The round object stopped in front of Zhu Zhuqing, and she was involuntarily drawn to it. The next moment, her face turned pale and twisted.
"This is our gift to you. Everyone who pursued you has been executed."
You Xing looked at the head of Zhu Zhuyun, who had died with her eyes wide open, and said, "She was the leader of this operation."
"She is... my sister!" Zhu Zhuqing's voice trembled.
"But she was also the one who relentlessly pursued you herself."
You Xing responded, continuing to remind her, "As long as the competitive system of the Star Luo Empire remains unchanged, decades, centuries, or even millennia from now, such sibling rivalry and sisterly betrayal will continue to happen. And now... you have the opportunity to change all of this."
Zhu Zhuqing looked up abruptly. In her eyes, this extraordinarily handsome man possessed both the detachment of a deity and the terror of a demon.
She almost felt suffocated.
"Hahaha... hahaha..."
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head and looked at Zhu Zhuyun's lifeless face, gradually emitting a twisted, eerie laugh. You Xing and the others simply watched her descent into madness in silence.
'My sister, no... Zhu Zhuyun, is dead.'
This was an unshakable fact laid out before Zhu Zhuqing.
The beautiful memories of sisterly affection were vivid in her mind, but Zhu Zhuyun's cold, mocking laughter also echoed in her ears.
The love was real, but so were the pain and hatred.
If there had truly been a chance to kill Zhu Zhuyun, and that opportunity had been placed before her, Zhu Zhuqing honestly didn't know what she would have chosen.
She herself didn't know whether love or hate would have prevailed in her heart at that moment, or if she could have been as ruthless as Zhu Zhuyun had been toward her.
But You Xing had already made that cruel choice for her.
Could she really blame You Xing for killing those who had pursued her?
Anyone else could question it, but she, who had been saved, could not!
"...I'll join." Zhu Zhuqing stopped laughing, raised her head, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
As for going to Heaven Dou to find Dai Mubai?
With Zhu Zhuyun dead, as the last remaining heir of the Zhu family, she naturally no longer had to fear for her life.
"Welcome to the team."
You Xing stepped forward and silently grasped Zhu Zhuqing's cold hand.
Many fanfics had discussed whether Zhu Zhuyun had deliberately staged a seemingly relentless pursuit to let Zhu Zhuqing escape, rather than being forced to kill her in the end. If Zhu Zhuqing hadn't sought out Dai Mubai but instead chosen to live quietly in Heaven Dou, perhaps she could have avoided her inevitable fate.
After all, with the Soul Master power Zhu Zhuyun could command, which included at least Soul King-level experts, hunting down Zhu Zhuqing would have been a trivial task.
Of course, considering the strict attitude of Soul Masters toward bloodline leaks, it was also possible that Zhu Zhuqing had genuinely found a chance to escape.
But... what did that have to do with You Xing and You Chen?
On the contrary, eliminating Zhu Zhuyun and sealing the case beforehand, preventing any emotional manipulation that could lead to loopholes in the plan, was in his best interest.
Sensing Zhu Zhuqing's emotional fluctuations, You Xing felt reassured.
If Zhu Zhuqing had developed resistance or even hatred toward them because of Zhu Zhuyun's death, the plan would have had to take a different direction.
Fortunately, as he had predicted, Zhu Zhuqing was someone more inclined to rely on others.
Or rather... she was someone who tended to go with the flow.
Many fanfics depicted Zhu Zhuqing as a woman with independent spirit and free will, considering her the least superficial and most worthy of love among the three Shrek Academy flowers.
But You Xing didn't see it that way.
Because when she fled the Star Luo Empire, her first thought wasn't to rely on herself but to depend on Dai Mubai.
When she thought Dai Mubai was a philanderer, she chose to endure for the sake of his power.
What mattered wasn't whether Dai Mubai had fallen or whether he would be loyal, but that even when she couldn't accept his flaws and constantly kept him at arm's length, she still chose to stay by his side—wasn't that just pathetic!?
If she truly desired revenge against her sister, her family, and the system, then when she realized she couldn't achieve her goals with Dai Mubai, she should have decisively left him and sought other lifelines.
Like the Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire, or the top three sects...
But she didn't. Apart from relentlessly training, she only engaged in emotional drama with Dai Mubai.
It was utterly nonsensical.
From the fact that she was eventually "moved" and failed the test of the Love-Rending Red Flower, it seemed she had decided early on to attach herself to Dai Mubai.
