I Am Willing...

"Of all people, you had to target my student?" Zhao Wuji stood before Long Jie, the muscles all over his body twitching as he glared menacingly at him.

Facing such strength, Long Jie remained unfazed and said calmly, "Yes. So what?"

"Hehe, good kid. You've got guts!" Zhao Wuji's expression turned icy. "You want to lay a hand on my student? Then I'll lay a hand on you first!"

His large hand came crashing down toward Long Jie, but Long Jie remained motionless.

"You want to touch him? Who do you think you are?"

As the hand fell, another large hand blocked Zhao Wuji's.

The Heaven Dou Offering stared coldly at Zhao Wuji. "You dare attack him? Which academy are they from? Do you not want to keep making a living in Heaven Dou?"

Hearing his words and seeing his clothes, Zhao Wuji froze for a moment. He hurriedly withdrew his fist and reined in his aura, saying with a chuckle, "No, no... I was just joking with him. Just joking!"

He pushed Tang San over to Long Jie's side and said with a laugh, "They're all brothers. It's perfectly normal for brothers to bicker and quarrel. Perfectly normal!"

Tang San???

Long Jie: ...

"Hmph!" The Heaven Dou Offering snorted. "It had better be. Don't even think about laying a hand on him, or none of you will be able to get by in Heaven Dou!"

The Offering was only saying it. With Long Jie's standing, he was not important enough for the Crown Prince's Residence to go that far for him.

Of course, talking was free...

"Of course, of course!" Zhao Wuji laughed as he hurriedly led the Shrek members away, afraid that he might be too late if he lingered another moment.

"Hmph! A bully who fears the strong!" Little Wu snorted. Shrek's teachers had no class at all. They only knew how to bully the weak, yet cowered the moment they encountered someone strong.

Though Zhao Wuji heard those words and felt uncomfortable, he did not say anything.

"Alright, Little Wu, let's head back!" Long Jie held Zhu Zhuqing's hand as he spoke to Little Wu, and the group set off once more toward Suotuo City.

Though a minor farce had occurred, Long Jie still felt that he had not lost out. Tang San's Third Soul Ring was gone, after all, and the original plot had been changed.

"Ding! The host has killed the Man Faced Demon Spider, preventing Tang San from obtaining the External Soul Bone and disrupting the plot. Reward: External Soul Bone, Eight Spider Lances!!"

Eight Spider Lances?

Long Jie was delighted. The System had given him Tang San's External Soul Bone... This was truly wonderful!

Not in a hurry to claim it, Long Jie led everyone through the Star Dou Great Forest and finally arrived at Suotuo City by evening.

"Let's find a hotel and stay the night first!"

Long Jie brought them to the Rose Hotel. He did not know why, but he simply liked this hotel—just like how Dai Mubai liked bringing girls here. Purely a personal preference!!

Late at night, Long Jie sat on the bed. Just as he was about to take out the External Soul Bone from the System and fuse with it, a knock sounded from outside the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me!" Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from outside. Long Jie was slightly stunned before walking over to open the door for her.

"What is it, Zhuqing?"

Zhu Zhuqing looked a little awkward. After hesitating for a while, she finally said, "A Jie, can I come in?"

"Sure!"

Stepping aside, he let her in. The two entered the room, and Zhu Zhuqing sat on the bed with a trace of conflict on her face. After thinking for a long time, she finally asked, "A Jie, do you think I can break off my engagement with Dai Mubai?"

"Of course you can, as long as you want to!" Long Jie said with a smile. Dai Mubai was nothing to him; he had never taken him seriously.

"But... you may not know this. He's a prince of Star Luo, and I'm destined to be his woman..." As she spoke, tears began to fall from Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, as though she had returned to being that weak and helpless girl from before.

"Star Luo is no weaker than Heaven Dou. No matter how hard I try, I can't resist..."

That was what left her most despairing. After cultivating for so long, she was still not even Rank 30. Trying to resist Star Luo with such strength was simply impossible...

"How can you not resist?" Long Jie smiled, stroking her head as he said seriously, "Zhuqing, don't think that way. You have to believe that only you can control your own destiny!"

His expression was solemn. He was not only speaking to Zhu Zhuqing, but also to himself. All his efforts had always been for the sake of controlling his own destiny.

Zhu Zhuqing fell silent for a while, then suddenly made a decision. She leaned forward and kissed Long Jie on the lips, startling him.

"Zhuqing, what are you..."

Feeling the touch on the corner of his mouth, Long Jie was shocked. He hurriedly looked at Zhu Zhuqing. Had she been controlled?

"Long Jie... I've figured it out!" Zhu Zhuqing raised her head, her face flushed as she looked at Long Jie. "It's impossible for me alone to resist Star Luo, so I've decided...

To give myself to you!"

"Huh??" Long Jie froze. What kind of logic was that? What did her inability to resist Star Luo have to do with giving herself to him?

Zhu Zhuqing's face was rosy as she began taking off her clothes. "As long as you have me, Star Luo definitely won't want me anymore. Dai Mubai definitely won't want me either, Long Jie..."

"Stop!" Long Jie grabbed Zhu Zhuqing's hand as she was undressing. He looked at her angrily and rebuked her, "Zhu Zhuqing, what do you mean by this? Are you degrading yourself, or are you degrading me?

If you want to defy fate, there are countless ways to do so. I'm willing to help you too, but degrading yourself is absolutely not one of them!"

Zhu Zhuqing was stunned. Everyone coveted her body. Everyone wanted to see her naked. Why did this person not want her?

Why was he scolding her even when she had taken the initiative? But... was he thinking of her?

"What method is there? My talent is poor. It's impossible for me to resist..."

"No!" Long Jie said firmly. "As long as you want to do it, nothing is impossible."

He reached out and stroked her head, smiling as he said, "Nothing in the world is difficult for those with determination. Zhuqing, as long as you don't give up, you'll find a way someday. We'll always be by your side. Once you become a Titled Douluo, I believe even Star Luo won't dare ignore you!"

"When that time comes, forget Dai Mubai—even if the Star Luo Emperor himself came, he'd have to kneel!"

"Pfft... Titled Douluo aren't as amazing as you make them sound..." Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but laugh. Sure enough, only when she was with this person could she feel happy. As for Dai Mubai? Heh.

"And besides... becoming a Titled Douluo isn't that easy!" Zhu Zhuqing's smile faded. A Titled Douluo... there were only a handful on the entire continent.

"I believe you can do it..." Long Jie smiled, then added playfully, "If all else fails, I'll cut that thing off Dai Mubai and make you two sisters!"

"Don't! Don't do anything reckless!"

"If he dares bully you, I dare do it!"

"You're such an idiot. He's the prince of Star Luo..." Zhu Zhuqing smiled. She knew Long Jie was joking, so she stood up. "Thanks for talking me through this. I'll head back first!"

"It's nothing. We're friends!" Long Jie smiled, utterly unconcerned.

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing more. When she reached the door, she suddenly remembered something and stopped. Turning back to Long Jie, she said, "A Jie... I wasn't debasing myself just now. If it were you, I'd be willing..."

With that, she ran off. A faint flush could be seen on her face...