Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Many nobles who had bet on Dai Mubai were cursing him in their hearts at this moment, unable to believe that he would be such a coward.

Previously, seeing Dai Mubai's cultivation advance by leaps and bounds, they secretly rejoiced that they had bet on the right horse, thinking that this third prince might really be able to create a miracle and overthrow Davis's rule.

To this end, they invested resources, used personal connections, and even risked offending the Davis faction in secret.

But now, Dai Mubai has run away.

All their investment and expectations vanished with Dai Mubai's escape, becoming a colossal joke.

Not only did they lose everything, but they also had to face Davis's subsequent reckoning.

"Useless! Absolutely useless!"

"I thought he was braver than his older brother, but it turns out he's just a spineless coward!"

"It's all over, everything's over..."

Curses echoed in the private study and the corner of the banquet, filled with regret and panic.

Meanwhile, inside the Zhu residence.

Zhu Zhuqing also learned of this news.

She was sitting in her courtyard, performing her daily, unwavering soul power meditation.

When the maid cautiously told her about the rumors she had heard outside, her soul power suddenly froze, and she almost choked.

She slowly opened her eyes, and a hint of surprise flashed in the depths of her dark eyes, which was then replaced by a deeper and colder emotion.

It was the absurdity of betrayal, and the long-suppressed disgust erupting like a volcano.

Her disgust for Dai Mubai deepened. Zhu Zhuqing hadn't expected that Dai Mubai would flee Xingluo because of the pressure. Before, when she saw Dai Mubai's cultivation level rising rapidly, she had thought there was hope, and that they might be able to win.

Yes, she had wavered at times.

Seeing that Dai Mubai's soul power level could still rise rapidly under such a pretense of indulging in pleasure, even the stagnant pool of despair in her heart was stirred by a faint ripple.

Perhaps this fiancé isn't as bad as he seems.

Perhaps there is a tiny, albeit slim, chance that this duo can escape this damned fate.

But Zhu Zhuqing didn't expect the blow to come so quickly; Dai Mubai had actually run away.

Run away.

These two words were like a red-hot branding iron, searing her heart.

He left, he simply walked away.

Did he ever consider what she, whom he left behind in Xingluo, would face?

How will Davis view her as Dai Mubai's fiancée?

How would Zhu Zhuyun mock her?

What did he take her for? A piece of trash that could be thrown away at any time?

A chilling rage surged from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, causing Zhu Zhuqing's slender fingers to tremble slightly.

She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

What about her? Dai Mubai never even considered her situation.

Since you are ruthless, don't blame me for being unjust.

Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stood up, the last trace of hesitation and bewilderment in her dark eyes completely severed, replaced by an almost resolute calmness.

Dai Mubai is unreliable, her family is unreliable, and the rules of Xingluo will crush her.

She can only rely on herself.

Since that's the case, she doesn't care about anything else in order to survive.

Zhu Zhuqing stood up and walked to the dressing table.

The mirror reflected a face that still held a touch of childishness, yet already possessed a cool and aloof appearance.

She picked up a comb and meticulously combed her long hair, which had become slightly disheveled due to the stagnation of her soul power.

The movements were steady, without the slightest tremor.

Since Dai Mubai chose to run away, leaving her alone in the huge arena of Xingluo, she had nothing to hesitate about and nothing to worry about.

Unable to rely on others, she had to fend for herself.

Zhu Zhuqing straightened her clothes, smoothed out the last wrinkle, then pushed open the door and went out.

She had only taken a few steps out of the room when a voice filled with undisguised sarcasm rang out from the side.

"Oh, isn't this my dear sister? What's wrong? Instead of grieving for your brilliant fiancé in your room, you're in the mood to come out?"

Chapter 202 Return to Sunset Forest

Zhu Zhuqing stopped in her tracks and slowly turned her head.

Zhu Zhuyun was leaning against a pillar not far away, arms crossed, watching her with a leisurely air.

Zhu Zhuyun wore a bright smile, a smile full of pleasure and undisguised schadenfreude.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's face turn cold instantly, she felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. She never expected, absolutely never, that Dai Mubai would actually run away!

This was like a windfall, it completely stunned her.

"When I first heard the news, I thought I had misheard."

Zhu Zhuyun approached with elegant steps. Her voice was not loud, but it was clear enough to reach Zhu Zhuqing's ears, carrying a chilling sensation like a viper's hiss.

"Dai Mubai, the third prince of our Star Luo Empire, one of our future hopes, actually ran away like that? Like a frightened rabbit, he fled Star Luo City overnight? Haha, hahaha..."

She finally couldn't help but chuckle softly, a laugh as clear as a silver bell, yet chilling to the bone.

"My dear sister, how are you feeling right now? Are you extremely disappointed? Extremely desperate?"

