"My affairs are none of your business."
"..."
Upon entering Shrek, Xuan Ming witnessed the much-anticipated argument.
Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai.
Strange, he already went to that extent last time, how come Dai Mubai still has the courage?
What's going on?
Xuan Ming gently tugged at Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong from behind, while simultaneously activating his domain to seal off the aura and sounds in the area.
" Xuan Ming?!" Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong exclaimed in surprise, their eyes filled with joy.
When did you get back?
"Today," Xuan Ming pointed to Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing not far away.
Why is it happening again?
"Don't misunderstand! Zhu Zhuqing is sincere towards you!" Xiao Wu quickly said.
Xuan Ming looked speechless. "What's going on here?"
"It's Star Luo Empire," Ning Rongrong explained.
"Your actions these past few months have caused quite a stir. Star Luo Empire has also received the news, and the Zhu Family has sent people to the Shrek Academy, demanding that Zhu Zhuqing sever ties with you. They're probably worried that this matter will damage the Zhu Family's reputation."
" Dai Mubai's older brother also sent him a message, saying that he knew about Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's falling out. He's been quite panicked lately, because without Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai would lose the right to compete with his older brother, and his life and death would be in his older brother's hands."
"Even if it's just to buy time, Dai Mubai must first repair his relationship with Zhu Zhuqing. Otherwise, after this competition, Zhu Zhuqing will at least have the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect protecting her, but Dai Mubai will be finished."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School already possessed immense power, and coupled with their close ties to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family over the years, they had no need to give Star Luo Empire any face. Even if she were to forcibly protect Zhu Zhuqing, Star Luo Empire wouldn't dare to say anything.
After all, would the Star Luo Emperor really dare to gamble on whether her Grandpa Bone would secretly sneak into the palace to surprise him?
"How dare he?" Xuan Ming asked in confusion.
Wasn't the lesson I taught him last time enough?
"Of course he wouldn't dare, but you've been gone for half a year, and many people are saying you've run away," Ning Rongrong said.
"Besides, it was Grandmaster who invited Zhu Zhuqing, saying he wanted to discuss training issues with her. But I have a feeling there's something fishy about this, so the two of us came along."
"Upon arriving, I found that, sure enough, the Grandmaster was interfering again."
" Yu Xiaogang? Why is he so concerned about Dai Mubai's affairs?" Xuan Ming asked, puzzled.
Ning Rongrong thought for a moment, "It's a bit complicated; this matter is also related to Tang San."
" Tang San?" Xuan Ming frowned slightly.
"You might not believe it, Tang San is a member of the Clear Sky Sect," Ning Rongrong said.
"He also Twin Martial Souls, and his Second Martial Soul is the Clear Sky Hammer!"
"My dad told me that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Tang San will be the Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao's son!"
"I know," Xuan Ming said.
How did you know?
"Huh?" Ning Rongrong looked completely bewildered.
How did you know?
"I've met Tang Hao," Xuan Ming said.
"When did you meet her? How come I didn't know?" Ning Rongrong asked, puzzled.
"Back in Suotuo City, on the night you enrolled, didn't I disappear for an entire day?" Xuan Ming said.
Xiao Wu recalled for a moment, "Your injury back then, it wasn't from Tang Hao, was it?"
Xuan Ming raised an eyebrow slightly, "Didn't your mother tell you?"
"My mom?" Xiao Wu looked confused.
"My mom knows?"
Xuan Ming thought for a moment, "Go back and ask your mother."
"What injury?" Ning Rongrong asked anxiously.
When were you injured?
"Stop, let's talk about the past another time. I'm asking about what's happening here now," Xuan Ming interrupted.
"Oh..." Ning Rongrong paused, organizing her thoughts.
"Simply put, Tang San comes from the Clear Sky Sect, which has always subtly supported the Star Luo Imperial Family Clear Sky Sect. Grandmaster is probably thinking of helping Dai Mubai seize the throne so that the Clear Sky Sect can more easily establish cooperation with the Star Luo Imperial Family in the future."
"But Dai Mubai's individual abilities are definitely insufficient to compete, so the Grandmaster has been trying every means to help Dai Mubai win Zhu Zhuqing back."
"Then how did you know about Tang San?" Xuan Ming asked.
"We know about this because of you," Ning Rongrong said.
"Do you remember what happened at the auction? You disrupted the auction, and somehow the Godly Zhuge Crossbow that Tang San was going to auction ended up in the hands of the Strength Clan."
