Chapter 516: Can I Trust You?

"Qin Jian, are you certain of Xiao Wu's location?"

After saying goodbye to the Shrek group, Qin Jian sent Ning Rongrong back to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, then headed south with Zhu Zhuqing under the escort of the Knight Order.

Although traveling on his own might have been faster, flight could not be sustained, and he had not yet reached the level of Soul Saint to fly by sword, so he still chose the protection of the Knight Order.

With them moving at full speed, the pace was not slow.

"I cannot lock onto Xiao Wu's position, and furthermore, she is moving at high speed. According to my full-power observation throughout this entire day..."

Blue light permeated Qin Jian's eyes; it was the manifestation of his Spirit Power driven to the extreme, while at the same time, the light belonging to the Lovesick Heartbroken Red at the center of his brow flickered.

"Xiao Wu is actually not heading south, but is circling the Star Dou Great Forest, moving south in a semi-arc route..."

He slowly tightened his fist: "She wants to return to the Star Dou Great Forest but cannot get back in!"

"You mean..."

Zhu Zhuqing's expression turned cold: "Someone is hunting Xiao Wu?!"

"And it's not just one or two people..."

Qin Jian's gaze became profound and icy: "I didn't expect it would actually be... an organized... large-scale hunt!"

His fist clenched unconsciously.

If he had known about this situation earlier, he would never have delayed at Shrek Academy.

It was a pity that unless Xiao Wu actively triggered the Lovesick Heartbroken Red, he could not determine her condition.

Who could have imagined that in this short day, the situation would turn into this...

"What do we do now?"

Zhu Zhuqing said urgently: "Are we rushing directly toward Xiao Wu's direction?"

Qin Jian suddenly closed his eyes, calmed his breath and focused his mind, then opened them slowly; the anxiety in the depths of his eyes vanished.

"Zhuqing, we cannot panic now, otherwise, we might just step into a trap..."

He said softly: "Only by staying calm can we make the most accurate judgment."

"Mm."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded, her gaze fixed on him: "You say it, whatever you need me to do is fine."

"Mm, let me think..."

Qin Jian's eyes looked out the window: "This kind of organized, large-scale hunt must come from either a sect or a nation, or perhaps... the Spirit Hall."

"But if a Title Douluo were present, then Xiao Wu would definitely not have lasted until now, so the possibility of it being the Spirit Hall is not high," he added.

"Qin Jian, why would you suspect the Spirit Hall? Aren't you a Chief Judge now?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, puzzled.

Qin Jian shook his head and said: "There are different factions within the Spirit Hall as well. I belong to the Pope's faction, but that Elder Hall faction wouldn't refrain from acting just for my sake; in fact... they would likely act even more ruthlessly."

Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath: "So your situation is also this perilous..."

Qin Jian nodded, then shook his head: "At least now I am not someone they can scheme against at will. If there is someone behind the scenes scheming against me, then they... will definitely regret it!"

"Alright, let's not consider the Spirit Hall for now. Since there is no Title Douluo present, this hunt is not difficult to deal with. What I fear is that someone is still plotting something, so we must adopt the most conservative plan and maximize the power I can mobilize in a short time..."

"As long as the Lovesick Heartbroken Red has no blood-colored warning, Xiao Wu is not in mortal danger..."

He lowered his head to ponder for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said: "We are going to the center of the Star Dou Great Forest first!"

"The center of the Star Dou Great Forest? That place is..." Zhu Zhuqing was somewhat confused.

Qin Jian said in a low voice: "That place... is my home."

"Your... home?"

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly widened her eyes: "I remember now, you once took me there! No wonder you took me to flee inside back then; it wasn't an adventure, but because that place was the safest spot for you!"

Even at such a serious moment, Qin Jian couldn't help but want to laugh: "Mm, that place is indeed the safest spot for me."

Zhu Zhuqing: "..."

"So, in your home, deep in the Star Dou Great Forest, there are other Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beasts, right?" she asked.

Qin Jian nodded: "Yes, to save Xiao Wu, they are the power I trust the most."

"But..."

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly frowned: "If the Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest appear outside the forest, will it attract the attention of the Spirit Hall and the two great empires? If so, will there be trouble?"

"Your worry is correct. Once a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast leaves the forest, it will inevitably be besieged and hunted. Even if just to eliminate unstable factors, the Human Clan will not let a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast wander outside."

Qin Jian said: "Therefore, they can at most reach the outer perimeter of the forest; they cannot come out."

"The Human Clan..."

Zhu Zhuqing was slightly dazed, then filled with worry: "Qin Jian, do you have a grudge against the Human Clan?"

Qin Jian was stunned. After a brief thought, he understood her concern, so he gently stroked her face and said: "Don't worry, I do not harbor hatred for the entire human race, and I will not vent my anger indiscriminately. Moreover... one day, on this Dalu, there will no longer be hatred between the Human Clan and the Soul Beasts... This is something I will definitely do."

Zhu Zhuqing's heart slowly settled. She let out a soft breath and gripped Qin Jian's hand on her face: "I will definitely help you."

"Mm."

Qin Jian nodded.

Another day passed, and moving at full speed, the Knight Order had arrived at the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Of course, this location was the north side of the forest, while according to Qin Jian's sensing, Xiao Wu was in the southwest direction of the forest's perimeter.

"Elder Guibao."

Qin Jian signaled for the Knight Order to stop and pulled Zhu Zhuqing out of the carriage.

As his voice fell, the figure of Guibao Douluo descended from the sky, landed before him, and bowed: "Chief Judge."

"Elder Guibao..."

Qin Jian looked at her, sensing the Spider Emperor Poison within her body slightly to confirm that he still held the primary authority of control.

"Your subordinate is here," Guibao Douluo said.

"Can I trust you?" Qin Jian suddenly spoke.

Guibao Douluo was slightly taken aback, then raised her head and saw Qin Jian's calm face, which betrayed no emotion.

"Subordinate..."

She took a deep breath, suddenly dropped to one knee, and lowered her head, saying, "As the Grand Commander of the Guard Army, this subordinate can naturally be trusted by the Commander."

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened slightly.

This was a Title Douluo! How on earth did Qin Jian make her submit?!

Could it also be...

She frowned almost imperceptibly.

Qin Jian naturally did not know what Zhu Zhuqing was thinking, and instead felt slightly puzzled by Guibao's actions.

He had only been testing her; he had not expected this woman to kneel down willingly, which was also beyond his expectations.

Not being in Guibao's perspective, he could not imagine the shock and fanaticism that matching the Pope had left her with at the time, not to mention that her body was controlled by the Spider Emperor Poison, making her part of the Pope's faction from the start.

Following Qin Jian was no different from following the Pope, and she had been assigned to the Guard Army early on, having watched the Guard Army grow and strengthen, and having stepped up, bit by bit, to the position second only to the Commander.

Given these various reasons, submitting to Qin Jian was actually inevitable...

(End of this chapter)