When Love Rivals Meet

"Zhuqing, if you don't kick a scumbag like that to the curb, are you keeping him around for the New Year?"

Ning Rongrong said indignantly.

"Exactly. Someone like Dai Mubai, with such a depraved lifestyle, isn't worth getting angry over."

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's utterly furious expression, Zhou Chen likewise comforted her with concern, his tone exceptionally gentle.

However, upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing became even more enraged. Both hands pressed against the counter, leaving fingerprints in it!

The sight made the attendant admire Zhou Chen beyond measure.

Was that supposed to be consolation? It was clearly adding fuel to the fire!

This Mr. Mu really was an expert at stealing someone else's girl! He wondered how Young Master Dai would react when he found out his girlfriend had been stolen away.

But that had nothing to do with him. He only wanted to make money.

Seeing the strange look in the attendant's eyes, Zhou Chen's Space Bracelet flashed, and a small pouch of Gold Soul Coins appeared in his hand.

"This is for you."

Zhou Chen smiled amiably. He had always been generous in rewarding those who helped him greatly.

"Thank you, thank you, Young Master."

Taking the pouch full of Gold Soul Coins, the attendant immediately grew excited.

It was more than five years of his wages!

"Here is your room key. Your room is on the top floor."

The attendant held up the black room key with both hands, respectfully raising it above his head.

"Wow, let's hurry up and go."

The moment she saw the key, Ning Rongrong, who had long been unable to hold herself back, snatched it over. Pulling Zhu Zhuqing along, she dashed upstairs in a flash.

"Being carefree really is nice!"

Shaking his head enviously, Zhou Chen did not follow them upstairs. Instead, he tapped his fingers against the counter and asked, "Has your hotel received a boy named Tang San in the past few days?"

"Please wait a moment. I'll check."

With an order from a wealthy patron, the attendant naturally did not dare disobey. He immediately began flipping through the registration book.

"Hmm... no. There hasn't been anyone by that name in the past ten days."

The attendant raised his head slightly. "Are they your friends? If they come, I can keep an eye out for them."

"Alright."

Zhou Chen nodded. It seemed that Tang San and Xiao Wu, who had set out two days earlier, had instead fallen behind them.

That was perfectly normal.

Tang San and Xiao Wu had also been traveling on foot, while Zhou Chen had taken a carriage for the latter half of the journey. Naturally, he was much faster.

Still, even if Tang San was not as fast as him, he should arrive tomorrow or the day after.

With that thought, Zhou Chen turned and went upstairs...

The next day, at noon.

The three of them, having not slept at all the previous night, were all sound asleep.

Zhou Chen and Zhu Zhuqing in particular were snuggled together, leaning against the sofa and sleeping peacefully.

Suddenly, a continuous series of vibrations and shouts came from below. As Soul Masters, all three immediately woke up.

"What's going on? Is someone fighting?"

Ning Rongrong sat up in bed and muttered groggily.

"It's coming from downstairs."

Zhu Zhuqing, leaning against Zhou Chen's shoulder, slowly straightened herself and calmly analyzed the situation.

She seemed to have already forgotten yesterday's grief.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chen was using his Heavenly Vision Earthly Hearing Technique to see through two floors and observe the two sides fighting on the first floor.

"They're finally here..."

Zhou Chen withdrew his gaze, turned to Zhu Zhuqing beside him, and softly asked, "There's a duel happening on the first floor. Both sides are Soul Masters. Should we go take a look?"

"Yes, yes!"

Before Zhu Zhuqing could answer, Ning Rongrong sprang out of bed, looking like an eager spectator desperate to watch the excitement.

"Alright, then." Zhu Zhuqing nodded.

Thus, the three got dressed and quickly headed downstairs.

At that moment, in the first-floor lobby of the Rose Hotel.

Intense gusts of wind howled as waves of energy condensed from Soul Power surged in all directions. The floor and walls were carved with marks, many fragile decorations had been shattered, and the entire hotel lobby was a complete mess.

At the center of the lobby, two figures continuously crossed paths and attacked each other, moving so fast that their forms could barely be seen.

Beside them, a beautiful girl in a pink dress, her scorpion braid hanging to her waist, pressed her lips tightly together as she watched the battle anxiously.

At last, the battle ended.

One of the youths wore a light-blue fitted outfit, with a jade belt around his waist. The slight upward curve of his lips gave him a warm, spring-breeze-like air.

The other man, aside from his head, was tightly bound from head to toe by countless strands of deep-blue Blue Silver Grass, unable to move.

This man was tall and broad-shouldered, with handsome features and a striking mane of golden hair cascading down his back. Most eye-catching of all were his double pupils; a cold, sinister gleam radiated from his deep-blue eyes.

"Good, what impressive Blue Silver Grass! Tang San, if we both only had two rings, I would already have lost. But unfortunately, I, Dai Mubai, am a three-ring Soul Elder!"

Before his words had even faded, Dai Mubai shouted coldly, "White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

In an instant, the purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring behind Dai Mubai lit up.

Immediately afterward, his sinister eyes turned blood-red and his body suddenly swelled. The Blue Silver Grass wrapped around him abruptly expanded as well, before exploding into powder in an instant!

At the sight, both Tang San and Xiao Wu froze.

Tang San sucked in a breath. "Is this the skill of a Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"

"That's right. My White Tiger Vajra Transformation doubles all my abilities. With my thirty-seventh rank Soul Power, enhanced like this, there is no way you can be my opponent!"

Dai Mubai sneered.

At this moment, his muscles bulged exaggeratedly, and black stripes appeared across his skin, nearly identical to a tiger's hide. Most peculiar of all, his entire body was shrouded in golden light, as though it had been plated with gold!

Tang San did not argue. He understood the gap between himself and Dai Mubai.

"Hmph, he's just a lecherous tiger indulging himself in broad daylight, even bringing a pair of twins with him. Who doesn't know what he wants to do?" Xiao Wu said indignantly from the side.

"What did you say?"

A flash passed through Dai Mubai's sinister eyes. Just as anger surged in his heart, he suddenly noticed that the two before him had turned around, seemingly greeting someone.

"Chen Ge, why are you here too?"

Tang San stared in astonishment at Zhou Chen, who had just come downstairs. He remembered Chen Ge saying that he would not be coming to Shrek Academy!

The moment Xiao Wu saw Zhou Chen, her eyes lit up. She said affectionately, "Chen Ge, hurry and help me beat him up. Dai Mubai is relying on the fact that he's older than us and has a higher rank, insisting on taking the room we reserved first. He's clearly bullying us on purpose."

"You want to call for help?"

Dai Mubai gave a disdainful sneer, then turned to look—and instantly went rigid!

A handsome youth, fair as jade and seeming like an immortal descended to earth, was smiling at him.

Of course, that was not why Dai Mubai had frozen. What truly left him stunned was the curvaceous yet cool-tempered girl standing beside the handsome youth.

"Zhu... Zhuqing?"