"???"
Jiang Yi's face was full of question marks. What kind of weirdo was this?
But as soon as he saw Bei Bei beside him, he figured out who this red-faced man was: Xu Sanshi.
"Sis Nannan, who's this guy?"
Jiang Yi didn't let go of Jiang Nannan. Instead, he tilted his head and naturally nestled into her arms.
The ultimate simp came right after the warm-hearted guy.
"I don't know him."
Jiang Nannan shook her head without even looking at Xu Sanshi.
She gently held Jiang Yi, paying no mind to the eyes around them. Only a faint blush crept onto her cool, pretty face.
"Oh? So he's a simp."
Jiang Yi looked thoughtful, then cast Xu Sanshi a pitying glance.
"You little—!"
Xu Sanshi flew into a rage. Seeing Jiang Yi nuzzling into his goddess's arms made his eyes burn red.
And the worst part—
Jiang Nannan hadn't pushed him away!
Why?!
He'd pursued her for three years and hadn't even touched her hand. This kid was right in front of him, acting like he owned the place.
Xu Sanshi felt his nose turn red. The fury already boiling inside him now came with a fresh dose of humiliation.
"Get away from her!"
He roared and reached for Jiang Yi, who was nestled in Jiang Nannan's arms. But the next instant, two sharp shouts rang out at once.
"Xu Sanshi! Don't you dare!"
Tang Ya rushed forward, shielding Jiang Yi. A flash of gold shot from her fingertips straight toward Xu Sanshi's face.
At the same time, Jiang Nannan's brows drew together as she put herself in front of Jiang Yi, like a mother rabbit protecting her young.
"Dragon Whisker Needle?!"
Xu Sanshi recognized the flash of gold, his expression changing drastically. He hurriedly pulled back and twisted aside to dodge.
Thud!
The needle struck the ground with a muffled sound, burying itself halfway into the dirt. Half an inch of golden metal remained visible.
"Tang Ya, have you lost your mind?"
Xu Sanshi's face darkened, veins jumping in his forehead.
The Tang Sect Hidden Weapons were insidious, designed to pierce Soul Power. If one hit him, he'd lose a chunk of flesh at the very least.
"Hmph! Jiang Yi is my man. You don't get to bully him."
Tang Ya planted her hands on her hips and stared Xu Sanshi down without fear, radiating a domineering confidence as if she had every right.
This clingy pest had been driving her crazy lately. And this was a chance to earn some favor with Jiang Yi, so why wouldn't she take it?
"Tang Ya, don't think I'm afraid of you! If it weren't for Bei Bei, you wouldn't even be fit to carry my shoes!"
Xu Sanshi was so furious he could barely think straight. He pointed at Tang Ya's nose and cursed.
"Get out of the way! Or I'll beat you too!"
Three Soul Rings rose beneath his feet, two yellow and one purple. His body swelled, and a shield appeared in his hand.
The shield was black all over, patterned with a tortoise shell. It was about five feet across, covered most of Xu Sanshi's body, and left only his tortoise-head showing.
"Like I'd be afraid of you!"
Tang Ya gave a delicate snort and released her Martial Soul too, but her aura was clearly far weaker than Xu Sanshi's.
The next moment, though, a tall, slender figure suddenly stepped between them, crackling with lightning.
"Don't hurt Xiao Ya!"
Bei Bei spread his arms and shielded Tang Ya.
"Bei Bei, you—can't you have some self-respect for once?"
Xu Sanshi was so furious he nearly choked. Even his shield shook three times.
How could anyone be such a simp?
Whose side are you even on? We could beat that kid into submission first, and then Tang Ya and Nannan would be ours, wouldn't they?
Bei Bei didn't budge. He simply kept protecting Tang Ya.
The commotion quickly drew a large crowd of onlookers.
"Holy crap, aren't those students from Shrek? Why are they fighting?"
"Isn't that Senior Xu Sanshi with the shield? I heard he's been pursuing her for three years, and she's never even looked him in the eye..."
