Chapter 49: This World Is Too Crazy
Faced with Queen Medusa's threat, Ice Emperor Hai Bodong chose silence. He was never the type to rely on words—verbal sparring held no meaning for him. Especially when facing a powerhouse like Queen Medusa, his assassin's instinct told him exactly what to do.
So long as she didn't cross his bottom line, he wouldn't pick a fight. Certainly not a meaningless one.
No wonder he'd become Hai Lao in the future. He knew when to yield and when to act. Despite being a Dou Huang, he endured being scolded by another Dou Huang without flinching. In another world, this would've been the moment someone said: "You're courting death!"
Yao Yan chuckled inwardly. He knew full well that in terms of raw strength, Hai Bodong was no match for Queen Medusa. If they fought to the death, she might get seriously injured, but Hai Bodong would be a corpse. The difference between a peak nine-star Dou Huang and a five-star Dou Huang was massive.
Not to mention Queen Medusa had her companion soul—a trump card that could instantly boost her strength. The synergy of both factors was far more than just a simple addition.
At that moment—
Queen Medusa's gaze turned back to Yao Yan. Her cold purple eyes reflected his silhouette. Her alluring red lips parted slightly as she seemed to search for the right words. After a moment, she spoke somewhat awkwardly, "Since you're from faraway Central Plains, we have no quarrel. May I ask you to hand her over to me?"
Her tone carried a hint of softening—a rare concession from someone with her pride. But for the sake of her sister, she was willing to lower her head.
Of course, Yao Yan's mysterious background also played a part.
"You don't need to say it like that. This is your family matter. As an outsider, I have no right to interfere. Meeting her was pure coincidence. If not for her amnesia, I wouldn't have kept her by my side. But… from what I've seen, she's a little too innocent. Doesn't seem like someone fit to be a Medusa Queen."
Yao Yan smiled gently as he spoke.
His clothes were ragged, but his confidence and calm were impossible to hide—undeniably someone from a powerful background.
Queen Medusa's expression darkened slightly at his words, as if recalling something unpleasant. Her tone chilled, "That… has nothing to do with you."
Yao Yan's expression remained unchanged. He met her bewitching purple eyes and said, "I haven't known her for long, but I quite like her temperament. If she chooses to return to the snake-people willingly, I won't stop her. But based on her actions so far, she clearly doesn't want to go back. To her, your tribe feels more like a cage than a home."
A cage…?
Queen Medusa bit her lip gently, her eyes flashing with hesitation. That one fleeting moment of vulnerability was devastatingly seductive. After a moment, her gaze turned cold again. "That's our internal matter. I'll handle it. There's no need for you to worry!"
Yao Yan shook his head, unconvinced. "If I'm not mistaken, both you and she are Medusas of this generation. According to your tribe's customs, there can only be one Queen Medusa per generation. Now that you've taken the throne, she's wandering the outside world with amnesia. And this Dou Huang chased her relentlessly… I can't help but suspect your people want her dead."
"No one can harm her as long as I live!"
Queen Medusa's emotions surged. She stood abruptly, her hidden fists clenched, Dou Qi seething within her. The pressure of a peak nine-star Dou Huang surged outward, making the firelight flicker wildly.
"Lying to others is fine—but don't lie to yourself. If you could truly protect her, she wouldn't have had to use spatial magic to escape. She wouldn't have ended up injured, amnesiac, and sealed."
Yao Yan continued, mercilessly poking at her fragile emotional defenses.
Her aura faltered.
Her eyes dimmed. In that moment, she remembered those old, stubborn elders of the clan. If not for them hiding behind tribal law, she and her sister wouldn't be in this situation.
As Queen Medusa, she carried the fate of her entire race...
Even she couldn't control her own destiny... Hai Bodong watched and sighed inwardly. He remembered his past—raised by an assassin organization, trained to kill without emotion. Until he met the girl he loved... who later died because of him. He hated the feeling of being controlled by fate.
He finally spoke, voice heavy, "If you truly care for her, then until you're strong enough to break the rules—stay away."
Hai Lao, the philosopher?
Yao Yan glanced at Hai Bodong and gave him a thumbs-up. "He's right. If you care for her, then fix everything before coming to take her. Until then, I won't hand her over. She chose me when she had no one else. I owe her a future."
She clung to his arm—how could he just let her go? He wasn't that kind of man. This was the first girl to physically cling to him in this world. He couldn't just watch her go back and die.
"What do you mean by this?!"
Queen Medusa's gaze turned icy as she stared Yao Yan down, her tone sharp and questioning. She didn't care for philosophical debates—she just knew her sister couldn't be left in the hands of some stranger, especially not a human man.
She'd made one mistake. She wouldn't make a second.
Yao Yan smiled and offered terms, "I'm a fifth-tier alchemist. I can cure her. Once she recovers her strength as a Dou Huang, you won't need to worry about her safety. In the meantime, let her stay with me. As for protection—he's a mercenary, isn't he? If you're willing to pay, I'm sure he'll ensure your sister's safety."
He looked toward Hai Bodong as he spoke.
Hai Bodong froze, stunned. He hadn't expected to be dragged into this. He was even more shocked to hear Yao Yan claim to be a fifth-tier alchemist. In the entire Jia Ma Empire, the highest-ranked alchemist was also a fifth-tier—the white-haired president of the Alchemist Guild.
He couldn't help but ask, "Can I ask your age?"
"I'll be seventeen in a few months."
Yao Yan said it casually—like it was no big deal.
Queen Medusa went completely silent. Her beautiful eyes stared at him in disbelief. Seventeen and already a fifth-tier alchemist? Was she hallucinating? Was the world going mad? Or was the outside world just this insane?
Hai Bodong was just as dumbfounded. He didn't know what to say.
Yao Yan stated plainly, "I have a decent talent for alchemy. Even back in my clan, there weren't many more gifted than me."
Wait—there are people more talented than him?
A clan?!
Where the hell did this little monster come from?!
(END CHAPTER)
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