Loyalty Used as a Bargaining Chip

Loyalty Used as a Bargaining Chip

From Heaven Dou City to the Star Dou Great Forest, the route was 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 always stationed large numbers of troops in the Star Dou Mountain Range and the Golden City Mountain Range. This was to guard against the other side sending an elite army composed entirely of Soul Masters through the Star Dou Great Forest to launch a surprise attack on 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 endpoints. The two ranges could only block the front. To the left and right 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, was also Spirit City—the headquarters of Spirit Hall. Pope's Hall, the Hall of Elders, and the Worship Hall were all located in that city.

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 Blue Tyrant Academy group 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 Flight Soul Guidance Devices was speed.

There was no need to detour, so it was hard not to be fast.

Their downside was their high Soul Power consumption.

Moreover, precisely because they were so fast, if the Soul Master operating a Flight Soul Guidance Device could not keep up with its speed in terms of neural reflexes, there was a risk of both device and rider being destroyed at any moment. If one merely wanted to fly rather than push it to its limits, Flight Soul Guidance Devices were perfectly adequate. But if one wanted to determine victory or defeat through speed, they were not recommended.

It could be done.

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

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

This small town on the edge of the Star Dou Mountain Range, along with the other towns along its border, all survived by relying on the Star Dou Great Forest across from 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 had the richest variety of Soul Beasts → after hunting Soul Beasts, Soul Masters could recycle their corpses for use; flesh, bones, fur, mucus, even cubs and eggs, all had buyers ＝ these towns on the edge of the Star Dou Mountain Range, serving as the closest purchasing stations and markets to the Star Dou Great Forest, were not glamorous, but they were wealthy enough.

The formula was long, fortunately the logic was sound.

"Blue Tyrant Academy has a purchasing station here."

"And not only here. There are purchasing stations in the other towns as well."

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

"It is simply that their names have nothing to do with Blue Tyrant Academy."

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

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

It was already afternoon when they arrived in the town.

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

For a weary force that had traveled from afar to rashly enter the perilous Star Dou Great Forest, even with one Titled Douluo, one Soul Douluo, and three Soul Sages in the party, would not have been a prudent choice.

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

Thus, after asking everyone's opinion, Liu Erlong gave the order: everyone was free to move about, but they had to gather at their current hotel before nine that evening. They would rise at seven the next morning and enter the Star Dou Mountain Range at eight. They were expected to reach the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest around ten at noon, rest for an hour, then enter the forest under the blazing midday sun at twelve.

The order had been given at four in the afternoon.

They had five happy hours until nine that evening.

It was rare for Ma Hongjun to travel so far from home. Like a husky whose leash had been released, he vanished in the blink of an eye.

Tang San had originally wanted to use this opportunity to deepen his relationship with Xiao Wu. They had flown too hurriedly along the way. Those older Blue Tyrant Academy students all had various tools for replenishing Soul Power, with every person carrying a Storage Soul Guidance Device. Some private Flight Soul Guidance Devices even had dual-slot functions. When their Soul Power ran low, they could take a gemstone filled with Soul Power from their Storage Soul Guidance Device, open the spare slot and insert it, then remove the nearly depleted gemstone, resetting their endurance time in midair. According to one law enforcement team member's boasting, he had once flown for twenty-two hours while pursuing an Evil Soul Master, then landed and entered battle with his Soul Power still at full capacity—all because he had enough gemstones in hand. Clearly, they did not have those conditions.

They had stopped and gone all along the way.

Without them, they might have arrived in three days.

Even so, they had been 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 upon reaching a city and finding a place to stay could they spare a little time.

Then they had to leave again the next day.

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

Yet Xiao Wu still needed some peace and quiet.

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

When Tang San restored his Soul Power, so did she.

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.

So, under Tang San's disbelieving gaze, Xiao Wu rejected him once again...

Rejected him once again...

Rejected him...

"Enough, Little San. Don't think so much..." In the noisy bar, Dai Mubai held a beer and threw an arm around Tang San's shoulders, sharing the life philosophy he had come to understand. "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 Zhu Qing..."

"Boss Dai..." Tang San cut Dai Mubai off. If Dai Mubai had used anyone else to persuade him, he really would not have had an excuse to refute him. But using Zhu Zhuqing to persuade him was a little ridiculous. "Even if you can win over other women, haven't you still failed to win over Zhu Qing?"

Dai Mubai choked, unable to speak.

Was that how people talked?

I'm trying to comfort you, not asking you to stab me in the heart.

To save face, he could only argue stubbornly. "Zhu Qing 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 alcohol in his cup.

Holding the cup, a strange light flickered in his eyes.

Tang San's words had meant farewell.

But to Dai Mubai, they sounded like a door opening onto a brand-new world!

"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 Path, Titled Douluo!"

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

"A girl born to the Zhu Family is a Zhu Family daughter."

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

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

Amid the bustling bar, Dai Mubai silently made a decision that left the world utterly quiet. With flickering eyes, he paid for his drink, left the tavern, and headed straight for the hotel.

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

"Yes." Dai Mubai had personally witnessed how the young man standing before him with his back turned had captured a Titled Douluo alive with overwhelming force. Thus, he did not dare show the slightest dissatisfaction, much less allow those dark thoughts to take root in his mind. "I wish to make a deal with you."