"Why isn't that guy fighting? He's just running his mouth. What a coward. No wonder the girls aren't interested!"
"..."
The whispers around him made Xu Sanshi flush with anger. He held up the Black Tortoise Shield, feeling as though he'd been roasted over a fire.
But he couldn't beat both Bei Bei and Tang Ya on his own. And Jiang Nannan was behind them too—he couldn't bring himself to hit her.
So he took a deep breath and swallowed his fury. Pointing at Jiang Yi, who was hiding behind the others, he ground his teeth.
"You pretty boy! Can't you stop hiding behind women? If you've got the guts, meet me in the Soul Fighting Zone and fight me!"
"Heh..."
Jiang Yi poked his head out from Jiang Nannan's arms and sneered. He'd earned his keep by living off a woman, so why should he be embarrassed?
"You can hide behind a woman too! Is it because you don't want to? Or... because nobody wants you?"
"You—!!!"
Xu Sanshi was so furious he couldn't speak.
Damn it, how could anyone be this shameless? And Bei Bei was an idiot!
"Worthless!"
Xu Sanshi scoffed. Seeing the crowd grow larger, he turned to leave. He didn't want to be the laughingstock here.
Besides, this kid might be able to hide for a while, but not forever. There was plenty of time!
But just as he turned—
"Wait."
Jiang Yi's voice rang out again, stopping Xu Sanshi in his tracks.
"If you want to give up on Sis Nannan, I suppose I can fight you. But..."
Jiang Yi got up from Jiang Nannan's arms, straightened his collar, and smiled at Xu Sanshi as he turned back.
"Thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins. Do you want to bet?"
He'd just obtained his third Soul Ring and had been looking for a chance to show off his talents to Shrek's leadership. He might as well seize the opportunity that had just landed in his lap.
"Xiao Yi?"
Jiang Nannan tugged at his sleeve.
But Jiang Yi just patted her hand and gave her a confident look.
"Don't worry, Sis Nannan! I won't lose! Besides, I've grown up. I can protect you now."
With that, he said no more. He turned and stood in front of Jiang Nannan, giving her a broad back to look at.
Jiang Nannan gazed at his back in silence for a long while, then finally smiled softly and stepped back.
If he lost, so be it. The siblings could work together to pay off the debt, little by little.
"Thirty thousand?"
Xu Sanshi frowned.
He was the young master of the Black Tortoise Sect, but he couldn't come up with that much cash on the spot.
"What's the matter? You were so loud just now. Turns out you're nothing but a paper tiger?"
Jiang Yi smiled faintly, his contempt plain in his voice.
"Fine, I'll bet!"
Xu Sanshi's face flushed at the provocation. He flipped his hand, and three green jade bottles appeared in his palm.
"I don't have that much cash, but these are three Mystic Water Pills. They're worth enough. Can you match that?"
He lifted his chin, trying to save face. Then he changed tack and looked at Jiang Yi.
"But I don't need your money. If you lose, you're never to go near Nannan again... or Tang Ya!"
Xu Sanshi glanced at Bei Bei and thought it over. Then he added Tang Ya to the wager too.
"No need! I won't use my women as a wager. Here's thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins."
Jiang Yi shook his head, rejecting Xu Sanshi's terms. With a wave of his hand, a small pile of coins appeared on the ground.
"Hey? I count too...?"
Tang Ya blinked. Hearing Jiang Yi call her "my woman" made her heart bloom with joy. It felt as if success was finally within reach.
Jiang Nannan, meanwhile, looked away, lost in thought.
"Hmph! Then let's go!"
Xu Sanshi muttered that it was a shame.
Still, if he soundly defeated this kid, he'd make Nannan see who the real man was!
"Wait!"
Jiang Yi suddenly shook his head again.
"What now?"
Xu Sanshi frowned impatiently.
"You're not enough on your own."
Jiang Yi slowly pointed at Bei Bei, who was standing there dumbfounded, and curled his lips into a smirk.
"I'll fight two."
Before you continue