Chapter 204: A Step Ahead
Whenever she thought of that particular academy, Qian Renxue found it rather peculiar.
She could not fathom what sort of magic it possessed—that it could manage to gather so many individuals hailing from such a diverse array of major powers. The Clear Sky Sect, the Star Luo Imperial Family, the Star Luo Zhu Clan, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan...
Such a small academy, yet it actually harbored so many formidable figures.
Now that the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect had been captured, and the Dean of the Blue Tyrant Academy had been taken away, wasn’t it time for those hidden powerhouses to reveal their true colors?
Qian Renxue set down her wine glass, a glint of amusement flashing in her eyes.
She was eager to see just what would unfold next.
...
Meanwhile...
Outside the Star Dou Great Forest, in a small town.
The night had grown deep, and the lights in the town were sparse.
Only a few shops remained lit; from one particular restaurant, the faint murmur of conversation could be heard.
The restaurant was small, consisting of just a single floor.
Inside the dining hall, several newly arrived Soul Masters sat at various tables. Dressed in simple attire with their weapons resting beside them, they ate their meals heartily while conversing in hushed tones.
The atmosphere was relatively harmonious.
And then—suddenly!
"Bang—!!!"
A deafening crash!
The restaurant’s front doors were kicked wide open!
Several figures stormed into the establishment!
Startled by the commotion, the dining Soul Masters all looked up in unison toward the entrance.
Standing in the doorway were seven or eight individuals.
The man and woman leading the group were particularly striking.
The man wore his long golden hair loose down his back; his expression was one of languid nonchalance, yet his eyes glowed with a distinct violet light, and his stature was imposing.
Although his attire was casual, his smile still betrayed a hint of the inherent arrogance of one accustomed to a position of high authority.
The woman was equally tall, standing nearly eye-to-eye with him.
With her voluptuous figure and skin as smooth and flawless as white jade, she clung to the man’s arm, exuding an aura of gentle softness. Within this very gentleness, her beauty became all the more captivating and undeniable.
Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun.
The First Prince of the Star Luo Empire, and his fiancée.
A retainer stepped forward, sweeping a glance over the Soul Masters seated within, and announced in a loud voice: "The Star Luo Empire is conducting official business here! All irrelevant personnel—clear the way!"
Upon hearing these words, the expressions on the Soul Masters’ faces instantly changed. The Star Luo Empire?
They were merely ordinary Soul Hunters; they certainly didn’t want to get mixed up in that kind of trouble.
The group hurriedly rose to their feet, not even sparing a glance for the food on their table, and hastily exited through a side door.
Inside the restaurant, silence instantly fell.
Only the seven or eight individuals from the Star Luo Empire remained, along with a young girl clad in black seated in the corner.
Zhu Zhuqing.
She sat in the corner, a cup of tea—now completely cold—sitting before her.
Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders; her skin was fair, and she possessed a figure of striking voluptuousness that seemed utterly incongruous with her young age. Yet, her face remained devoid of expression—nothing but a mask of icy silence.
She was surrounded.
From the very moment she had left Spirit City, she had been marked.
She and Dai Mubai had fled together, but Dai Weisi’s men had been dogging their heels the entire time.
It had taken them several days just to barely shake off their pursuers and make it out of Spirit City.
Subsequently, they had chosen to skirt the periphery of the Great Star Dou Forest, hoping to utilize the treacherous terrain to completely throw Dai Weisi’s forces off their trail.
Tonight, they had arrived at this small town, seeking a place to grab a bite to eat and catch their breath.
They had barely taken their seats when Dai Mubai announced he was going to the latrine to relieve himself.
And then...
He never returned.
Zhu Zhuqing knew. He had run away.
He had fled—alone.
Leaving her behind, all by herself.
Now, she was surrounded.
She lowered her head, clenching her hands into tight fists; her fingernails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood.
Yet, she uttered not a single word.
