Chapter 231 Questioning Huo Yuhao: Did you know you were tricked?
Above the realm of gods.
Tang San sat inside the hall, tapping his fingers lightly twice on the armrest before stopping.
His gaze was fixed on the water mirror. Liu Yuan's figure in the image had already disappeared into the mist, but the scene was still replaying in his mind.
When Liu Yuan uttered the words "Emperor's Auspicious Beast," his tone was too calm.
It wasn't a guess, nor a test, but a firm conviction.
It was as if he had known all along who Wang Qiu'er was and what her true identity was.
Tang San couldn't understand it.
Wang Qiu'er is an imperial auspicious beast, a fact that is almost unknown to anyone below the realm of gods.
Her disguise was not an ordinary transformation technique, but rather stemmed from her own auspicious beast origin.
That kind of disguise was so obvious that even a level 98 Super Douluo like Du Busi couldn't see through it. How could Liu Yuan, a level 62 Soul Emperor, possibly see through it?
Tang San began to recall his original plan.
Wang Qiu'er was an important pawn he had arranged.
He tore off a wisp of his daughter's consciousness and placed it into Wang Qiu'er's body so that he could use this connection to further tame Huo Yuhao in the future.
Wang Qiu'er's appearance beside Huo Yuhao was not accidental, but rather an inevitable outcome of his meticulous planning.
She will appear before Huo Yuhao at the right time, in the right place, and in the right identity, gradually building trust and making Huo Yuhao dependent on her.
He had been planning this project for many years, and he had repeatedly rehearsed every step of it. He thought it was foolproof.
But now, because of Liu Yuan's words, Wang Qiu'er's identity has been exposed.
Huo Yuhao would no longer trust her, and she had no reason to stay by his side. This pawn was useless.
Tang San's expression was rather unpleasant.
It wasn't because he lost Wang Qiu'er, but because he realized he had overlooked someone.
Liu Yuan, this young man, went from being an outcast of Shrek Academy to the successor of the Body Sect, from the champion of the Continental Soul Master Competition to a level 62 Soul Emperor who condensed the first Soul Core. Every step he took was steady, and every step was beyond his sight.
Tang San recalled his earlier words—to deal with Huo Yuhao first, and then turn his attention to Liu Yuan. But now he began to wonder if he had reversed the order.
Liu Yuan is more difficult to control than Huo Yuhao.
Every step Huo Yuhao took was within his calculations; he saw Huo Yuhao's weaknesses clearly and knew how to manipulate him.
But Liu Yuan is different. This young man has no obvious weaknesses. He is not greedy for fame or fortune, nor is he afraid of power. He doesn't even give Shrek Academy any face.
Such people are very difficult to tame.
What worries Tang San even more is whether Liu Yuan will affect his subsequent plans.
Huo Yuhao's taming was not achieved overnight, but rather through a long process.
The Yin-Yang Eye of Ice and Fire is just the first step; there are many more plans to follow.
If Liu Yuan continues to stay by Huo Yuhao's side or interfere in Huo Yuhao's affairs, many of his plans may be disrupted.
Tang San's brows furrowed more and more tightly.
Titan stood behind him, watching his ever-changing expression, and cautiously asked, "Lord Tang, do you need me to go down to the mortal realm to keep an eye on that Liu Yuan?"
Tang San remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"No need. Going down now won't change anything." Tang San's voice returned to calm, but Titan could hear the underlying tension. "Let's see what he does next. The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well isn't easy to enter. How long he can stay inside and what he can get are all unknowns."
Titan responded and stepped aside.
Tang San's gaze returned to the water mirror.
The fog was still swirling, and no one could be seen in the scene.
He stared at the mist, tapping his fingers twice on the handrail.
"Liu Yuan..." He murmured the name, as if savoring something.
Sunset in the forest, below the cliff.
Huo Yuhao followed behind Liu Yuan, descending the steep rock face.
The stone wall was covered with moss, and it was a bit slippery underfoot, so he walked very carefully.
Poison Undying walked at the front. Although his left shoulder was still injured, this terrain was nothing to him.
Long Aotian followed beside Liu Yuan, glancing back every now and then to make sure no one else was following.
Huo Yuhao walked and talked with Electrolux.
