While Dai Mubai was in a fit of impotent rage, Lin Ye and Ning Rongrong, on the other side, remained unaffected.
"Zhuqing, why do I feel like you've changed so much?"
Ning Rongrong pressed a finger to her lower lip, her gaze slightly suspicious; after calming down, she still felt her best friend was a bit off.
The former Zhu Zhuqing was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
But no matter what, she would never have been so harsh on Dai Mubai, so why had her personality suddenly changed so drastically these past few days?
Lin Ye's expression remained unchanged. He knew Ning Rongrong would be suspicious, so he retorted, "Why do you say that?"
Ning Rongrong blurted out, "Although you've always seemed cold, I know you're kind. The old you would never have been so ruthless."
"Oh, he treated me like that, so should I just let him defile me?"
Ning Rongrong was stunned; it seemed there was nothing wrong with that.
Lin Ye glanced at her, sighed, and said in a low voice, "Actually, I know your doubts."
Ning Rongrong sat quietly, waiting for her best friend's big secret.
"Because the Zhu family's Hell Civet Spirit and the Imperial Dai family's White Tiger Spirit can perform the Spirit Fusion Skill, Hell White Tiger, possessing powerful cross-level combat ability.
The two families have a close relationship and have intermarried for generations. I was betrothed to Dai Mubai from a young age, and then we were to compete for the position of the Imperial heir.
And our competitors, Dai Mubai and I, were the combination of the Eldest Prince and my Eldest Sister.
Due to the age gap, they held an absolute advantage.
But even so, we had no choice. Either Dai Mubai and I succeeded in ascending, or we faced failure.
And the price of failure was to be imprisoned or eliminated, to prevent internal family strife.
A few years ago, Dai Mubai fled the Star Luo Empire.
I was unwilling to give up and practiced diligently, all for the sake of finding a way out within the rules of the family and the Empire.
I also thought that Dai Mubai would be like me. I even thought he fled to escape the Eldest Prince's difficulties and to cultivate better.
But when I followed his information and found him in Soto City, I knew I was wrong. He was indulgent, promiscuous, frequented brothels, and lived a life of debauchery.
Actually, at that time, I should have understood that we had no chance of winning.
It's just that later, Grandmaster's high-intensity training left me no time for other thoughts, and I've been living in a daze for so long.
These days, Dai Mubai's attentiveness almost made me mistakenly believe he had turned over a new leaf, but then I found I was wrong again.
He's still the same, with nothing but women on his mind."
Within the Sea of Consciousness, Zhu Zhuqing listened to their conversation expressionlessly, but her heart was anything but calm.
How did this stranger know so much about her affairs?
Ning Rongrong listened quietly. Born into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, she had some understanding of the Star Luo Empire's 'Gu Cultivation' system.
Based on Dai Mubai and her best friend's Spirits, she had already suspected something, and now it was confirmed.
At this moment, she saw her best friend reveal a bitter smile, "So, actually, we've already lost.
Time is running out, but in this final period, I don't want to live within the family's framework, and certainly not with that forced marriage contract on me.
I don't want to accommodate anymore, I don't want to compromise anymore. I am Zhu Zhuqing, and I want to live for myself, to live the way I want."
Zhu Zhuqing, within the Sea of Consciousness, felt as if struck by lightning, her body trembled violently, and her expression was dazed. Lin Ye's words had touched a chord deep within her heart.
Ning Rongrong felt some pity for her best friend. It was true that her best friend and Dai Mubai had been betrothed since childhood, but there was no emotional foundation whatsoever.
No one had asked for her best friend's wishes regarding that marriage contract, and her best friend had no right to speak.
In fact, from the very beginning, her best friend was a casualty of that 'Gu Cultivation' game.
Ning Rongrong lovingly held her best friend's hand and said, "Zhuqing, why don't you come with me to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School? I'll talk to my father."
Seeing Ning Rongrong's look of overflowing sympathy, Lin Ye smiled inwardly. 'Little girl, you still doubted me? Didn't that just solve it?'
Lin Ye shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Rongrong, you're thinking too simply. The family and the Empire would not allow such a thing to happen.
If I were to escape the rules of the family and the Empire as you suggested, then others would imitate me and join other Sects, or even Spirit Hall.
This would undoubtedly be an act of betrayal to the Empire and the family; they would not allow it.
If it were truly possible, someone would have done it before."
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong lowered her head, looking somewhat sad.
Lin Ye gave her a hug.
"Rongrong, thank you for letting me confide in you. It feels much better to have said it."
Ning Rongrong, however, could not be happy. Thinking of her best friend's fate, she felt powerless.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was not afraid of the Star Luo Empire's pressure, but she knew her father's character; he wouldn't offend the Star Luo Empire for one Zhu Zhuqing, and other Sects would be the same.
Suddenly, remembering her best friend's words, Ning Rongrong grasped the key point. A light bulb seemed to light up in her head. She grabbed her best friend's arm and excitedly said:
"Spirit Hall can! Zhuqing, you can try joining Spirit Hall!
Spirit Hall is not afraid of the Star Luo Empire, and a competitor of the Star Luo Empire joining Spirit Hall would be a powerful blow to the Star Luo Empire. I believe Spirit Hall would also be very happy to see this."
At this moment, Ning Rongrong didn't care about her own position; what she considered was whether her best friend could survive.
Lin Ye was stunned for a moment, then broke into a smile. She had to admit, Ning Rongrong's little brain was quite clever.
The former Spirit Hall would not offend the Star Luo Empire for a talent like Zhu Zhuqing, but now it might be different. In recent years, Spirit Hall had been ambitious and its strength had grown increasingly powerful.
If they could use this to strike at the Star Luo Empire, Spirit Hall would probably not refuse, and the Star Luo Empire would not dare to truly fall out with Spirit Hall.
"Rongrong, what you said does make some sense."
Seeing her best friend's expression relax a bit, Ning Rongrong smiled and said, "Zhuqing, you don't have to worry too much. Grandmaster said today that he'll arrange special training for us once Tang San returns."
Ning Rongrong spoke earnestly, as if the Grandmaster she spoke of was omnipotent.
"Grandmaster..."
Lin Ye couldn't help but scoff.
"Rongrong, Yu Xiaogang's words, just listen to them. You actually take them seriously?"
Ning Rongrong blinked innocently. She could feel the disdain in her best friend's tone when Yu Xiaogang was mentioned.
"Zhuqing, isn't Grandmaster quite good? He helped us a lot before, didn't he?"
Lin Ye smiled and started PUAing Ning Rongrong again.
"He always says there are no useless Spirits, only useless Spirit Masters. So what does that make him? He's over fifty years old and still a Spirit Grandmaster.
I admit that during the training period, we improved a lot, but that was also the result of us putting in several times the usual effort.
And have you ever considered whether that kind of training is really that effective? Will it cause damage to the body over time?
Will those medicinal baths we used form impurities in our bodies? You know, even medicine is three parts poison.
And if it's really that effective, why didn't Yu Xiaogang use it on Tang San before, but waited until Shrek to use it on us, who are unrelated?
There are no unearned benefits in this world."