Chapter 85: Zhu Zhuqing, Come With Me—Let Me Be the One to Protect You!
At that moment, a new message suddenly appeared on the ethereal livestream screen.
[Lin Yan (sighs): @Zhu Zhuqing, to be honest… I really feel sorry for you.]
Seeing that she had been mentioned—and by Lin Yan, no less—Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned.
As for Lin Yan—
Though she had never spoken in the livestream before, his repeated correct answers and prominence had not gone unnoticed. Zhu Zhuqing, of course, knew who he was.
Her impression of Lin Yan was built on two key points: first, his intelligence.
After all, how could someone answer the very first livestream question correctly without being extremely sharp? His wish had given him knowledge of the past, present, and future of Douluo Continent, allowing him to dominate later Q&As.
The second impression was his boldness. Not everyone would dare expose the skeletons in the mighty Clear Sky Sect's closet and cause Tang Hao's family to splinter.
But since most of what Lin Yan said was based in truth—
Zhu Zhuqing didn't find him off-putting. In fact, she somewhat admired him.
If only she could be like Lin Yan—if she could correctly answer some questions—
Even getting just a few rewards might change her fate.
For instance—
If Zhu Zhuqing could once answer a question correctly and win a spirit evolution reward, allowing her martial spirit to evolve—
She could escape the "survival of the fittest" bloodline competition in her family.
The Netherworld Grand Duke's house, like the Star Luo royal family, practiced such internal strife.
But there was a key difference.
The infighting between daughters in the Zhu family ultimately stemmed from their marriage alliances with the royal heirs.
Take Zhu Zhuyun—she suppressed Zhu Zhuqing entirely to ensure her own fiancé, Davis, would become the crown prince.
Even if Zhu Zhuyun won this cruel contest, all she'd gain was the position of crown princess and the support of the Grand Duke's household.
But she was still a woman, and in the ancient structure of the Douluo world, the noble title of Duke wouldn't be inherited by her.
The Duke's title would always go to a male in the Netherworld Civet Clan.
However, there was a rare exception—
In Douluo Continent, whether a soul master family thrived or not ultimately depended on the strength of its inherited martial spirit.
The Zhu and Dai clans had founded the Star Luo Empire together.
But the White Tiger Clan of the Dai family became the imperial bloodline, while the Netherworld Civet Clan of the Zhu family only gained the title of duke—because the Zhu family was simply weaker.
Thus, if someone in a soul master family possessed a martial spirit that evolved beyond the inherited one—
That person was almost certain to become the family's next head.
The entire clan would rally behind them, pour resources into them, and support their growth.
Then they would work to pass down the evolved martial spirit through the bloodline.
If Zhu Zhuqing's spirit evolved, she could leave behind the deadly competition between the Zhu sisters.
The Grand Duke's family would likely choose another girl from the clan to fulfill the engagement with Dai Mubai.
And even if not—
If Dai Mubai lost the fight for the crown to Davis, the Zhu family would undoubtedly work to preserve Zhu Zhuqing and groom her as their next clan leader to carry on the evolved spirit.
But for Zhu Zhuqing, that was just a dream…
Under Zhu Zhuyun's suppression, she wasn't even allowed access to the family's archives or any chance to visit public libraries. She couldn't collect information or recruit scholars to help her prepare for the Q&As.
…
This Lin Yan says he pities me... Does that mean, in the future he knows, my fate is terribly tragic?
In the Netherworld Duke's manor, Zhu Zhuqing stared at the screen, torn between confusion and suspicion at Lin Yan's message.
Meanwhile, in the third prince's estate of Star Luo City—
When Dai Mubai saw Lin Yan mention his fiancée and say he felt sorry for her, he immediately sensed something ominous.
What's that bastard trying to pull?!
[Zhu Zhuyun (curious): @Lin Yan, you say you pity my sister—does that mean something bad happens to her in the future?]
Like Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhuyun's beautiful eyes narrowed in curiosity when she saw Lin Yan's message. She wondered if he'd glimpsed some tragic fate awaiting Zhu Zhuqing.
[Lin Yan (regretful): Of course. I've always believed your sister is a remarkable and hardworking girl. But sadly, she's saddled with an irresponsible, cowardly fiancé.]
[Dai Mubai (furious): Who are you calling a coward?!]
Seeing even Lin Yan insult him now, Dai Mubai exploded in rage.
[Lin Yan (dismissive): Yes, I'm talking about you. So what? You've already given up—don't even try to deny it. And I know that in the future, you abandon Zhu Zhuqing and go off gallivanting on your own, dumping all your burdens on her. When she comes looking for you, not only do you feel no guilt—you even argue with her! So yes, I'm calling you a coward and garbage. What, you got a problem with that?!]
You…!!!
Dai Mubai nearly lost it. He was on the verge of exploding with fury.
And yet, beneath that anger, a storm churned in his heart.
How?
How did this guy know he planned to escape Star Luo City next year to enroll at Shrek Academy?
[Lin Yan (cold smile): @Dai Mubai, what's the matter? No comeback? Did I hit a nerve?]
Seeing Dai Mubai fall silent, Lin Yan sneered and continued tearing into him live.
And as for whether his words might motivate Dai Mubai to try harder—
Lin Yan didn't believe that for a second.
Because deep down, Dai Mubai was a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Even in the original story, his attitude toward Tang San was completely different from how he treated Ma Hongjun and Oscar.
He ran away from Davis's pressure then—
Now that Davis had won the Q&A and gained even more momentum, and with the livestream widening the gap—
Lin Yan was certain: this time, Dai Mubai would run away even earlier.
[Lin Yan: @Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhuqing, your fiancé is nothing but a weak, irresponsible scumbag who can't protect you. You try so hard, yet he constantly fails you—it breaks my heart. Why don't you come with me instead? I'll protect you!]
After finishing his takedown of Dai Mubai, Lin Yan once again turned his attention to Zhu Zhuqing, tagging her directly in the livestream.
(END CHAPTER)
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