Chapter 49: Shackles of Blood
"That's the enemy spy caught in front of the Pope's Palace by that little brat Qian Renxue, isn't it?"
Bibi Dong sneered, her voice laced with contempt.
Just hearing Qian Renxue's name again was enough to ignite her fury. Her eyes grew colder, darker—like a frozen abyss.
Ju Douluo Yue Guan stood quietly for a moment before answering.
"Reporting to the Pope, yes. He's the one the Young Master captured. His name is Dai Mubai, the youngest son of the Emperor of the Xingluo Empire."
"What a waste!" Bibi Dong's face twisted in anger.
"That trash Yu Xiaogang actually accepted someone with such an obvious identity and spirit into the academy—surname Dai, and a white tiger martial soul? Is he blind? No wonder Shrek got disbanded."
Ju Douluo let out a bitter smile but didn't refute her. Instead, he changed the subject.
"There's word from the border. They ask whether we still want to continue mediating."
"Ignore them," Bibi Dong waved her hand disdainfully. "Let them tear each other apart. The more chaos, the better. Dead energy is exactly what I need right now."
A sinister light flashed in her eyes.
"And don't let the Heaven Dou Empire get away cleanly either. Send word to Emperor Xue Ye. Tell him to take Dai Mubai back."
She smirked.
"Let the one who caused the trouble clean it up themselves."
She had no qualms about adding fuel to Qian Renxue's fire. Since that little nuisance had brought trouble, Bibi Dong would be sure to send some right back.
"Understood."
Ju Douluo was just about to take his leave when Bibi Dong's voice echoed once more across the vast Pope's Hall.
"Also… tell Hu Liena."
"If she truly wishes to go to the Slaughter City—then let her go."
Ju Douluo's expression shifted slightly, concern flickering in his eyes. But he dared not protest. He bowed and responded with a simple, "I understand," before departing.
…
Xingluo Empire — Zhu Family Residence
The skies cried.
A steady curtain of rain fell over the grand estate of the Zhu Clan, blurring its elegant stone paths and soaking the courtyard in cold gloom. The stormy weather suited the oppressive atmosphere within.
Within the open courtyard, a young girl knelt alone on the stone floor.
Zhu Zhuqing.
Rain poured over her thin frame, drenching her hair, her clothes, her very soul. Her pale face had lost all color from days of kneeling in the cold, yet her lips were tightly sealed, her expression stubborn and unyielding.
In the covered corridor nearby, a few maids huddled together, whispering among themselves.
"The young miss has been kneeling for five days now. If this goes on, she won't survive…"
A soft, pitying voice.
"Shh! Are you trying to die?"
Another maid silenced her quickly.
"This is the master's punishment. We servants should just keep our mouths shut and watch."
"But it's not her fault!" the first maid couldn't help but say, her voice lowered.
"The prince was arrested—what does that have to do with the young miss? Why punish her?"
"Because of their engagement?"
…
In the middle of the courtyard, Zhu Zhuqing remained motionless.
Her entire body trembled slightly from the cold. But she refused to collapse.
The cold raindrops blurred the tears on her cheeks.
Why?
She cried out silently in her heart.
Why did even the servants understand what was right, but her own parents refused to see the truth?
Why was her fate forever shackled to another person?
She only wanted to live—was that such a crime?
Why did it feel like everyone wanted her dead?
And the ones hurting her the most… were her own parents.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the corridor.
"Get up."
A cold voice rang out.
Zhu Zhuqing raised her head slowly.
There, standing tall and severe, was her father—Zhu Jiunian, the current head of the Zhu family. His expression was carved from ice, his eyes devoid of warmth.
Zhu Zhuqing rose stiffly, her soaked clothes clinging to her frame.
But she did not move toward the dry corridor. She stood in the downpour, silent, defiant.
"Do you admit your mistake?"
Zhu Jiunian's voice cut through the rain like a blade. He looked at her not as a father, but as a judge addressing a criminal.
"I did nothing wrong."
Her voice was hoarse but firm.
Rain flowed down her cheeks, concealing the pain in her eyes.
"Not wrong? Then what—am I wrong? Is the royal family wrong? Are our ancestors wrong?"
Zhu Jiunian's voice rose with fury.
"Why do you think the Zhu family stands tall in this empire? Why do we hold noble status?"
"It's because of our ties to the royal family."
"You enjoyed the honor and resources of this family. Now it's your turn to repay the debt—and you dare say you want to live? That you're not wrong?"
"What honor?"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flared, her voice trembling with anger as she looked straight at him.
"What have I ever received from the Zhu family?"
"Aside from being born, what have you ever given me?"
"My sister was the talented one. You gave her the best tutors, the best resources, the best care and affection."
"And me?"
"I was invisible to you. No attention, no training, even my monthly allowance was half of hers."
"And in the end, you arranged a marriage for me with a fool who only knew how to indulge himself."
"If I hadn't escaped from this family when I did, I probably would've died by my sister's hand."
"Is that what the Zhu family gave me?"
"I never enjoyed anything—so why can't I choose to live?"
Zhu Jiunian sneered coldly.
"I thought you were just stubborn. I didn't expect you to hold such resentment against your own family."
"In that case…"
He turned and called out.
"Guards!"
Two strong servants rushed over, their faces blank.
"Lock up this disobedient girl."
Zhu Jiunian's tone was icy.
"The moment news of the prince's death reaches us from the Heaven Dou Empire, escort her to the royal family immediately. Let her death appease the emperor's wrath."
The two servants exchanged a glance, then hesitated.
"Do it now!" Zhu Jiunian snapped.
The servants stepped forward into the rain and bowed slightly.
"Forgive us, miss."
They tied Zhu Zhuqing's hands tightly, one on each side.
She didn't resist.
But she laughed bitterly.
"Zhu Jiunian."
Her voice was filled with sarcasm and pain.
She no longer called him father.
A man who would send his daughter to die for political convenience had no right to be called father.
"I still have something to say."
Zhu Jiunian narrowed his eyes.
"What else do you want to say? It's too late for regret."
"Heh."
Zhu Zhuqing gave a cold smile, then turned to the servants.
"Take me inside."
The two men looked to Zhu Jiunian.
Only after he gave a slight nod did they escort Zhu Zhuqing into the corridor, away from the relentless rain.
Her footsteps were heavy, but her back remained straight.
She had nothing left.
But she would not break.