A Hero's Path Matters Not, a Soul Bone's Origins Matter Not
"Your Excellency Angel, you truly have an eye for treasure. This right leg Soul Bone does indeed have the life attribute, and it is a full 44,444 years old."
"I am willing to give you this Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. I hope you will spare my elder sister, Zhu Zhuyun. I would be endlessly grateful."
Zhu Zhuqing called it a gift, but her heart was bleeding.
This was an exceedingly rare life-attribute Soul Bone, and it was a full 44,444 years old. Even a Titled Douluo would be tempted by it.
She had originally intended to fuse with the Soul Bone in secret to quickly raise her Soul Power Level.
But now, to save Zhu Zhuyun's life, she could only bear the pain of parting with it and hand over this supreme treasure, which even Titled Douluo dreamed of possessing.
"Interesting, truly interesting. Zhu Zhuqing, if I'm not mistaken, this life-attribute leg Soul Bone must have come from somewhere less than clean, didn't it?"
"With your meager strength as a level twenty-seven Soul Grandmaster, don't tell me you obtained this 44,444-year Soul Bone yourself. That would only fool an idiot. I certainly don't believe it."
Li Wuyou lightly rubbed his fingertips over the jade-like surface of the Soul Bone. A teasing smile curled his lips as he looked at Zhu Zhuqing with an amused glint in his eyes.
It wasn't that he was deliberately belittling Zhu Zhuqing. Rather, with her strength as a level twenty-seven Soul Grandmaster, she wasn't worthy of possessing a top-grade life-attribute right leg Soul Bone, much less one that was 44,444 years old.
Considering Zhu Zhuqing's identity—the second young lady of the Star Luo Empire's Nether Duke's Mansion and the Star Luo Emperor Dai Mubai's fiancée in name—it wasn't hard to guess that something was amiss.
And just as Li Wuyou had guessed, when faced with the question of where the 44,444-year leg Soul Bone had come from, Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face instantly turned pale. A flicker of panic and guilt flashed in her eyes, and her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a word.
She lowered her head, her slender body tensing slightly, not daring to meet Li Wuyou's all-seeing gaze. That was because this top-grade Ten Thousand Year life Soul Bone was actually a lavish betrothal gift from the Star Luo Emperor Dai Tian for Zhu Zhuyun and Dai Weisi's engagement.
To strengthen the marriage alliance between the two great families, the Dai Family of the Star Luo Imperial Family and the Zhu Family of the Nether Duke, the Star Luo Emperor Dai Tian had specifically given this rare 44,444-year life-attribute leg Soul Bone as a betrothal gift for Dai Weisi, the Star Luo Imperial Family's eldest legitimate son, and Zhu Zhuyun, the Nether Duke's Mansion's eldest legitimate daughter. It was a genuine treasure of the Star Luo Imperial Family and, without question, a Soul Bone belonging to Zhu Zhuyun.
Over the years, she had suffered no shortage of harassment from Zhu Zhuyun at the Nether Duke's Mansion in the Star Luo Empire. Her father, the Nether Duke, had watched coldly from beginning to end, turning a blind eye to every injustice she suffered and leaving her to endure them all in the mansion. The long years of oppression had bred resentment in her heart, which was why she had chosen to take a little revenge on Zhu Zhuyun.
Why should Zhu Zhuyun have all the family's resources to herself? Why should I be singled out, suppressed, and wronged at every turn?
Nursing that resentment, she had seized an opportunity and, at great risk of being discovered and severely punished, secretly stolen this Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone from among Zhu Zhuyun's betrothal gifts. She had done it solely to get back at Zhu Zhuyun for suppressing her all these years, to repay her father for his years of favoritism and indifference, and to vent the bitterness of all the injustices she had suffered.
It was the secret she had buried deepest in her heart, her one act of such rebellious revenge, and a secret that absolutely could not be exposed.
Yet now Li Wuyou had seen through that secret at a glance. Zhu Zhuqing's heart lurched, and panic, embarrassment, and anxiety tangled together, leaving her utterly unable to argue.
"Heh! Zhu Zhuqing, why have you gone quiet? Were you born a woman of few words, or do you just stop talking when you run into a question you can't answer?"
"Or did I hit the mark about where this Ten Thousand Year leg Soul Bone came from? Little kitten, you're dishonest at such a young age. Looks like you've really got some fat little guts."
Though Li Wuyou teased her, his hands moved swiftly and decisively. Without hesitation, he tossed the wooden box and Soul Bone straight into the Angel God's divine trial secret realm.
As for whether accepting this Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone might directly offend the Star Luo Empire and the Nether Duke's Mansion?
Heh! Why should I, Li Wuyou, fear the edge of the mere Star Luo Empire and Nether Duke's Mansion?
