on my training?"
"It's good that she's gone—finally, I can cultivate in peace.
Once I'm strong enough, what kind of woman can't I get? I could even have a few!"
"Mom used to say: 'A woman with wide hips is not only comfortable but also good for childbirth.'
That probably wasn't a lie…"
Lost in these deep, philosophical thoughts, Su Ye failed to notice the furious tigress of a girl standing behind him.
"SU——YE——!!"
With her face flushed red and trembling with rage, Zhu Zhuqing's lithe figure was nearly bursting with emotion. Overwhelmed with shame and fury, she raised her leg and landed a solid kick right on the boy's backside.
A short while later…
All that remained was a boy walking back into the village, rubbing his sore butt.
"Damn it… that girl has no martial ethics whatsoever."
"If you wanted the alchemy section from the Pharmacopoeia, you didn't have to snatch it!
And here I thought you were some noble-born lady—where'd you learn that from?!"
(End of Chapter)