"Our failure to protect you this time was already a dereliction of duty. How could we have the nerve to accept such a valuable gift?"
"This is absolutely unacceptable!"
"It is late, and we dare not disturb Young Master's rest any longer. My brother and I shall take our leave!"
With that, he did not wait for Zhao Linchuan to say anything more. Ignoring the confusion and anxiety nearly overflowing from Ci Xue's eyes, he forcibly dragged him away. With a flash, they vanished into the night surrounding the manor.
In the woods not far outside the manor.
Ci Xue violently shook off She Long's hand and demanded in a low voice, "She Long! Did that old bastard Chen Xin knock your brains out with his Seven Kill Sword?!"
"Those two Soul Bones! Did you see them clearly?! Judging by those energy fluctuations, they were top-grade treasures at least fifty thousand years old!"
"With them, our strength would increase by at least ten percent! Fine if you didn't want them yourself, but why did you have to drag me away too?!"
"Ci Xue! Calm down! You don't understand!"
She Long slowly explained:
"This time, we failed to protect Young Master Zhao and allowed him to fall into danger. That alone was a grave mistake!"
"If the Young Master learned of this, what good do you think would come of it for us?"
"You and I both know perfectly well how highly the Young Master regards Young Master Zhao!"
He paused, his tone carrying a far-reaching consideration. "Besides... think about it carefully."
"With the talent, gifts, and unfathomable potential Zhao Linchuan has displayed, becoming a Titled Douluo is probably only the beginning for him."
"I have a strong feeling that, given enough time, his achievements may well reach the level