Giving the Star Luo Royal Family a Crown

The dense forest was littered with fallen corpses.

Zhou Chen slowly stepped over the bodies of the Black-Clad People and came to a stop before Zhu Zhuyun.

Zhu Zhuqing remained far behind, unwilling to come closer.

Clearly, her heart had been utterly broken. She no longer wanted anything to do with her sister.

Zhu Zhuyun, meanwhile, no longer possessed her earlier ruthlessness and arrogance. Instead, she resembled a trembling kitten, her eyes filled with utter terror.

"Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!"

As Zhou Chen slowly approached her, Zhu Zhuyun backed away in terror.

Although she, like Zhou Chen, was a Soul Elder with three soul rings, she had long since been frightened out of her wits by him. Forget resisting—her legs had already gone weak.

"Ah—"

With a terrified scream, Zhu Zhuyun suddenly unleashed her Netherworld Spirit Cat martial soul. She turned into an almost illusory shadow and fled into the distance.

Yet Zhou Chen did not pursue her. He even stopped walking, standing with his hands behind his back, carrying himself with an air of supreme confidence.

It was not that he had suddenly become merciful and intended to spare this fiery, alluring woman. Zhu Zhuyun simply could not escape!

Fifty Tian Shu Guards, all above level thirty, had already surrounded the entire forest.

Soon, fierce fighting and explosions of Soul Power rang out in the distance. After a while, Xiao Chenyu came sprinting back, gripping Zhu Zhuyun by the collar at the back of her clothes.

Behind him followed more than a dozen Tian Shu Guards clad in white robes, Big Dipper badges pinned to their chests. Every one of them was silent, yet all of them concealed murderous intent.

When Xiao Chenyu reached Zhou Chen, he immediately threw Zhu Zhuyun to the ground. Then he dropped to one knee and reported, "This subordinate discovered someone attempting to flee and took it upon himself to capture her."

"Well done. Rise."

Zhou Chen nodded approvingly and gestured for Xiao Chenyu to stand. Then he turned to look at Zhu Zhuyun, who sat collapsed on the ground with her long legs stretched out before her.

Zhu Zhuyun was clearly in a sorry state. Dust and blood stained her face, and she had wounds in several places. In particular, each of her long, jade-like legs bore a cut, leaving her temporarily unable to move.

"Y-you... who exactly are you?"

Sitting on the ground, Zhu Zhuyun looked up at Zhou Chen and asked uncertainly.

Not long after fleeing, she had encountered these people in white. They were all Soul Elders above level thirty, while the young man leading them, who had subdued her in three moves, was even a four-ring Soul Ancestor.

An ordinary force could not possibly produce so many elite young soul masters. And this Purple-Clad Youth before her was clearly someone of high standing within that force.

Hearing Zhu Zhuyun's question, Zhou Chen said blandly, "You've finally asked the important question. I'm Zhou Chen—the Chen in Star Dust."

After a pause, Zhou Chen mocked, "As the fiancée of Dai Weisi, the eldest Imperial Son of Star Luo, and the future Empress of the Star Luo Empire, you should have heard my name."

"Zhou Chen..."

Zhu Zhuyun murmured the name as she searched her memories. Suddenly, her beautiful eyes widened. She raised a trembling hand and pointed at Zhou Chen, saying in disbelief, "Y-you're that Zhou Chen who caused the heavenly phenomenon six years ago! No wonder... no wonder you could kill so many people!"

"That's right."

Zhou Chen smiled. "Your Star Luo Royal Family has repeatedly tried to assassinate me, and it has made me very angry! Since one must return what one receives, everything that happened today is my response to the Star Luo Royal Family!"

At those words, Zhu Zhuyun's face instantly turned deathly pale.

As Dai Weisi's fiancée, she had begun participating in the affairs of the Star Luo Royal Secret Guard long ago, so she naturally knew of Zhou Chen. Thus, she understood very clearly just how deep the hatred between Zhou Chen and the Star Luo Royal Family ran.

All the Star Luo Royal Secret Guards sent to assassinate Zhou Chen had perished without exception. Now that she had fallen into Zhou Chen's hands, she likely would not meet a good end either.

But she did not want to die. She was only twenty years old and still had the best years of her life ahead of her! She still wanted to become the Empress of the Star Luo Empire. She could not die!

Her intense desire to live made Zhu Zhuyun completely cast aside her dignity.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, she actually wrapped her arms around Zhou Chen's leg and pleaded, "Don't kill me. You have a grudge against the Star Luo Royal Family, but I belong to the Zhu Family. I have no direct enmity with you. As long as you spare me, you can do whatever you want with me."

The moment those words left her mouth, Xiao Chenyu and the Tian Shu Guards standing nearby all changed expressions.

It was best that they did not hear this kind of improper transaction between a man and a woman.

Otherwise, if Zhou Chen later felt embarrassed and decided to make trouble for them, they would truly die unjustly.

Thus, Xiao Chenyu and the others exchanged knowing glances and decisively retreated a hundred meters, leaving only Zhou Chen and Zhu Zhuyun behind.

Zhou Chen was somewhat dumbfounded as well.

While he did not mind putting a few eco-friendly green hats on the Star Luo Royal Family, he had not expected Zhu Zhuyun to abandon her dignity and betray Dai Weisi so quickly.

But things had already been said to this extent. If he refused, would he not be forcing Zhu Zhuyun to die?

Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda. Zhou Chen could only agree through tears.

Seeing Zhou Chen nod and agree not to kill her, Zhu Zhuyun sighed in relief. Then she asked tentatively, "Then can you let me go? I'm just a weak woman..."

Hearing that, Zhou Chen could not help but mock her. "Tsk, tsk. A weak woman at the level of a Soul Elder on Douluo Continent—what a rare sight!"

Then his expression turned cold, and he said in a deep voice, "Let you go so you can tell Dai Weisi everything about me? Keep dreaming. You will only have a chance to leave after I completely destroy the Star Luo Royal Family!"

As he spoke, Zhou Chen waved over two Tian Shu Guards and said coldly, "Take her away. Lock her in the rear palace of Purple Micro Hall for now. I'll interrogate her when I have the time!"