"Hey, what are you doing?"
"What's wrong with you? Even if you want to watch, you have to queue up. Why are you pushing to the front?"
The onlookers Xue Hen had shoved aside pointed at him and muttered.
Xue Hen paid no attention to their accusations. He strode over to Ning Pianpian and her son, who had been left without help, and looked down at them.
"Let me tell you, from now on, I'm the master of this harem in the Balak Kingdom!"
"What does legitimate or illegitimate even matter? An un favored prince has no standing. Father favors my mother the most, and he favors me the most, too!"
"When I become king, I'll make sure you're demoted to a lowly slave!"
As he looked at their miserable state, many distant, hateful voices surged into Xue Hen's ears like a tide.
Unlike "Yuan Qi," a completely fictional character, "Super Douluo Xue Hen" was only half fictional. That was because everything that had happened to him before this was real!
After this transmigrator had arrived in this world, the Spirit Hall hadn't targeted him, and the Shrek Seven Devils hadn't caused him trouble. Instead, he had encountered a powerful enemy in his own home.
Back then, though he wanted to fight back, he couldn't awaken his Martial Soul before the age of six, and he had no power in his hands. Even as a transmigrator with plenty of ideas in his head, an idea was just an idea. Without any way to put it into practice, he could only endure in silence and defend himself as best he could.
Fortunately, Heaven hadn't let him down. It had led him to Su Yuntao in Nuoding City, where he awakened the peerless Martial Soul, the Emerald Swan, and possessed Innate Full Soul Power. Though healing-type Martial Souls were difficult to cultivate, as a transmigrator, he knew Immortal Herbs existed. That gave him confidence that he could take revenge one day, even if it would take a while.
Later, the system arrived, and his strength soared. His confidence that he could get revenge in the future instantly became certainty that he could do it right away.
Yet, for some reason, he hadn't been in a hurry then. He'd even thought about how to maximize his gains.
Now that he was seeing this mother and son with his own eyes again, the heart that had once been in no hurry was beating faster, beyond his control...
Sure enough... he was still human, not an emotionless machine. Some things weren't worth weighing for their pros and cons. He should just follow his heart!
"Phew." Xue Hen let out a long breath. Then, buzz—
A dazzling golden light appeared behind him, like a miniature sun. At the same time, a massive red Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet.
This was...
"A 100,000-Year Soul Ring!" The crowd watching instantly panicked and hurriedly backed away.
Then, someone recognized the Martial Soul behind Xue Hen.
"Th-that's... the Sun Martial Soul?"
At those words, everyone immediately put two and two together. Seeing the 100,000-Year Soul Ring at Xue Hen's feet, many of them hurriedly covered their mouths in excitement.
H-he was...
"Fengzhi, that person is..." Not far away, Chen Xin, who was hiding in the shadows, narrowed his eyes. He, too, grew tense, just like the other onlookers.
Ning Fengzhi was no different. He gripped his cane and said in a low voice, "Yuan Qi!"
"Why would he show up here? What is he going to do?" Chen Xin asked, baffled.
Ning Fengzhi didn't answer. His brow furrowed as he stared fixedly in that direction.
"Mmph! Mmmph!!" Ning Pianpian and Xue Tian, whose tongues had been cut out, stared in terror at Xue Hen as he came up beside them, activated his Martial Soul, and revealed a 100,000-Year Soul Ring beneath his feet. Though they didn't recognize him, it was obvious from the way he was acting that he meant them harm. They struggled even harder, making muffled noises.
"C-clear the way!" Just then, several men dressed as palace guards arrived, shoving the onlookers aside and ordering them to make room.
A young man with short blond hair, dressed in splendid red-and-white clothes, then entered under the guards' protection.
"Hm?" The moment he stepped in, he saw the dazzling golden light and the massive red Soul Ring. Qian Renxue's expression changed drastically.
Th-the Sun Martial Soul?
A 100,000-Year Soul Ring!
This person was...
"I'm not one to meddle in other people's business, but there's one thing I simply can't stand: an adult who lacks even the basic decency to stop bullying innocent women, children, and the elderly."
"On the Sky Screen, you persecuted the mistress of the household, framed your stepson, and bewitched your husband into exiling him. Those things... they're true, aren't they?"
His icy voice came from beneath the mask.
"Mmph! Mmmph!" Fear showed on Ning Pianpian and Xue Tian's faces. Struggling, they finally got to their feet and tried to flee. But bound hand and foot, they could only hop away. They moved even slower than an old person walking normally. How could they possibly escape?
"Looks like everything on the Sky Screen was true. I suppose it makes sense. Just like what happened to me, how could it be false?" Having decided to take revenge right now, yet still retaining some reason and remembering the identity he was using, Xue Hen muttered in Yuan Qi's voice.
He raised his arm. Blazing golden flames gathered in his palm, lighting up the space for a thousand meters around him.
"Wicked woman, go repent in the dark depths of hell!" Xue Hen shouted.
As he spoke, the Sun True Fire in his palm compressed to a single point, then shot out as an exceedingly fine beam of golden light.
"Whoosh!"
"Pfft!"
The beam pierced Ning Pianpian's body in an instant. Its terrifying heat and devastating force destroyed the life within her at once. Her eyes widened, their focus visibly fading, while her body began to turn to ash like paper set alight.
Soon, as the night wind blew, the person who had just been hopping around vanished without a trace—not even a speck of ash remained.
After disposing of Ning Pianpian, Xue Hen lowered his arm and looked at Xue Tian, who stood rooted in place, watching his mother's death as tears streamed down his face. He had even forgotten how to cry out. Xue Hen hesitated, but didn't attack him again.
It wasn't out of kindness. Killing him wouldn't fit Yuan Qi's persona.
From the corner of his eye, he watched Qian Renxue, who had arrived...
Those clothes, and the guards around him...
The Crown Prince. He had to be the Crown Prince.
Hmph, I'll leave dealing with this "good little brother" to Xue Hen. Qian Renxue must have come here on Xue Ye's orders. If she finds Xue Tian, she won't let him escape. She'll definitely send him to me. I'll just wait at the inn.
With that, he swept his sleeve, dispelling the Sun Martial Soul and Soul Ring, then turned and strode away.
"W-wait!" Seeing Xue Hen leave, Qian Renxue snapped out of her shock and hurried after him.
Yuan Qi's authenticity rating still wasn't high enough. It wasn't time to meet Qian Renxue yet.
Thinking this, Xue Hen didn't stop. Instead, he quickened his pace. Whoosh! Whoosh! His figure darted about like a ghost, and in the blink of an eye, he had vanished completely.
Unable to call out to him, Qian Renxue was vexed. Her face was full of regret, though now and then a hint of excitement showed through.
It's him. It has to be him. He's in Heaven Dou City, too. Yuan Qi... Qian Renxue thought.
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