The Marriage Contract Token Shatters, and Zhu Zhuqing Stands Behind Su Hang

"Don't rush to zap them. Let's see what else they're planning to use to bully people."

Su Hang stood before the line of lightning. Dark purple sparks crawled over the wet mud, guarding the convoy's retreat behind him.

Xiao Wu helped Zhu Zhuqing up onto the edge of the carriage, then stopped.

"What if they keep shamelessly pushing us around?"

Ning Rongrong flipped the Seven Treasures Token in her palm and answered at once.

"Then we keep a record. This young lady brought the Seven Treasures ledger tonight."

At the rear of the forest path, a second group of torches stopped a dozen paces away.

The middle-aged woman at their head wore a fitted outfit patterned with the Zhu Family's hidden insignia. Behind her, two guards carried a wooden box.

When Commander Zhu saw them, he immediately stepped aside.

"Steward Zhu Lan, Second Miss insists on leaving with them."

The middle-aged woman didn't look at him. She simply opened the wooden box.

Inside lay an intact copy of the Marriage Contract Token, with black patterns and silver trim. The insignias of the Dai Family and Zhu Family were joined together on it.

Zhu Lan raised the token, her voice steady.

"Second Miss, Eldest Miss has a message for you."

Zhu Zhuqing turned from beside the carriage. The medicine on her shoulder hadn't fully stopped the bleeding, but her short dagger was already secured at her waist again.

"Speak."

Zhu Lan raised the Marriage Contract Token a little higher.

"Dai Mubai is a prince of the Star Luo Empire, and you are the Zhu Family's Second Miss. Your marriage contract is tied to the contest between His Highness Dai Weisi and Eldest Miss, and to the Zhu Family's honor and disgrace."

Beneath the torches, Zhu Zhuqing didn't move.

Zhu Lan pressed on.

"Eldest Miss wants you to remember who you are. Don't let a few words from outsiders sway you, and don't disgrace the Zhu Family outside Suotuo City."

At that, Ning Rongrong tapped the Seven Treasures Token against the carriage window.

"A few words from outsiders?"

She stepped forward and raised the token.

"The Seven Treasures witnessed the whole conflict on the Hunting Path tonight. The Zhu Family's pursuers came with ropes to seize someone, drove us to Broken Slope, and now they want to pin the blame on Zhu Zhuqing by calling her an eloping traitor?"

Ning Chuan immediately took his place just behind Ning Rongrong.

"Miss, the Seven Treasures Secret Line will record your words exactly as spoken."

Zhu Lan looked at Ning Rongrong.

"Miss Ning, the more the Seven Treasures writes about the Zhu Family's internal affairs, the harder it will be to settle things later."

Ning Rongrong didn't back down an inch.

"If you dare do it, this young lady dares write it down. Don't think you can scare me by talking about settling things."

Xiao Wu stood on Zhu Zhuqing's other side and nudged the broken rope toward the Zhu Family with her toe.

"She wants to leave because you're forcing her. What does she owe you?"

Zhu Lan's fingers pressed against the edge of the Marriage Contract Token.

"The Zhu Family gave her resources, gave her status, gave her a path through this marriage contract. She should follow the rules."

Xiao Wu fired back immediately.

"You give her resources, so now you get to take her life? Then why don't you drag Dai Mubai back with a rope, since he's out drinking and whoring?"

Zhu Lan's expression darkened.

"Young Master Dai's affairs are for the Dai Family to handle."

Ning Rongrong gave a short laugh.

"Convenient. Zhu Zhuqing's affairs are for her to handle herself."

Tang San stood at the edge of the forest, his hem smeared with mud and water. At last, he spoke.

"Miss Ning, if the Seven Treasures keep interfering, the conflict between the Zhu and Dai Families could turn against you."

Ning Rongrong turned and shut him down at once.

"Tang San, worry about yourself before you speak up for people who bully others."

Tang San's sleeve went stiff.

Ning Rongrong left him no room to respond.

"You advised her to write a letter earlier, and now you're telling the Seven Treasures to back off. Every word you say sounds so reasonable, but it's always someone else who has to suffer."

Xiao Wu added a twist of the knife.

"That's his routine. He stands at a distance and talks about the greater good, but when it's time to act, he pulls back and goes to ground."

Tang San's face tightened, but he said nothing more.

Yu Xiaogang tried to step forward. A flicker of lightning rose at Su Hang's feet, and he immediately stopped.

Seeing that soft pressure hadn't worked, Zhu Lan finally held out the Marriage Contract Token.

The Soul Power patterns on the token flared as she activated it, and the insignias of the Dai and Zhu Families lit up together.

The Soul Power wasn't strong, but it carried the weight of a family pressure that had been drilled into her for years. It bore down straight on Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing had already steadied herself, but her fingers clenched around the dagger sheath until her knuckles turned white.

She had heard those words far too many times.

The Zhu Family's honor and disgrace.

The Dai Family's marriage contract.

Eldest Miss's orders.

Dai Weisi's pressure.

