Chapter 50: Crimson Ties and Broken Bonds
Two servants escorted Zhu Zhuqing into a quiet corridor.
"What do you want to say?"
Zhu Jiunian's voice was cold as he glanced at his daughter.
"It's too late to regret now."
"Let me go first," Zhu Zhuqing said calmly, her tone unreadable.
Zhu Jiunian waved his hand.
The two servants stepped back, releasing her and giving the father and daughter a moment of privacy.
"Speak," Zhu Jiunian said flatly.
"Father, I…" Zhu Zhuqing hesitated, her voice soft. "Is she really your biological daughter?"
Zhu Jiunian raised his brows. "Of course!"
"Then why do you treat me like this?" Zhu Zhuqing stepped closer.
This time, her question didn't spark any defensiveness in Zhu Jiunian. Instead, a brief flicker of confusion flashed through his eyes.
Yes, Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing were both his daughters. So why did he treat them so differently? Was it truly because Zhu Zhuyun had better talent?
For the first time, Zhu Jiunian found himself at a loss for an answer.
"Father, I don't blame you," Zhu Zhuqing continued, her eyes turning red. "I used to believe that if I worked hard enough, if I beat my sister in the family competition, you and Mother would see me. That's why I left for the Tiandou Empire."
"But when I saw him again… I truly panicked."
"I asked myself more than once—do I really want to tie my life to someone like him?"
"I admit I compromised. I gave up on myself…"
Tears welled in her eyes as she softly cried.
"Dad… could you…" she choked, "Could you hug Zhuqing one last time, like when I was little?"
Zhu Jiunian stood in silence for a long moment, the words weighing heavy in his chest. Eventually, he sighed.
"Zhuqing, since your fiancé is the second prince, whether he's a dragon or a worm, or even a complete failure, you must accept your fate."
"This is the fate of all Zhu family daughters."
"Only through the Xingluo royal family can our Zhu clan maintain prosperity."
"You shouldn't…"
"You mean—I shouldn't even want to live, right, Father?"
Zhu Zhuqing's voice trembled with restrained pain.
Zhu Jiunian didn't reply. Instead, he opened his arms and gently embraced her.
"Zhuqing… I'm sorry."
"I may not have been a good father, but don't blame me. I'm also the head of the clan…"
He spoke slowly, his voice thick with emotion.
Held in her father's arms, feeling a warmth long denied, Zhu Zhuqing wept harder.
"You're the head of the family…"
"I don't blame you, Father…"
"So…"
"So…"
"So what?" Zhu Jiunian asked, puzzled.
"So please don't blame Zhuqing…"
Puff—!
A dagger pierced through Zhu Jiunian's chest.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he staggered back, pushing Zhu Zhuqing from his arms. Blood poured from the wound, soaking his robe.
Gasps and screams erupted as the nearby servants and maids witnessed the scene. But before they could flee, a group of strong men stormed in, blocking all exits.
"Kill!"
A cold male voice echoed.
"Leave no witnesses alive!"
Screams filled the corridor.
Zhu Jiunian's eyes went bloodshot as he watched the massacre unfold.
"You…" He pointed at Zhu Zhuqing, trembling, blood bubbling from his lips. "Evil… girl…"
"Dad, I don't blame you. And you can't blame me either."
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze was cold as she raised her head.
She turned to the middle-aged man leading the slaughter.
"Uncle… no one can be left alive."
"Don't worry, niece Zhuqing. Your uncle understands."
The man, Zhu Jiuxie, grinned grimly as he cut down a servant with a single slash.
"Second Brother, I've been waiting for this day for years."
Zhu Jiunian collapsed to the floor.
The dagger had been laced with poison—he couldn't gather soul power, and his breathing became shallow and rapid.
"Brother, this was the ancestral rule. Your daughter chose the wrong man. You can't blame me…" he gasped.
"I don't care about ancestral rules." Zhu Jiuxie stepped closer, his blade dripping blood. "My daughter is dead. Someone must pay."
"Brother… I'm your brother! The head of the Zhu clan! You can't kill me!"
Zhu Jiunian tried to crawl back, his voice panicked.
Ka-cha—!
Zhu Jiuxie's blade fell.
Zhu Jiunian's head rolled across the floor, landing in a growing pool of blood.
"Huh?"
Zhu Zhuqing chuckled softly, a strange mix of emotions crossing her face.
"He could push his own daughter to her death without blinking… I thought he could face death just as coldly."
"But in the end, he was just a coward—terrified the moment the blade neared his neck."
Zhu Jiuxie dropped the blade and turned to face the corridor. Outside, heavy rain poured down.
He began to cry.
Zhu Zhuqing watched her uncle silently.
Just moments ago, he had wielded a blade with ruthless determination. Now, he sobbed like a grieving child.
It was a heartbreaking sight.
When his cries finally subsided, Zhu Jiuxie looked at Zhu Zhuqing's thin frame, his eyes filled with guilt and pity.
"Uncle… thank you," she said quietly.
"No… I should be the one thanking you."
"I've never helped you before. Today, I was only helping myself."
"If you hadn't taken down Zhu Jiunian… with his Soul Douluo strength, we never could've succeeded. I would've spent my life drowning in guilt."
Zhu Zhuqing stayed silent.
Zhu Jiuxie had once been a renowned figure. He married early and had a daughter—Zhu Zhuqing's cousin.
For over a decade, his daughter lived happily, deeply loved by her father.
But no Zhu daughter could escape the fate of marrying into the royal family.
Her cousin was forced to wed a prince of Xingluo.
That prince lost in a royal competition two years ago and was executed.
Her cousin… couldn't escape death either.
Zhu Zhuqing had witnessed it all.
She didn't want the same fate.
So, she ran to Tiandou—not to rebel, but to live.
When she returned to Xingluo, the first person she thought of was her uncle, Zhu Jiuxie.
But by then, Zhu Jiuxie had lost his will to fight. Every day, he drank away his sorrow.
It was Zhu Zhuqing who helped him back on his feet.
He wanted revenge for his daughter.
She wanted to live—and to change the fate of the Zhu clan.
They agreed on one thing: the current head of the family, Zhu Jiunian, had to die.
But it was no simple feat—Zhu Jiunian was a powerful Soul Douluo, with strength beyond the 80th level…