The Princess Crashed

"Wonderful! Truly wonderful! Who would've thought Evil Soul Masters had become as rampant as mushrooms after a spring rain? You can find them everywhere!"

"Coming across these damn things for no reason at all... Just thinking about it makes my blood boil."

As he spoke, Qian Yuhan—who wanted to hiss at the sight of an Evil Soul Master—gripped the Angel Holy Sword. The angel wings behind him gave a mighty flap, and he shot after Zhongli Ren in the direction where his figure had disappeared.

Not far away, relying on his Eight-Ring cultivation, which far surpassed that of the three-ringed and five-ringed Soul Masters, Zhongli Ren closed the distance and, as if toying with them, destroyed the Flying Soul Tools on the two maids' backs.

After watching with his own eyes as the Flying Soul Tools on the backs of the three desperate escapees belched thick black smoke and spiraled down from the sky, Zhongli Ren finally descended slowly, wearing a cruel grin.

He looked at the three girls, now covered in dirt, and taunted them, "Run! Why'd you stop? Weren't you running so well just now? Go on, try running again!"

The little princess dusted herself off and climbed to her feet. She glared viciously at Zhongli Ren, her face showing not the slightest hint of fear or timidity, only pure arrogance and disdain.

She stepped over the two battered, unconscious maids and strode forward. Then she spat in Zhongli Ren's face and launched into a furious tirade.

She said:

"Ptooey! You old dog only dare to throw your weight around because this princess isn't in Bright Capital. If you dared look up at me in Bright Capital, I'd have you beaten with a hundred disciplinary rods!"

"Hmph, sharp-tongued!" Zhongli Ren narrowed his eyes at the little princess, seemingly trying to figure out her true identity.

At last, he opened his eyes and sneered. "A princess from Bright Capital... Father... You're the only daughter of the current Sun Moon Emperor, Xu Tianzhen?"

"So what if I am?" Xu Tianzhen planted her hands on her hips, utterly unafraid. "If you kneel and apologize to this princess right now, I might even ask Father to spare your dog's life."

"Spare my dog's life? Hahahaha! You little brat are outrageously arrogant!" Zhongli Ren laughed in fury, a fierce killing intent suddenly bursting from his aged face.

"Though my elder brother told me to capture you, he never said I had to bring you back in one piece. If I were to take off an arm or a leg, I doubt anything would happen to me."

"Go ahead and try! If I'm scared of you, you old dog, then I'm no Xu Tianzhen!"

With that, Xu Tianzhen pulled a ridiculously large shell from her Storage Soul Tool ring.

She planted one foot on the gleaming silver shell, drew a Soul Ray Gun with her right hand, and pressed it directly against the shell's primer. Glaring at Zhongli Ren, she declared, "I'll tell you this: the Sun Moon Empire has dead princesses, not captured princesses. This is a Level 8 Fixed High-Explosive Soul Cannonball. You so much as touch me, and I'll blow us both to hell."

"We're near the core area. We'll see if you're still alive after this thing blows you up in the Star Dou Great Forest."

Zhongli Ren (ლ`Д́)ლ: "???" No, seriously, what the hell was wrong with the Sun-Moon Royal Family? Why did every single one of them like pulling this kind of stunt... Wait a second. Why did I say "every single one" and "all of them"?

As it turned out, Evil Soul Masters valued their lives. Seeing Xu Tianzhen standing on a Level 8 Fixed Soul Cannon Shell with a Soul Ray pressed against its primer, shouting that she'd blow them both up—

Zhongli Ren, a man of advanced years, felt like his composure was about to explode.

What the hell was this?!

Determined not to pick a fight he couldn't win, Zhongli Ren gritted his teeth and forced out a smile uglier than a grimace. "Little princess, you're still young. There's really no need to pull a stunt like this with me! We've never had any real grudge between us. Why can't we just have a nice, calm chat?"

"Shut your mouth, old bastard! You say one more useless word, and I'll blow us both up."

As she spoke, Xu Tianzhen's finger came to rest on the Soul Ray Gun's firing button. She looked ready to pull the trigger at any moment.

Zhongli Ren: "(꒪⌓꒪)" Woc, was this hot-tempered girl really a princess? Could she be some bomb Soul Beast that had cultivated into human form?!

"I just—"

"Hmm!" Xu Tianzhen glared at Zhongli Ren. A faint white glow had appeared at the muzzle of her Soul Ray Gun, signaling that it was charging.

The words died on Zhongli Ren's lips.

Zhongli Ren was beginning to sweat profusely.

Zhongli Ren started backing away.

"Don't move! Take one more step, and I'll blow us both up." Xu Tianzhen gritted her teeth and acted like she was about to detonate the huge bomb.

Zhongli Ren: "(ΩДΩ)" Was he not even allowed to walk away?

The spectacular, farcical standoff left the man and the divine soul creeping through the bushes in utter shock. Qian Yuhan was especially curious about the strange object Xu Tianzhen had her Soul Ray Gun pointed at.

After all, something that could let a three-ringed Soul Elder successfully bluff an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo—

In his era, it would've been an unimaginably powerful weapon, the sort of thing no one would even dare dream of.

But what surprised Qian Yuhan even more was Xu Tianzhen's nerve—the courage to threaten to blow herself up along with a Soul Douluo.

"That girl's got something about her."

Qian Yuhan couldn't help praising Xu Tianzhen, who dared confront an eight-ringed Evil Soul Master while she herself was only three-ringed.

At that, the Rakshasa Phantom raised an eyebrow, seemingly baffled by Qian Yuhan's behavior. "Oi! You've barely even spoken to the girl, and you're already saying she's got something about her?"

"Yeah. She's got guts. I like that quality."

"Guts? Well, that does suit your personality, I'll give you that." The Rakshasa Phantom crouched down where it stood, wrapped both arms around its head, and buried its face between its knees, striking a helpless pose as if to say, "I give up."

Qian Yuhan shot the Rakshasa Phantom a sidelong glance. The corner of his eye twitched, and he let out a quiet snort without thinking.

Meanwhile, unable to attack—if he so much as raised a hand, Xu Tianzhen would blow them both up—and unable to escape—if he so much as moved, she'd blow them both up—Zhongli Ren seethed with frustration. He kept his weathered, sweat-dampened face stiff, his murky old eyes fixed on Xu Tianzhen.

Although the little girl Xu Tianzhen seemed to have the upper hand for now, there was no way a mere three-ringed Soul Elder wouldn't leave herself open.

If Xu Tianzhen slipped up even a little, then he, Zhongli Ren, a mighty Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, could seize the opportunity and turn the tables!

With that thought, Zhongli Ren stopped fretting. He simply stood still, his vicious gaze fixed on Xu Tianzhen, who maintained her aim and kept the weapon charging, sweat pouring from her.