She remained utterly silent.
Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuqing’s older sister, Zhu Zhuqing, walked up to her and looked down at her with an air of haughty superiority.
Zhu Zhuqing gazed at her foolish younger sister, a sneer curling at the corners of her lips: "Oh, Zhuqing... you really are pitifully naive!"
Her voice was sharp and caustic: "Surely you didn’t actually believe you could use the Grand Tournament as a means to turn your fortunes around, did you?"
Zhu Zhuqing offered no reply. Zhu Zhuyun continued, "I told you your judgment was poor! You’re terrible at reading people, and just as bad at choosing an academy!"
Crossing her arms over her chest, she adopted a haughty, condescending air.
"The academy you chose—while it certainly harbored some hidden talent, even concealing a few disciples from the Clear Sky Sect—ended up getting completely wiped out by the Spirit Hall!"
"I hear your Dean was taken away by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, too?"
She clucked her tongue twice and shook her head.
"No Dean, no teammates... looks like you’ve lost any chance of ever making a comeback, haven’t you?"
She leaned in close to Zhu Zhuqing and whispered, enunciating every word: "How pitiful..."
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent.
Her body trembled ever so slightly.
Yet she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to endure in silence.
Standing nearby, Dai Weisi found the corners of his mouth curling upward uncontrollably.
He gazed at the silent girl clad in black, his eyes filled with amusement. "Zhuqing, aren’t you just a little curious..."
He paused for effect. "...about where Dai Mubai—the one who left with you—might have gone?"
Zhu Zhuqing’s body gave a faint start.
But she still did not lift her head.
Nor did she speak.
At this point, there was nothing left for her to say.
Zhu Zhuqing knew: he had run away.
He had run away—all by himself.
Leaving her behind, all alone.
Coward.
She thought the word silently to herself.
Yet, she felt no hatred.
For she had known all along—he was exactly that kind of person.
She had known it ever since their days back in the Star Luo Empire.
Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing offered no response, the smile on Dai Weisi’s face deepened.
He waved his hand.
A servant stepped forward and, with a brutal heave, hurled the person he had been carrying on his shoulder onto the ground.
CRASH!
The figure curled into a fetal position, groaning in agony.
It was Dai Mubai.
At this moment, he was covered in wounds; his face was a mass of bruises and contusions, and blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth. He lay huddled on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, his eyes wide with sheer terror. Dai Weisi stepped forward and kicked him in the face, sneering disdainfully, "Guess what?"
He crouched down, gazing at Dai Mubai’s terrified face.
"We found him right outside the restaurant’s back door."
He stood back up and threw his head back, roaring with laughter.
"He was just about to make a run for it! But we caught him red-handed! Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed through the empty restaurant, jarringly shrill.
"We actually thought you had left first," Dai Weisi said, turning his gaze toward Zhu Zhuqing with eyes full of mockery.
"Who would have thought? It turns out this kid came out all alone..."
He paused, then spoke each word with deliberate emphasis: "It seems things are just the same as they’ve always been!"
"Dai Mubai—always the first to make a hasty retreat! Hahaha!"
Zhu Zhuqing finally raised her head.
She looked down at Dai Mubai lying on the ground.
The man in whom she had once placed her very last shred of hope was now curled up on the floor, trembling uncontrollably, his eyes filled with nothing but terror and desperate pleading.
He looked up at Zhu Zhuqing, his lips quivering as if he wanted to speak.
Yet, no words escaped his lips.
Zhu Zhuqing cast a single glance at him.
Then, she averted her gaze.
In those eyes of hers, there was absolutely no emotion.
No anger. No disappointment. No sorrow.
Only a profound, deathly stillness.
Sure enough... it was just as she had expected.
She thought to herself in silence.
From childhood to adulthood, it had always been this way.
Whenever danger struck, he was invariably the first to run.
It was true when they were children, and it remained true now.
He would never change.
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