"From the perspective of your status, any support or promise you can offer me can also be offered by your father and elder brother. And they can offer more than you, while requiring less from me."

"From your 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. The moment the seeds of prejudice take root and sprout, even I will submit to prejudice and suspicion. The only difference is that I am more rational than others. I am willing to wait—to wait until I have confirmed the facts and evidence I wish to confirm before making my next decision."

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

Every sentence Ye Qingcang spoke made Dai Mubai feel as though he had been dissected. It was as if there were no secrets left anywhere on his body. Shame and terror continuously battered his psychological defenses. "So, after excluding all impossible answers, only one answer remains. I find it very hard to believe that you would consider this answer correct, so I must ask: what makes you think 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 manipulation.

He had thought no one could see through his disguise.

Because no one ever had.

Yet someone had exposed him completely, clearly, down to the smallest detail, with only a few sentences. Such an ability to read people could only be described as terrifying!

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

People could often do things that broke through the bottom line of humanity just to survive!

This was not an isolated case. It was universal!

Dai Mubai took a deep breath. Fear had pushed his pupils to their limit. Scenes of Dugu Bo being dragged away by Ye Qingcang flashed before his eyes, and even the difference in color between his pupils became temporarily pronounced. "Aren't people—especially men—animals who think with their lower halves?"

The room fell silent for a long time.

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

It was not piercing.

Yet it felt as if blade after blade were scraping across one's nerves.

How long had it scraped?

One year?

Two years?

Three years?

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

Only when the carving knife stopped scraping against the metal and finished engraving the rune did Dai Mubai's dilated pupils suddenly shrink back to their original size. He looked up at the clock in the room. Only three minutes had passed!

He instinctively moved, only to shudder again when he felt his clothes soaked through at the back.

"You are right. Men truly are animals who think with their lower halves."

"No matter how well one does or how well one restrains oneself, one can only avoid being controlled by one's lower half. One will still ultimately think with it."

"It is human nature."

"Even so, there are pitifully few things people can control."

"You can only control yourself from reaching into someone else's pocket and taking their belongings. You can only control your gaze and avoid indecent places. You cannot control your heartbeat, your Five Viscera and Six Bowels, or your subconscious at this very moment. Perhaps it could be put another way: you can control them, but then you are no longer human."

Ye Qingcang's steady, forceful tone gave him the air of a refined scholar.

Yet his godlike and demonic aura always inspired fear.

Combined, the two felt like the whisper of a devil.

And yet, what he said was correct.

It also resembled a revelation bestowed by a god.

The contradiction was chilling, yet no one dared deny such a fact.

Because he was right.

Right in a way that trampled morality.

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

"To the Star Luo Imperial Family, a Titled Douluo holds a status above that of the Crown Prince!" Dai Mubai played a trick, forcing himself to maintain his breath. "If a Titled Douluo is a prince, he may ascend the throne without regard for ancestral rules and without needing a Zhu Family Queen!"

"One sentence." Ye Qingcang stood by the window, gazing out at the lights and life of the world beyond.

"Zhu Zhuqing is unwaveringly loyal. Her loyalty is the most precious thing!" Dai Mubai did not have time to think carefully about the consequences of exploiting a loophole and continued, "Those in high positions see only smiling faces. Hypocrisy and secret defiance are commonplace. A companion who will never betray you should be rare even for you!"

"Second sentence." Ye Qingcang remained unmoved, giving no hint of his thoughts.

Dai Mubai could only force himself to throw out his final bargaining chip, his final trump card. "I will help you clean up everything completely. I absolutely will not do anything to her. I only want to live. The reason she came looking for me was also because she wanted to live. Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun will not spare either of us, but they can spare us separately. If she and I stay together, there is only a dead end. Only by separating can each of us survive. I want to cultivate the Stellar Martial Path, become a Titled Douluo, and change my fate. For that, I can give up everything except myself. I can also become your eyes and ears, hide beside Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, and help you accomplish things that are inconvenient for you to do!"

"Third sentence." Ye Qingcang turned around. His calm, water-like gaze filled Dai Mubai with despair, because he could find no sign that he had moved Ye Qingcang. "Are you finished?"

"I'm finished..." Dai Mubai rose 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 put the Jade Seal Machine into his Storage Soul Guidance Device. "You should know the rules for asking someone to do something for you, right?"

"I understand, I understand, I understand it all..." Dai Mubai nodded frantically. Even a Titled Douluo had been subdued. No matter how strong the White Tiger was, it was only a white cat. "Pay first, receive later. You give the reward once you are satisfied!"

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

Dai Mubai nodded at once, sensibly finding an excuse to leave. Carrying guilt toward Zhu Zhuqing, excitement over changing his fate, and contempt for Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, he left Ye Qingcang's room with complicated emotions.

"He is 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 records of Shrek's group's movements. "Unfortunately, he is not clever enough. Even after you sell him, he will help you count the money..."

"He has the right to strive to live..." Ye Qingcang flipped through the black notebook. It sounded like an offhand remark, yet also like a meaningful judgment of fate. "But I also have the right to use him. Violet, you have been by my side for many years. Today, I will teach you another lesson: for those who are not friends, or those you cannot determine are friends, never believe their promises to you. Look at what you receive, not what they claim to have given. Likewise, when it comes to friends, when you give something, you must look at what they receive, not at what you gave..."

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