Belittlement

Belittlement "Who is this?" Dai Yao asked.

"Zhu Zhuyue, my fiancée." Dai Yaming reached out and held the girl's waist, looking extremely proud.

Zhu Zhuyue gave a light laugh tinged with disdain. She looked Dai Yao up and down, then said, "You're part of the royal family, aren't you? Why do all your movements carry such a shabby air?"

Dai Yao had only just awakened his Martial Soul. Before the age of six, he had been imprisoned in the Cold Palace and had never received royal etiquette training. Moreover, he had been an ordinary person in his previous life, so his words and mannerisms naturally differed greatly from those of true nobles.

But he was nowhere near as unbearable as Zhu Zhuyue had described.

Her words were far from pleasant. Dai Yao did not know whether this woman was simply blunt by nature or whether she genuinely despised and looked down on them.

Thus, a smile returned to his face as he praised Dai Yaming. "Second Brother is truly fortunate to have such a beautiful wife."

Dai Yao's flattery was also meant to leave Zhu Zhuyue with a favorable impression, so she would not continue mocking them. After all, he had only just planned to form an alliance with Dai Yaming, and Zhu Zhuyue was also Zhu Zhuqing's Older Sister. Ruining the alliance over a few verbal exchanges would truly be a case of losing the greater for the lesser.

"Do I need you to tell me whether I'm beautiful?"

Zhu Zhuyue's delicate face was full of arrogance as she looked down on Dai Yao and the others. Then she waved her hand disdainfully, as though she had smelled something foul, and said to Dai Yaming:

"Shabby is shabby. You were looked down on, yet you didn't even dare say a word. What a cowardly turtle. My dear little sister, your fiancé really isn't much. There are so many good men in the world—how can you hang yourself from a single tree? Don't worry. If you ever want to find a man, Older Sister will definitely introduce you to one. After all, your green-haired turtle of a husband won't say a thing!"

Dai Yao stared blankly at Zhu Zhuyue, utterly dumbfounded. He had never imagined that she could utter such vicious words. Then he clenched his fists tightly, looked gravely at Dai Yaming, and demanded sharply:

"Does the Second Prince have no explanation to offer?"

At that moment, he no longer called him Second Brother, but the Second Prince. He was consumed with fury. Zhu Zhuyue's words had not only insulted his dignity, but also Zhu Zhuqing.

Yet Zhu Zhuyue was, after all, Dai Yaming's fiancée, so he could not directly curse her in return.

"Fourth Brother, your sister-in-law was only joking. Be more broad-minded," Dai Yaming said with a smile, utterly unconcerned about the matter.

Behind him, Zhu Zhuqing's delicate body trembled slightly, as though she had heard something terrifying. Dai Yao patted her trembling hand. His expression was cold as he glanced at Zhu Zhuyue, then fixed his eyes on Dai Yaming and said mockingly, "Allowing her to insult your own ally and launch personal attacks—is this the Second Prince's attitude toward an alliance?"

Zhu Zhuyue leaned against Dai Yaming's shoulder and mocked him without restraint. "You? An eleventh-level Soul Master? You want to form an alliance with Yaming? You really don't know your place."

Dai Yaming smiled gently. "Your sister-in-law has a somewhat playful temperament, so don't take it to heart. But from what you're saying, you no longer wish to form an alliance with me?"

The fat man standing nearby also interjected, sternly warning Dai Yao, "His Highness thinks highly of you, which is why he offered you an alliance. Don't fail to appreciate his favor!"

Seeing the Second Prince's aggressive attitude, the flames of anger burned fiercely in Dai Yao's heart. The Second Prince and the others clearly looked down on him; Zhu Zhuyue had merely made it more obvious. If Dai Yao still shamelessly accepted the Second Prince's alliance now, he would completely lose his dignity.

Dai Yao had already been slapped in the face. Was he supposed to offer them his other cheek for a second slap? In the end, the reason the Second Prince could pressure him so brazenly was because Dai Yao was not strong enough and posed no threat to them at all.

"What an impressive Second Prince. Such mighty prestige," Dai Yao said, his lips trembling with rage.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, did I hit a sore spot? Are you getting angry? I'm so scared." Zhu Zhuyue giggled as she nestled in Dai Yaming's arms, her tone carrying a hint of flirtatious mockery.

Zhu Zhuqing tugged on Dai Yao's sleeve, signaling for him to leave this place quickly.

The Second Prince and the others were all Soul Grandmasters. Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing had no chance of winning at all.

The Second Prince sighed softly. He had never regarded Dai Yao as worthy of notice from the start. He had merely wanted to trick Dai Yao into drawing Dai Weisi's attention and diverting the pressure, but he had not expected Zhu Zhuyue to ruin it.

Zhu Zhuyue had been bullied by Zhu Zhuyun since childhood. As a result, she bullied Zhu Zhuqing with even greater cruelty. Verbal humiliation and physical abuse were everyday occurrences.

The Second Prince had already planned everything out. He had instructed Zhu Zhuyue to restrain her temper and remain calm while discussing cooperation, yet the moment she saw Zhu Zhuqing, she still could not hold herself back. Her true nature was exposed, and the alliance plan was ruined.

Things had reached this point. Dai Yao obviously would not ally with him anymore.

On one side was Dai Yao, who was worthless and also his opponent; on the other was his own fiancée. Dai Yaming did not need to think to know which side he would stand on.

"Since that's the case, they're yours to deal with," Dai Yaming said to Zhu Zhuyue.

He did not intend to make a move. Facing Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing—one an eleventh-level Soul Master, the other without even a First Spirit Ring—it would be too humiliating if he acted personally.

Zhu Zhuyue sprang out of Dai Yaming's embrace. Soul Power surged as her Martial Soul instantly possessed her body. She became catlike, black yet elegant, while her black form-fitting outfit outlined her stunning curves.

Two yellow Spirit Rings shone with soul-stirring light.

Dai Yao stared fixedly at those two Spirit Rings. Under the pressure of Soul Power above level ten, even his own Soul Power could not circulate normally. He knew he was no match for Zhu Zhuyue. But Zhu Zhuqing stood behind him, and his heart immediately sank.

This was the Second Prince's territory. He had no chance of escaping. Through clenched teeth, he spat out several words: "I hope you won't regret today's decision in the future."

"Regret? Who do you think you are?" Zhu Zhuyue did not take Dai Yao seriously at all. In her eyes, Dai Yao and Zhu Zhuqing were merely toys for venting the pain in her heart.

At Star Luo Royal Academy, as the Second Prince's fiancée, she had also suffered suppression from the First Prince's faction. She had been unable to vent the grievances filling her heart, but now that Zhu Zhuqing had arrived at the academy, she could finally release the resentment in her heart.

Dai Yaming also knew the bitterness in his future wife's heart. Since an alliance with Dai Yao was impossible, he might as well let Zhu Zhuyue vent her frustrations on them.

Looking at the two toys before her, Zhu Zhuyue curled her lips and extended her claw-like hands. Her First Spirit Ring flashed.

"First Spirit Skill, Hell Stab!"

Several meters vanished in an instant. A black shadow appeared before Dai Yao, followed by a pair of claws gleaming with black light and radiating an aura of death.

Even if he was no match for her, Dai Yao had to meet her attack.

"Eight Extremes Collapse!"

There was no imagined collision. Billowing dust concealed their figures, and Dai Yao felt someone seize his hand.

Noticing the anomaly in the field, Dai Yaming narrowed his eyes.