Loyalty Used as a Bargaining Chip

From Heaven Dou City to the Star Dou Great Forest, the route ran in a straight line.

Cross the Heaven Spirit Mountain Range.

Pass through the Ice Soul Grassland.

Then only the Star Dou Mountain Range remained before reaching the Star Dou Great Forest.

The Star Dou Mountain Range marked the border of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Because the Star Dou Great Forest lay between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire as an ungoverned zone, both sides had long stationed large numbers of troops in the Star Dou Mountain Range and the Golden City Mountain Range, guarding against the other side sending an elite army composed entirely of soul masters across the Star Dou Great Forest to raid their rear.

The Star Dou Mountain Range belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire.

The Golden City Mountain Range belonged to the Star Luo Empire.

The Star Dou Great Forest lay between the two mountain ranges.

Since they were mountain ranges, they naturally had ends. The two ranges could only block the front, while on their eastern and western flanks stood the Heaven Dou Empire's Dragon Rise City and Gem City, facing the Star Luo Empire's Star Radiance City and Hadrian City. Between Gem City and Hadrian City, close to the Star Dou Great Forest, stood Spirit City—the headquarters of Spirit Hall, where Pope's Hall, Elder's Hall, and Worship Hall were all located.

This was thanks to the excellent performance of Soul Tools.

A journey that would take an ordinary person two months on foot, or more than twenty days on horseback, took the group from Blue Tyrant Academy only five days to travel from Heaven Dou City to a small town at the foot of the Star Dou Mountain Range.

The advantage of Flying Soul Tools was speed.

They did not need to detour, so it was hard for them not to be fast.

Their drawback was their heavy Soul Power consumption.

Moreover, because they were so fast, if the soul master controlling a Flying Soul Tool could not keep up with its speed in terms of neural reflexes, there was always a risk of both tool and rider being destroyed. If one merely wanted to fly, rather than push it to its limits in combat, Flying Soul Tools were perfectly adequate. But if one intended to max them out and rely on speed to determine victory or defeat, it was not recommended.

It could be done.

But the risk was too high, so it was not recommended.

Those who lived by the mountains relied on the mountains; those who lived by the water relied on the water.

This small town at the edge of the Star Dou Mountain Range, like the other towns along its borders, survived off the Star Dou Great Forest on the other side of the mountains.

Soul masters needed soul rings to break through their ranks → soul masters could only obtain soul rings by hunting soul beasts → the Star Dou Great Forest was the largest forest in the world and the forest with the richest variety of soul beasts → after hunting soul beasts, soul masters could recycle their corpses, and their flesh, bones, skin and hair, mucus, as well as cubs and eggs, all had buyers ＝ these towns on the edge of the Star Dou Mountain Range, as the closest purchasing stations and markets to the Star Dou Great Forest, were not glamorous, but they were prosperous enough.

The formula was long, but fortunately, the logic was sound.

"Blue Tyrant Academy has a purchasing station here."

"And not just here. It has purchasing stations in other towns as well."

"Even across the Golden City Mountain Range in the Star Luo Empire, Blue Tyrant Academy has purchasing stations in many of the towns near the mountain range."

"It's just that their names have nothing to do with Blue Tyrant Academy."

"No matter who investigates, they'll only trace them back to the supply channels of the Spirit Cuisine Room."

As the dean of Blue Tyrant Academy, Liu Erlong introduced Flender and the others to the academy's external operations. It also explained why someone had come to receive them upon their arrival in this town.

By the time they reached the town, it was already afternoon.

The Star Dou Great Forest at night was a hunting ground.

For a travel-worn and weakened group that had come from afar to rashly enter the perilous Star Dou Great Forest, even with one Titled Douluo, one Soul Douluo, and three Soul Saints in the party, would not have been a prudent choice.

Even a lion used its full strength to hunt a rabbit.

Therefore, after consulting everyone, Liu Erlong gave the order: everyone was free to do as they pleased, but they had to gather at their current hotel by nine that night. They would rise at seven the next morning, enter the Star Dou Mountain Range at eight, and were expected to reach the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest around ten at noon. After resting for an hour, they would enter the Star Dou Great Forest at twelve, beneath the blazing midday sun.

The order was issued at four in the afternoon.

They had five hours of free time until nine at night.

Rarely getting the chance to travel so far from home, Ma Hongjun was like a husky let off its leash. In the blink of an eye, he had slipped away.

Tang San had wanted to use this opportunity to deepen his bond with Xiao Wu. They had flown too hurriedly along the way. The older students of Blue Tyrant Academy all had various items to replenish Soul Power, each carrying a Storage Soul Tool. Some private Flying Soul Tools even supported dual slots. When their Soul Power ran low, they could take a gem filled with Soul Power from their Storage Soul Tool, open a backup slot and insert it, then remove the nearly depleted gem. This allowed them to reset their endurance in midair. According to one Enforcement Team member's boast, during a pursuit of an Evil Spirit Master, he had set a record of flying for twenty-two hours and still having full Soul Power when he landed and entered battle, all because he had enough gems on hand. Clearly, they did not have such conditions.

