Chapter 15: Double Standards? Who Doesn't Have Them? | Zhu Zhuqing: Are You Sure You Want Me to Give You an Explanation?
"Fatty, are you alright?!"
"Ma Hongjun, are you okay?!"
Tang San and Oscar immediately rushed forward, helping Ma Hongjun up from the ground.
"I have a Big Sausage!"
Oscar hurriedly chanted his incantation, producing a recovery sausage and stuffing it into Ma Hongjun's mouth.
Ma Hongjun bit down viciously, his eyes locked fiercely onto Zhu Zhuqing.
"Young lady, isn't it a bit inappropriate to strike so viciously over a mere disagreement?"
Tang San stepped forward, frowning as he looked at Zhu Zhuqing.
He simply couldn't understand how a girl who appeared so beautiful could be so ruthless.
She had attacked without warning, and with a single move, made someone cough up blood!
This… hardly seemed like the conduct of someone righteous.
"This is my fault?"
Zhu Zhuqing lifted her gaze toward the self-proclaimed "victim," Tang San, and spoke calmly.
"I admit that Fatty was in the wrong first. He was impolite. But you didn't have to go to such lengths over something so trivial, did you?"
Tang San instinctively placed himself upon the moral high ground.
"Exactly! Sure, Fatty's a little disgusting, but you really went too far!"
Xiao Wu sided with Tang San without hesitation.
Not once did she consider how brutally she herself had beaten people who treated her the way Ma Hongjun had.
"Heh."
Zhu Zhuqing gave a cold snort. Whatever faint guilt she once felt toward Tang San vanished completely.
Since one could justify anything to protect one's own people…
Then, couldn't she also say:
Yes, I may have fused your mother's soul bone, stolen her away, and perhaps even killed her in the future… but surely you wouldn't stoop to arguing with a mere little girl like me, right?
Double standards: who doesn't have them?
Bai Lu: 6!
"Fatty, are you alright?"
Dai Mubai stepped forward to examine him and said quietly,
"We still need to enter the forest tomorrow to hunt a soul beast for you. Save your strength. Why not just let this go?"
He wasn't saying this out of nobility or kindness.
He had simply rarely encountered a woman who matched his aesthetic taste and whose martial soul even seemed to resonate faintly with his own.
Better to reconcile quickly while the matter was still minor. Who knew? Perhaps there could be deeper exchanges later.
To achieve that goal, his good brother, who had stood up for him, would just have to suffer a little.
Yet when those words fell into Ma Hongjun's ears, he mistakenly believed Dai Mubai was showing concern for him.
He was deeply moved.
"Boss Dai, say no more! This isn't over today!"
Ma Hongjun angrily stepped forward.
A purplish-red light flared around his body. His short hair abruptly lengthened into a Mohawk-like crest, feathers sprouted from his arms, and his fingers curved into claws. Two yellow soul rings rose from beneath his feet.
The bizarre appearance caused Zhu Zhuqing to pause briefly.
"Hahaha… scared silly, aren't you?"
Ma Hongjun laughed arrogantly. "Little girl, my martial soul is a top-tier martial soul, the Evil— "
"Turkey?"
Zhu Zhuqing softly uttered two words.
Pfft!
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu, who had been watching the show, couldn't help but burst into laughter.
That description… was even more vivid than "barn chicken."
"Phoenix! Evil Fire Phoenix! Not a turkey!"
Ma Hongjun's face flushed bright red with anger.
"A gentleman may be killed but not humiliated! Don't think I won't hit a woman!"
Zhu Zhuqing shot him a cold glance and couldn't be bothered to respond.
Ma Hongjun refused to relent, stepping forward to block her path.
"Release your martial soul! I'm going to teach you a proper lesson!"
Zhu Zhuqing moved.
She didn't even summon her martial soul. With a mere shift of her body, she transformed into a black blur and shot forward.
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind rose as the shadow closed in.
Bang!
Ma Hongjun felt his vision blur. Before he could even release Phoenix Fire Line, a sharp pain exploded from his abdomen.
Thud!
With a dull sound, he instinctively curled up in agony.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhu Zhuqing adjusted her posture. Her slender waist twisted like a serpent, and a powerful side kick lashed out.
Bang!
Ma Hongjun flew backward like a sandbag, flailing wildly midair before barely stabilizing himself.
"Bathing Fire Phoenix! Phoenix Fire Line!"
Enduring the pain, Ma Hongjun activated two soul skills at once.
Evil fire surged across his body, and the phantom of a scruffy phoenix appeared behind him.
At the instant his flames were amplified, he opened his mouth and spewed a scorching line of fire toward Zhu Zhuqing.
However,
Too slow.
The hotel space was small to begin with, and Ma Hongjun's speed could not compare to Zhu Zhuqing's.
Even though he attacked immediately, every movement had already been perfectly read by her.
Whoosh!
The phoenix flames had barely left his mouth when the girl, like an arrow released from a bow, had already appeared behind him.
A fierce Dragon Tail Sweep followed.
Boom!
The overwhelming force sent Ma Hongjun flying like a sandbag once more. He smashed through two tables before finally coming to a stop.
"Cough, cough—!"
His face turned deathly pale as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
His martial soul dissipated, and he clutched his backside, wailing in pain.
Silence.
The entire room fell deathly quiet.
Everyone was stunned.
This seemingly slender and aloof girl had defeated Ma Hongjun purely with her physical strength without even summoning her martial soul.
One must know that although Ma Hongjun was lecherous and crude, he was still a Rank 26 Soul Grandmaster, and his martial soul was the top-tier Evil Fire Phoenix!
As for the girl before them, at first glance, she even appeared younger than the rest of them.
"Fatty, are you alright?"
Tang San and Oscar once again helped Ma Hongjun up.
"Boss Dai!"
Ma Hongjun wailed loudly. "She's not just hitting my backside, she's slapping your face, Boss Dai!"
At those words, Dai Mubai's expression darkened.
He could tolerate Ma Hongjun being beaten.
But he could not tolerate his brother being publicly humiliated after standing up for him.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing about to leave after beating someone, he stepped forward.
"You injured my brother and think you can just walk away?"
"At the very least, you owe me an explanation."
The imposing aura of a Rank 37 Soul Elder burst forth. Three soul rings rotated slowly beneath his feet.
"An explanation?"
Zhu Zhuqing halted and turned to look at Dai Mubai. A faint, almost imperceptible trace of mockery curved her lips.
"Now you've found your courage?"
She spoke a sentence that Dai Mubai could not understand at all.
"What?"
He frowned.
"Nothing."
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, her gaze icy as she stared at him.
"Are you sure you want me to give you an explanation?"
"That's right."
Dai Mubai's voice deepened. "My brother was at fault first, but you went too far. Either apologize… or—"
She did not answer.
Instead, Zhu Zhuqing walked straight out of the hotel. Distinct fluctuations of soul power rippled from her body.
"Fine! If that's the case, then we'll settle this with our hands!"
Battle intent ignited in Dai Mubai's eyes as he followed her outside.
"Teacher Zhao, what should we do?"
Seeing the situation escalate, the Shrek group could only turn toward Zhao Wuji, who was leisurely sipping tea at a nearby table.
"Why are you looking at me?"
Zhao Wuji calmly took another sip and replied flatly:
"It's true that those who fear causing trouble are mediocrities. But those who run to their elders after causing trouble are even worse mediocrities among mediocrities."
"You're all of the same generation. With six of you, can't you resolve this yourselves?"
"Settle it quickly. We're entering the forest tomorrow."
—
End of Chapter