As Tang Yin brought Zhuyun to their lodging, the door slammed open. Zhuqing caught sight of her sister and, unable to hold back, dashed forward. She flung herself into Zhuyun's arms, tears spilling down her cheeks in torrents.
"Sister… you didn't have to bear everything for my sake," Zhuqing choked out, her whole body trembling with emotion.
The person she had spent years resenting was, in truth, the one who had shouldered the heaviest burdens for her. In that instant, her hatred dissolved like mist beneath the morning sun, leaving only guilt and aching relief.
Zhuyun's eyes softened as her hands tightened protectively around her sister's trembling shoulders. For once, her proud façade cracked. Her voice quivered as she whispered, "Foolish girl… how could I not?"
Zhuyun held her tightly, stroking her hair with a tender hand. "It was the only way to protect you from Weisi at that time. Please… forgive me, Zhuqing," she murmured, her own eyes glistening as memories of their childhood flickered within them.
The two sisters clung to each other, their bond mending in the warmth of that embrace. From this moment onward, nothing could ever sever their bond again.
Not wanting to play the third wheel in their heartfelt moment, Tang Yin quietly stepped aside, hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Looks like my harem is almost complete… almost," he muttered under his breath, his eyes glinting with ambition as he stepped inside the lodging to spend the night.
The Next Day
An absurd news spread through Xing Luo City like wildfire, leaving the citizens stunned:
"The Emperor has declared that crown Princes Dai Weisi and Dai Mubai—once rivals for the throne—are now officially engaged!"
"Their former fiancées, Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing, have had their marriage contracts annulled. As compensation, the Zhu family has been released from their duties as Royal Guardians and elevated to the rank of dukes."
The city erupted in disbelief and outrage. Citizens openly condemned the royal family's incompetence and absurdity.
"Has His Majesty lost his mind?!" Dissatisfied voices thundered through the streets. "He's permitting siblings to wed—and worse still, they're both men!"
"How can we follow a ruler who defies every tradition and shred of decency? Our enemies will mock us on the battlefield!"
"What battlefield?!" another voice spat bitterly. "The Zhu clan was our sharpest blade in war! But now, with their guardianship stripped and a dukedom in hand, why should they bleed for us again? Unless the Emperor commands it, they won't need to send a single soldier to the frontlines! We're doomed."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowds, outrage feeding upon itself. In a single decree, the Emperor had not only shattered tradition—he had crippled the very backbone of Xing Luo's military might.
Whispers spread like wildfire, gossip leaping from market stalls to teahouses, from noble halls to barracks. Politics, families, reputations—all overturned overnight.
Yet within the capital, dissent was swiftly crushed. The Emperor declared that any who dared question the royal family would face ruthless punishment. Fear sealed the people's lips, and the streets fell into uneasy silence.
But beyond Xing Luo's borders, the continent rang with mock laughter and condemnation.
"Hahaha! So this is the mighty Xing Luo Empire?" neighboring rulers jeered. "If they send their armies led by those two sissies, the whole continent will have them crying from humiliation before the first clash even begins!"
Neighboring Empire mocked the Dai Empire without restraint, their scorn echoing louder with each passing day.
Tang Yin was genuinely impressed by how quickly the news spread across the cities. No matter the place, no matter the people—gossip always traveled faster than any messenger bird.
As he mused, Zhuyun's sharp eyes narrowed on him. She studied him openly, suspicion gleaming beneath her calm exterior.
Deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that all this chaos carried his fingerprints. After all, hadn't he promised her yesterday that the Emperor would annul their marriage contract?
Tang Yin tilted his head with a lazy grin. "What is it, kitty? Falling for me already? Don't worry—I'm sure your sister wouldn't mind sharing me with you. And I certainly wouldn't mind."
Outwardly he teased, but inwardly he sighed. 'Took long enough… has she finally figured it out? I've been putting on a show like a clown all this time, and she's finally catching on.'
Though Zhuyun outwardly wore a scheming expression, she was a little slow on the uptake. Seeing him openly flirting with her, she snorted but said nothing. Instead, she turned to join the others in gossip, hugging Zhuqing tightly as they both savored their newfound freedom from a doomed fate.
Afterwards—
Tang Yin clapped his hands, drawing the girls' attention. "All right, listen up! We still need to travel to the Far North. But Zhuyun is severely behind in cultivation, so I'll be taking her with me to Star Duo Forest. Everyone else,"
Zhu Zhuyun gave them all a doubtful look and interrupted, "Hey, I'm only level 56… what am I supposed to do in the Star Dou Forest?"
Tang Yin ignored her and turned to the Shui sisters. "You'll head to the Far North with the others and wait for me and Zhuyun at the final stop. Don't wander off on your own, alright?"
Both sisters nodded as they temporarily parted ways. Silently watching the others depart, Tang yin finally had some alone time with Zhuyun—a perfect opportunity to work on capturing this little kitten's heart.
Silently, he stared at Zhuyun's voluptuous figure, his mouth slightly agape and a foolish expression on his face, completely unable to tear his eyes away from her curves. "So big!"
Seeing his intense gaze, Zhuyun immediately raised her hands to cover her voluptuous chest and snapped, "What are you staring at?"