They stopped and started all along the way.

If it had not been for them, they might have arrived in three days.

Even so, they were too exhausted to laugh and chat. They could only rest again and again, sitting cross-legged on the ground to recover their Soul Power under the helpless gazes of many older students. Only after reaching a city and finding a place to stay could they spare a little leisure.

Then, they had to leave again the next day.

They barely had time to recover their Soul Power. How could they possibly have had time to talk?

However, Xiao Wu still needed some quiet time.

Besides, Tang San was tired, but she had not been idle either.

When Tang San recovered his Soul Power, she was recovering hers too.

Everyone was tired.

Ning Rongrong was tired. Zhu Zhuqing was tired. Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Dai Mubai were all tired too. She did not want to hear Tang San's explanation right now. She only wanted to rest.

Thus, under Tang San's incredulous gaze, Xiao Wu rejected him once again...

She rejected him once again...

Rejected him...

"Come on, Little San, don't think so much..." In the noisy tavern, Dai Mubai held a beer and slung an arm around Tang San's shoulders, sharing the philosophy of life he had realized. "As long as you're strong enough, you can have as many women as you want. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged people are everywhere. Look at Zhuqing..."

"Listen, Boss Dai..." Tang San interrupted him. If Dai Mubai had used someone else to persuade him, he truly would not have found a reason to refute him. But using Zhu Zhuqing to persuade him was a little ridiculous. "You may have won over other people, but didn't you fail to win over Zhuqing too?"

Dai Mubai choked and could not speak.

Was that how one talked?

He was trying to comfort him, not asking him to stab him in the heart.

To save face, he could only argue stubbornly. "Zhuqing is different from other women!"

"No matter how different she is, she's still a woman..." Tang San rolled his eyes, drained the beer in his cup, shook his head, and patted Dai Mubai's shoulder regretfully. He tossed down five copper coins. "It's getting late. I'm heading back first."

Dai Mubai nodded absentmindedly.

For a moment, he even forgot to drink the beer in his cup.

Holding the cup, an eerie light flickered in his eyes.

Tang San had meant to say goodbye.

But to Dai Mubai, it sounded as though a brand-new door had been pushed open!

"No matter how different she is, she's still a woman?"

"No matter how different she is, she's still a woman!"

"Soul Guidance Technology, Stellar Martial Arts, Titled Douluo!"

"Hell White Tiger, daughter of the Zhu Family."

"Born a daughter of the Zhu Family, always a daughter of the Zhu Family."

"If I remember correctly, there was an additional condition after those three: unless he personally permitted it."

"So could it be understood that, if he personally permitted it, then I could..."

In the bustling tavern, Dai Mubai silently made a decision that seemed to still the entire world. With his eyes flickering, he paid for his drink, left the tavern, and headed straight for the hotel.

"Come in..." Ye Qingcang multitasked. One hand held a red crystal-like engraving knife, while the other held a metal bracer. Hearing the knock, he gave the instruction without turning around. Even after the visitor pushed open the door and stopped behind him, he continued calmly carving symbols into the metal bracer. "What is it?"

"Yes." Dai Mubai had personally witnessed how the young man before him, whose back was turned toward him, had captured a Titled Douluo alive with overwhelming force. Thus, he did not dare show the slightest dissatisfaction, much less let those dark thoughts sprout in his mind. "I would like to make a deal with you."

"From the perspective of your status: any support or promise you can offer me, your father and your elder brother can offer as well—and more than you can. The price I would have to pay would also be lower."

"From a personal perspective: your future is not worth my investment. Some are proud eagles, some are obedient dogs, and some are wolf cubs that can never be tamed. Once the seeds of prejudice take root and sprout, even I will yield to prejudice and suspicion. It is simply that I am more rational than others. I am willing to wait until I have confirmed the facts and evidence I want to confirm before making my next decision."

"Judge actions, not hearts. Judge hearts, and no one is flawless."

Every sentence Ye Qingcang spoke made Dai Mubai feel as though he were being dissected. It was as if there were no secrets left anywhere on his body. The shame and terror relentlessly battered his mental defenses. "So, after eliminating every impossible answer, only one answer remains. I find it very difficult to believe you would consider that answer correct, so I would like to ask: what gave you the impression that I am a man controlled by his lower half?"

Without realizing it, Dai Mubai's forehead was already covered in cold sweat.

He was the Third Prince of the Star Luo Empire.

Even if his spirit had been crushed, he had still studied the arts of imperial rule.

He had thought no one could see through his disguise.

Because no one ever had.

Yet this man had exposed him completely, sentence by sentence, with every detail laid bare. That ability to read people was simply terrifying!

But no matter how terrifying it was, it could not stop his desire to live!

When people fought to survive, they could often do things that broke through the very bottom line of humanity!

This was not an isolated case. It was the norm!

