Before they knew it, a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
Fu Qin rolled three magical artifacts, each shimmering with a gentle glow, between his fingertips. A meaningful smile curled his lips.
He knew all too well how terrifying a protagonist's halo could be.
Even if he didn't intervene, Tang San could survive the Soul-Devouring Demon Spider crisis on the strength of his luck. Then he'd absorb a Soul Ring beyond its limit, and reap both a Soul Skill and a Soul Bone. His strength would inevitably soar.
But what about now? Fu Qin had taken the Soul-Devouring Demon Spider opportunity from him in exchange for a century-old Solitary Bamboo. Not only had his Soul Skill become the ridiculous Pole Vault, but he'd also planted the hidden danger of a Soul Bone's restraints in Tang San's body.
If Tang San wanted to be as heaven-defying as he had been in his previous life, it wasn't impossible—but it would be harder than ascending to heaven.
I may look like I saved your life, but I've really cut off your path forward. My dear third brother, don't blame me for being ruthless. Fu Qin murmured, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
This world was all about the survival of the fittest. He wouldn't stand by and watch Tang San climb to the top on everyone else's opportunities.
Besides, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing were already his, in his eyes. He would never let them return to Tang San and the others in the future.
Over the past month, he had used recovering from his injuries as a pretext to focus on crafting magical artifacts.
The thousand-year Soul Bones he'd obtained thanks to God-Level Luck had now been transformed into three top-quality mid-grade support artifacts.
Each had been carefully refined with the Alchemy Gloves and was perfectly suited to one of the three women's Martial Soul traits.
They couldn't grow stronger as their wielder did, the way the Demon Spider Flying Sword could, but they were still quite powerful.
Fu Qin put away the three artifacts and headed for the door. There, he ran into Xiao Wu, who had come to check on his condition.
"Hehe, little brother Fu Qin, Sister Xiao Wu bought lots of clothes you like! Want me to put them on for you later?"
At Xiao Wu's words, Fu Qin felt a flicker of heat rise within him. But he needed to give the artifacts to the three women first, so he had to hold off on that for now.
"Sister Xiao Wu, bring Rongrong and Zhuqing up here. I have something for you."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up at once.
But when she heard that Fu Qin had gifts for Rongrong and Zhuqing too, she felt a little jealous.
Still, she didn't hesitate for long before hurrying off to Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's rooms.
A little while later,
the three women hurried toward Fu Qin's room, completely unaware that, around the corner, a pair of resentful eyes was fixed on their backs.
Oscar hid behind a pillar, watching the three women enter Fu Qin's room. His hands clenched into fists, his nails nearly digging into his flesh.
Over the past month, he'd watched Ning Rongrong grow more and more dependent on Fu Qin, and Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing look on him with increasing favor. It would've been a lie to say he wasn't jealous.
He knew he was no match for Fu Qin. He'd seen firsthand how formidable Fu Qin was. A head-on confrontation would be like an egg smashing 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.
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were still lying in bed. The wound on Dai Mubai's left side had healed, but his Soul Power still flowed sluggishly.
Ma Hongjun was in even worse shape. His injury still made him limp, and his gaze at Oscar was filled with deep-seated hatred.
If they hadn't needed Oscar's Recovery Sausage to speed up their recovery, they would've kicked him out long ago.
"What are you shouting about?" Dai Mubai frowned, his voice icy. "Say one more word and I'll throw you out!"
Ma Hongjun snorted too. "Oscar, if you spout nonsense again, I'll beat you up even if it makes my injuries worse!"
Oscar was sweating profusely. Ignoring their hostility, he hurriedly said, "I'm not making it up! Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing all went into Fu Qin's room together! They still haven't come out!"
"What?!" Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's eyes widened. The hatred on their faces instantly gave way to shock.
Though they hated Oscar, what he'd said concerned Dai Mubai's fiancée. Dai Mubai couldn't help but panic.
"No! I have to go see!" Dai Mubai struggled to get out of bed. A sharp pain shot through his side, making him grimace.
Just then, the door opened, and Tang San walked in carrying a food box, a warm smile on his face.
"Mubai, Hongjun, Oscar, I brought you some food. Hurry and eat while it's hot."
As soon as he entered, he saw Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun struggling to get out of bed, their faces full of anxiety, while Oscar fretted beside them. He couldn't help feeling puzzled.
"What's going on? Your injuries aren't healed yet. How can you just get out of bed?"
"Xiao San! You're finally here!" Oscar said, as if he'd grabbed a lifeline. "That guy Fu Qin called Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing into his room! They still haven't come out! We think he's up to something bad!"
Dai Mubai chimed in, "Xiao San, come with us and see! Xiao Wu's your wife. We can't let Fu Qin get his way!"
Ma Hongjun nodded too. "That's right, Xiao San! Fu Qin's gone too far! We have to stop him!"
Tang San was taken aback, then laughed. "You're overthinking it. Fu Qin's my brother, someone I'd trust with my life. He's an honorable man. How could he do something like that?"
Under the influence of the Intelligence-Reducing Halo, his trust in Fu Qin had long since become blind.
In his view, Fu Qin had called the three women into his room for something important—perhaps to share cultivation insights or discuss something else related to cultivation. There was no way he'd do anything as lewd as they imagined.
"But Xiao San, a man and three women alone in one room is bound to cause misunderstandings!" Oscar said anxiously. He hadn't expected Tang San to trust Fu Qin so completely.
"Misunderstandings?" Tang San shook his head gently, his tone firm.
"Fu Qin isn't that kind of person. Besides, Xiao Wu was my wife in my previous life, and Rongrong and Zhuqing are both women of good character. They're just friends. Nothing's going to happen."
He paused, looking at the three men's anxious faces, then added, "But since you're so worried, let's go have a look. That should put your minds at ease."
With that, Tang San helped Dai Mubai up and gestured for Oscar to help Ma Hongjun. The four of them headed toward Fu Qin's room.
At the door, Dai Mubai motioned for everyone to stay quiet, then leaned toward the crack and peered inside.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun hurried over to look too. Tang San stood behind them with a helpless smile, thinking they were all worrying far too much.
Through the crack in the door, the four of them saw what was inside the room—and instantly froze.
There was nothing lewd about the scene inside, unlike what they'd imagined.