Zhu Zhuyun walked up to Zhu Zhuqing, leaned down slightly, and whispered in her ear that only the two of them could hear.

"Your only hope is gone. He's now a complete coward, a deserter! And you, his fiancée, have become the laughingstock of the entire Star Luo City!"

Zhu Zhuqing's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched slightly, her nails digging into her palms, causing a slight stinging pain.

But her face remained expressionless; she simply raised her eyes and coldly looked at Zhu Zhuyun, who was standing close by.

His gaze was so calm, as still as a stagnant pool, that it made the smile on Zhu Zhuyun's face freeze for a moment.

"Are you done talking?"

Zhu Zhuqing spoke, her voice as calm and even as her eyes.

Zhu Zhuyun straightened up, snorted coldly, and tried to regain the initiative.

"What? Can't take the blow? You can't even speak anymore? If I were you, I'd find somewhere to hide right now to avoid making a fool of myself."

"It's Dai Mubai who's making a fool of himself, not me," Zhu Zhuqing said calmly.

"What does his choice have to do with me?"

Zhu Zhuyun was taken aback by her words, then flew into a rage: "What's it to you? You're his fiancée! He ran away, and you're the one who got dumped! A good-for-nothing with a coward, what a perfect match!"

"Say what you want." Zhu Zhuqing stopped looking at her, turned around, and left.

"I'm going to read now, please make yourself at home, sister."

Seeing her unyielding attitude, as if nothing had happened, Zhu Zhuyun felt like she had punched a cotton ball, and her chest felt extremely tight.

She shouted at Zhu Zhuqing's retreating figure, "Zhu Zhuqing, how much longer do you think you can struggle? Dai Mubai is finished, and so are you! Just accept your fate. Maybe in the future, when I'm in a good mood, I can beg His Highness Weiss to spare your life and let you be his concubine!"

Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, without turning around, her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

As Zhu Zhuyun watched the departing figure, the smile on her face slowly faded, replaced by a cold and stern expression.

Zhu Zhuqing's reaction made her very unhappy.

That calmness, that indifference, was more provocative to her than an angry rebuttal.

"Even when death is imminent, she's still putting on an act," she muttered under her breath, then turned and left.

She had to send a message to Davis: Dai Mubai had run away, and this was the best opportunity to completely crush Zhu Zhuqing.

She wanted to strike while the iron was hot and completely eliminate any possibility of Zhu Zhuqing making a comeback.

……

Meanwhile, after several days, Dai Mubai finally arrived at Sunset Forest again.

He and Huo An stood at the edge of the forest, gazing at the seemingly endless, dark green sea of ​​trees shrouded in a faint miasma.

The brief rest allowed Dai Mubai's rapid breathing to calm down a bit, but the fatigue and tension from days of fleeing were still etched on his brow. His clothes were torn in several places by tree branches, stained with mud and dried blood, making him look even more disheveled than when he last came.

"Your Highness, stay close."

Huo An's voice was lower and hoarser than usual. He made his way and stepped into the dimly lit woodland first.

Having learned from the previous experience, this journey, though still difficult, was less filled with blind fear.

With his Soul Emperor-level perception and memory of the path, Huo An avoided as many areas as possible, including those with abnormally chaotic energy fluctuations and the known territories of powerful Soul Beasts.

The air was filled with the smell of decaying leaves and damp mud, mixed with a faint, sweet, fishy miasma.

Beneath your feet are tangled tree roots and a soft layer of humus, requiring you to be extra careful with every step.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the faint sounds of the two of them crunching on dry branches and fallen leaves, and the suppressed breathing and heartbeats of their own.

Dai Mubai followed closely behind Huo An, his nerves still on edge.

He knew that the tranquility of this forest was merely a facade, and that countless deadly dangers lurked in the shadows.

The terrifying experience of encountering the swarm of human-faced spiders was still vivid in his mind. The despair of being stared at by countless bloodthirsty compound eyes and being overwhelmed by spider silk like a death wave made his palms slightly damp.

He forced himself not to think about it, focusing all his attention on the road beneath his feet and on Hoan's retreating figure.

His soul power was somewhat sluggish due to continuous consumption and tension, but he dared not relax in the slightest.

Along the way, they encountered a group of century-old ghost vines foraging for food. The vines, as if alive, silently emerged from the shadows from all directions, attempting to entangle their prey.

Huo An reacted extremely quickly, instantly activating his Fiery Lion Martial Soul. With a low roar, his scorching soul power erupted, burning the first ghost vines that surged forward to a charred black and causing them to curl up.

Dai Mubai immediately released his White Tiger Martial Soul, his sharp claws slashing out. Working together with Huo An, the two fought and retreated, not daring to linger in the battle, and quickly got rid of the troublesome plant-type soul beasts.