Tang San stepped forward, shielding Xiao Wu tightly behind him. With a sweep of his right arm, he pulled the girl's soft body into his embrace. His left hand slammed the Clear Sky Hammer heavily against the ground, producing an earsplitting boom.
"If you want to touch her—"
He held his head high, his voice exploding like thunder and echoing before the entire Papal Palace:
"Then step over my corpse first!"
His declaration struck with unquestionable resolve. Soul Power boiled around Tang San. His upright figure became an insurmountable barrier, firmly protecting Xiao Wu behind him.
A deathly silence fell before the Papal Palace. Even Bibi Dong stood frozen, unable to give any further orders. She stared blankly at Tang San as he held Xiao Wu tightly in his arms, an unreadable emotion flashing through her eyes.
Feng Yao stood quietly to one side, his deep gaze fixed on the scene. The members of the Imperial Fighting Team were involuntarily moved by this devotion that would face life and death together. There was even a faint shimmer of tears in Dugu Yan's purple eyes.
True feelings, or false affection? Feng Yao sighed inwardly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the qin strings. Some lies, repeated too often, would eventually be believed even by the liar himself. If one could keep acting for a lifetime, how would it differ from true affection?
It was like the feelings between him and Qian Renxue. What had begun as calculation had gradually taken on the colors of sincerity after being shaped by time. The human heart had always been complex and unpredictable; love and exploitation often intertwined, impossible to distinguish from one another.
Feng Yao's gaze passed over Tang San before settling on Bibi Dong's dazed expression. At that moment, he suddenly understood something.
Perhaps Bibi