Three Conditions (1)

Three Conditions (1)

Ye Qingcang's scheme was indeed contemptible.

But if such a scheme truly produced results, and if Ye Qingcang openly acknowledged it after learning those results, then it had to be viewed differently. Though it was still far from an honorable method, as long as everyone else was sufficiently sinister and cunning, Ye Qingcang would appear sufficiently upright and righteous. It was all about being elevated by comparison to his peers.

"A strategist enters the game himself..." Watching Ye Qingcang's still-straight back, Zhu Zhuqing murmured unconsciously, "Defying Fate by Half a Move..."

In such a short span of time—

From the moment Heaven Dou Crown Prince Xue Qinghe invited them into the carriage—

To the warning when they got out—

There had even been the little incident of Xiao Wu's identity being exposed.

Yet he had improvised an almost flawless plan.

That kind of all-calculating mind, that decisive and ruthless hand, that wildly imaginative, counterintuitive trap—let alone someone like Flender, who had never experienced the palace's internal intrigues, even someone like her, who had witnessed such struggles, could not help but shudder in awe.

Ning Rongrong was even more so.

Behind every seemingly reasonable action Ye Qingcang took lay a corresponding point of suspicion. When she gathered those doubts together and verified them one by one against the scheme Ye Qingcang had laid bare, the result was not that Ye Qingcang was sinister or deceitful. Rather, all she could see was Ye Qingcang's sincere heart!

The Shrek group's reactions varied.

Yet Ye Qingcang paid them little attention.

To him, they were all supporting characters.

Had anyone ever heard of a protagonist deliberately paying attention to supporting characters?

Besides, who said his scheme was over?

This was only the beginning...

"If this Grandmaster did not go looking for Mother, I might even think more highly of him. A man may be incompetent, but he must never lack backbone..." Under everyone's gaze, Ye Qingcang spoke of Yu Xiaogang without even sparing him a glance. His eyes flashed white as he slowly turned around and performed an action no one understood—he clasped his left fist in salute toward the forest behind and to his left, bowing from afar in an auspicious gesture. His sigh was filled with helplessness and disdain. "This is why I did not want you to join Blue Tyrant Academy. Blue Tyrant Academy used to keep a low profile, neither showing its mountain nor revealing its waters, blending in with the world. It could be the beginning of any storm, or the end of any storm, but it would never stand at the center of one... Blue Tyrant Academy has seven hundred and thirty-four school rules. These seven hundred and thirty-four rules are summarized into ten general principles, which are also called the Ten School Rules. The tenth school rule is a disclaimer: regardless of what Blue Tyrant Academy students do, whether they are right or wrong, Blue Tyrant Academy will assume all related responsibility on their behalf. The third school rule: Soul Masters who have not received Blue Tyrant Academy's permission are forbidden from entering or leaving the academy grounds at will. Violators will be killed without exception, and no related responsibility need be assumed. If Senior leaves now, I can make the decision to waive all responsibility for this matter and treat it as if it never happened. How about it?"

Flender and the others only half understood.

"It seems..." To be safe, Flender still summoned his martial soul. Seven spirit rings rose around him as he uncertainly asked Liu Erlong, "There is an enemy?"

"Not 'it seems'..." Liu Erlong shot Flender a look as if he were an idiot. Eight spirit rings rose around her, making the Shrek group stare wide-eyed. They had not expected this young auntie to be a Soul Douluo. "You should say: there is an enemy. However, I have not sensed anything unusual. If Little Eagle is not mistaken, it can only mean this enemy is far stronger than we imagined!"

Ye Qingcang lowered his hand as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

He turned back and glared at those who had summoned their martial souls.

Then he waved downward, signaling them not to be so tense.

I am speaking to them politely up here, while you are behind me with swords drawn. Are you really that eager to be pig teammates?

Flender and the others understood what Ye Qingcang meant as well.

They sheepishly withdrew their martial souls.

Half alarmed and half doubtful, they looked at Ye Qingcang.

None of them, a group of Soul Saints, had noticed anything unusual, yet Ye Qingcang, a mere Quasi Soul Ancestor, had?

It was not that they did not believe him.

They simply could not imagine or understand it.

However, Ye Qingcang did not need anyone's trust.

Looking at the forest ahead, which remained silent, he narrowed his eyes and clasped his left fist again, showing respect and admiration. "What happened just now was merely a minor misunderstanding. Senior need not come out to meet us. Blue Tyrant Academy is not unwilling to welcome Senior's visit, but without rules, there can be no order. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. If Senior truly wishes to visit Blue Tyrant Academy, you may follow the proper procedure."

The distant forest remained silent.

So silent that it made people wonder whether Ye Qingcang had mistaken something, whether he was talking to thin air, pretending to be mysterious, or putting on an act.

But Ye Qingcang had no reason to put on an act!

Just as the Shrek group was confused, bewildered, and doubtful, Ye Qingcang changed his left-fist salute to a right-fist salute and bowed once more. Since a right-fist salute was an ominous gesture carrying the meaning of warning and threat, Ye Qingcang's words this time lost the courtesy of the first two attempts and gained a trace of killing intent:

"I am someone who believes nothing should happen more than three times."

"I am not particularly particular about matters outside my principles."

"But for matters that violate my principles, I grant tolerance only three times."

"I know what Senior is thinking, but I ask Senior to stop thinking about it. Do not entertain that laughable hope that I have not seen you, or suspect that I am trying to bluff you."

"I would not speak without absolute certainty. And since I have spoken, I possess absolute certainty."

"A 100,000-Year Transformed Spirit Beast is indeed precious."

"A 100,000-Year Spirit Ring and a 100,000-Year Soul Bone are treasures that even Titled Douluo would covet. But regardless of this 100,000-Year Transformed Spirit Beast's identity, one identity is certain at this moment—she is already a student of Blue Tyrant Academy!"

"If Senior leaves now, so long as you do not covet her spirit ring and soul bone, then should we meet again by fate in the future, we may still part on good terms. But if Senior does not intend to leave and still covets her spirit ring and soul bone, then I believe... parting on good terms will certainly be impossible. As for whether Senior wishes to leave, I fear that will also be impossible!"

The wind swept over the treetops.

It carried away several leaves.

Yet there was still no response.

That silence seemed to be mocking Ye Qingcang.

Mocking him for being nothing.

Mocking him for not being worthy of an answer.

"Since that is the case, then do not blame me for being discourteous. Some people simply cannot understand human speech..." Ye Qingcang rubbed the Red Vertical Sword Mark between his brows, his tone helpless. "What kind of world is this... Beasts can understand beast speech, and they can understand human speech too. It would be one thing if humans could not understand beast speech, but they cannot even understand human speech!"

"Who are you calling a brat!"

Dugu Bo, who had been hiding in the forest and spying on them through all three warnings, could still endure it.

He treated Ye Qingcang's words as nothing but farting.

After all, Ye Qingcang was merely a tiny Soul Elder.

Even Liu Erlong, a Soul Douluo, was nothing special in his eyes.

But Ye Qingcang's later words, especially that part about humans and beasts, truly made him unable to endure any longer. Ye Qingcang was practically pointing at his nose and calling him a beast. He could overlook all those earlier words with magnanimity, but for these last words, he had to make this brat pay the price and let him know—a Titled Douluo could not be insulted!