Beating up a prince

Dai Weisi walked trembling to his father and knelt.

"Father, that brat couldn't beat me himself. How would I know why he didn't come today? Didn't you see him this morning?"

Dai Weisi did everything he could to defend himself. He hadn't made anyone disappear, and as the eldest prince, he truly disdained killing that useless brat.

The Star Luo Emperor was clearly furious. He had come today to settle his son's engagement. Though he had already given his imperial word, today happened to be the bride-to-be's sixth birthday, as well as the Zhu Family Celebration.

"Useless! Absolutely useless! Send people to find him, and confine him once he's found!"

He had even seen his son Dai Mubai on the way here, yet the boy had vanished by the time he arrived. Live long enough, and you really did see everything.

The Star Luo Emperor's rage immediately threw everyone below into a panic. Dozens of nobles were sent out, leaving the banquet hall empty.

"Your Majesty, my daughter was at fault today. I failed to raise her properly." Zhu Xinglong dropped to one knee in shame.

Before the Star Luo Emperor could respond, he condensed his soul power into a giant hand and snatched Zhu Zhuqing over. He casually tossed her beside him and forced her to kneel.

Zhu Zhuqing wanted to resist, but she couldn't do a thing. Her hateful father had actually sealed her mouth with soul power and immobilized her body.

Seeing his foremost and most capable general behave so sensibly, the Star Luo Emperor was very pleased. He said coldly, "Since that brat Dai Mubai hasn't come, let your daughter apologize to my youngest son herself. Remember, if she refuses to apologize, follow the rules!"

"As you command!"

Zhu Xinglong immediately answered. He stood, grabbed Zhu Zhuqing, and walked off to the side, completely ignoring her resentful gaze.

Perhaps the Star Luo Emperor really was in a bad mood today. Once his favored general stepped away, he took his people and left the Zhu Family estate outright.

Only three people remained in the vast banquet hall.

The young prince of the Star Luo Empire, Zhu Zhuqing, and the cold-faced Zhu Xinglong.

"Father, I did nothing wrong today. He wanted to bully me, so I fought back." Zhu Zhuqing argued desperately, gritting her teeth as fury blazed from her eyes. Her own father wouldn't even distinguish right from wrong.

For the sake of a mere general's position, he was making his own daughter bow her head and apologize, and even forcing her to do something she didn't want to do.

The cold-faced Zhu Xinglong had no desire to hear his daughter's defense. Of course he knew who was right and who was wrong, but those were the ancestral teachings. The women of the Zhu Family had to obey the Dai Family. That was an immutable truth.

"You two will duel. Whoever has the stronger fists is right today!"

Zhu Zhuqing was speechless. What kind of world was this? What kind of father was he, forcing her into something like this? She was a girl whose martial soul had only just awakened, without a soul ring, yet he wanted her to fight a boy who already had one.

"Why don't we just forget it? I was at fault today too." The young prince immediately panicked. What were this father and daughter doing, putting on a double act? His father and brothers weren't here, and he was getting nervous.

Zhu Xinglong hadn't actually wanted his daughter to get beaten. Hearing that the young prince was willing to reconcile and had even admitted fault first, he immediately cupped his hands. "Your Highness is benevolent and honorable. You have my deepest gratitude."

Ding! The Destiny System has sensed the host's unwillingness to submit to fate and hereby issues the following mission.

Option one: Apologize to Dai Tianyu of your own accord. Mission completion reward: one Gold Soul Coin.

Option two: Keep arguing your case with Dai Tianyu until he fully admits his fault. Mission completion reward: one copy of Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul.

Option three: Accept the duel mission and win the duel. Reward: increase the age of your first soul ring by one hundred years. (As the host has yet to obtain her first soul ring, temporarily increase her physical agility attribute by 10 points. This increase will disappear once the mission ends.)

Was there even a choice? I definitely wouldn't pick the first or second option. The third could actually increase a soul ring's age! Only a divine trial could do that.

"Age: six. Zhu Zhuqing. Martial soul: Nether White Cat. Soul power: rank eight!"

Zhu Zhuqing assumed a dueling stance. Just then, a surge of power emerged in her mind and entered her body as swiftly as thunder before one could cover one's ears. She felt both her body and her thoughts become extraordinarily nimble.

"Uh..." The young prince Dai Tianyu's little brain promptly froze. He couldn't quite process it. He had already agreed to forget the matter. Did this little girl really not know how high the heavens were or how deep the earth was, or what?

Zhu Xinglong was speechless. So all his efforts had been wasted. Since his daughter had chosen to take a beating, he wouldn't stop her as her father. After all, she was already caught up in the royal succession struggle, and the road ahead would only grow harder.

"Begin the duel. Stop short of causing injury!"

The young prince Dai Tianyu was speechless. What happened to calling me benevolent and honorable? Could you father and daughter have a little shame?

"Age: ten. Dai Tianyu. Martial soul: Evil-Eyed White Tiger. Soul power: rank fourteen, power attack system Battle Soul Master!"

His bulging muscles appeared again, and his blond hair instantly turned black and white. The character for "king" emerged on his forehead, and a yellow soul ring once more swayed into place around his body.

He had already used quite a bit of soul power, and had even used a soul skill earlier to show off, so his soul ring emerged a little slowly this time.

Bang-!

Dai Tianyu had barely begun to move when Zhu Zhuqing vanished from in front of him, and a large bump appeared on his head. Just as he turned around in fury, the person behind him disappeared again.

"First soul skill: White Tiger..." Before he could finish, Zhu Zhuqing darted out from somewhere again. A shoe heel slammed straight into his mouth, knocking the rest of his words back down his throat.

This time, Dai Tianyu had finally seen her clearly. Zhu Zhuqing had actually charged out from beneath the table on his left and treated him to a mouthful of her little leather shoe. Perhaps because she was moving too fast, she herself had shot underneath the neighboring table.

But she soon charged out from under that table again, now holding a little leather shoe in each hand. The two shoes gleamed coldly.

The left side of Dai Tianyu's mouth still throbbed with pain. Seeing Zhu Zhuqing holding those two little leather shoes, he immediately lost his nerve. He hurriedly hid behind Zhu Xinglong and shouted:

"I'm done! I surrender! I surrender!"

Hearing him concede, Zhu Zhuqing stopped. Wearing those damned leather shoes had been such a nuisance just now. She had no weapon at hand, so she had simply used her shoes instead. To her surprise, they worked particularly well.

She crouched down, put her little leather shoes back on, and prepared to leave. Since her father didn't love her, there was no need to say goodbye.

Seeing his daughter win, Zhu Xinglong's eyes widened too. Her instantaneous burst of speed had definitely reached the level of a One-Ring Soul Master, yet she clearly hadn't obtained a soul ring. Could it be an additional effect of her mutated martial soul?

While he was puzzling over it, Zhu Zhuqing had already walked out of the banquet hall. Zhu Xinglong wanted to call her back and ask, but his old pride wouldn't let him, so he gave up.

"Your Highness, I will escort you back to the palace."

Zhu Xinglong activated his martial soul, picked up Dai Tianyu, and sped away from the Zhu Family estate.

He had a busy day today. After taking Dai Tianyu back, he still had to investigate Dai Mubai's whereabouts.

Outside the dim banquet hall, a small figure emerged from a corner. Moonlight fell across her body, stretching her shadow far, far behind her.

"Father?"

A soft murmur slowly escaped the small figure.