Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, her face devoid of emotion, but Xiao Tian could see the desolation clearly etched upon her features.
Xiao Tian glanced at the Star Luo Royal Team on the other side before saying, "Zhuqing, is this because of your elder sister?"
Zhu Zhuqing paused slightly, raising her head to look at Xiao Tian. At this moment, she felt her heart beat a little faster. Had Xiao Tian actually figured it out?
She was different from Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong; among the three girls, her presence was actually the lowest.
This made her feel that perhaps Xiao Tian didn't care about her as much?
This 'not caring as much' was relative, as Xiao Tian was still very good to her, but compared to Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong, she was a step behind.
Many times, when Xiao Tian chatted with Xiao Wu and Rongrong, she would quietly stand behind them, watching silently, not speaking.
But Xiao Tian's current words were enough to prove that he had, in fact, always been paying attention to her, and could even be said to understand her.
She didn't believe her emotional control was that poor, and there was a considerable distance between them and the Star Luo Royal Team. If he hadn't been paying attention to her, how could he have instantly walked up to her, shown concern, and even guessed that her low Spirits were related to her sister?
Zhu Zhuqing now had an indescribable feeling in her heart.
Xiao Tian looked at Zhu Zhuqing's slightly shocked expression, his own reflection visible in her eyes, and knew he had guessed correctly.
Xiao Tian took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and led her to sit at the edge of their preparation area, speaking in a low voice, "You haven't seen your sister in so many years, and thinking about your Empire's competitive system, are you feeling very confused and upset?"
The others in the preparation area noticed the unusual interaction between Xiao Tian and Zhu Zhuqing, but they tacitly kept their distance.
Xiao Wu leaned against Ning Rongrong, whispering in her ear, "Rongrong, what do you think happened to Zhuqing?"
Ning Rongrong's little mind worked much faster than Xiao Wu's. She blinked, smiled, and likewise whispered, "It should be related to the Star Luo Empire, right? Didn't the captain of the Star Luo Royal Team, Dai Weisi, go up with Xiao Tian just now? Zhuqing is from the Star Luo Empire, and she hasn't seen Dai Weisi and her sister in so many years, so she might be feeling a bit down."
Xiao Wu nodded thoughtfully, looking at the two not far away, a hint of worry on her face: "I wonder what Brother will say to Zhuqing. Actually, now that Zhuqing is with us, she shouldn't have to worry about the Star Luo Empire's affairs, right? It's just a throne; how could it be more important than improving one's strength?"
Of course, Xiao Wu directly transmitted the last sentence, as there were other people in their waiting area.
Dugu Bo, on the other hand, was calm, seemingly meditating with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was observing the drama.
Dugu Bo transmitted, "You two little girls, just trust Xiao Tian. The Star Luo Empire is nothing to fear. With this old man here, if the Star Luo Empire dares to harm Zhuqing's parents, I'll directly make them play a game of 'Nine Clans Elimination'."
Nine Clans Elimination?
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong heard this term for the first time. It sounded a bit interesting?
Although it was a novel term, its meaning was easy enough to guess. Wasn't it just extermination?
Dugu Bo smiled; Xiao Tian had just mentioned this term to him. Interesting.
After Zhu Zhuqing sat down, her tone was somewhat low, clearly indicating her Spirits were not high.
"Yes, I just met my sister's gaze, and the expression on her face was somewhat arrogant and disdainful. I found it very complicated to see. Now that Dai Mubai and I are no longer together, it has no impact on their struggle for the throne, so why does my sister still act this way?"
Xiao Tian: "This might be because you are still a part of the Zhu family. Although you two are separated now, the engagement has not been dissolved. This Soul Master Competition is probably the key to determining the final outcome."
"But Zhuqing, I think when you look at your sister, you shouldn't just look at the surface. I once heard you say that when you were little, your sister was very good to you, wasn't she?"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded and said, "Yes, after I awakened my Spirit and became engaged to Dai Mubai, her attitude towards me changed. After that, I would subtly encounter some assassination attempts. If it weren't for my good luck, I might have…"
Xiao Tian, however, smiled: "Zhuqing, actually, I have a different view. Since the Star Luo Empire has set such rules, it means that, at least on the surface, you can compete but cannot harm each other's lives. But in secret, it's different. Have you ever thought that your sister was also betrothed to Dai Weisi? Would Dai Weisi secretly try to harm you for his throne?
Although the probability is very low, it's not impossible, is it?"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened slightly. She seemed to understand the meaning behind Xiao Tian's words a little.
"Are you saying that my sister acts this way to protect me?"
Xiao Tian first nodded, then shook his head: "My understanding is that this is not only to protect you but also to temper you! If your sister makes a move against you, Dai Weisi naturally won't interfere too much, because then it would be considered internal strife within your Zhu family, not him Dai Weisi being unable to play fair. Moreover, he has cultivated for so many more years than you two, so doing that would also draw criticism.
Then there's the tempering. It's the same logic: your sister has also cultivated for several years longer than you. If she wanted to secretly kill you, it would actually be very simple, yet you've repeatedly survived by luck? Why is that?
Furthermore, if your sister mobilized those assassins, would your parents really not know about it at all? But why would they allow your sister's actions? It's highly probable that they also saw your sister's intentions. When you were little, you were too naive, and it would be very difficult for you to survive like that. Plus, Dai Mubai abandoning you and running to the Heaven Dou Empire stimulated you even further. Perhaps this is also why you are so indifferent to people now and want to become stronger?"
"Also, regarding the Star Luo Empire's imperial prince competition, I also made some inquiries. The Star Luo Second Prince seems to have died after losing the competition, didn't he?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's body trembled slightly, her voice a little shaky: "Yes, the Star Luo Second Prince and my second elder sister lost in their battle against Dai Weisi. However, at my elder sister's request, Dai Weisi ultimately did not kill them, but crippled their cultivation and had them banished by the Star Luo Emperor to a border territory. But not long after, news spread that they were killed by a group of masked Spirit Masters."
In truth, Zhu Zhuqing knew very well that there weren't that many accidents; this was likely something Dai Weisi had arranged for people to do in secret.
Both of them had already been crippled, and even if they went to the territory, they would have no power to command respect. It would be effortless for Dai Weisi to take their lives with just a little manipulation.
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