If they had the ability, they could take it up with his four Angel Clone Soul Skills, every one of which possessed Titled Douluo-level combat strength.
He was already being fairly conscientious by not deliberately making things difficult for the Star Luo Imperial Family and the Nether Duke's Mansion!
If the Star Luo Emperor Dai Tian and the Nether Duke really were blind enough to dare make trouble for him, he wouldn't mind showing them why the flowers were so red, and seeing whether he could make another windfall while he was at it.
If he could plunder the Star Luo Imperial Family's treasury and the wealth the Nether Duke's Mansion had accumulated over hundreds of years, he would surely become rich overnight.
At the thought of the wealth that could make him rich overnight, Li Wuyou grew so excited he was nearly drooling. He even found himself faintly hoping that the Star Luo Emperor Dai Tian and the Nether Duke would hurry up and come looking for trouble.
"Y-your Excellency Angel, as the saying goes, a hero's path matters not, and a Soul Bone's origins matter not. Why bother yourself with these questions?"
"In any case, the Soul Bone has already been given to Your Excellency Angel, so it will be yours from now on. I only ask that Your Excellency Angel keep your word and spare my elder sister, Zhu Zhuyun."
"As long as you are willing to stop, I can swear to the heavens on my Nether Civet Martial Soul that, after what happened today, my Zhu Family will never make trouble for you."
Zhu Zhuqing thought for a moment, then steeled herself and spoke.
In any case, he had already accepted the Soul Bone, and she couldn't be bothered to worry about what came later. Even if Zhu Zhuyun learned that she had stolen the betrothal Soul Bone that originally belonged to her and took her anger out on her afterward, that was trouble she would only have to face later.
After all, future matters could be dealt with in the future. If she didn't deal with the killing god before her, Zhu Zhuyun would probably die in the Star Dou Great Forest today. Saving Zhu Zhuyun's dog life was the most urgent matter at hand.
Even if Zhu Zhuyun later learned that she had taken the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone belonging to her and exchanged it for her life, so what? When all was said and done, today's incident had happened because Zhu Zhuyun had courted death by deliberately picking a fight, only to come to grief when she ran into a ruthless man like Li Wuyou.
"Jie jie jie, Zhu Zhuqing, your sincerity is quite good. I like it very much, but this Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone is only enough for me to spare you. It isn't enough for me to spare Zhu Zhuyun's dog life."
Li Wuyou looked at Zhu Zhuqing with a teasing smile and slowly said, "Besides, you didn't naively think I'd just let you go, did you?"
"After all, as I see it, you, little kitten, are also a captive and one of my spoils of war! You two are blood sisters, after all! How could there be such a good thing as the elder sister doing evil while the younger sister enjoys the good life?"
"If you want to beg me to spare Zhu Zhuyun, you, little kitten, will have to offer me another bargaining chip that can move me. Otherwise, I won't let Zhu Zhuyun off so easily."
"As for swearing to the heavens on your Martial Soul not to pursue today's matter? Heh! Your oath carries no weight with me, little kitten. And stop trying to scare me with the Star Luo Imperial Family and the Nether Duke's Mansion. I only recognize tangible benefits."
When Li Wuyou finished speaking, he let out a string of the strange "jie jie jie" laughter unique to villains. His Soul Power surged, and a bone-chilling killing intent instantly enveloped Zhu Zhuqing.
The naked killing intent made Zhu Zhuqing, kneeling on the ground, feel as though she had plunged into an ice cellar. Her tight black leather outfit was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
Herding one sheep or a whole flock made no difference. Since he had already obtained a top-grade Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone anyway, Li Wuyou didn't mind playing the villain once and squeezing a little more out of Zhu Zhuqing, this little kitten.
Though Zhu Zhuqing, this little kitten, had fallen on hard times!
He believed that if he squeezed her, there would still be something.
After all, Zhu Zhuqing, this little kitten, was very well endowed.
After all, as the saying went-in the northern sea there was a fish, and its name was Kun. So large was the Kun that it could not fit in a single pot. It transformed into a bird, and its name was Peng. So large was the Peng that it needed two barbecue grills. One with secret sauce, one mildly spicy, a bottle of Snowflake beer, and bravely venture to the ends of the earth!
By the same token—the Nether Duke of the Star Luo Empire had a daughter, and her name was Zhu Zhuqing. So large was Zhu Zhuqing that one hand could not hold her. She transformed into a baby-faced beauty with giant breasts, and her name was Little Kitten. So large was Little Kitten that even two hands could not hold her. Soft in the left hand, springy in the right, and with just one bed, one could drive straight into the Yellow Dragon's lair!
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