Ye Xuan watched as Ning Rongrong fainted, his expression indifferent. He had no intention of intervening.
He frowned, looking at the wailing Oscar, and said, "Shut up. If you make another sound, I’ll cut out your tongue."
The crying stopped abruptly. Oscar clapped his hands over his mouth, staring at Ye Xuan with terror in his eyes. *Terrifying, absolutely terrifying!* There wasn't a shred of humanity in this man! The casual way he spoke about cutting off tongues was truly chilling!
Ye Xuan’s gaze shifted slightly. A moment ago, he felt he had caught a glimpse of a pair of eyes filled with venomous hatred, staring at him. But as he turned his head, that gaze vanished.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Ye Xuan’s lips. *Hatred? What an interesting emotion.* How long had it been since someone looked at him with such hatred? Back in the Slaughter City, he had encountered many such glares at first, but eventually, all those looks had disappeared. Everyone, including the Slaughter King, looked at him only with fear.
The feeling of being hated... Ye Xuan found he actually missed it.
He glanced at Dai Mubai and smiled calmly. Ye Xuan kicked Dai Mubai in the head, grinding his boot down to press his face into the dirt. "Hey, you pant-wetter, do you think Zhu Zhuqing and I make a good pair?"
Dai Mubai stammered, trembling, "A pair, of course, a perfect pair. As long as you like it, there is no one in the world better suited for you."
Ye Xuan nodded slightly, praising him, "Good dog! Truly worthy of royal blood—your lineage is so pure! A purebred dog, through and through!"
Dai Mubai kept up his fawning, sycophantic smile. Watching this, Zhu Zhuqing felt a deep, piercing sorrow, and her remaining affection for him was utterly severed. Although this so-called bond had only existed because the Star Luo Imperial Family’s succession rules had forcibly tied her to Dai Mubai, she had never felt such intense disappointment and disgust toward him as she did today.
A spineless wretch, only capable of bullying the weak while putting on a show of bravado. When faced with a true powerhouse, he was as pathetic and shameless as when he had abandoned her to flee for his life from the Star Luo Empire.
Ye Xuan stretched his limbs. "Although today’s accounts aren't fully settled, I’ve decided to play with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan for a while. Let’s see if Ning Fengzhi will come to me on his own initiative..."
Hope surged in the hearts of those kneeling on the ground. Did Ye Xuan mean he was leaving? Tang San felt a sense of survival after a catastrophe. Regardless, at least he and Xiao Wu were safe for now. *I wonder if Xiao Wu is scared,* he thought. *Once Ye Xuan leaves, I must comfort her properly.*
Ye Xuan took Zhu Zhuqing’s hand and walked straight toward the exit. Tang San was overcome with joy as he heard the footsteps retreating. However, Ma Hongjun’s puzzled voice pulled Tang San’s heart back into the depths of despair.
"Xiao Wu? You can stand up now? But... where are you going?"
Tang San’s heart turned cold! *What fresh hell is this?*
"Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu! Are you alright? What’s happening?" Tang San was frantic. He tried desperately to lift his head from where it was buried in the ground, but it was in vain; his backside wiggled with his futile, superhuman efforts. He couldn't see what was happening outside.
He could only hear Zhu Zhuqing’s confused voice: "Xiao Wu, why are you following us?"
Xiao Wu stammered for a moment, then managed a strained smile. "Um, Zhuqing, I... I want to go with Ye Xuan, too."
Xiao Wu knew that Ye Xuan lifting the pressure from her wasn't an act of kindness. After all, she was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Beast! Ye Xuan’s intent was clear: he wanted her to follow him voluntarily. That way, even if he took her away, his motives wouldn't be questioned. As long as she followed him of her own accord, no one would suspect she harbored any secrets. No one would ever dream that Xiao Wu was a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Beast!
Now, Tang San was panicking, but Xiao Wu was even more terrified.
*Third Brother, why are you so foolish? Wouldn't it be better if I just left quietly? By blocking Ye Xuan now, you’ll only enrage him, and he won't be bound by the promises he made to me! Stay calm, Xiao Wu, stay calm. My primary goal now is to appease Ye Xuan without exposing my identity, and find a plausible excuse to follow him. I have to make Third Brother believe this is my choice! Only then will he stop interfering, and I won't drag him down with me.*
But what reason could she possibly give? Xiao Wu was so anxious that beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Tang San continued to press her, "Xiao Wu, what is wrong with you? Say something, don't scare me! Zhuqing, what happened to Xiao Wu? Is she in danger? Ye Xuan, Xiao Wu has never offended you—why stoop to picking on a girl?"
The more Tang San cared, the more desperate Xiao Wu became. Finally, she gritted her teeth and hardened her heart. In front of the rest of the Shrek team, she turned to Zhu Zhuqing and said, "Zhuqing, I want to come with you, too. Is that alright?"
Zhu Zhuqing was stunned. "With me? Xiao Wu, what do you mean?"
Xiao Wu’s face flushed with shame, but she forced herself to continue: "I... I want to become stronger, too. So, Zhuqing, can you let me join you?"
Zhu Zhuqing was rendered speechless. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Did Xiao Wu mean she wanted to be like a sister to her? Why? Could it be that Xiao Wu had fallen for Ye Xuan at first sight?
Zhu Zhuqing stood stunned for a long time before shaking her head with a bitter smile. "Forget it. You shouldn't be asking me; you should ask Ye Xuan."
Ye Xuan answered readily, "Of course. I have no reason to refuse."
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent. She felt a sudden sense of urgency. Xiao Wu’s request didn't bring the comfort of companionship; instead, it felt as though she was now competing with someone else. She kept her gaze fixed on Ye Xuan. Even now, it felt like a dream—she still found it hard to believe that this man, only twenty years old, was already a Title Douluo.
Perhaps she should be more proactive. She had to seize this hard-won opportunity to change her destiny.
Compared to Zhu Zhuqing’s contemplation, Tang San’s agony was heart-wrenching. "Xiao Wu! What are you saying? You are my sister! Are you really going to leave me?"
Tang San felt a chill to his bones. Hearing Xiao Wu’s words, he felt as if he were trapped in an ice cellar; his heart was dying. He couldn't help but picture the scene: Xiao Wu looking at Ye Xuan with affection, letting him take her as he pleased.
All this time, although Tang San had used the high-sounding excuse, "She is just my sister," everyone knew he viewed Xiao Wu as his personal possession. And now, she was voluntarily throwing herself into another man's arms. It left Tang San in absolute despair.
Would the goddess he couldn't let go of eventually be taken by someone else?