Dai Mubai took a deep breath. Fear had driven his pupils to their limit. Scenes of Dugu Bo being dragged away by Ye Qingcang flashed before his eyes, and even his differently colored pupils had temporarily intensified into obvious traits. "Aren't people—men especially—animals that think with their lower halves?"

The room fell silent for a long time.

Only the sound of the engraving knife scraping against metal remained.

It was not harsh.

Yet it felt as though the blade were scraping across his nerves, stroke after stroke.

How long had it scraped?

A year?

Two years?

Three years?

Or ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years?

Only when the knife stopped scraping against the metal and completed the rune did Dai Mubai's dilated pupils instantly shrink back to their normal size. He looked up at the clock in the room and saw that only three minutes had passed!

He moved instinctively, only to shudder again when he discovered that the clothes on his back were soaked through!

"You're right. Men truly are animals that think with their lower halves."

"No matter how well they behave or how well they restrain themselves, they can only avoid being controlled by their lower halves. In the end, they still have to think with their lower halves."

"It is human nature."

"Even so, the things people can control remain pitifully few."

"You can only control your hand so it does not reach into someone else's pocket to take something. You can only control your gaze so it avoids indecent places. You cannot control your heartbeat, your internal organs, or your subconscious at this moment. Perhaps it can be put another way: you can control them, but then you are no longer human."

Ye Qingcang's calm and powerful tone gave him the air of a refined gentleman.

Yet his godlike, demonic aura always inspired fear.

Together, they were like the whispers of a devil.

Yet what he said was correct.

It was also somewhat like an oracle bestowed by a god.

The contradiction was chilling, yet no one dared deny the truth of it.

Because he was right.

Right in a way that trampled morality beneath his feet.

"Three sentences." Ye Qingcang set down the metal bracer and put away the engraving knife. "I'll give you three sentences to prove your sincerity."

"To the Xingluo Royal Family, a Titled Douluo holds a status above the Crown Prince!" Dai Mubai played a little trick, forcing himself to keep from losing his nerve. "If a Titled Douluo is a prince, he can ascend the throne regardless of ancestral laws and has no need for a Zhu Empress!"

"One sentence." Ye Qingcang stood before the window, gazing at the Human Worldly Affairs outside.

"Zhu Zhuqing is absolutely loyal. Her loyalty is the most precious thing!" Dai Mubai had no time to consider the consequences of exploiting loopholes as he continued. "Those in high positions can only ever see smiling faces, and hypocrisy is commonplace. A partner who will never betray you should be rare even for you!"

"Second sentence." Ye Qingcang remained unmoved, revealing none of his thoughts.

Dai Mubai could only grit his teeth and throw out his final bargaining chip, his last card. "I will help you clean up every trace completely. I absolutely will not do anything to her. I only want to live. She sought me out because she wants to live too. Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun will not spare us, but they can spare us separately. If she and I remain together, there is only death waiting for us. Only by separating can we each survive. I want to cultivate Stellar Martial Arts, become a Titled Douluo, and change my destiny. For that, I can give up everything except myself. I can also become your eyes and ears, hidden beside Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, and help you accomplish things that would be inconvenient for you to do!"

"Third sentence." Ye Qingcang turned around. The calmness of his eyes drove Dai Mubai into despair, because he could find no sign that he had moved Ye Qingcang. "Are you finished?"

"I'm finished..." Dai Mubai stood with a bitter smile, preparing to take his leave.

Yet he unexpectedly heard his own voice!

His eyes widened in horror as he followed the sound!

A Jade Seal Machine came into view!

"This is the contract." Ye Qingcang placed the Jade Seal Machine into his Storage Soul Tool. "You know the rules for asking someone to do something, right?"

"I understand, I understand, I understand it all..." Dai Mubai nodded frantically. Even a Titled Douluo had been subdued. No matter how strong a white tiger was, it was still only a white cat. "Payment first, reward afterward. You'll give me the return only after you're satisfied!"

"It's past eight." Ye Qingcang twirled a string of beads and looked at the wall clock in the room.

Dai Mubai nodded immediately and tactfully found an excuse to leave. Carrying guilt toward Zhu Zhuqing, excitement over changing his destiny, and contempt for Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, he left Ye Qingcang's room with a complicated heart.

"He's a clever man." Violet leaped out from the shadows, removed the ferocious Ghost Shadow Mask from her face, and handed Ye Qingcang a black notebook containing the record of Shrek's group's movements. "Unfortunately, he isn't clever enough. You sold him, and he's still helping you count the money..."

"He has the right to strive to live..." Ye Qingcang flipped through the black notebook. It seemed like an offhand remark, yet it also seemed like a meaningful judgment of destiny. "But I also have the right to use him. Violet, you've been by my side for many years. Today, I'll teach you another principle: when it comes to those who are not your friends—or those you cannot tell whether they are your friends—never trust their promises to you. Look at what you have gained, not what they claim to have given. Likewise, when dealing with friends, when you give something, you must look at what they have gained, not what you have given..."

The little kitty had been sold out (-^〇^-)