How Dare You?!

The Lion King was laughing, the Wind Walker was laughing, the seven Dou Spirits were laughing, and even Gu He could not help but smile, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Nalan Jie's face twitched. He had never been mild-tempered, and his nature had always been proud and unruly. When in his life had he ever been mocked like this?

He turned to look at me, snorted coldly, and barked, "Little Yezi, if you have something to say, spit it out already! Stop stammering there and trying to play the scholar's game of keeping everyone in suspense!"

I answered helplessly. The Old Man was truly upset now. It seemed I could only make a long story short. What a pity for the speech I had prepared so carefully...

"Esteemed seniors!"

I cleared my throat, swept my gaze over everyone, and with a solemn expression declared in a ringing voice, "Although you did not come here because you accepted favors from the Pill King, my Nalan Family... can offer you benefits you cannot refuse!"

The laughter in the courtyard finally died down. The people Gu He had brought exchanged glances, curiosity and suspicion appearing in their eyes.

At last, the Wind Walker, Feng Li, spoke. He was an old man in a green robe, thin and slight of build.

He raised his eyelids slightly and glanced at me. "Oh? Benefits that even we cannot refuse? Little one, let's hear them."

"Freedom."

I turned to him and said with utmost seriousness, "My Nalan Family can give you freedom."

Feng Li was stunned, and so was Yan Shi. He burst into laughter and said, "What freedom? Has your head truly gone bad, little brat? I'm perfectly fine right now. Could it be that someone has imprisoned me?!"

"Has no one?"

The corner of my mouth curled up as I looked mockingly at Yan Shi and said in a low voice, "Then why did the Lion King come here? The Lion King has a metal affinity. The Exotic Flame is completely useless to you."

Yan Shi froze for a moment, then his eyes widened as he roared, "I came here, of course, to repay the Pill King's favor!"

"Hahahaha..."

I immediately pointed at Yan Shi and laughed loudly, shouting back, "Lion King, isn't that a shackle?"

I turned to Gu He. His expression had changed slightly, and he was staring coldly at me. Our eyes met, and I flashed him a brilliant smile.

Who told you to come and steal my Exotic Flame? Since you dared to set your sights on it and reach out so recklessly, don't blame me for tearing off all pretense!

I let out a long breath, closed my eyes, then suddenly opened them again. I swept my gaze across everyone in the courtyard and shouted sharply, heedless of all consequences:

"Lion King, stop going on about favors! Do you think I don't know the rules of Alchemists?"

"If you ask them to refine pills, you have to provide the medicinal ingredients yourself. And if the pill to be refined is one Gu He does not know, you even have to let him look over the Pill Recipe."

"Heh, you prepare the medicinal ingredients yourself, and even have to show him the Pill Recipe you painstakingly collected for free—then when the pill is finally refined, you still owe him a favor?"

I laughed wildly, lowered my head, spat on the ground, then stomped on it twice. My face twisted as I shouted:

"Damn it, I've never seen anything so absurd!"

"It's the most ridiculous thing under the heavens!"

"And yet..."

My voice paused. I slowly raised my hand and pointed in a circle at Yan Shi, Feng Li, and the seven Dou Spirits. With a face full of cold mockery and ridicule, I said, "There really are people who do exactly that..."

"With just one word from Gu He, all of you set out from every corner of the Gamma Empire, gathered together, and traveled thousands of miles to this godforsaken Tagor Desert to eat sand—yet you're doing it with such enthusiasm!"

My gaze fell on Yan Shi. With a smile that did not reach my eyes, I said, "Lion King... heh, hehe, Lion King, that title really is..."

I did not finish the sentence. I merely looked at Yan Shi, gently shook my head, and let a trace of pity show in my eyes.

Her lute still half-concealed her face; at this moment, silence spoke louder than words.

By leaving my words unfinished, I gave Yan Shi even more room for imagination. And the pity in my eyes undoubtedly truly enraged him.

