I'll also work hard to conquer the dungeon today.

Chapter 581 2.1 The Crown Prince's Meeting (Thirteen) Dawn
"No rush. We've already taken out so much. We should wait until everyone else has shared it before taking it out. Wouldn't it be better to keep a little mystery?" Shui Qi raised her hand and said with a light laugh.

"Is the Strategist Association trying to renege on its promise?" Cunxi narrowed her heterochromatic eyes, one pink and one purple, and asked dangerously.

“Delaying doesn’t mean cheating. The Fool of Dawn has some misunderstandings.” Isaiah slightly raised his eyes, looked at Cunxi through the gap in his hair, then lowered his head again as if he hadn’t done anything, and said calmly.

"Stop arguing, do you want to start fighting again?" Dao Lin said promptly, judging Cun Xi's next move by observing his muscle reactions.

"How does Your Highness know that Shuiqi and the Fool fought before?" Isaiah asked, his hand on the book's pages, his head bowed as he looked at the contents of the book, his words cryptic.

"Don't call me princess," Dao Lin frowned and refused.

"Isn't it nice to hear? As far as I know, there's no word that suits you better." Isaiah's lips curled slightly, his tone carrying a deeper meaning.

"As expected, it came from you." Dao Lin frowned, then relaxed his brows and said knowingly.

Ming Jin glanced at Dao Lin, tore open a peach-flavored lollipop and popped it into his mouth. While sucking on the candy, he said sweetly, "Actually, I have a question I want to ask Noyce. I wonder if you could give me an answer?"

“Ask away,” Noyce said after glancing at Ji Rong and receiving the same answer.

“Your Crown Prince props can provide you with extraordinary wealth, but why…” Ming Jin stood up and walked to the ranking list, tore off a piece of paper and held it up in his hand. Amidst the doubts of others, he paused and continued, “But why have I never seen you on the wealth list?”

Shui Qi said "Oh" and clapped for Ming Jin.

"Shui Qi, please don't be so eager to cause trouble, okay?" Horus rarely spoke up and scolded.

"I was just expressing my appreciation for my friend's sharp question; I didn't mean anything else," Shui Qi said with a smile, shrugging his shoulders.

Horus sighed helplessly, but didn't say anything more.

Ming Jin gave Shui Qi an indescribable look. He walked up to Noyce, propped one hand on the table and held up the paper in front of Noyce, which conveniently blocked Ji Rong's view, so Noyce could only look at the wealth list in front of her.

“Mingjin seems to be meddling a bit too much. This is Fuxiao’s private matter and has nothing to do with you.” Ji Rong’s face darkened for a second, then he put on a light, flirtatious smile again, his beautiful peach blossom eyes gleaming, and said slowly.

"Wealth, unfettered rules, and the absolute ability to conquer any dungeon—with these three royal items, it's no wonder they've become a dark horse comparable to the Conquerors' Association. But isn't that a bit too arrogant? Dawn, do you want to become the players' savior?"

Ming Jin suddenly turned around to look at Ji Rong, her face dark and sullen. She crumpled the paper in her hand into a ball and casually threw it into the trash can next to her.

Ji Rong chuckled softly, not answering Ming Jin, her face bearing the same calm, gentle smile as when she first appeared, as if she had everything under control.

Ming Jin pushed up his round-framed glasses, revealing a hint of darkness in his lake-blue eyes through the lenses. He scoffed, saying sarcastically, "Dawn is the time when the sky is about to brighten. The first rays of light break through the darkness, the sun rises in the east, driving away the darkness and cold, bringing light and warmth. I see your ambition in those two words, Ji Rong. You've never been a truly kind person, so why pretend to be so innocent in front of me?!"

"Ming Jin seems to really dislike me." Ji Rong raised an eyebrow, speaking with an air of nonchalance. "Not just dislike, but utterly dislike. If Shui Qi is a true villain, then you are a hypocrite. In my eyes, a hypocrite is even worse than a true villain. At least Shui Qi doesn't hide his intentions, while you only know how to disgust people with false words and attitudes." Ming Jin looked coldly at Ji Rong and said.

"What did I do now?" Shui Qi blinked blankly, bewildered by being suddenly mentioned and even scolded. Although Ming Jin seemed to be praising him, he didn't understand at all.

"I was just using you as an analogy," Ming Jin said calmly, glancing at Shui Qi.

Shui Qi: "..." Following Dao Lin, which is a unit of measurement, he has also become a unit of metaphor?
"Shui Qi is indeed ranked number one on the list of most annoying people. I don't deny that he can be really despicable at times, and I want him to crawl on the ground. But that has nothing to do with me being friends with him. At least he acts quite uprightly and doesn't bother with two-faced behavior. He will only state his attitude directly. Even if he is a villain, he will calculate things clearly and know why even if he is tricked."

But you're different. On the surface, you get along well with everyone, but behind their backs, you scheme against everyone, deceive their feelings, and even exploit their trust. Such hypocrisy makes me feel disgusted, even just being in the same space as you.

Shui Qi: "..." Was this really a compliment? He felt a little conflicted.

Mingxi frowned. As Mingjin's twin, he felt the disgust emanating from Mingjin, but he didn't understand why Mingjin would suddenly say that.

Ming Jin had always advocated neutrality and would never participate in any struggle, but at this moment, it was as if Xin Bai had swallowed that stance.

However, he didn't interrupt or ask anything; Ming Jin must have some intention.

Daolin and Bertias exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.

Ling Tong paused slightly as he stroked Bai Feng's hand. He looked up at Ji Rong, his long, narrow, golden-orange eyes adorned with a vibrant, fiery red hue.

Mu Yegui was combing Jiafa's long hair with a comb when she heard Ming Jin's words. She glanced at him almost imperceptibly, then grabbed Urias and whispered a few words in his ear.

The others also looked at Ji Rong with a hint of curiosity.

Isaiah seemed oblivious to the somber atmosphere, nodding in agreement, "Indeed, wanting him to climb has nothing to do with liking him; at least Shui Qi has a certain charisma at times."

He paused, then continued, "I also think that Shui Qi is really annoying at times, and even crawling on the ground hundreds of times wouldn't be enough to vent my anger, but what does that have to do with being friends with him?"

Shui Qi: "..." Thank you so much for these compliments.

Seemingly sensing the questioning looks from others, Horus pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Shui Qi is so beautiful, has a lovely voice, is hardworking and never slacks off, can take a joke, is good at extracting information, is both literate and skilled in martial arts, can fight and run, and is also exceptionally intelligent, not easily led by the nose and able to scheme against others. Isn't it normal for such a genius to have flaws in his personality? After all, no one is perfect."

Regardless, Shui Qi was ultimately his subordinate, and he couldn't let others bully him.

(End of this chapter)