Lao San's Unconditional Trust

In the blink of an eye, a month passed by in a flash.

Fu Qin rubbed three artifacts emitting a soft halo between his fingertips, a meaningful smile curling the corners of his lips.

He knew all too well the terrifying nature of a protagonist's halo.

Even if he didn't intervene, that guy Tang San would have survived the crisis of the Soul-Devouring Demon Spider through sheer God-Level Luck, eventually reaping both a soul skill and a soul bone from an over-limit soul ring, causing his strength to skyrocket.

But now? By swapping the Soul-Devouring Demon Spider's opportunity for a century-old Solitary Bamboo, not only had Tang San's soul skill turned into a ridiculous Pole Vault, but a hidden danger had also been planted within his body, shackling his future soul bone potential.

If he wanted to defy the heavens in the future as he did in his past life, it would be, if not impossible, then at least as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

"Seemingly saving your life, but actually severing your path forward. My dear Brother San, don't blame me for being heartless," Fu Qin whispered, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

This world was governed by the law of the jungle; he would never stand by and watch Tang San climb to the top by stepping on everyone else's opportunities.

Moreover, he had long since marked Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhuqing as his own, and he would never allow them to return to Tang San's group in the future.

For the past month, he had used the excuse of recovering from his injuries to focus on refining artifacts.

The thousand-year soul bones he had obtained through his God-Level Luck had now been transformed into three high-quality, mid-grade auxiliary artifacts.

Each piece had been meticulously tempered by his Alchemy Gloves, perfectly suited to the martial soul characteristics of the three women.

Although they weren't like the Demon Spider Flying Sword, which could grow stronger alongside the user, they were certainly not weak.

Fu Qin put away the three artifacts, stood up, and walked to the door, just in time to run into Xiao Wu, who had come to check on his condition.

"Hee hee, Little Brother Fu Qin, Sister Xiao Wu bought a lot of clothes you like. Do you want me to try them on for you later?"

Hearing Xiao Wu's words, Fu Qin felt a surge of heat rising within him, but since he needed to hand the artifacts to the three women, he couldn't indulge in such things just yet.

"Sister Xiao Wu, bring Rongrong and Zhuqing up here; I have something for you all."

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up instantly at Fu Qin's words.

However, when she heard that he also had gifts for Ning Rongrong and Zhuqing, she felt a twinge of jealousy in her heart.

Still, she didn't hesitate for long and quickly ran off toward the rooms of Ning Rongrong and Zhuqing.

Before long.

The three of them walked quickly toward Fu Qin's room, completely unaware that a pair of resentful eyes were staring fixedly at their backs from a nearby corner.

Oscar hid behind a pillar, watching the three women enter Fu Qin's room, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his flesh.

Over the past month, he had watched as Ning Rongrong became increasingly dependent on Fu Qin, and as Xiao Wu and Zhuqing also showed him favor; it would be a lie to say he wasn't jealous.

He knew he was no match for Fu Qin—he had seen the man's prowess with his own eyes, and a direct confrontation would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

"Dai Mubai! Ma Hongjun! Something's happened!"

Oscar lowered his voice and rushed like a madman into the room where Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were recovering.

At this moment, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were still lying in bed. Although the wound on Dai Mubai's left flank had healed, his soul power circulation remained sluggish.

Ma Hongjun was in an even worse state; that injury still left him with a limp, and the look he gave Oscar was filled with bone-deep hatred.

If it weren't for the fact that they still needed his recovery Sausage to speed up their healing, they would have kicked him out long ago.

"What are you shouting about!" Dai Mubai frowned, his tone icy. "If you talk nonsense again, I'll throw you out!"

Ma Hongjun also snorted coldly, "Oscar, if you dare spout any more rubbish, I'll beat you up even if it means worsening my own injuries!"

Oscar was sweating profusely with anxiety, but ignoring their hostility, he blurted out, "I'm not talking nonsense! It's Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhuqing! The three of them went into Fu Qin's room together! And they haven't come out yet!"

"What?!" Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun widened their eyes in unison, the hatred on their faces instantly replaced by shock.

Although they hated Oscar, the matter concerned Dai Mubai's fiancée, so he couldn't help but be anxious.

"No! I have to go see!" Dai Mubai struggled to get out of bed, but a sharp pain from his flank made him wince.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Tang San walked in carrying a food box, a gentle smile on his face.

"Mubai, Hongjun, Oscar, I've brought you some food. Eat while it's hot."

As soon as he entered, he saw Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun struggling to get out of bed with anxious expressions, while Oscar was pacing back and forth in a panic, leaving him somewhat confused.

"What's wrong with you all? Your wounds haven't healed yet, how can you just get out of bed?"

"San! You're finally here!" Oscar grabbed onto him like a life-saving straw. "That guy Fu Qin called Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhuqing into his room! They haven't come out yet! We suspect he's up to no good!"

Dai Mubai chimed in, "San, come with us and see! Xiao Wu is your wife; you can't let that guy Fu Qin get his way!"

Ma Hongjun nodded as well, "That's right, San! Fu Qin has gone too far! We must go and stop him!"

Tang San was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed, "You're overthinking it. Fu Qin is my brother-in-arms; he is a man of integrity. How could he do such a thing?"

Under the influence of the Intelligence-Reducing Halo, his trust in Fu Qin had reached a point of blindness.

In his view, Fu Qin calling the three women into his room must have been for something important, such as sharing cultivation insights or other matters related to their training; it could never be the sordid affair they imagined.

"But San, they are three women alone with a man in one room; it's bound to cause misunderstandings!" Oscar urged, shocked that Tang San trusted Fu Qin so much.

"Misunderstandings?" Tang San shook his head gently, his tone firm.

"Fu Qin is not that kind of person. Besides, Xiao Wu is my wife from a past life, and Rongrong and Zhuqing are both women of upright character. Their relationship is purely platonic; there's nothing going on."

He paused, looked at the three anxious men, and added, "But since you are all so worried, let's go and take a look, just to put your minds at ease."

After speaking, Tang San supported Dai Mubai and signaled for Oscar to help support Ma Hongjun, and the four of them walked toward Fu Qin's room.

Arriving at the door, Dai Mubai gestured for everyone to be quiet, then leaned in close to the crack in the door to peer inside.

Oscar and Ma Hongjun hurriedly crowded over as well, while Tang San stood behind them with a helpless smile on his face, feeling that everyone was being far too anxious.

Peering through the crack, the four of them saw the scene inside the room and were instantly stunned.

The room did not contain the sordid spectacle they had imagined.