"Nothing! Must be your imagination, Zhuyun Jiejie. I'm so young—how could I have any impure thoughts?" Tang yin asked, feigning innocence which could fool anyone.
But Zhuyun didn't believe him for a second; she knew all of Zhuqing's friends had been his lovers, and she was well aware of her own beauty. 'You little rascal! Don't even think for a second that I'll be easy to woo like the others.'
Seeing she wasn't buying it, Tang Yin dropped the act and advanced slowly, his eyes blazing with mischievous desire. Alarmed, Zhuyun took a step back—but before she could react, he unfurled his Eight Spider Wings and directly swooped toward her.
"Aah~!"
Zhuyun struggled, but Tang Yin caught her effortlessly in a princess carry, soaring into the sky as he chuckled at her flustered reaction.
"Am I really that scary… or are you just that cowardly?" he teased while spanking her butt.
"Hmph! Rogue Tang Yin! Release me now!" Zhuyun snapped, wriggling furiously in his firm grip. How could she possibly escape?
Tang Yin only chuckled, clearly savoring the sight of the flustered kitten. Without warning, he leaned in and pecked her cheek. Zhuyun's face instantly turned crimson. She glared daggers at him, squirming and clawing at his chest, but her struggles were utterly futile.
"I'm warning you! If you don't release me, you'll regret it!" she hissed, writhing with fury.
Tang Yin smirked. "Want me to release you? Fine." He loosened his hold—but the moment he did, Zhuyun panicked. She clung to him like a lifeline, wrapping her entire body around him, eyes brimming with fear and tears, as if some great injustice had been done.
Wooo~
"Who told you to let me fall?! I'm complaining to Zhuqing! Wuu…" she wailed softly, clinging to him in desperation.
Tang Yin chuckled as he held her firmly, his gaze softening as he met her tear-glimmering eyes. "Sorry, but you'll have to bear this a little longer. Otherwise, the trip will take forever."
Hearing him apologize, Zhuyun finally dropped her act and relaxed against his broad shoulder, no longer complaining. Yet, being so close, she couldn't help but greedily inhale his scent, a small blush creeping across her cheeks.
In less than a day, Tang Yin arrived at the inner region of the Star Dou Forest, Zhuyun safely nestled in his arms. She shivered, fear evident in her voice. "Hey Tang Yin, what are we doing in such a dangerous place? Let's go back!"
Tang Yin chuckled, releasing his Telepathy to search for a soul beast suitable for her Martial Soul. "We're gonna hunt a soul beast for you. What else?" he asked.
"But I'm not even Level 60! Why would we look for a soul ring? Are you stupid?" she retorted, struggling half-heartedly in his grip.
"Maybe not now, but soon you will." He gave her a sly, mysterious smile, saying nothing more, letting her curiosity gnaw at her.
After some searching, Tang Yin located two suitable beasts. He took control of them and directed them to travel toward his location.
A 50,000-year-old Shadowfang Wolf and a 60,000-year-old Nightclaw Panther, both of the Dark attribute, were perfectly suited to her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul.
Seeing the two enormous beasts—each over fifty thousand years old—Zhuyun froze, fear flashing across her face. She finally pleaded, "Please… I'll do anything you want. Let's just get out of here!"
Tang Yin noticed her genuine fear, sensing she might even faint, and decided to reassure her. "Don't worry. These two are under my control. They won't attack you. If you don't believe me, you can even pet them."
"What?! You can control these soul beasts?!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of awe and terror. Hesitant, she stopped ten meters away from them. The beasts remained completely still, not moving an inch.
Slowly, her curiosity began to outweigh her fear, and she inched closer, eyes wide with cautious wonder…
Finally, she reached out and gently touched one of their heads. When it didn't react, her eyes widened in disbelief. Realizing Tang Yin had been telling the truth, she let out a relieved sigh—and couldn't help but marvel.
"He really is a miracle maker," Zhuyun thought, a warm smile spreading across her face as she gently petted the docile soul beast.
Tang Yin, however, found her joy somewhat troublesome. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Why are you so happy? They'll be sacrificing themselves to you soon enough, and then you'll cry blaming me."
Sighing, he released his Telepathy once more, extending his control over the nearby powerful beasts. With swift precision, he slaughtered them, channeling their soul power through the soul rings to accelerate the ages of the two docile beasts.
The Shadowfang Wolf was raised to ninety-thousand-years, and the Night-Claw-Panther to a full hundred thousand years.
Zhuyun watched in stunned silence. Seeing Tang Yin defeat such powerful beasts with ease, and watching the black soul rings of the fallen beasts shift from black to purple, then yellow, white, and finally vanish entirely, she was utterly flabbergasted.
What shocked her even more was that the two soul beasts began evolving at an accelerating pace—their bodies throbbing with power, each pulse sharper and heavier, until the aura they released grew so menacing that her hair stood on end and her breath caught in her throat.
"Let's go," Tang Yin commanded the beast.
His Eight Spider Lances unfurled with a metallic snap as he swept her effortlessly into his arms and launched into the skies. Behind them, the two terrifying beasts gave silent chase, their oppressive presence looming like shadows that swallowed the forest whole.