Douluo Continent: Martial Soul Young Gilas, Sandstorm King!

Chapter 125 Would you... be willing... to be my godson?
"I will obey Your Majesty's decree!"

The guard leader bowed his head in acknowledgment, his gaze quickly and respectfully sweeping over Lin Xia and the strangely shaped baby Giras at his feet. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

Stepping through the side gate of the Zhu residence is like stepping from the bustling capital into another world.

The gate leads directly into a courtyard, but rather to a wide passageway paved with snow-white cloud-patterned stones.

On both sides of the passageway are two rows of tall, straight, towering ancient trees with canopies that stretch as far as the eye can see. Their trunks are thick and gnarled, and their bark is mottled, exuding a sense of the vicissitudes of time.

The dense shade of the trees filters the scorching sunlight into fine dappled patterns, which fall on the clean stone slabs, bringing a refreshing coolness.

At the end of the passageway, the view suddenly opens up.

Before me stretched a vast and breathtaking courtyard!

The ground is paved with neatly cut blue boulders, with fine grass growing in the gaps, making it soft and springy to walk on.

In the center of the courtyard is a huge circular pool with crystal-clear water and rippling blue waves. Dozens of rare koi carp of various colors and shapes swim leisurely in it.

In the center of the pool stands a simple and elegant rockery with smooth lines. The rocks are rugged, and a clear spring flows down from the top of the mountain, forming a small waterfall that falls into the pool and makes a crisp and melodious tinkling sound.

The courtyard is surrounded by several buildings of different styles, yet they are harmonious and unified.

The main building is a magnificent three-story pavilion with flying eaves and brackets, carved beams and painted rafters, covered with dark blue glazed tiles that shimmer with a solemn and restrained luster in the sunlight.

The pillars, windows, and railings of the pavilion are adorned with exquisitely carved ghostly cat motifs, some galloping, some lying in wait, cleverly integrating the family's martial spirit and glory into the architectural details.

On either side are slightly lower side halls and corridors, which are equally magnificent and made of exquisite materials.

The winding corridors connect the various buildings, and exquisite palace lanterns hang between the columns. Although they are not lit at this moment, one can imagine the dazzling lights when they are lit at night.

The air is filled with a faint fragrance of flowers and fresh herbs, mixed with the scent of top-quality wood and fine incense, which is very pleasant.

In the courtyard, a maid dressed in simple clothes was quietly pruning flowers and trees. Her movements were light and graceful. When she saw Zhu Yu and Lin Xia, she immediately stopped what she was doing and bowed respectfully from a distance. Her posture was elegant and well-trained, and she did not make the slightest noise.

The entire environment exudes the profound heritage, supreme authority, and refined elegance of a thousand-year-old family.

In stark contrast to the industrial grandeur of the Gengjin City Blacksmith Association, which is filled with metal, flames, and a sense of power, this place exudes the aura of a top-tier aristocratic family, blending power, wealth, art, and ultimate enjoyment.

"Yoji..."

Young Gilas was also attracted by the grand and exquisite environment. Its scarlet eyes looked around curiously, and its little nose twitched slightly, as if trying to distinguish the complex smells in the air.

It seemed particularly interested in the pond and the swimming koi, and its little paws unconsciously reached out towards it.

Lin Xia couldn't help but sigh again.

"As expected of one of the top clans in the Star Luo Empire! This grandeur... is indeed beyond what Gengjin City can match."

This luxury and heritage made him more clearly aware of the Zhu family's pivotal role in the empire.

Just then, Zhu Yu stopped in her tracks.

She turned around, no longer looking at the courtyard, but focusing her gaze entirely on Lin Xia's face.

In those eyes, clear as a starry sea, surged extremely complex and intense emotions—admiration, tenderness, the sorrow of reminiscence, and an almost overflowing, cautious longing.

The breeze in the courtyard seemed to have stopped, leaving only the gentle murmur of the stream flowing over the artificial hill. Zhu Yu looked at the travel-worn yet bright-eyed young man before him, a man of extraordinary talent who knew when to advance and retreat. He looked at the equally remarkable young beast perched on the young man's shoulder, and thought of how the young man had left his sect alone to come to this unfamiliar center of power…

Thinking of my own flesh and blood that are forever stuck in childhood...

An overwhelming urge finally broke through my defenses.

Zhu Yu took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, her voice trembling slightly and with unprecedented solemnity, and asked clearly:
"Xiaoxia..."

"Would you... be willing to... be my godson?"

Lin Xia froze on the spot, her dark golden pupils revealing an unbelievable astonishment for the first time.

He had imagined all sorts of demands Zhu Yu might make—demanding promises, inquiring about Lou Gao's whereabouts, or even subtly probing into his secrets… But he never expected such a proposal, which was driven by strong emotional appeals and was almost like a "family reunion"!

Become her godson?!
What a joke!
Lin Xia's first reaction was that it was absurd.

Having lived two lives, his soul had long since matured and become independent. The pride in his bones, stemming from his extraordinary experiences and adventures in the Dragon Tomb, made him instinctively resist this relationship, which was strongly dependent and almost like "recognizing a mother."

This is completely different from accepting the recruitment of the Spirit Hall or Zhu Yu's previous invitation. This is almost like incorporating himself into the most core power family lineage of the Star Luo Empire!
However, when his gaze met Zhu Yu's eyes, which were as clear as the starry sea, the sense of absurdity was forcibly suppressed.

There was not a trace of jest or probing in those eyes, only an almost devout expectation, a deep-seated sorrow, and a careful, earnestness as if holding a fragile treasure.

That was the gaze of a woman who had experienced the pain of losing her son and struggled in the vortex of power, yet unexpectedly projected her emotional attachment onto this "monster" child—sincere and burning.

Lin Xia was silent.

He neither immediately refused nor accepted with overwhelming joy.

A massive flow of information collided, was analyzed, and deduced wildly within the realm of his mind.

First and foremost, it's about interests!

The adopted son of the Empress of the Star Luo Empire.

The political aura and social status brought by this identity were enough to instantly elevate him to the top echelons of power on the mainland, far surpassing that of a mere "disciple of a master craftsman".

In the Star Luo Empire and even the western part of the continent, this would be an almost invincible talisman.

The wealth, connections, intelligence, and soul master resources accumulated by the royal family and the Zhu family over a thousand years will be completely open to him.

Both the top-tier resources needed for cultivation and the development of the Blacksmith Association will receive unimaginable assistance.

The ease of repairing the Star Crown will also be greatly increased.

But there are also downsides!
A conflict with the Spirit Hall was almost inevitable.

The Zhu family, especially the protection of Empress Zhu Yu, could buy him valuable time to grow and strategic depth.

This relationship itself is a powerful deterrent.

Zhu Yu clearly harbored a special, almost empathetic, affection for him.

Although this emotion is complex, if it can be properly maintained, it will become a powerful, irrational source of support.

(End of this chapter)