"Teacher, don't kill him yet."
Seeing Jiang Nian's unmistakable killing intent, Cuihua immediately spoke up to stop him.
Jiang Nian turned around at once, somewhat incredulous. "At a time like this, you still want to protect him?"
He could not understand it. Cuihua had been betrayed by someone she had trusted wholeheartedly, yet she still wanted to protect Dai Mubai at all costs?!
For a moment, Jiang Nian felt disappointed.
Dai Mubai's crimes were crystal clear. Every single one was a capital offense, and every one of them had targeted Cuihua. Yet under such circumstances, Cuihua still wanted to protect him?
Such a soft heart!
She was destined never to become a true powerhouse!
"Ha..."
Jiang Nian sighed inwardly, feeling as though all his painstaking efforts had gone to the dogs.
Yet at that moment—
"Cuihua! Stop pretending to be some saint!"
Dai Mubai already knew that he was completely finished, so he simply dropped the act.
The veins on his forehead bulged as he roared hysterically at Cuihua, venting the resentment and venom in his heart like a madman. "Put your hand on your heart and tell me, do you still look anything like my ally now?!"
"I cast aside the noble blood running through my veins, cast aside all my pride, and lowered myself to form an alliance with you, yet you treated me like a dog you could summon and dismiss at will!"
Dai Mubai's voice grew louder and louder, carrying a sickening, twisted edge.
"Why? Tell me, why?!"
"You're just a lowly village girl who used to sell her body and was played until you were ruined by men! Why do you get to live better than me in this world? Why do you get to ride roughshod over me?!"
Those questions struck Jiang Nian like a string of heavy bombs, leaving him dizzy and utterly confused.
An alliance?
Why had the two of them formed an alliance?
Before he could figure that out, Dai Mubai's next words completely stunned Jiang Nian.
Selling her body?
Cuihua was only in her teens. How could she possibly have done that kind of business?
Before the RR Virus outbreak, anyone who dared do such a thing would have faced a bullet!
Even now, they would be expelled into the Wilderness Zone and permanently blacklisted by every Base City. That was no different from a death sentence!
What kind of lawless maniac would commit such a beastly act? How could anyone lay hands on a girl barely in her teens?!
At that instant, Jiang Nian felt the urge to start chopping people up!
Jiang Nian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his fury as he looked at Cuihua.
Naturally, Cuihua knew full well everything Dai Mubai had said. Her expression turned troubled. She bit her lip, then finally let out a soft sigh.
"Teacher, in any case, don't kill him. At least, don't kill him because of me."
Cuihua's words were earnest, with no hint of pretense.
Because she had always remembered that she did not belong to this world. She was from the Douluo Continent.
Once the year was up, she would return to the Douluo Continent. Whether she would be strong or weak after returning there was still unknown.
In just one short year, even if she was a genius, how far could she really grow?
Cuihua did not know.
But she had thought deeply about it before, secretly comparing and assessing the situation.
Her advantage was that the world she was in was stronger than the Douluo Continent, with a higher ceiling. At the same time, her talent was exceptional, something she could infer from Dai Mubai, who had traveled alongside her.
But were there no geniuses on the Douluo Continent?
Compared with those old monsters who had cultivated for decades, her weakness was obvious. She had always lacked time.
She had heard Ma Hongjun mention some details about Dai Mubai's background. Supposedly, he was the descendant of some noble.
If Dai Mubai was executed because of her, then after she returned to the Douluo Continent, that noble family would probably not spare her.
Even if she had the strength to protect herself, what about her family? What about her friends?
So, after learning that everything she had suffered had been secretly arranged by Dai Mubai, although she wanted nothing more than to skin him alive and tear out his bones, she still had no choice but to plead for him in the end.
She had been ignorant before, but that did not mean she was stupid.
Now, she had strength and knowledge. Though her lack of experience had led her to trust Dai Mubai and be betrayed, she could still make the choice most beneficial to herself!
Past grudges were past once they had passed. Future interests were the only thing worth considering!
Jiang Nian frowned.
From Cuihua's plea, he sensed something unusual.
Back then, he had investigated Cuihua.
After confirming her talent as a Spirit Master, he had wanted to take her as his disciple. He had also secretly used the connections of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall to investigate her origins.
No Base City had been breached, which meant Cuihua had not fled from a fallen Base City. At the same time, there were no records of Cuihua whatsoever.
No birth records, no history of her upbringing, no place of origin—nothing. It was as though she had appeared in this world out of thin air.
Yet he had still chosen to train Cuihua.
It was not merely because of her outstanding talent, but because Cuihua was like a blank sheet of paper, able to fully absorb all his techniques. Disciples like that were exceedingly rare.
After Dai Mubai entered his sights, he had investigated Dai Mubai as well.
Naturally, just like Cuihua, there had been no source of information whatsoever.
Now, from Dai Mubai's words, it seemed that Dai Mubai and Cuihua knew each other's backgrounds intimately... and had therefore formed an alliance?
Interesting.
Jiang Nian was filled with curiosity. Though his stomach was full of questions, he did not ask them outright. Instead, he gave Dai Mubai a meaningful glance, then directly reached out and pressed a large hand onto Dai Mubai's head.
Dai Mubai had no ability to resist and immediately fell unconscious.
Jiang Nian casually grabbed Dai Mubai in one hand, as if he were lifting a chick.
Then he glanced into the depths of the Wilderness Zone, his expression grave. "I can sense the aura of a War General Class monster. This isn't a place to talk. Let's return to Jiangnan Base City first."
With that, he tucked Cuihua under one arm. After a few leaps, he vanished from the spot.
On the Sky Screen, Jiang Nian carried Cuihua under his arm and held the unconscious Dai Mubai in one hand. After a few bounds, he disappeared into the ruins deep within the Wilderness Zone. The image gradually darkened, but the storm on the Douluo Continent had only just begun to brew.
Heaven Dou Empire, Shrek Academy.
Everyone stared upward, unable to recover for a long time from the betrayal they had just witnessed.
"Pah!"
Ma Hongjun spat heavily onto the ground. His fat face was flushed crimson, and his teeth ground together with a clack.
Pointing at the gradually darkening Sky Screen, he began to curse loudly.
"Dai Mubai, you're truly a piece of trash!"
Ma Hongjun trembled with rage, his voice full of hatred and contempt.
He had truly been blind to ask that dog, that creature worse than a beast, Dai Mubai, to look after Cuihua!
How was he taking care of Cuihua?
Cuihua had clearly been taking care of him!
And yet he had not only failed to show gratitude, but had even betrayed Cuihua!
"It would have been bad enough if you had merely accepted Cuihua's care, but you actually turned around and set her up like this! That's the behavior of a beast!"
Oscar beside him shook his head repeatedly, his eyes full of disappointment. Among the crowd, only Tang San stood silently without saying a word.
Before you continue