"Elder Tai Tan of the Strength Clan is one of the three great master craftsmen of the continent. He saw the ingenuity of the Godly Zhuge Crossbow and chased after Tang San to Shrek, asking him to join the Strength Clan. Then they had a bet, and Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer was exposed. My father happened to be there discussing Hidden Weapon with Tang San at the time and saw it."
"As for what happened after that, I don't know much about it; you'll have to ask my dad."
"However, His Highness the Crown Prince has already contacted Tang San. You can ask His Highness the Crown Prince for details."
Xuan Ming nodded. At this moment, the arguing not far away gradually subsided.
Zhu Zhuqing Dai Mubai a cold look, then turned to leave.
Seeing this, Dai Mubai hurriedly stepped forward to try to stop her, but Zhu Zhuqing nimbly dodged him.
" Zhu Zhuqing, do you really intend to become a traitor to the Zhu Family?" Dai Mubai asked.
Zhu Zhuqing stopped, but didn't turn around. Her voice was icy cold. "I was originally a pawn of the Zhu Family, a discarded pawn."
"My father never placed any hope in me, nor did he care whether I lived or died. If leaving to survive is betrayal, then so be it."
"As for you, I don't hate you for abandoning me and running away back then. I understand you were scared, but what have you been doing since you left Star Luo Empire and escaped Dai Weisi?"
"I don't dare to rest for a moment at home, afraid that I will never see the sun rise again, but what about you?"
"I chased you all the way to Suotuo City, I chased you to Shrek, hoping to work together with you, even if the final outcome still couldn't be changed. But what did you do?"
"Believe it or not, I never intended to rely on Xuan Ming in the first place. After all, I had too much trouble, and I didn't think he was worth the risk. You and I are on the same side, but you have insulted me and him time and time again because of your ridiculous jealousy and pride!"
"What right do you have to talk about me? And what right do you have to talk about him?"
"He has always respected my choices. What about you? Have you ever respected me, even once?"
"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You're being subservient to me now only to survive the upcoming battle with Dai Weisi. You still resent me, thinking I betrayed you and am shameless. If you had power, you would definitely take revenge on me and torture me to protect your pathetic and laughable pride!"
"You!" Dai Mubai's face turned red from Zhu Zhuqing's words. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
He knew in his heart that every word Zhu Zhuqing said was true. His past cowardice and selfishness were now like sharp blades, tearing his self-esteem to shreds.
" Zhu Zhuqing, perhaps Dai Mubai did many wrong things in the past, but now, just as you said, you two are on the same side." Yu Xiaogang forward.
"I won't advise you to forgive him, but you should also think about yourself. Can you really stand against the Star Luo Empire on your own?"
"Don't think Xuan Ming will protect you. He's already in dire straits himself. As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sect Master Ning might temporarily protect you from the Star Luo Empire because of Ning Rongrong's request, but what about the future?"
" The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's protection comes at a price. In the future, you will have to obey the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's orders, and you may even have to marry someone you despise. If you are unwilling, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect will no longer protect you, and you will once again face the pursuit of the Star Luo Empire."
I don't think you can't see these things clearly.
"Now, as long as you and Dai Mubai join forces, with the help of the Xiao San, you might have a chance to defeat your sister and the others. Only by winning this competition will you have the right to choose."
Zhu Zhuqing whirled around, her eyes sharp as ice, piercing straight at Yu Xiaogang. She coldly said, " Yu Xiaogang, stop pretending to be some kind of wise man. Dai Mubai disgusts me, and so do you!"
"When it comes to shamelessness and disgust, even Dai Mubai is far inferior to you!"
Chapter 224 Who Will Be the First to Stick Out?
" Zhu Zhuqing!"
Yu Xiaogang was stunned by the sudden scolding, then shouted back sternly, trying to regain his authority as a teacher.
Zhu Zhuqing looked coldly at Yu Xiaogang, "Regarding Teacher Erlong's matter, you kept saying you didn't want her to bear that pressure, but in reality, you were afraid to face it yourself. You ran to a corner and hid, leaving Erlong to bear the pain alone!"
"While Teacher Erlong was waiting for you, suffering alone, what were you doing? How dare you try to get close to Aunt Rou?"
"I..." Yu Xiaogang's face turned extremely ugly. His lips trembled slightly, and he wanted to refute but was speechless for a moment.
Zhu Zhuqing continued, "You keep saying you don't want Teacher Erlong to get hurt, but then you turn around and show off your own beauty. Is this your responsibility as a man?"
