Facing One’s Heart

In the morning, the sun shone brightly over the land, bringing warmth and vitality. Everything revived under the radiant sunlight, and a new day began.

At the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, in the senior dormitory...

After a night of soul power meditation, Zuzong woke up to the sound of his biological clock, washed up, and had a simple breakfast.

From today on, Zuzong's training routine would include swordsmanship.

After copying Xuan Jian's sword techniques from the world of The Legend of Qin, Zuzong practiced several times. Although he mimicked the form almost perfectly, it was still lacking the true essence.

Zuzong couldn't help but sigh, "It seems that even the Sharingan isn't omnipotent! Compared to a swordsman like Xuan Jian, who has practiced for decades and treats the sword as his life, no matter how fast I learn, I can't reach that level in a short time."

After an hour of sword training, Zuzong adjusted his breathing.

Knock knock

With the sound of a knock, Zuzong smiled knowingly. At the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, there was only one person who would come looking for him this early.

"Coming." Opening the door, Xiao Wu's figure appeared before him. From her expression, it was clear that she was in a great mood today.

"You're so slow, Little Zong," Xiao Wu pouted unhappily.

Zuzong didn't say a word and simply took Xiao Wu's delicate hand. With a look of surprise on her face, Zuzong led her inside.

With the doors and windows tightly shut, Zuzong's gaze locked onto her.

Under Zuzong's intense gaze, Xiao Wu blushed, feeling shy.

Is Little Zong thinking about that? No, I'm not ready!

As the thought crossed her mind, Xiao Wu's face turned even redder, with a faint pink shade creeping up her neck.

Zuzong placed his hands on Xiao Wu's shoulders, his breathing becoming slightly heavy as he stared at her.

The room fell silent, and the only sound that could be heard was their breathing.

"Little Zong, isn't it a bit inappropriate in broad daylight? What if someone comes? How about we... wait until tonight?" Xiao Wu whispered, her voice so soft that even she could barely hear it.

Zuzong, seemingly oblivious, pulled Xiao Wu into a tight embrace.

Speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear, Zuzong murmured into her ear, "Xiao Wu, I have something to tell you."

"Hmm." At this point, Xiao Wu's face was so red it seemed like it might bleed.

Zuzong continued, "Actually, from the moment I first saw you, I knew you were a soul beast."

Hearing this, Xiao Wu's body trembled, and she instinctively wanted to run away. But remembering that the person holding her was Zuzong, she calmed down, returned his embrace, and rested quietly in his arms, waiting for him to continue.

"When I first saw you, I thought about killing you to obtain your soul ring and soul bone. But back then, I was too weak. Even if I killed you, I couldn't absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, so I let it go for the time being."

"Later, you stayed with me all day, and even by the time I went to sleep that night, I hadn't given up on the idea of killing you for your soul ring. That night, I was awakened by a nightmare and happened to overhear your sleep talk. You were thinking about your mother. From your sobbing tone, I realised that your mother was probably no longer in this world."

"From that moment, my heart wavered. I gave up the idea of hunting you. Because I, too, am an orphan. But even so, I still couldn't fully accept you. I always maintained the mindset that humans are humans and soul beasts are soul beasts. Playing with you was just for fun, treating you as a little rabbit pet."

"Until you followed me back to Emperor Soul Village, and Grandpa Tom, who raised me, recognized you as his granddaughter. From then on, I began to see you as a normal person. Looking back, it's so ridiculous. Without even realizing it, I found I could no longer be apart from you. Perhaps Grandpa Tom saw through my thoughts and recognized you as his granddaughter, giving me an excuse—a reason to treat you as real family. Maybe my bias was wrong from the start."

"Do you remember the 'candy' I gave you, which had a strong pill fragrance? That wasn't candy, but a rare medicinal herb called the 'Transformation Pill.' It can help a soul beast fully shed its beast form, allowing it to have a human lifespan and the cultivation talent of humans. If you hadn't transformed and took it directly, you might have turned into a human while keeping your hundred-thousand-year cultivation."

"I think over the past few years, you've noticed that you no longer have the aura of a soul beast, and your cultivation speed has greatly improved. Even the Soul Douluo at the Heaven Dou Academy Board didn't notice you were a soul beast—that's proof. So now, wherever you go, you don't need to worry about being hunted."

"But before that—"

At this point, Zuzong's gaze dimmed.

He loosened his embrace, took a few steps back, and with a bow, extended his right hand toward Xiao Wu, who was staring at him in shock. "Let me be part of your life. Let me handle everything for you."

For a long time, Xiao Wu didn't respond. Embarrassed, Zuzong scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact. "I guess… it's a bit much, isn't it? I wanted to kill you before, and now suddenly I'm confessing. It's hard to accept, right? Sorry, forget I said anything."

He opened the door, ready to leave for some fresh air.

But just as his foot stepped out, he was stopped. Xiao Wu had grabbed his sleeve.

Zuzong turned to look at her.

Xiao Wu opened her mouth as if to say something but swallowed her words along with her breath. Then, fixing her trembling gaze on Zuzong, she spoke in an unfamiliar tone.

"Why did you tell me? You didn't have to—"

Tears welled up in her eyes, and as her voice faltered, Zuzong, with his characteristic arrogance, raised his chin and smirked.

"Maybe it's because I no longer see you as just a rabbit. No, whether you're a rabbit or a human, I don't want to deceive myself, and I don't want to deceive you. When Zhuqing asked me in the Suouto City tea shop if I had feelings for you, I said yes. Now I'll answer again, properly."

"Xiao Wu, I like you."

"Isn't that just a typical line? Such a poor performance. Is that how you tricked Zhuqing?" Xiao Wu asked, still teary-eyed, while lightly hitting Zuzong's chest.

"And what about Zhuqing?" Xiao Wu asked.

Zuzong, this time not dodging the question, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his right hand. "You are both my wings."

With an uncertain look, Xiao Wu finally whispered, "What does that make you? A harem king? You really are a hopeless flirt."

She lowered her head and playfully hit his chest again.

Though it didn't hurt at all, Zuzong played along and cried out, "Ouch! That hurts."

Xiao Wu snorted, nodded, and gently rested her forehead on Zuzong's shoulder.

"Then, I'll be counting on you for the rest of my life."

In that moment, they both grew a little more. Their hearts would never be apart again.

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Pls go checkout my friend SenatusAlpha's fic - "Marvel: Gwen is My Neighbour"

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