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"Really?"Cao Qing suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with incredible excitement, and his voice was trembling.
He couldn't believe his ears. Xue Tianxing not only didn't want his soul bone, but also wanted to help him get revenge?
But he quickly calmed down and realized that there is no free lunch in the world.
Xue Tianxing was willing to help him, but there must be conditions. He took a deep breath and asked Xue Tianxing:
"What do you need me to do? As long as it means revenge, I will not refuse, even if it means going through fire and water!"
Xue Tianxing looked at Cao Qing's determined eyes, a smile appeared on his lips, and he said slowly:
"I don't need you to go through fire and water, I just need your loyalty."
Xue Tianxing paused and continued:
"My name is Xue Tianxing, I am the prince of the Barak Kingdom and the future heir to the Barak Kingdom.
Our Barak Academy team is in need of a defensive spirit master. You have outstanding talent and strength. I hope you can join our team and follow me to serve the Barak Kingdom.
As long as you are loyal to me and to Barack, I will avenge you and pave the way for your future."
"The prince of the Barak Kingdom?!"
Cao Qing's eyes widened, his face full of shock.
He never imagined that the person who saved him and was willing to help him take revenge was actually a prince of a kingdom!
This is undoubtedly a huge opportunity for him who is now helpless and desperate.
He looked at Xue Tianxing, and the confusion in his eyes gradually faded away, replaced by determination.
He is now alone, without a home or a place to go, and revenge is a distant prospect.
Xue Tianxing is not only willing to help him take revenge, but also willing to give him a place to stay and give him the opportunity to display his talents.
He had no reason to refuse such conditions.
Cao Qing suddenly knelt on one knee, clenched his hands, and said solemnly to Xue Tianxing:
"Your subordinate Cao Qing is willing to follow His Royal Highness the Prince and be loyal to His Highness and the Kingdom of Barak!
From now on, Cao Qing will obey your Highness' orders even if it means death!"
Xue Tianxing nodded with satisfaction upon seeing this, stepped forward to help Cao Qing up, and patted him on the shoulder:
"Alright! From today on, you are a member of the Barak Academy team. I will avenge you and make those who hurt your parents pay the price."
Cao Qing nodded heavily, his eyes full of gratitude.
From this moment on, his life will usher in a new turning point, and his road to revenge will finally have hope.
Shui Bing'er and the others looked at this scene and smiled.
The addition of Cao Qing not only solved the problem of the team's lack of people, but also added a strong defensive soul master to the team. This will be a great help to the upcoming competition and the future continental soul master competition.
Xue Tianxing saw the gratitude in Cao Qing's eyes, and then changed the subject and got to the key point:
"By the way, Cao Qing, do you know who leaked the news that your family has spirit bones? Do you have any clues about that traitor?"
When Cao Qing heard the word "traitor", he clenched his fists instantly, his nails digging deep into his palms, and a trace of hatred flashed in his eyes.
He was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke:
"I... I only have a rough guess. At the time, the only people who knew we had obtained the soul bones were a few of us in the Soul Hunting Team. Excluding the two teammates who died fighting against the Soul King alongside my parents, the two most likely suspects are Zhang San and Li Si."
Cao Qing paused, his tone uncertain:
"Zhang San is usually quite greedy for money. He and my father have argued several times over the uneven distribution of spoils. Li Si has always been jealous of my father's Soul King strength and has always wanted to take his place.
But I don't have any solid evidence to say which one of them was involved, or if both of them were involved."
Having said that, Cao Qing raised his head, his eyes full of determination:
"Your Highness, if you only give me a little time, I will definitely find out the truth, find the real traitor, and avenge my parents!"
He originally planned to sneak into Soto City after his strength improved, secretly investigate the whereabouts of Zhang San and Li Si, and find evidence that they betrayed the team.
But Xue Tianxing's answer made him stunned for a moment.
"No need to waste time looking."
Xue Tianxing's voice was calm, yet filled with unquestionable determination. Then he said:
"Zhang San and Li Si, as well as their families, will all be wiped out. No one will be spared."
"Wha… what?"
Cao Qing's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief and shock.
Although he hated the traitor who betrayed his parents and thought about killing Zhang San and Li Si for revenge, he never thought of implicating their families.
Even if Xue Tianxing said "both of them are traitors", he could accept it, but the four words "annihilate their entire family" were still beyond his understanding.
Cao Qing opened his mouth, his voice hesitant:
"Your Highness, this... isn't this too cruel? Their families may not even know about this, and they may even be innocent..."
In his opinion, hatred should be directed at the murderer himself, and implicating innocent family members is too cruel.
Xue Tianxing shook his head, his eyes sharpening. He looked at Cao Qing and said word by word:
"Cao Qing, from today on, you must remember this: You can live with guilt for the rest of your life, but you absolutely cannot live in fear for the rest of your life."
Then Xue Tianxing paused, pointed at Cao Qing, and said in a more serious tone:
"Think about your own situation. Those two Soul Kings didn't kill your entire family, allowing you to escape. Now that you have the chance, are you going to seek revenge on them?
Similarly, if you only kill Zhang San and Li Si today and spare their families, can you guarantee that their descendants will not hate you?
When they grow up and become powerful, will they seek revenge on you like you are doing now?"
"By then, not only will you have to constantly be on guard against their retaliation, but it might even implicate those around you, our Barak Academy team, and even the entire Barak Kingdom."
Xue Tianxing's voice rang like a warning bell in Cao Qing's ears. "In Douluo Continent, being kind to your enemies is being cruel to yourself. If you don't uproot the grass, it will grow again in the spring breeze. You must understand this truth."
Cao Qing was stunned. He looked down at his hands, and the scene of his parents' tragic death involuntarily emerged in his mind, as well as the despair of being hunted by the Soul King and having nowhere else to go.
Yes, if I hadn't met His Highness and the others, I would have died long ago and would not have had the opportunity for revenge now.
If I let Zhang San and Li Si's families go today, will their descendants also make revenge their only goal like me?
Cao Qing took a deep breath, and the hesitation in his eyes gradually faded away, replaced by determination.