"You're nothing but a coward who's been knocked down by life but doesn't even have the courage to get up and fight again!"
"What's laughable is that you don't even dare to admit that you're a coward, and you try every possible way to excuse yourself!"
"I have always addressed you as 'Grandmaster' out of respect for your knowledge, as well as for Dean Flender and Teacher Erlong, and certainly not out of respect for a coward like you who says one thing and does another!"
Yu Xiaogang blushed and trembled slightly as Zhu Zhuqing retorted.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and said, " Zhu Zhuqing, that's a personal emotional issue, and it shouldn't be confused with what's happening now. I admit I've been weak in matters of the heart, but in the world of Soul Master, I've always strived for higher levels and wanted to contribute to the Soul Master World."
Zhu Zhuqing sneered, "Contribution? Your so-called contribution is hiding behind the scenes and using others to achieve your own goals?"
"You helped Dai Mubai only for the sake of the Clear Sky Sect and the Star Luo Imperial Family, hoping to use it to enhance your own status and influence. You don't care about Dai Mubai or my life or death at all; you only care about yourself!"
"You pretend to be all righteous and noble, but ask yourself honestly, isn't every single thing you've done driven by selfish motives?"
"Even when it comes to Tang San, you couldn't resist scheming, could you?"
"It's truly a shame that you respect Tang San so much, almost regarding him as a father, yet you treat him merely as a tool to realize your so-called ambitions and prove yourself!"
"I taught Tang San with all my heart! I imparted theoretical knowledge to him and planned his cultivation path. Isn't that a sacrifice?" Yu Xiaogang retorted, his face flushed and veins bulging on his forehead.
Zhu Zhuqing scoffed, "Sincere? He trusts you so much, but how have you treated him? Experimenting on him with things you weren't even sure about yourself? Did you consider what would happen if something went wrong?"
"You leave the risks to Tang San, and if he fails, it's because he's not good enough; if he succeeds, it's because you taught him well, right? Is this what you call sincerity?"
"You call yourself Tang San's teacher, but which of his real skills did you teach him? I bet you still don't even know what Tang San's abilities are, do you?"
"..."
" Zhu Zhuqing is amazing!"
Seeing Yu Xiaogang speechless after being rebuked by Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu's expression was somewhat strange.
Zhu Zhuqing is usually a woman of few words; this was the first time she had ever seen her speak so much, and so sharply!
That mouth of hers is almost as big as Ning Rongrong's!
Ning Rongrong raised her chin slightly. "Of course, Zhu Zhuqing is very smart; she just doesn't say it."
Zhu Zhuqing understood many things, but she didn't say anything. After all, she was the daughter of the Star Luo Zhu Family, and she shouldn't say things she shouldn't. These were things she definitely needed to understand.
In the past six months, the Grandmaster has helped to bring them together many times, like today. He has used every trick in the book, from daily training and hunting for Soul Ring to short vacations. But Zhu Zhuqing has always held back, because she has to consider Flender and Liu Erlong, as well as Tang San.
The reason I'm saying all this today is because Zhu Zhuqing has reached her breaking point!
Why are you even bothering with them?
Xuan Ming sighed and walked out.
Upon hearing Xuan Ming's voice, Zhu Zhuqing stiffened slightly and slowly turned her head. A complex emotion flashed in her eyes as she saw Xuan Ming. She gently bit her lip and whispered, "You... you're back."
Upon seeing Xuan Ming, Dai Mubai's pupils constricted sharply, and the pain of the past surged into his heart instantly. He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with resentment and fear. He wanted to rush forward and unleash his fury, but his instincts made him unconsciously retreat, and he dared not utter a word.
Xuan Ming stepped forward, gently patted Zhu Zhuqing's head, and looked at Dai Mubai, "It seems I was too lenient back then."
Before Dai Mubai Dai Mubai say anything, countless sharp ice needles condensed in the air and rained down on him from all directions.
The next instant, Dai Mubai let out a shrill roar, his whole body began to turn blue, and then red, just like half a year ago.
"I'm in a pretty good Tianxin. Same as always, if you can hold out for three days, I'll let you go," Xuan Ming said.
Upon seeing this, Yu Xiaogang quickly stepped forward and said, " Xuan Ming, you..."
Xuan Ming glanced at Yu Xiaogang, and the fine rain of ice needles formed again. Before he could speak, a dense barrage of ice needles shot out.
The next moment, Yu Xiaogang enjoyed the same Ice and Fire Man combo meal as Dai Mubai.