Every word had once weighed on her back, forcing her down the path laid out for her.

Zhu Lan immediately turned up the pressure.

"Second Miss, seeing this token is like seeing the marriage contract between both families. Will you still resist?"

Xiao Wu noticed Zhu Zhuqing tense and immediately stepped in front of her.

"Who are you trying to scare with that worthless token?"

Ning Rongrong raised the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda as well, its colored light ready to fall.

"Su Hang."

Su Hang was already moving.

The aura of the Chaos Thunder Shadow Dragon unfurled from him, and dark purple lightning raced along the ground toward the Marriage Contract Token.

Hum.

The Soul Power patterns on the token had barely begun to shine when Dragon Might crushed them.

The next instant, the silver trim cracked with a sharp snap, and the copy of the Marriage Contract Token dropped from Zhu Lan's hand into the mud.

The Zhu Family guards all stepped back at once.

Zhu Lan stared down at the token in the mud, her fingers frozen in midair.

"You dare destroy the Marriage Contract Token?"

Su Hang planted his foot on the line of lightning, his voice even.

"It's just an ordinary message token. Don't dress it up like fate."

Xiao Wu burst out laughing.

"You heard him. It's just a broken token, so stop acting like it's your big brother."

Ning Rongrong was even more direct.

"The Zhu Family's so used to using this thing to bully people, you really think everyone has to kneel to accept it?"

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her gaze to the cracked Marriage Contract Token.

After a moment, she walked over and bent down to pick it up.

Zhu Lan immediately spoke.

"Second Miss, if you take the token back now, you can still go home and explain yourself."

Zhu Zhuqing ignored her.

Crack.

She broke off one corner of the token herself.

The broken piece fell into the mud, the insignias of the Dai and Zhu Families severed at the edge.

The Zhu Family's side fell utterly silent.

Zhu Zhuqing lifted her face, her voice firm.

"I'm not going to beg Dai Mubai to acknowledge me."

She tossed the broken token back at Zhu Lan's feet.

"I'm going to tell him how we should settle this score."

Xiao Wu stood beside her, positively beaming.

"That was satisfying."

Ning Rongrong hung the Seven Treasures Token at her waist.

"This young lady will bear witness. Zhu Zhuqing's words go into the Seven Treasures Secret Archive."

Zhu Lan looked at the broken token, then at Su Hang and the Seven Treasures Guard.

If they kept fighting, tonight would become a case of the Zhu Family forcibly seizing a Seven Treasures convoy.

If they kept pressing her with status, the Marriage Contract Token had already been broken in front of everyone.

At last, she withdrew her hand.

"Retreat."

Commander Zhu grew anxious.

"Steward Zhu Lan, what about Eldest Miss..."

Zhu Lan cut him off coldly.

"If we can't bring her back, then take back what we saw tonight."

The Zhu Family's pursuers began to withdraw, their torches disappearing one by one into the forest path.

Zhu Lan paused before leaving.

"Second Miss, Eldest Miss will be waiting in Star Luo for you to explain yourself."

Zhu Zhuqing stood within the line of lightning and didn't retreat.

"Let her wait."

Only after the torches had disappeared did Ning Chuan have the guards regroup.

Most of the lightning at Su Hang's feet faded away, leaving only a few strands crawling over the mud.

A pale gold frame lit up on the System Panel in front of him.

[Zhu Zhuqing's emotions are in turmoil.]

[Exclusive instance connection stabilized.]

[Zhu Zhuqing's favorability unlocked: 20%.]

[Reward: 900 Diary Points.]

Su Hang glanced at it and casually dismissed the panel.

Though Xiao Wu couldn't see the panel, she instinctively edged half a step closer to Su Hang.

"Brother Su Hang, she's hurt. Let her sit inside, and I'll sit beside you."

Ning Rongrong immediately climbed aboard with her little bag.

"This young lady's in charge of treating her injuries, so I should sit nearby too."

Xiao Wu quickly blocked her.

"Treating her injuries is one thing. Don't use it as an excuse to sit beside Brother Su Hang."

Ning Rongrong set the medicine bottle on the table.

"Rabbit, saving people is one thing and seating arrangements are another. It's called having principles."

Standing by the carriage door, Zhu Zhuqing listened as the two started bickering again and finally put away her dagger.

The weight that had been pressing on her chest was finally beginning to lift.

Before climbing aboard, Su Hang looked at her.

"Can you still walk?"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded and stepped onto the carriage.

"I can."

Xiao Wu helped her inside, then couldn't resist adding, "Even if you can, don't push yourself. You haven't seen Dai Mubai yet, so save some of your health bar."

Ning Rongrong pushed a soft cushion toward her.

"Sit here. We'll settle the score when we reach Suotuo. This young lady will sort out the evidence for you."

After sitting down, Zhu Zhuqing looked through the carriage curtain toward the end of the forest path.

There were no Zhu Family torches left.

She turned back, fixed her gaze on Su Hang, and spoke with unmistakable clarity.

"Take me to Suotuo City. I want to see Dai Mubai."