Otherwise, she was just a fool, inexplicably believing in the garbage environment and teaching methods of Shrek Academy, saying things like, "As long as it helps me improve my strength..."
Big sister, at your age, even normal eating and drinking would allow you to grow stronger during your growth period. Isn't the key issue the speed and efficiency of improving your strength? Your character is clearly in a hurry to grow stronger, so why, when Ning Rongrong questioned Flender's running training method, did you say, "As long as it helps me improve"? You didn't consider that this time could have been used for more efficient ways to grow stronger?
Was she just a fool, or had she decided to attach herself to Dai Mubai?
You Xing leaned toward... both.
Perhaps it was because she was too young, or because the Zhu family's educational resources were all tilted toward her sister, but Zhu Zhuqing knew nothing except that she needed to train and grow stronger.
Dai Mubai was her only hope. Apart from relying on him, she couldn't think of any other way to survive or seek revenge.
That's why she refused to accept Dai Mubai's advances but then inexplicably forgave him.
In the end, she just couldn't swallow her pride.
Even after Dai Mubai had toyed with her like that, she still shamelessly clung to him, didn't that make her seem like she had no self-respect?
So when Dai Mubai showed a little remorse, apologized, and tried to please her, Zhu Zhuqing gave him a way out because she had never intended to look elsewhere.
Just as Dai Mubai had given up the forest for a single tree for the sake of power, Zhu Zhuqing had attached herself to Dai Mubai for the sake of profit and revenge.
It was hard to say whether there was any true love between them—only necessity.
And now, Zhu Zhuqing had a stronger, more reliable figure to lean on, and it was he who had extended the olive branch. It was only natural for her to choose to attach herself to him.
As You Xing had previously analyzed and speculated, she was a woman who appeared independent but was more inclined to be pushed along rather than carve her own path.
Whether it was fleeing from pursuit or naturally attaching herself to Dai Mubai after joining Shrek Academy and becoming an ordinary student, it was all the same.
Hmm, considering Zhu Zhuqing's intelligence, she probably hadn't even considered the possibility of being silenced if she refused, or perhaps the mental shock she had just received was so great that she hadn't had time to think about it before agreeing—You Chen concluded this by sensing Zhu Zhuqing's emotions through his Divine Sense.
"So, what do you need me to do?" Zhu Zhuqing asked.
It seemed she had naturally accepted her new identity.
Honestly, her cold demeanor and few words fit right in with the group of Soul Arena Beasts, who were essentially death warriors.
Without You Xing's instruction, a figure wearing a white tiger mask stepped forward.
Seeing the white tiger mask, Zhu Zhuqing naturally made an association and couldn't help but take a step back.
Perhaps because she had been among a group of white fox masks, she hadn't noticed this person with a different mask until now.
And...
'A woman?'
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze swept over the white tiger mask wearer's chest, her mind silently noting.
You Xing said calmly, "From now on, Amona will be your primary assistant in carrying out the plan to overthrow the nation. The specific details of the plan will be discussed directly between you and her. These Soul Arena Beasts here will also become your strength."
"Hi hi~"
Amona removed the white tiger mask, revealing a cheerful smile as she extended her hand to Zhu Zhuqing, "You must be Zhuqing, right? I've heard the Young Master mention you several times. Let's get along well from now on~"
Zhu Zhuqing looked at Amona, whose demeanor had completely shifted after removing the mask, no longer resembling a death warrior in the slightest, and felt a strange sense of disillusionment and timidity.
"Hello," she said, but she still obediently shook Amona's hand.
"Hehe~ Big kitty~"
As soon as Zhu Zhuqing grasped Amona's hand, Amona pounced on her, and for a moment, it was as if a field of lilies had bloomed.
Zhu Zhuqing shot a pleading look at You Xing.
You Xing, watching the two of them clinging to each other, said, "Amona, a level 58 Soul King, with the White Tiger Martial Soul. Through the arrangements of the Beast Soul Alliance, she is now the recently discovered illegitimate son of Marquis Cassas, your nominal distant cousin."
"Cousin? But... isn't Amona a woman!? And a level 58 Soul King!?"
The successive shocks caused Zhu Zhuqing's eyes to widen, and she was momentarily too stunned to react to being hugged.
