"I'm sorry, Instructor Qin Ming, but I am resigning from the Imperial Fighting Team."
The air in the waiting room turned freezing in an instant. All the members of the renowned Huangdou Team were gathered there, but when they heard their captain's sudden declaration, a wave of confusion and disbelief washed over them.
"Big Sister Yan! Why? Why are you leaving?" Yu Feng was the first to speak, his voice rising in a frantic pitch. Though he was often mocked for his feminine mannerisms, his respect for Dugu Yan was absolute. "We've practiced our coordination for so long! We're finally at the top! What are we supposed to do without you?"
Dugu Yan didn't even blink. Her eyes were sharp, her posture regal. "This matter is not up for debate. From today on, the position of captain belongs to Yu Tianheng."
Without another word, she walked toward Ye Lingling. Lingling was the only other girl on the team, and because of her role as a support system healer, the two had formed a deep, quiet bond. Dugu Yan draped a protective arm over Lingling's delicate shoulders, leaning in with the air of a dominant older sister.
"Lingling, do you want to come with me? I'll look after you. No more boring imperial protocols, just you and me."
Ye Lingling looked down, her long lashes casting shadows over her eyes. Her heart ached to say yes, to follow the only person who treated her like a friend rather than a tool. "Yan'er... I... I can't. The Imperial family has invested too much in my training. The resources, the spirit bones, the herbs... the debt is too high. I could never pay it back."
Resources? Dugu Yan thought with a cynical smirk. Fu Ye could pay that back with the loose change in his pocket.
"Mhm, I see. That is a problem for now," Dugu Yan whispered, patting her shoulder. "Then stay here for a little while longer. I'm going to find my husband—the one who loves to go missing—and once I catch him, I'll have him buy out your 'freedom' personally."
The room fell into a deafening silence.
Husband? The one who goes missing?
The entire Huangdou Team, Ye Lingling included, froze. "AH???"
"Big Sister Yan... you... you have a husband?" The Shi brothers, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, finally found their voices, though they sounded like they had just swallowed their own tongues. The idea of the "Ice and Poison Beauty" having a man was something their brains couldn't process.
"What? I told you all before that I was taken," Dugu Yan said, her voice filled with a warm pride that none of them had ever seen. "He cured the poison in my body the year my spirit awakened. He evolved my spirit, gave me a new life... I promised myself to him long ago."
She turned to leave, but a hand reached out. Yu Tianheng, the proud possessor of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon spirit, stepped forward, his face pale. "Yan'er! Do you really have a fiancé? But you know how I—"
Dugu Yan spun around, her expression turning from warmth to absolute disgust. "Yu Tianheng, watch your words. He is not my 'fiancé,' he is my husband. Know your place. I have never liked you, and we are not of the same world."
BOOM!
A terrifying pressure erupted from her body. Even Qin Ming, a Spirit Emperor, felt his heart skip a beat at the sheer weight of the draconic aura filling the room. Behind Dugu Yan, the phantom of a Golden Earth Dragon King roared.
Thanks to the Golden Dragon Sweet Potato Fu Ye had given her years ago, her spirit had evolved far beyond a mere serpent. While Dugu Bo's evolution went toward toxicity, hers had gone toward the purity of the Golden Dragon lineage. Her Fourth and Fifth spirit rings were both from high-level Earth Dragon Kings, making her a Rank 59 Spirit King.
The suppression she exerted over Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was absolute. He couldn't even summon his spirit to resist; he was paralyzed by the superior bloodline.
"Taps, taps, taps..."
Her footsteps echoed as she walked out, leaving a broken team behind.
Meanwhile, in the Tianshui Team's private waiting room.
The atmosphere here was the complete opposite. The room was filled with the faint, sweet scent of jasmine and the sound of soft breathing. Fu Ye was lounging across a plush velvet sofa, his eyes closed in total relaxation.
Behind him stood Xue Ke, the little princess who had been "mortgaged" to him three months ago. She was no longer the pampered, arrogant girl of the palace. Clad in a refined maid-servant's dress that emphasized her petite, doll-like stature, she was diligently massaging Fu Ye's shoulders.
"Big Brother Fu Ye, is this strength okay? Xue Ke has been practicing the techniques you taught me every night!" she whispered, her voice sweet and eager for praise.
"Mhm. Not bad. A bit more strength on the left side," Fu Ye murmured.
In the three months since Xue Ye had "sold" her, Xue Ke had undergone a transformation. At the palace, she was told she had no talent and was only good for a marriage alliance. But Fu Ye had seen things differently. He had her training alongside the girls of Tianshui.
Though her Swan spirit only had a Rank 3 or 4 Innate Spirit Power, under Fu Ye's guidance, she had jumped from Rank 15 to Rank 18 in just ninety days. She wasn't just a "tool" here; she felt more alive as Fu Ye's servant than she ever did as an Imperial Princess.
She's like a delicate little toy, Fu Ye thought, feeling her small, soft hands working on his muscles. Maybe it's time to give her a little 'cheat' to boost her talent further. A princess shouldn't stay at Rank 18 forever.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A rhythmic, steady knock sounded at the door.
"Please come in."