As one of the Gamma Empire's Ten Great Experts, bearing the title of "Lion King," he had been wild and arrogant his entire life. When had anyone ever dared to pity him?

Bang!

Golden Dou Qi suddenly surged up and violently rippled around Yan Shi. The stone bench behind him and the bluestones beneath his feet exploded inch by inch, stone chips and dirt flying everywhere as a fierce gust rose up.

What followed was an overwhelming pressure that crashed over me like a tidal wave. My face instantly turned pale, my chest tightened, and I could barely breathe.

"Junior!"

A thunderous roar rang out. It was Yan Shi. His hair stood on end in fury as his bronze eyes glared fixedly at me.

"Yan Shi, calm down. Do you really intend to fight?"

Nalan Jie snorted coldly and flashed in front of me. Green Dou Qi surged around him, blocking all of Yan Shi's pressure.

Watching from behind him, I saw that Yan Shi's anger had not diminished in the slightest, but he had not lost his reason and truly charged forward to fight Nalan Jie. I could not help but let out a breath of relief.

"Junior, you deserve to die."

A cold voice suddenly rang out, chilling to the bone and filled with killing intent. My heart jolted. I turned my head and saw that it was the Dou Spirit named Ba Gu Li!

Dark Dou Qi swirled around him. With a flicker of his body, he actually charged straight at me. Nalan Tie and Nalan Dong shouted angrily and rushed over while circulating their Dou Qi, but they had lost the initiative and were far too late.

Nalan Jie's expression changed slightly as well. Just as he was about to move, Yan Shi laughed loudly and threw a punch at him. Nalan Jie had no choice but to raise a hand to block while shouting coldly:

"Ba Gu Li, how dare you!"

Since Ba Gu Li had dared to attack, there was naturally nothing he did not dare to do. He did not slow down and continued charging toward me.

I cursed inwardly as Dou Qi surged frantically through my body and I desperately retreated. But Ba Gu Li excelled in speed. His figure was as fast as lightning, constantly closing the distance, growing larger and larger in my eyes.

A black, strangely shaped dagger appeared in his hand and sliced toward my neck along an eerie arc.

I couldn't dodge it, couldn't dodge it!

He was too fast. I desperately retreated, yet I couldn't help feeling despair. Could it be that I was actually going to die here?

Haha, how utterly ridiculous.

I glared fiercely at Ba Gu Li. I strained so hard that the corner of my eye split open, a drop of blood seeping out.

How dared he?

How dared he?

How dared he try to kill me?!

Even the Lion King hadn't dared to make a move. How did a mere Dou Spirit dare to attack and kill me? Wasn't he afraid of retaliation from the Nalan Family?

He was only a Dou Spirit. If he killed me, did he think Gu He could protect him?

If he killed me, there would be only death waiting for him. How did he dare?!

I couldn't understand it, but the dagger drew closer and closer to my neck. It really seemed that I was about to die...

"Whoosh..."

A gentle breeze blew over, carrying a familiar fragrance. I took a deep breath, and my vision suddenly blurred as a moon-white figure appeared before me out of nowhere.

A continuous hissing rang out. Strands of Azure Dou Qi surged and raced through the air, stirring up a light breeze that sent the hem of that moon-white dress fluttering and her dark hair drifting in the wind.

A few strands of hair lightly brushed across my cheek, turning the despair on my face into hope.

The strands of Azure Dou Qi suddenly swept forward, descending upon the rapidly charging Ba Gu Li and effortlessly halting his momentum. With another sweep, the imposing Ba Gu Li was forced to retreat again and again, utterly unable to resist that immense power.

I let out a breath and instinctively touched my neck. Thankfully, it hadn't been sliced open.

When I looked again, everything had finally settled. Yun Yun's dress hung naturally once more, and her dark hair no longer fluttered. With her back to me, she looked at Ba Gu Li, her voice far colder than usual.

"Everyone, stop."