Chapter 193: The Demon Who Manipulates Hearts and the Laughable Clown
While Tang San was still laying the groundwork for his persuasion, Han Li had also begun to act.
Of course, he didn't intervene directly. Instead, he activated Mental Link, connecting himself to Zhu Zhuqing, who was resting nearby.
Zhu Zhuqing, still in a meditative state, felt a sudden tremor in her mind. She immediately stopped cultivating and prepared to investigate when a familiar voice echoed in her head one she had never forgotten.
"It's me, Han Li. Don't move. Pretend you're still meditating. I have something to show you."
Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned but quickly resumed circulating her soul power. Suddenly, a scene appeared in her mind it was the training ground she knew so well.
However, she could only see a small portion of it, where Tang San and the others were gathered. The rest was obscured by a black haze, as if covered by a veil, rendering everything else indistinct.
"No need to speak aloud. If you want to say something, just think it."
Han Li added after a brief silence, realizing that he had almost forgotten this girl has no experience using spiritual power.
"Where are you? Are you nearby? What soul skill is this? What exactly do you want me to see?"
In an instant, Zhu Zhuqing fired off four questions in quick succession, her tone tinged with wariness.
"Does it matter? Even if I told you, you wouldn't be able to find me. Besides, if I remember correctly, we're still technically enemies, aren't we? Why should I tell you anything?"
Han Li's teasing voice rang in her mind, confirming that it was indeed him his attitude was as infuriating as ever.
"Fine. Then I won't ask."
A few seconds later, Zhu Zhuqing's mental response came, laced with barely suppressed irritation.
Han Li's lips curled into a smirk. Ah, now that's the reaction I expected.
After their last interaction, he had already noticed that her internal thoughts were far more turbulent than her cold exterior suggested.
"Good. Now focus on what's happening over there."
His voice carried an amused undertone, making it clear that he had definitely provoked her on purpose.
As soon as he finished speaking, the previously silent scene in her mind finally produced sound.
"That's pretty much the situation. After discussing with Teacher, we've concluded that Zhu Zhuqing's self centered attitude has indeed undermined the team's cohesion. Fatty, Xiao Ao, you're both smart you should see that too."
Tang San spoke with a helpless expression, as if deeply concerned about the team's current state.
"Fatty, Xiao Ao, Tang San has a point. Think about it if we can convince her to perform the Martial Soul Fusion Technique with me, our strength will skyrocket. Winning the championship wouldn't be impossible. At the very least, defeating the Heaven Dou First Team would be a given."
"If we achieve that, we'll be more valued, gain greater recognition, and have better future prospects. What do you think?"
Seeing the two waver, Dai Mubai immediately pressed his advantage.
"But… this…"
Oscar looked hesitant. While their arguments made sense, something about it felt off.
Moreover, unlike the others, Oscar had already been recruited by Prince Xue Qinghe. He had no combat ability to begin with, so even if they performed better in the tournament, how much more could his own status improve?
All he wanted was to coast through until graduation and then join the prince's faction. Why go out of his way to make an enemy of Zhu Zhuqing?
He had personally seen how crazy she was in battle. If she got pushed too far and retaliated, what was he supposed to do? Just take the hit?
"Damn it, Xiao Ao, are you even our brother?! We're talking about something important, and you're here hesitating. Just give a straight answer yes or no?"
Surprisingly, the first to speak up wasn't Dai Mubai or Tang San it was Ma Hongjun. He glared at Oscar, clearly displeased.
Truth be told, Ma Hongjun was very tempted by their proposal.
Who was he? The Evil Fire Phoenix a fire based martial soul genius with innate soul power of level nine.
When he first arrived at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, he thought it would be his chance to finally rise.
But reality was cruel.
Forget about Tang San and Xiao Wu those two were born with full innate soul power and were monstrously strong. He had long accepted that he was no match for them.
Ning Rongrong? No point in comparing she was simply in a different league.
But what hurt the most… was that he had been ignored by Xue Qinghe.
Even after personally offering his allegiance, the prince never reached out again.
Why?!
How was it that Oscar a food type soul master with zero combat ability was valued more than him? Just because he had full innate soul power?
Since Xue Qinghe stopped showing interest, Ma Hongjun still received plenty of recruitment offers from nobles. But after secretly comparing them, he realized that Oscar's offers were better in both quantity and quality.
Were these people blind?!
A Fire Phoenix! Even with its flaws, it's still one of the top tier beast martial souls!
Why the hell did he have to put up with this nonsense?
In the end, strength was what truly mattered in the soul master world.
Tang San and Dai Mubai's words struck a chord with him.
The Continental Soul Master Tournament was his best chance to prove his potential to the world. If he performed well, he would be the center of attention.
By the time he returned, he would be the one choosing others not the other way around.
"Hmph. Pretty boys really can't be trusted."
In the shadows, Han Li sneered.
He had initially expected Ma Hongjun to remain neutral.
But after hearing his response, Han Li realized something this fat pig was the pettiest one of them all.
Unlike Dai Mubai, who was just following his ingrained aristocratic values…
Unlike Oscar, who simply wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble…
Unlike Tang San, who, at the very least, had a clear goal…
Ma Hongjun?