Electrolux's phantom hovered beside Liu Yuan, not returning to his sea of consciousness.
He was in much better condition than when we last met; his silhouette was more solid, and even the wrinkles on his face were clearly visible.
"Elder Yi, how are you feeling now?" Huo Yuhao asked.
Electrolux smiled, his voice gentle: "Much better. That boy Liu Yuan has found me quite a few good things. The nourishment from the Life Gold is much more effective than I expected."
Huo Yuhao was moved by these words.
He let Electrox go because he was no longer able to sustain the old man's soul.
Seeing how well Electrolux has recovered, his guilt has lessened considerably.
"That's good." Huo Yuhao said, glancing at Liu Yuan who was walking ahead and hadn't turned around, and added, "Thank you for taking care of Elder Yi."
Liu Yuan didn't turn around, but simply replied, "No need to thank me. Elder Yi has helped me a lot; this is what I should do."
Huo Yuhao didn't say anything more.
The group continued down the cliff, which became increasingly steep, and the fog grew thicker.
A faint green mist swirled around, carrying an indescribable odor that wasn't pungent, but could make one feel dizzy if inhaled for too long.
Poison Undying released a thin layer of soul power shield, enveloping the group and isolating them from the erosion of the mist.
After walking for a while, Liu Yuan suddenly spoke.
"Huo Yuhao, you said before that you came to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well because you received a letter?"
Huo Yuhao paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes. The letters from my uncles Titan and Niu Tian said that Dong'er has a congenital ailment that can only be cured by the Love-Sickness Heartbreak Grass."
Liu Yuan stopped and turned around to look at Huo Yuhao.
"Are you sure this is true?" Liu Yuan's tone was calm, but his question was direct.
Huo Yuhao frowned: "What do you mean?"
"I mean, have you confirmed that Wang Dong'er really has that disease? Have you asked her directly? Or did you just believe it after seeing a letter?"
Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but realized that he hadn't actually confirmed it.
When he received the letter, he had only one thought in his mind—to save people.
He was in such a hurry that he didn't have time to think things through before setting off.
"You didn't even tell Wang Dong'er?" Liu Yuan asked again.
Huo Yuhao remained silent.
He indeed did not tell Wang Dong'er.
He was afraid she would worry, and he was also afraid she would stop him.
He planned to wait until he got the Love-Sickness Herb before going back to surprise her.
Liu Yuan shook his head as he looked at his silent expression.
"Huo Yuhao, you're too hasty in your actions."
Huo Yuhao's brows furrowed even more.
He disliked Liu Yuan's lecturing tone, but he couldn't find a reason to refute it.
Liu Yuan continued, "Titan and Niu Tian, how much do you know about them? Do you know how strong they are?"
Huo Yuhao nodded: "Of course I know. They are very strong, stronger than many people I have ever met."
"Then here's the problem." Liu Yuan's voice was unhurried, as if he were analyzing a very ordinary question.
"Since they know that Wang Dong'er has a hidden injury that requires the Love-Sickness Heartbreak Grass to heal, and they have the ability to do so themselves, why don't they come and pick it themselves?"
Huo Yuhao was stunned.
Liu Yuan continued, "Perhaps you'll say that the medicinal herbs are special and they can't pick them. Okay, I accept that reason."
"Even if they can't pick them, they can still personally escort you here."
"With their strength, escorting you to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.
"But they didn't do that." Liu Yuan's voice was calm. "They just gave you a letter, telling you that there were medicinal herbs here, and then sent you here alone."
"What if you die here? What will happen to Wang Dong'er? Won't she be even more hopeless? Are they really doing this for Wang Dong'er's own good?"
Yuhao stood there, unable to utter a single word.
His brain was racing, trying to find a loophole in Liu Yuan's words, but he couldn't.
Every question was clear, every logic was straightforward, and he couldn't deny it.
Electrolux stood to the side, not saying a word. He looked at Huo Yuhao's expression and sighed softly.
Poison Undying walked in front without turning around, but he had clearly heard Liu Yuan's words. His lips twitched slightly, whether in a cold smile or something else was unclear.
Long Aotian followed beside Liu Yuan, glanced at Huo Yuhao, then at Liu Yuan, and said nothing.
The fog swirled around, and the silence lasted for a long time.
(End of chapter)