My Foolish Little Brother

"Don't move."

Zhu Zhuqing's mind buzzed, and her consciousness was suddenly dragged into a realm of chaos.

Nothing but boundless darkness surrounded Zhu Zhuqing. Faced with these unknown surroundings, she instinctively tensed, trying to find the enemy lurking in the dark.

"Come out," Zhu Zhuqing snapped.

No one answered.

Just as Zhu Zhuqing's nerves were stretched to their limit, an ethereal red phantom flew out of the darkness, staining even the surrounding shadows red.

"Who are you? What is this place?" Zhu Zhuqing watched the phantom warily, her Nether Claws poised and ready.

"Don't get agitated, miss." The heart demon spoke in a demonic voice that bewitched the mind. "I know why you came, and I know the hurt and resentment buried deep in your heart. The competition in the Star Luo Empire is so ruthless, yet you still choose to stay strong and live on. I truly admire you."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zhu Zhuqing was gradually losing patience. "Let me out, or I won't go easy on you."

"Oh? Hahaha, Miss Zhu Zhuqing, if I took this form, would you still have the courage to defeat me?"

As the heart demon spoke, it transformed into Zhu Zhuyun, radiating her elder sister's arrogant, powerful aura from head to toe.

"How could it be you?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened, and she instinctively began backing away.

"Hehe, why couldn't it be me?" Zhu Zhuyun snapped her fingers. A band of assassins instantly appeared around them, all clad in black robes, and slowly closed in on Zhu Zhuqing. "My dear little sister, where can you run this time?"

"Stay away from me." Zhu Zhuqing turned in every direction but could find no opening to escape through. There was only boundless darkness here. Where could she possibly run?

"Hahaha, keep the music playing! Keep dancing!" Dai Mubai's swaggering laughter rang in Zhu Zhuqing's ears. She instinctively turned and saw him sipping red wine, with a woman tucked under each arm, indulging in all the extravagance of a spoiled wastrel.

"Dai Mubai! You've actually sunk this low!" Zhu Zhuqing clenched her teeth and balled her fists in fury, moving forward to beat some sense into him.

"Seize her." At Zhu Zhuyun's command, the surrounding assassins surged forward and locked Zhu Zhuqing's arms in an iron grip. She could only watch helplessly as Dai Mubai drowned himself in wine and women.

"Dai Mubai, you bastard! So this is the kind of man you are!" An immense sense of disappointment filled Zhu Zhuqing's heart, and her body gradually lost the strength to resist.

"If I'm the only one who wants to fight back, what's the point? How can I overthrow Zhu Zhuyun and the others all by myself?"

Just as Zhu Zhuqing was about to give up, a thunderous blast rang out!

Bang!

The biting wind from a punch spread like a blade, blasting the assassins, Zhu Zhuyun, and the wine-soaked, womanizing Dai Mubai to pieces! They dissolved into a cloud of red mist.

Qin Ye suddenly appeared behind Zhu Zhuqing and pulled the dejected girl up from the ground. "If these people upset you, I'll help you defeat them."

"You?" Zhu Zhuqing stared blankly at this unfamiliar man, and a question slipped from her lips. "Why would you help me?"

"Because I like you, and I want to protect you. I won't spare a single person who hurts you." Qin Ye turned his face slightly, and his handsome figure suddenly grew towering in Zhu Zhuqing's heart.

Zhu Zhuqing flushed faintly and stood rooted to the spot, gazing at Qin Ye in a daze.

Qin Ye gave Zhu Zhuqing a bright, confident smile. "Once this is over, may I shake your hand, beautiful? I'll protect you like a real man."

Before Zhu Zhuqing could respond, her consciousness returned to reality.

Dai Mubai was nearly bursting with rage.

He had assumed an aloof woman like Zhu Zhuqing would never let any man touch her, yet just now, she had spent a full five seconds dazed in Qin Ye's arms!

Five seconds!

She hadn't struggled once in all those five seconds!

"I don't care who you are! Let go of that girl! Take this!" Dai Mubai flew into a complete fury. The White Tiger martial soul behind him let out a savage roar as he charged at Qin Ye.

Watching Dai Mubai go berserk, Zhu Zhuqing instinctively moved to summon her martial soul, but Qin Ye's voice brought her back to reality. "Leave him to me. I told you I'd protect you."

Qin Ye strode forward, meeting Dai Mubai's attack head-on.

"You little bastard! I'll kill you!" Dai Mubai's eyes reddened, and vicious killing intent poured from him. At that moment, he truly wanted to kill Qin Ye.

"Hehe, you think you can?"

Qin Ye stood coolly in place. His ruby-like pupils suddenly contracted, and the heart demon instantly burrowed into Dai Mubai's body.

Buzz!

Dai Mubai's movements faltered, and his White Tiger martial soul began to waver. By the time he came to his senses, the person he least wanted to see stood before him.

His elder brother, Dai Weisi.

"Why are you here?" Dai Mubai cried in shock as he stared at Qin Ye before him, retreating step after step.

In Dai Mubai's eyes, Qin Ye's figure gradually overlapped with Dai Weisi's, and Qin Ye gradually acquired a portion of Dai Weisi's power.

Because the fear in Dai Mubai's heart was immense, Qin Ye gained more power than he had expected. It seemed Dai Mubai really was terrified of Dai Weisi.

"Oh, my foolish little brother." Dai Weisi walked toward Dai Mubai. It was the heart demon speaking to Dai Mubai; Qin Ye only needed to keep his mouth shut and walk forward.

"I remember warning you never to appear before me again, or I'd kill you with my own hands. Have you lost your mind during these years away from the Star Luo Empire?"

"No, stay away." Frightened, Dai Mubai backed away again and again. As the fear in his heart rose, Qin Ye's power continued to grow.

"Hehe, too scared to fight back? My foolish little brother, where did all that bravado go? It seems you only bully the weak and cower before the strong." Drawing on Dai Weisi's power, Qin Ye threw a punch at Dai Mubai.

Bang!

The punch struck Dai Mubai squarely on the chin, sending him tumbling to the ground in a flailing heap, coughing up blood.

"Cough, cough... you, why are you here?" Dai Mubai kept staring at Dai Weisi in terror and confusion. "I've already left the Star Luo Empire. Why won't you leave me alone?"

Qin Ye crouched before Dai Mubai and gave him a wicked smile. "Because you're my little brother, a legitimate contender for the throne. How could I rest easy while you're still alive? Isn't that right, my foolish, worthless little brother?"

Qin Ye raised his arm, poised to bring it down on Dai Mubai.

"No, don't kill me! I was wrong! Please don't kill me!" Dai Mubai struggled backward, his fingers scraping frantically through the dust on the ground. He looked as wretched as could be.

Zhu Zhuqing witnessed Dai Mubai's behavior. From her perspective, he had been talking to himself the entire time. Qin Ye had only punched him once, yet he had become so frightened that he lost all will to fight.

Zhu Zhuqing frowned, looking at Dai Mubai with disgust and disappointment. "I really misjudged you."