Elixir Force and the Qi-Blood Soul Core; Su Yuntao's Watcher

"Gang Lie must have it in for Tang Shan. Can you guarantee he won't go too far against him, General? Knowing him as you do, you must already know the answer."

Hong Zhen fell speechless. For a moment, he could not find a single word to refute him.

"And as I see it, Tang Shan did nothing wrong by fighting back. Throw one hard punch now to avoid a hundred later. If you're too gentle and too polite, people start thinking they can push you around. Isn't that right, General Hong?"

A spring-warm smile never left Xue Qinghe's face. Looking at the young man's refined, humble manner, Hong Zhen felt a jolt and suddenly grasped the meaning beneath his words. Hong Zhen himself had been like Tang Shan in the arena. He had always held back and never struck hard. And what had greeted him in Ironwall City? Cold-faced soldiers and citizens who favored the Second Prince. I've always been easy to talk to, but don't mistake my courtesy for weakness. I won't confront you openly. I'll send someone to wreck your show instead. And that retaliation had clearly succeeded.

One Soul Master had beaten every One-Ring Soul Master they had and badly injured a two-ring Soul Master besides. That was a slap in the face they could hardly ignore.

"Then, Your Highness, the wager was a sham from the start, wasn't it? Even if we'd beaten Tang Shan, you would still have reported everything truthfully to His Majesty, wouldn't you?"

Hong Zhen seemed to lose all strength in his back. His shoulders slumped, and loneliness crept into his voice.

"No."

Xue Qinghe stopped watching the fight and looked up at the blazing sun.

"The sun shines on everyone equally. Some draw health from it; others burn to death beneath