Chapter Eighteen: The Protagonist's Luck with Women Fades

With a thunderous boom, Shangguan Yuefang’s mind went utterly blank. Her beautiful eyes stared at him in disbelief—this secret was something she had only overheard by accident from her elders. How could this young man, Shen Luo, so confidently reveal the truth?

“Then do you know what this treasure is?” Shen Fan pressed on.

Shangguan Yuefang’s heart pounded in her chest. Anything important enough to bring out the clan’s ancestor must be extraordinary.

Shen Luo replied coldly, “The Sacred Whip of the Twelve-tiered Soaring Serpent.”

Shen Fan and Shangguan Yuefang both gasped sharply. A sacred artifact!

Su Li poked her head out, taking in the shock on Shangguan Yuefang’s face, which was entirely genuine. She mused to herself: So the destruction of the family was caused by the Soaring Serpent Sacred Whip. No wonder, in the comic, she was so reluctant to reveal the origin of the treasure.

On second thought, perhaps her presence had helped complete this part of the plot.

Gazing at the corpses of his clansmen scattered on the ground, Shen Luo was gripped by grief, and he voiced his suspicions one by one. “The Soaring Serpent Sacred Whip wasn’t taken from the secret realm by the Shangguan ancestor. Most likely, it was seized through murder. But they underestimated their opponent’s power and not only provoked Wind Ghost City, but suffered tremendous losses as a result. Hah!”

He spat out bitterly, “You used the excuse of a ferocious beast rampage to join forces with the other great families and investigate the secret realm, plotting behind the scenes to eliminate threats to the Shangguan family. If I’m not mistaken, the other side must have believed the three families were united in seizing the treasure, and so sent someone to infiltrate Youzhou City for revenge.”

The atmosphere froze instantly.

Shangguan Yuefang stood paralyzed, her face drained of blood, disbelief written across her delicate features.

Su Li looked up at the young man, a glint of pride in her eyes.

As expected of the protagonist—his analysis was incisive and precise.

In truth, Su Li herself didn’t know the whole story; this was a part of the comic’s plot that had yet to be revealed. Only after the protagonist became an apprentice did he learn of his family’s annihilation, leading to his later vengeance against Wind Ghost City.

Before long, Shen Luo had reined in his emotions. A cold smile tugged at his lips. “Miss Shangguan, it would be best for you to come clean about the things you’ve gone out of your way to hide.”

In fact, Shen Luo was only probing her with his words, but upon hearing this, Shangguan Yuefang’s almond-shaped eyes widened again, and she blurted out, “Do you know where the Shangguan ancestor is?”

Her dainty body shuddered violently.

Tiger Soul couldn’t help but clap its paws in admiration. “Master, you’re amazing!” In just a few words, he had caused the opposition to crumble.

“Yes, Master is amazing!” The fledgling Azure Bird didn’t fully understand what was going on, but was delighted, believing its master to be the most powerful in all the cultivation world. It turned to Su Li and chirped, “Sister Tuan, don’t you agree?”

Tiger Soul raised its paw to cover its eyes, thinking this foolish bird was about to bring disaster upon itself again.

Su Li had no time to respond, but she thought to herself: It seems I may have unwittingly severed one of the protagonist’s budding romances.

Though Shen Luo appeared gentle and modest on the surface, in truth he was domineering, dark-hearted, petty, and fiercely protective of his own. Anyone who bullied him or his beasts would always be repaid in kind, quietly and thoroughly.

This little childhood sweetheart before him would likely soon be a thing of the past.

Su Li couldn’t help glancing at Shangguan Yuefang again, thinking what a shame it was, considering how stunning she would become in the future.

Finding herself bored, she reached out and pawed at Shen Luo’s chest a couple of times, turning to Tiger Soul for gossip. “What do you think—are Shen Luo and Shangguan Yuefang a good match?”

Tiger Soul’s entire body tensed; surely this was a trap. After some consideration, it replied, “Of course not. Setting aside her overly rigid temperament, her family itself is a ceaseless source of trouble.”

Su Li nodded. “You make a good point.”

Tiger Soul let out a silent sigh of relief. Thinking of how dearly Shen Luo cherished Su Li, it muttered, “I think you and Master are a better match.”

“What?” Su Li didn’t catch it.

Tiger Soul didn’t dare speak the truth. Thinking fast, it said, “Whoever Master likes is surely the best in the entire cultivation world.”

A single sentence revealed a new perspective!

Su Li thought it over seriously. She had followed “Contract Spirit Beasts” for ten years and had never seen Shen Luo show any special interest in any female cultivator. Could it be... the protagonist actually preferred men?

Lost in wild speculation, she suddenly felt herself lifted into the air, startling her. When Shen Luo set her on his shoulder, she was completely bewildered.

It turned out Shen Luo, seeing the white spirit beast tugging at his sleeve, had misunderstood her intention.

Watching Su Li put on her adorably dazed kitten look again, Shen Luo’s heart melted. He took a piece of spiritual fish jerky from his storage space and fed it to her.

Su Li squinted her feline eyes, chewing the crispy, savory snack, and all the chaotic thoughts melted away.

When Shangguan Yuefang still failed to respond, Shen Fan’s expression grew thunderous, his tone hard. “Miss Shangguan, the fate of all Youzhou City hangs in the balance. Please, think of the greater good and speak the truth.”

Shangguan Yuefang’s expression began to waver.

Shen Fan continued, “At this point, only the Shangguan ancestor can save the others.”

Shangguan Yuefang twisted her fingers, still harboring a sliver of hope. Her clear eyes darted about, and suddenly she pointed at Shen Luo. “As long as he summons that Tiger Soul, he can...”

Before she could finish, Shen Luo’s mocking, icy gaze pinned her in place, choking off her words.

Shen Luo made no attempt to conceal the cold light in his eyes. “A treasured possession invites trouble, Miss Shangguan. Surely you understand this principle? Besides, the disaster brought upon by your family—why should I, an outsider at the Heart Movement realm, be the one to resolve it?”

A flush of embarrassment crossed Shangguan Yuefang’s face. She bit her red lips, stammering, “I...”

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of arcane energy descended from the sky.

The three of them blanched, a metallic taste rising in their throats.

An elder of imposing presence, like a mountain, appeared from the distance, traversing space in an instant.

Su Li tensed her claws.

This was a cultivator at the Out-of-Body stage—able to stride through the air unaided by any magical artifact.

“Sister Tuan, should I make a move?” Tiger Soul swished its tail in excitement. After countless years of boredom, its claws were itching for action.

“I want to fight too.” Though the person on the other side was dangerous, the Azure Bird longed to protect its master.

Su Li was more cautious. “I’m worried that other cultivators may be lurking in the shadows—perhaps from the Shangguan family, or from Ghost Wind City. Tiger Soul, you’re the strongest. Stay behind and scout the area. I’ll go ahead with the silly bird. Wait for our signal before you step in. Make sure he never returns.”

Tiger Soul understood her meaning. Though disappointed it couldn’t rush into battle, it suppressed its excitement and restlessness, silently extending a thread of divine sense to probe the surroundings. Its cultivation was far superior to that of the Out-of-Body elder, who didn’t notice a thing.

“Silly bird, come with me.”

The Azure Bird was both excited and touched—no matter how strong Tiger Soul was, it was still the most important in Sister Tuan’s heart.