His only reason for agreeing was pure jealousy and resentment.
What a joke.
Han Li shifted his gaze back to Zhu Zhuqing, watching her reaction through the mental link.
The moment she heard Tang San's words, her soul power circulation paused for a brief second a clear sign of emotional turmoil.
She quickly regained control, but Han Li could tell.
She had heard everything.
Interesting.
Maybe it was because he hadn't gone out in the past few days, but Ma Hongjun seemed irritable and muttered something under his breath.
"Fatty, what did you just say?"
Oscar's face immediately changed. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He had just wanted to take a moment to think why was he getting scolded for it?
"Fatty, watch what you're saying. Apologize to Xiao Ao, now."
Tang San was growing frustrated. They hadn't even reached an agreement yet, and now they were about to start fighting each other? What kind of nonsense is this?
"Apologize? Why should I apologize? Did I say anything wrong? Some people call us brothers all the time, but when it comes to something this small, they keep making excuses. Honestly, I think his heart isn't even with us anymore."
Ma Hongjun's voice was full of mockery as he turned away, refusing to look at them.
Their commotion naturally caught the attention of Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu.
"Brother, what's going on? Did something happen?"
Xiao Wu didn't fully understand the situation but noticed that Tang San had turned his head toward them. She looked as if she wanted to walk over and check things out.
"It's nothing, nothing at all! Don't come over, we're just messing around."
Tang San, now sweating nervously, quickly reassured her. He wasn't worried about Xiao Wu after all, she would always be on his side.
But if Ning Rongrong came over, it would be a disaster. They hadn't even reached a consensus yet, and if she got involved, things could spiral out of control.
"Did you do that?"
Zhu Zhuqing's voice suddenly echoed in the mental link.
"Sigh, don't assume the worst about me. I didn't do anything this time. I just… amplified that little chicken's emotions a tiny bit."
Han Li even helpfully highlighted the red hot elemental energy flickering around Ma Hongjun.
"Heh. And you call that 'doing nothing'?"
Zhu Zhuqing sneered.
"Hey, that's not my fault. My spiritual scan requires me to release some energy, right? He chose to absorb those fire elements on his own. What does that have to do with me?"
"Besides, it was barely anything. I didn't even attack him, and he already lost control of his emotions. That just proves he's pathetic. The others are standing right next to him do they look affected?"
Han Li wasn't making excuses this time, he genuinely hadn't done anything deliberate. Ma Hongjun's martial soul had natural defects. He didn't even need to interfere.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't argue back. She had been observing closely while Han Li spoke.
Indeed, the fire element around Ma Hongjun was slightly more intense, but since he wasn't in his Martial Soul Possession state, it was really only a tiny amount.
His reaction wasn't unexpected. He was always hot tempered and prone to complaining, convinced that his low soul power was just a temporary setback. This was simply how he always acted.
In fact, compared to when his Evil Fire flared up, his behavior now was actually better than usual.
"Instead of suspecting me, why don't you focus on your 'teammates'? They're currently discussing how to 'fix' their little problem with you."
Since Zhu Zhuqing had stopped arguing, Han Li decided to twist the knife.
"This kind of thing… wasn't it obvious from the moment you first met me? Do you really find it amusing?"
Zhu Zhuqing's voice was cold, but there was an underlying sadness to it.
"Don't blame everything on me. You know this isn't because of me. I met you once over a year ago and never interfered since."
Han Li didn't bother coddling her. What kind of nonsense was this? Trying to pin it all on me? He wasn't some martyr who enjoyed taking the blame.
"You fundamentally changed how I see them. Isn't that true?"
Zhu Zhuqing sounded as if she was still trying to deny it, clinging to her last bit of resistance.
"Mm. You're right. I should've just let you complete the Martial Soul Fusion Technique. That way, you guys could've defeated Yu Tianheng and his team. How wonderful."
"The Shrek Seven Devils a family so close they're practically siblings! Just one big, happy group. Except… I wonder if you'd still have enough of yourself left to be having this conversation with me right now."
Han Li's voice was full of exaggerated praise, but the ridicule was undeniable.
Zhu Zhuqing clenched her fists involuntarily.
"You're a demon who manipulates people's hearts."
She responded, voice filled with helplessness.
"Ah, yes, yes, of course."
Suddenly, the sound of clapping echoed in their shared mental space. Han Li's figure materialized beside Zhu Zhuqing's spectral form.
"I'm a demon who manipulates hearts. And what about them? What are they to you? Your teammates? Your fiancé? Or your oh so reliable Brother San?"
Four clown masks appeared out of thin air, surrounding Zhu Zhuqing.
Their eerie grins never wavered as they lifted a single finger first pointing at Han Li, then at the figures in the projected scene, and finally… at her.
The masks trembled as if they were laughing.
Zhu Zhuqing froze, staring at them in shock. She hadn't expected him to be capable of this.
After a long silence, she finally turned to look at Han Li.
"What's it called?"
"Clown."
Han Li smiled faintly, speaking a single word that needed no further explanation.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen