Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

A dull, slight knocking sound came abruptly from under Lin Xia's seat!
The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet carriage, instantly shattering all the languor!

Lin Xia's eyes snapped open, sharp as a hawk's, all sleepiness gone!
His muscles tensed instantly, the Phoenix Divine Fire and the power of the stars roared silently within him, and his mental power, like the most sophisticated radar, instantly swept across the entire carriage!

Young Kiras also raised its head with a "whoosh," its scarlet eyes wide open, its ears perked up warily, and a low warning growl came from its throat.

"Yoji!"

It wasn't the sound of wheel tracks, the wind, or the noise made by the Eurythmus!
The sound came from...under his seat!
Alarm bells rang in Lin Xia's mind.

Was it a test from Dai Tianxing?
Was it an assassination attempt by different factions within the Zhu family?

Or... other desperate criminals who covet his "harvest"?

He suddenly stood up, his movements swift as lightning. With a light touch of his toes, he silently retreated to the innermost part of the carriage, distancing himself from the suspicious seat.

Young Gilas immediately adjusted its position, its small body blocking Lin Xia's side and front, assuming a fighting stance.

The atmosphere inside the carriage froze instantly, leaving only the monotonous sound of wheels rolling over the road and... the continuous, increasingly rapid pounding.

Lin Xia took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She had to find out what was hidden below, no matter what.

He made a fist with his right hand, gathering his soul power in his palm, while the blazing white phoenix divine fire remained hidden. His left hand, on the other hand, was filled with powerful energy, ready to lift the seat at any moment.

"Youngkiras, be on guard!"

Lin Xia gave a low shout, her voice cold and sharp.

"Yoji!"

Young Kira responded with a low growl, its crimson eyes fixed intently on its target.

The next second, Lin Xia's eyes sharpened, and her left hand exerted force, gripping the edge of the heavy seat like an iron claw!
"rise!"

With a low shout, he forcefully lifted the heavy seat, which was covered in soft leather, upwards!
Whoops!

The wooden planks carried a heavy, pungent airflow, a mixture of the smells of leather and wood, revealing the dark, cramped storage space below.

The moment the seat was lifted, Lin Xia's soul power was about to burst forth, the faint light of the Phoenix Divine Fire was already dancing in his palm, and Young Gilas was also ready to go!

however--

The anticipated poison needles, sharp blades, poisonous mist, or ferocious assassins did not appear.

With the afternoon sunlight streaming through the car window, Lin Xia could clearly see a petite figure huddled in the cramped space.

The long, black hair was a little messy from being squeezed, with a few strands sticking to the sweaty temples.

A delicate face, pale from the long journey, lifted up. Her signature dark eyes, deep as a cold pool, were staring at him without blinking. There was no panic in her eyes, but rather an indescribable... determination and a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Zhu Zhuqing!
Lin Xia froze completely.

The condensed soul power vanished instantly like a punctured balloon, and the faint light of the divine fire in his palm dimmed.

The wariness, coldness, and even a hint of murderous intent on his face were replaced by utter astonishment and disbelief.

"Zhu...Zhuqing?"

Lin Xia's voice was stammering, a rare occurrence. He even wondered if he was hallucinating because of what happened in Xingluo City, or if he had been affected by some kind of illusionary soul skill.

"How did you get here? How did you crawl under the car?!"

This is crazy!
A young lady from the Netherworld Cat Clan actually hid under the seat of the royal carriage he left Star Luo City, like a stowaway?!
This was even more absurd to Lin Xia than being assassinated by a Title Douluo.

Zhu Zhuqing seemed uncomfortable with the cramped space and stuffy air. She moved her body with difficulty, trying to climb out.

Lin Xia subconsciously reached out to help her.

The girl's hands were cold and slightly sweaty.

With Lin Xia's help, she awkwardly squeezed out of the cramped space. Due to the limited height of the carriage, she had to bend over and stand in front of Lin Xia, slightly out of breath, straightening her wrinkled black outfit.

Her cheeks were flushed an unnatural red from lack of oxygen and tension, but her eyes were unusually bright, staring straight at Lin Xia as if trying to pierce his soul.

She didn't answer Lin Xia's question immediately, but instead tilted her head back slightly, revealing an extremely rare smile that carried a hint of vulnerability and desperation.

The smile that appeared on that usually cold little face was particularly striking.

Then, in her clear, cold voice, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, she spoke clearly, word by word:

"Brother Lin Xia, you won't abandon me, right?"

These words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred up huge ripples in Lin Xia's heart.

abandon?

When this word is applied to Zhu Zhuqing at this moment, it carries a heart-wrenching heaviness.

Looking at the stubborn and resolute girl in front of her, Lin Xia had countless thoughts flashing through her mind.

Her predicament, her family's destiny, Zhu Zhan's inner conflict, Dai Mubai's struggle with Davis...

Lin Xia frowned, her voice becoming serious and low.

"While I have no problem with you and understand your situation, Zhuqing, have you considered the consequences?"

"Your father, Clan Chief Zhu Zhan, would he really let you leave like this? You are a direct descendant of the Netherworld Cat Clan, a potential 'Star Luo Bride' who could be bound to the Star Luo Royal Family in the future!"

"You're running with me now, but how long do you think that will last? In just a few days, the Zhu family's secret guards, and even the royal family's forces, will catch up with you like sharks smelling blood!"

"We won't get very far! What will you do then? How will I cope?"

Lin Xia's words were like cold raindrops, trying to extinguish the seemingly weak flame in the girl's eyes.

He had to make her realize the harsh reality.

This is no child's play; it involves the marriage of two top-tier clans and the ironclad laws of the empire!

However, to Lin Xia's surprise, the smile on Zhu Zhuqing's face did not disappear; instead, it became even clearer.

In her deep black eyes, there gleamed a knowing light that seemed to see through everything.

She showed no emotional fluctuation whatsoever, as if the pursuers and accusations that Lin Xia had anticipated were already within her calculations.

Zhu Zhuqing even took a small step forward, closing the distance between herself and Lin Xia, tilting her head up, and said in a calm, almost eerily calm tone:

“My father acquiesced.”

"what?!"

Lin Xia's pupils contracted sharply, almost thinking she had misheard.

Zhu Zhan tacitly approved?

The clan leader who struggled painfully in the pavilion in the middle of the lake but still chose to uphold the rules?
That father who claimed he could sacrifice his daughter for the sake of the family's interests?
"it is true."

Zhu Zhuqing's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

"The night before you left Xingluo City, my sister... Zhu Zhuyun came to see me."

"Zhu Zhuyun?"

Lin Xia's heart stirred, recalling Zhu Zhuyun's heavy words, "I really envy you."

Lin Xia instantly understood! (End of Chapter)