Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 169 This boy is no ordinary person!
Lin Xia's eyes flickered slightly. She quickly adjusted her expression, leaving a perfect balance of fatigue and focus on her face, and got up to open the heavy wooden door.

Outside the door, Zhu Zhan's tall figure almost blocked out the light. He was dressed in casual clothes, and the thunderous anger he had shown in the front hall was gone from his face; instead, he appeared somewhat gloomy, his gaze fixed on Lin Xia with a complex expression.

Seeing Lin Xia's slightly "tired" face and the "messy" research scene in the workshop, a very faint... apology seemed to flash across his eyes.
"Uncle Zhu."

Lin Xia bowed slightly, her tone respectful but tinged with a hint of confusion at being "interrupted from her research."

"Ah."

Zhu Zhan responded, his gaze sweeping across the workshop, lingering for a moment on the pile of ore being "researched," before he slowly spoke.

"You've been busy for so long, come out and get some fresh air. Accompany your uncle to the pavilion in the middle of the lake for a while and have a chat."

Lin Xia understood, but her face showed just the right amount of hesitation.

"This... Uncle Zhu, the repair of the crown..."

"There's no rush."

Zhu Zhan waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for doubt, but much gentler than before.

"Your health is more important. Let's go."

"Yes."

Lin Xia stopped refusing, locked the workshop door, and followed Zhu Zhan through the layered corridors of the Zhu mansion, where light and shadow intertwined.

The golden glow of the setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them. They walked in silence, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty courtyard.

The pavilion in the center of the Zhu Mansion is built in the middle of a small but extremely clear artificial lake. It is connected by a winding corridor and surrounded by weeping willows and precious flowers and trees, creating a quiet and elegant environment.

As the sun sets, the lake reflects the crimson clouds and the silhouettes of pavilions, creating a shimmering, breathtaking scene.

However, beneath this picturesque scenery, an invisible sense of oppression permeates the air.

The maid had already prepared tea and several delicate snacks on the stone table in the pavilion, and then silently withdrew, standing at a distance.

Zhu Zhan took his seat first and gestured for Lin Xia to sit down as well.

He picked up the warm celadon teacup, but did not drink it immediately. His fingertips unconsciously caressed the delicate cup wall, and he gazed at the shimmering waves of the lake dyed red by the sunset, remaining silent for a moment.

Lin Xia didn't urge her. She picked up her teacup, gently blew away the foam, and waited patiently.

Finally, Zhu Zhan took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Lin Xia's face. His eyes were complex and unfathomable, filled with scrutiny and struggle, which eventually turned into a heavy and weary sigh.

"Xiao Xia."

He spoke, his voice low and unusually candid.

"I was too hasty in the front hall earlier... and I spoke without thinking. Please don't take those words to heart."

Lin Xia put down her teacup, her face showing a look of being flattered and somewhat bewildered.

“Uncle Zhu, you’re too kind. I was in the wrong in that matter. I took Zhuqing away from the manor without permission, causing you and your family to worry, and even causing trouble for the royal family… It’s understandable that you’re angry, I understand.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhan's facial muscles twitched slightly. Lin Xia's "sensible" and "admitted her mistake" only made his sense of guilt clearer.

He shook his head, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.

“Angry? Yes, I’m angry. But more than that, I’m… afraid.” His gaze sharpened, as if piercing through Lin Xia’s body and seeing something deeper.

“I just learned from the secret report of the Dark Guard that you encountered a Shadow Leopard of five thousand years level in the Desolate Mountains.”

Lin Xia sneered inwardly, but on her face, she subtly revealed a hint of lingering fear.

"Yes... that beast was indeed powerful. If it weren't for Young Gilas's desperate burst of power, and our good fortune in finding the terrain of that mine that we could utilize, I'm afraid..."

Zhu Zhan stared at Lin Xia, seemingly trying to determine the truthfulness of his words, but the exaggerated combat power of Young Gilas was undeniable, as witnessed by the secret guards.

It would be extremely lucky for a seven-year-old child to escape from the clutches of the Thousand Soul Beast while carrying a six-year-old girl. Yet Lin Xia and his Martial Soul Young Gilas actually killed them directly, which in itself is enough to defy common sense.

"That mineral vein..."

Zhu Zhan's voice carried a subtle hint of inquiry.

"Essential for repairing the Starry Crown."

Lin Xia frankly admitted that it couldn't be hidden.

"The quality is extremely high, and the reserves are astonishing. It was precisely to find a replacement core material needed to repair the Starry Crown that I risked going deep into this place. The Illusionary Star Glass contains pure star power. Although it is far inferior to the original gemstone, after special treatment, it may be able to temporarily stabilize the core of the crown, buying time for us to find a truly matching gemstone later."

He spoke half-jokingly, clearly stating his purpose in searching for materials.

A glint flashed in Zhu Zhan's eyes. Clearly, Lin Xia's statement perfectly explained why he had taken Zhu Zhuqing to such a dangerous place—it was for the emperor's mission!
This reason is enough to offset most of his mistakes in leaving the mansion without permission, and even... it's meritorious!
"I see……"

Zhu Zhan nodded slowly, his tense expression seemingly easing a little.

Looking at Lin Xia's slightly "naive" yet already extraordinary and composed face, and then at the baby Gilas beside him who was tilting its head and curiously examining the koi, the last trace of contempt he had felt for Lin Xia's background in the Blacksmiths' Guild completely vanished.

This child is no ordinary person!
Its future is limitless!

Befriending them, or even forging a close alliance, would be more beneficial than harmful to the Zhu family.

With this in mind, Zhu Zhan made up his mind. He picked up his teacup and took a sip, seemingly pondering the wording.

Silence fell again in the pavilion, broken only by the rustling of the wind through the willow branches and the occasional soft splash of koi leaping out of the water.

After a long while, Zhu Zhan put down his teacup and let out a long and deep sigh, a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his soul, carrying an unshakeable heaviness and...sorrow.

He stopped looking at Lin Xia and turned his gaze to the setting sun that was about to sink below the horizon at the end of the lake. The afterglow tinted his hard profile with a warm color, but it could not dispel the gloom in his eyes.

"Xiao Xia."

His voice was low and hoarse, as if he were talking to himself, or as if he were confiding in Lin Xia.

“You know… sometimes when I look at Zhuqing, at her eyes that are becoming more and more like her mother's, and watch her grow up day by day… my heart…”

He paused, seemingly suppressing surging emotions, his fingers unconsciously gripping the edge of the stone table until his knuckles turned white.

"I was thinking... if... if God had opened his eyes and let her not inherit that damned Netherworld Cat Martial Soul... how wonderful that would be!"

He spoke the last few words extremely slowly and with great effort, as if each word carried a heavy burden, a profound sense of helplessness and struggle, squeezed out from between his teeth.

This is no longer the dignified and ruthless patriarch of the Zhu family who controlled the clan; he is more like a father whose throat is gripped by fate, powerless to change it.

Lin Xia's heart skipped a beat!
He had imagined that Zhu Zhan might try to curry favor for the materials needed to repair the crown, apologize for his previous reprimands, or even try to win him over, but he never expected that Zhu Zhan would reveal such a deep pain and contradiction that belonged to a father!
(End of this chapter)