The Escalation of Conflict

The Escalation of Conflict

In an empty lot on the northern outskirts of Aolai City stood a deserted factory complex.

It had undoubtedly become a gathering place for vagrants. Every night, once it grew quiet, the area became exceptionally chaotic, with all sorts of criminal activity happening in plain sight.

But today was different. For some reason, the vagrants who had gathered there had fallen silent and clustered in front of a warehouse entrance.

"Wait, we're just supposed to keep waiting here? What's the deal? This is our turf!"

"What else can you do? You saw how terrifying that purple-haired woman was. If you want to die, go on in and try."

The crowd murmured among themselves. Remembering the domineering sight of the purple-haired woman carrying someone and flinging him away, they still felt their hearts pound with fear.

"Our lady is requisitioning this place today. If you don't want to die, keep quiet!"

They were unwilling, but they were just a bunch of ordinary people. That purple-haired woman looked like a powerful big shot—someone they absolutely couldn't afford to provoke.

"What do you think happened to that kid they took inside? I saw him earlier. He got beaten to a pulp."

"How much do you know about the power inside you?"

"I don't know!"

There wasn't even any mockery in his reply.

Gu Yue drew a breath and looked deeply at Tang Wulin. She said nothing, merely pressing down a little harder with her foot until his chest creaked.

"Power?"

"One day, I'll make you pay for this!"

This was all the more true for Tang Wulin, who had only ever had three ranks of Soul Power since childhood.

"I don't know!"

Before her, Tang Wulin lay on the ground, his face bruised and swollen as he panted heavily.

"So it really is the Golden Dragon King's power..."

The crowd discussed the matter, their quiet voices echoing through the spacious, run-down factory complex.

"Yes."

"Gu Yue, where have you been? Why did you come back so late?"

"Heh. Because I challenged Qiangu Wuji, and you're upset that I didn't know my place, right?"

Gu Yue stood up and walked toward him. When she reached him, she looked down at him from above.

"Gu Yue, you and Qiangu Wuji are both bad people. One day, I'll surpass you and take revenge!"

"Hiss..."

Gu Yue watched him calmly, her expression showing neither joy nor sorrow.

This time, Tang Wulin didn't answer immediately. He was silent for a while before nodding and replying softly.

"Miss, should we kill this fellow?"

She was too weak right now to fuse with the Golden Dragon King's power. Even if she forced herself to kill Tang Wulin, she still wouldn't be able to fuse with it.

By the time Gu Yue got home, it was already eight or nine in the evening. Qiangu Wuji and Leng Yaozhu were discussing whether they should go looking for her.

This time, Tang Wulin looked back at him, snorted, and spat out another sentence.

When Gu Yue saw the golden dragon scales, her expression darkened. The anger in her heart was close to breaking free.

He had been picking up clams on the beach as usual when Gu Yue suddenly appeared out of nowhere and beat him without a word.

And that was how things had ended up like this.

Gu Yue furrowed her brows, a trace of coldness flashing across her face.

Gu Yue shook her head and said nothing.

With that, she turned and headed out of the warehouse.

Sometimes, ignoring someone was the best way to mock them.

At this, Gu Yue stopped and glanced back at him. Then, without saying a word, she left.

She had considered killing Tang Wulin right then and taking the Golden Dragon King's power for herself, but that would have left her with a problem.

Meanwhile, inside the pitch-black warehouse, Gu Yue sat on a battered wooden chair.

She had brought Tang Wulin here today simply to confirm something.

Tang Wulin was still bewildered. He knew Gu Yue disliked him, but he had never imagined she hated him enough to take revenge on him.

Tang Wulin was stunned.

His eyes reddened, and his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.

Gu Yue looked at him calmly and nodded.

"Tell me, what exactly is the power inside you?"

Gu Yue kept her foot on him for a while, then grew bored and lifted it. She slowly crouched down.

Gu Yue had expected that he wouldn't know, so she made no comment and moved on to her second question.

Tang Wulin gritted his teeth and stubbornly turned his gaze away.

"If you don't want to die, answer my questions honestly. Don't try to hide anything from me. I have plenty of ways to tell if you're lying. Understand?"

Of course he had thought about fighting back, but Gu Yue was far stronger than he had expected.

Zi Ji, who had been waiting nearby the whole time, hurried over when she saw this.

"How did it go? Hmph. After offending such a vicious person, I'd say his chances are slim."

He really didn't know. He wasn't just being stubborn.

"One last question. Can this power of yours grow stronger?"

The Golden Dragon King's power was her other half, yet now it had appeared in the hands of a human. The feeling that something of hers had been stolen infuriated her.

Tang Wulin had no idea what she was thinking. Seeing her grim expression, he assumed she was jealous of his power, so he taunted her.

Tang Wulin grimaced in pain, but his eyes were full of defiance. He refused to admit defeat.

Gu Yue paid no attention to his attitude and slowly rose to her feet.

Influenced by the Silver Dragon King's power, the Golden Dragon King Bloodline within Tang Wulin surged. A golden dragon scale shimmered faintly on his forehead.

Gu Yue said nothing. She simply placed one foot lightly on his chest.

When she arrived, the two of them finally relaxed.

Without turning around, Tang Wulin said,

"How did you get this power?"

But she didn't attack. Instead, she took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and spoke in a low voice.

"So you're taking revenge on me because of my power. What, are you afraid I'll surpass you geniuses and threaten your status?"

"Do you know why I beat you up?"

"Fine. I understand."

Of course, there might also have been some truth to what Tang Wulin said: she wanted to punish him for recklessly challenging Qiangu Wuji.

"Nothing. I just walked around the streets for a while."

Gu Yue replied briefly, then turned and headed for her room.

Behind her, the two of them stared in confusion, unsure what was wrong with her.