Chapter 8: Want to Become Stronger

Qin Qin's eyes were cold, a dark, bloodthirsty shade crossed the depths of her gaze.

She wanted to kill! But at the moment, her strength was weak; even though she was filled with bloodthirsty thoughts, she made no move.

In that instant, she longed to become strong. Only by becoming stronger could she and the people she cared about avoid being humiliated by others.

"No! Don't you dare bully my daughter!" Qin An pushed away the thugs' hand and stood in front of Qin Qin with one hand, as if ready to face death. Today, he absolutely couldn't let anyone bully his daughter.

Qin Qin watched the back of Qin An's head, her nose tingling slightly. This man of slender strength was using his feeble power to protect her, keeping others from bullying her!

But... he didn't know that the person before him was no longer his daughter!

Qin Qin, oh Qin Qin, how fortunate you are to have such a father. He may not have wealth or a strong, muscular frame, but he possesses a heart steadfast in protection.

Enough, enough! Qin Qin, let her protect this admirable man in your stead!

Dad... Dad...

"Hey, delusions of grandeur, old man. Let your daughter spend the day with us three, and I'll let you off the hook. If you can't do it..." the redhead thug sneered viciously, threatening Qin An.

"If I can't do it, what are you going to do?"

A cold, bloodthirsty voice rose, startling the three thugs. They turned to look at Qin Qin, only to see her eyes slightly narrowed, her gaze dark and icy, sending chills down their spines.

Strange, they were actually afraid of a little girl.

"You..." Just as the three thugs were about to tease Qin Qin, they saw two police officers with batons walking towards them. The thugs exchanged looks and quickly left. As they went, the blond thug gestured rudely with his middle finger, while the redhead silently mouthed to Qin Qin: Wait, we won't let you off!

Qin Qin watched the three men, a dark shade crossing the depths of her eyes.

Seeing the thugs leave, Qin An sighed with relief and immediately turned to grab Qin Qin, "Don't come here anymore, just rest at home, understand?"

Qin Qin looked deeply at Qin An and nodded, "Mm, Daddy!"

Hearing the two words uttered by Qin Qin, Qin An's eyes reddened. His daughter hadn't called him that in days; she'd even been so indifferent it hurt him. But now, hearing Qin Qin call out to him, he was moved to tears. At least his daughter wasn't blaming him.

How could Qin Qin not see Qin An's emotional stir? She lowered her head, with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, as if she didn't mind the sound of 'Daddy.' From now on, she had relatives too, someone who was truly related to her by blood.

Somewhat shy as if avoiding something, Qin Qin quickly packed up the things on Qin An's tricycle and, not very smoothly, pushed the tricycle forward. "Let's go home! I'm hungry!"

Qin An initially wanted to take the tricycle from Qin Qin's hands, but when he heard her say she was hungry, he quickly responded, "Daddy will cook for you when we get home!"

Qin Qin nodded silently, her lips always adorned with a warm smile.

At noon, the sunlight was just right, and the silhouette of the father and daughter was warm, harmonious, and beautiful.

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The night had just begun when Qin Qin finished washing up and immediately locked her bedroom door from the inside. She lay on her bed, closed her eyes, and entered the space with her Divine Sense.

Xiao Fong was idly teasing some butterflies in the space when she saw Qin Qin enter and affectionately threw herself into Qin Qin's arms.

"Master, why have you come in?"

Smiling, Qin Qin set Xiao Fong aside and walked toward the bamboo house, standing next to the Spiritual Spring Water and looking at the water spouting from the dragon head.

Xiao Fong flew up to Qin Qin's side and, sensing her intentions, hastily spoke, "Master, your body isn't suitable for drinking the Spiritual Spring Water right now."

"Xiao Fong, can I wait no longer? I want to try. I need to become stronger. I don't want my loved ones to be hurt."

Qin Qin's gaze was profound, her heart resolute.

Seeing how today Qin An had suffered for her sake, and how she was powerless to help, she was filled with frustration. In the past, her lofty self had numerous powerful followers at her disposal, never once worrying because of such things. But now, as the ordinary Qin Qin, only by becoming stronger could she ensure she would not be bullied by others.

"But, Master, it's very dangerous for you to do this. I'm afraid you won't be able to endure it. The process of the Marrow-Cleansing Technique is extremely painful. Countless people have failed to bear that agonizing pain. I don't want you to fail," Xiao Fong said anxiously, flying in front of Qin Qin in an attempt to dissuade her. It knew what had happened today and could feel Qin Qin's determination, yet it did not want Qin Qin to take the risk.

"I want to try! I believe in myself." She couldn't wait any longer; the malicious expressions and the looks in the eyes of those thugs as they left were etched in her memory. How could she dare to let her guard down at such a time? She would only be unafraid if she was stronger.

"...Alright! Xiao Fong will always be by your side, Master. If you can't bear it, Xiao Fong will help you."

"Thank you, Xiao Fong," Qin Qin said, hugging Xiao Fong. For the first time, she did not roughly pluck its feathers, which made Xiao Fong quite happy for a while.

"Master, your body is still outside while your Divine Sense is in this space. If you want to undergo the Marrow-Cleansing Technique, it's best if you enter the space. The Spiritual Energy here is abundant, and the pain you will feel will be much less."

"Enter the space with my body?! How do I do that?"

Qin Qin agreed without hesitation; she had thought it was as simple as drinking the water, not realizing it would be so troublesome.

"You just need to wish in your heart to bring your body into the space as well," Xiao Fong said.

Qin Qin nodded, and following Xiao Fong's instructions, she silently recited the intention, after which her physical body disappeared from the bed in her room, leaving only the still-warm quilt behind.

Qin Qin's entire body entered the space, and unlike before, she could distinctly feel a warm current flowing into her body, incredibly comforting and making her involuntarily yearn to sigh in laziness.

Standing in front of the Spiritual Spring Water, Qin Qin drank eagerly from it, not allowing herself any second thoughts.

The moment she drank the Spiritual Spring Water, Qin Qin's complexion changed, and she fell to the ground, rolling and groaning in pain.

It was as if her entire body was being torn apart. No, the pain was a hundred times worse than being torn. It felt like something was forcefully tearing at her body, or as if thousands of needles were mercilessly piercing her flesh, causing such unbearable pain that she bit down hard on her lower lip, continuing to roll on the ground.

"Ah..." Qin Qin couldn't help but scream out in agony.

Xiao Fong flew worriedly around Qin Qin in midair, "Master, keep going, you can do this, you must persevere."

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