Amona, on the other hand, loosened her grip slightly and said nonchalantly, "Zhuqing, you're too rigid. As long as I don't take off my pants, who cares if I'm a man or a woman? Can't I have a male body with a female appearance? As for my cultivation level, it's all thanks to the Alliance Leader's guidance. The Young Master is much stronger than me~"
Amona, who knew the true identity of the so-called Young Master, winked at You Xing and gave him a teasing smile.
Why had You Chen specifically appeared as You Xing?
The reason was... very mundane.
As the saying goes, the beauty trap can be used on men, and it can also be used on women.
Apart from a small minority of women with particular preferences or other needs, most would naturally find it easier to admire someone their own age rather than a man decades older.
Although You Chen was confident in his reasoning, to be safe, he had chosen to use the beauty trap as an extra layer of security.
A young girl, pursued and in desperate straits, suddenly encounters a peer of extraordinary strength and striking handsomeness, seemingly the heir of a major power—the impact was self-evident.
Not to mention a naive girl like Zhu Zhuqing, even a woman in her twenties would undoubtedly fall for it.
The hero rescuing the beauty might be a cliché, but it remained popular precisely because it worked.
For Zhu Zhuqing, betrayed by her beloved sister and family, this was undoubtedly a moment she would remember for the rest of her life.
Especially given You Xing's current appearance—not to boast, but even accounting for differing tastes, he was undoubtedly the most handsome man in the world.
The kind who, if he walked down the street without any disguise or bodyguards, would be mobbed by countless admirers.
Under the aforementioned conditions, if the plot had progressed this far and Zhu Zhuqing still chose to go to Shrek Academy to find Dai Mubai, You Xing felt he might as well find a block of tofu to crash into.
He was that confident in the effectiveness of this additional layer of security.
Even if it wasn't immediately apparent, for someone with Zhu Zhuqing's personality, the sense of belonging to the organization would gradually take root.
In simple terms, it was about making Zhu Zhuqing feel more immersed in her role, thereby fostering a sense of belonging.
On the other hand, Zhu Zhuqing was deeply shaken by Amona's words and was left speechless.
'Stronger than Amona, a level 58 Soul King... does that mean—a Soul Emperor? The Young Master looks at most five years older than me, and he's already a Soul Emperor!?'
Like Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing had access to better resources than in the original timeline, but even so, at the age of 12, she had only recently broken through to the Soul Elder level.
Given another five years, let alone a Soul Emperor, it would be a stretch to say she could even become a Soul King.
You Xing didn't let Zhu Zhuqing waste any more time in stunned silence and continued, "Although Amona's Martial Soul started as an ordinary White Tiger, with continued cultivation, it could surpass the Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul of the Dai family. In addition to the current goal of overthrowing the nation, you have another important task: to develop synergy with Amona and attempt to form a Martial Soul Fusion Skill with her. The Cassas family will serve as the primary cover for our Beast Soul Alliance's operations in the Star Luo Empire, and Amona, under the alias Monaldo, will also be your nominal fiancé in the plan. During this time, you'll have countless opportunities to interact."
"Wait, wait! Young Master, according to your explanation, Amona doesn't possess the Dai family's bloodline, right? She only has an ordinary White Tiger Martial Soul. In that case, how could a Martial Soul Fusion Skill be possible? The Netherworld White Tiger is a Martial Soul Fusion Skill that can only be formed by combining the Evil Eye White Tiger and the Netherworld Spirit Cat!"
Zhu Zhuqing naturally ignored the fact that she still had a fiancé in Dai Mubai—after all, the engagement had become meaningless after Dai Mubai fled Star Luo—and instead focused on You Xing's mention of a Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
This was knowledge and teaching passed down through countless generations of the Zhu family. What You Xing had said completely contradicted her understanding and seemed impossible.
"How do you know it won't work if you've never tried it?"
You Xing's tone was as calm as still water, without the slightest ripple, exuding a sense of confidence and composure: "Don't ask if it's possible or if it can be done. What you need to do is believe, accept, and then... achieve it!"
The natural confidence and faint aura of authority emanating from him made Zhu Zhuqing's heart tremble. She reflexively turned to Amona, seeking confirmation, hoping to hear that such an absurd thing was impossible.
But all she saw was Amona's expression of utter certainty.
'They're definitely a bunch of lunatics!'
Yet, as she looked at these people who kept overturning her past beliefs,
Zhu Zhuqing's heart inexplicably stirred.
Contrary to her own will, she couldn't help but be infected by their confidence, feeling a sense of excitement as if she were embarking on a grand exploration. (End of chapter)