The Wretch

"Absolutely useless!"

"And this kind of person thinks he deserves to lead the Shrek Seven Devils? What a joke!"

Someone in the crowd spat in disgust.

More and more voices of scorn soon followed.

Dai Mubai stood there, listening to the insults around him as his face flushed a deep red.

He clenched his fists until his nails pierced his palms and blood dripped down.

"That was strategy!"

He jerked his head up, his eyes bloodshot as he shouted hoarsely:

"Dai Weisi was so much older than me back then, and his Soul Power was so much greater!"

"If I hadn't acted submissive, he would have beaten me to death!"

"I was biding my time! What would you know?"

He was trying to defend himself.

He tried to use that flimsy excuse to cover up the cowardice he had shown back then.

Tang San hurried forward too, stepping in front of Dai Mubai as he said gravely:

"Everyone, please mind your words."

"Mubai was very young back then. It's only natural to be afraid when facing a powerful older brother."

"And the difference in their Martial Soul Awakening would certainly have put him under tremendous psychological pressure."

"The fact that Mubai survived such a desperate situation and made it this far is proof of his resilience."

Yu Xiaogang had managed to recover a little by now. Though he was still wincing with pain, he couldn't help but chime in:

"N-no... he's right."

"Dai Mubai is already a Titled Douluo at such a young age, which proves how hard he worked afterward."

"An innate Soul Power of rank eight may not be as good as full Soul Power, but it's still a top-tier talent."

"Don't expect too much of a six-year-old child."

But—

In the face of ironclad facts, their words sounded utterly ridiculous.

White World.

Laughter nearly shook the roof off the palace hall.

"Hahaha! I'm dying!"

"Biding his time? Getting on his knees before the fight even starts is biding his time?"

"That Dai Mubai from the Black World sure has thick skin!"

"He was already despairing over rank-eight innate Soul Power? When our emperor awakened his Martial Soul, it was also the White Tiger, but the sheer force of it shattered the Awakening Crystal!"

As they laughed at that useless Dai Mubai, the crowd turned their eager gazes toward the man on the throne.

"I really want to see what His Majesty looked like when he was six."

"He must have been ten thousand times better than that wretch!"

"Can the Sky Screen show us a scene of His Majesty?"

Dai Mubai merely smiled faintly at their eager requests, saying nothing.

Xiao Wu, meanwhile, watched the kneeling Dai Mubai in the Black World and found it all terribly dull.

"How boring."

"Watching a coward like that too long will make your eyes go bad."

She squirmed, practically draping herself over Dai Mubai.

Her slender hand slipped through his collar and lightly traced circles over his firm chest.

"Big brother~"

"I don't want to watch that wretch anymore."

"It's so boring."

Xiao Wu's voice was syrupy sweet, with a hint of alluring charm.

The sensation of her fingertips sent a faint warmth through Dai Mubai.

He caught her wandering hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. His gaze grew a little deeper.

"Boring?"

"Then shall I find something more interesting for you to do?"

Xiao Wu blinked her big eyes, unafraid. Instead, she leaned in even closer, her red lips almost brushing Dai Mubai's face.

"Sure."

"Whatever you want to do, big brother, I'll see it through with you."

She drew out those words with a lingering, suggestive lilt.

Dai Mubai burst out laughing.

"Now that's what I call seeing it through!"

Before the words had even left his mouth,

he sprang to his feet and swept the beauty in his arms up into a bridal carry.

"Since my beloved consort is in such high spirits, wouldn't I seem rather insensitive if I turned her down?"

With that,

he paid no heed to the eyes watching from the hall and strode toward the imperial bedchambers with Xiao Wu in his arms.

"Ah!"

Xiao Wu cried out in surprise and naturally wound her arms around Dai Mubai's neck, burying her face against his chest. But a triumphant, mischievous smile tugged at her lips.

Watching them leave,

Qian Renxue's hand paused slightly as she held her wine cup. A flicker of displeasure crossed her beautiful face.

"That flirtatious rabbit."

"Why is she acting so wanton in broad daylight?"

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but the handkerchief in her hands had been twisted into a tangled knot.

Only Ning Rongrong watched them go with envy, muttering under her breath:

"I want His Majesty to carry me too..."

Just then,

the scene on the Sky Screen changed again.

This time, it showed a dense Soul Beast Forest.

A caption appeared.

[Level 10, Hunting the First Spirit Ring]

Dai Mubai was still somewhat spoiled, but under pressure from the royal family, he had managed to cultivate to level ten.

Protected by a squad of royal guards, he entered the Royal Soul Hunting Ground.

"Your Highness, we've spotted a Hundred-Year Soul Beast ahead. It would be a good choice for your First Spirit Ring,"

one of the guards reported respectfully.

The moment Dai Mubai heard it was a Hundred-Year Soul Beast, his legs started shaking.

"A... a hundred-year one?"

"Couldn't we find a ten-year one instead?"

"Wouldn't a hundred-year one be too dangerous?"

The guards exchanged glances, at a loss for words.

Just then,

a shadow suddenly burst from the bushes ahead.

It was a little girl who looked only five or six years old.

Her black, form-fitting clothes were torn in several places, and she was covered in bloody scratches, looking utterly bedraggled.

Close behind her was a huge black panther with glowing green eyes.

"Help!"

The moment the little girl saw people, a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes.

She stumbled toward Dai Mubai, her voice choked with sobs:

"Please, help me!"

The instant they saw the little girl's face, everyone in both worlds recognized her.

It was Zhu Zhuqing as a child!

She was still young, but the coolness and defiance in her eyes were already taking shape.

Her family had sent her to train as part of a political marriage, but she had gotten separated from her guards and was being hunted by a Spirit Beast.

Seeing Dai Mubai dressed like a member of the royal family, she thought she had found someone who could save her.

However,

what happened the very next moment left everyone stunned.

When Dai Mubai saw the ferocious panther Spirit Beast, terror swept over him.

"A Spirit Beast! It's a Spirit Beast!"

"It's coming this way!"

"Quick! Protect me!"

He screamed in terror, completely ignoring Zhu Zhuqing's desperate pleas for help.

Then, just as the guards were about to step forward and block the Spirit Beast,

he panicked so badly that he turned his horse around and whipped it hard.

"Hyah!"

He ran.

He ran without a moment's hesitation.

He cruelly abandoned the little girl, his six-year-old fiancée who had turned to him in hope, right in front of the ferocious Spirit Beast.

"Ah!"

On the screen, Zhu Zhuqing let out a scream.

The panther Spirit Beast's claws raked across her delicate back, leaving three deep gashes that went down to the bone.

If the guards behind her hadn't finally been unable to stand by and rushed to help,

that single strike might have cost her life.