A war of words, and neither could convince the other.
Inside the room, Yang Kai looked at Xue Yue helplessly. She kept drinking tea to calm her frustration, but the cup had long been emptied—all that remained was air.
The oppressive silence was enough to drive anyone mad.
"Are you really that heartless?" Xue Yue suddenly spoke, her cold gaze fixed on Yang Kai. His stubbornness had genuinely hurt her.
Yang Kai shook his head. "Say what you will—I'm leaving. I've suffered a massive loss this time, and I refuse to tie my life to anyone else's ever again. Especially you, a woman with far too many secrets. If they were ever exposed, even the Heng Luo Commerce might not be able to keep you safe. And if you die, I'd go down with you."
Xue Yue's Dragon Marrow Phoenix Physique was a remarkably unique constitution. Calling her the most exceptional Moon Slave in the entire Commerce wouldn't have been an exaggeration.
When other Moon Slaves were claimed by men, they only granted those men subtle, minor benefits.
But Xue Yue was different. With her current strength alone, she could propel Yang Kai directly to the Saint King Realm. And as her power grew, her physique would bring even greater benefits to the first man to possess her.
Moreover, this advancement wasn't merely a boost in raw power—it also elevated one's cultivation realm.
The world was full of powerhouses. Countless cultivators toiled for hundreds or thousands of years unable to break through even a single minor layer. Xue Yue's body was the ultimate tool for shattering those bottlenecks.
President Ayo had been far-sighted—raising Xue Yue as a boy from the age of three, precisely because he feared this exact scenario. If it ever came to pass, Xue Yue would bring nothing but disaster to the Heng Luo Commerce.
"How long do you think you can keep me bound?" Yang Kai met Xue Yue's gaze flatly, with no intention of looking away. "A plucked melon is never sweet. Besides, we both know that a large part of this is the Soul Chain at work. The other part is your feminine heart. You've lived as a man for so long—only in front of me can you let go without worrying about anything. A big reason you want to keep me around is because of that freedom, isn't it?"
Xue Yue fell silent.
Yang Kai's words had struck the bullseye. There was nothing she could refute.
Yang Kai's expression grew solemn, then proud, his voice dropping low. "You think of me as nothing more than a petty warrior of the Third Layer of the Saint Realm, someone you can order about. But have you ever considered this? If I'm the first person from my homeland's continent to step into the Star Field, then I am the most outstanding warrior of that land. I am its sovereign!"
Xue Yue's eyes widened slightly, a thoughtful look flickering through her gaze.
"You've captured demon beasts before, haven't you? But have you ever captured a King among beasts?" A mocking smile appeared on Yang Kai's face. "What was the ultimate fate of the beast king you captured? Could you tame its wild nature?"
Unbidden, memories surfaced in Xue Yue's mind—of capturing the king of a beast pack. That beast king had been savage beyond taming, lashing out violently. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make it obey. In the end, she'd been forced to kill it.
"I..." Xue Yue opened her mouth, only to find she had nothing to say.
"Think it over carefully. I'll give you three days. After that, give me your answer. I don't want to make things too ugly between us." Yang Kai gave her one last calm glance, then turned and left.
In his eyes, Xue Yue had seen absolute resolve: no matter what choice she made, Yang Kai would not stay on as her guard. He would leave.
Without the Soul Chain being resolved, once he departed, her own situation would become precarious.
A Third-Layer Saint Realm warrior venturing out on his own—Xue Yue knew better than anyone how dangerous that would be. How could she rest easy with her life riding on the shoulders of someone so weak, wandering all across the Star Field?
Her mind a tangled mess, Xue Yue snatched the cup from the table and smashed it on the floor. She ground her teeth for a long while before finally squeezing out a few words: "Heartless beast!"
From childhood, she had never once come out on the losing end in any confrontation. She had always held the upper hand. No matter whether the other person was male or female, old or young—once they fell into her grasp, they could only submit to her will.
The elders in the Commerce all said she was the best successor, the most outstanding heir.
She had accepted such praise without a shred of guilt.
But when facing Yang Kai, she found herself constrained at every turn. In a single conversation, she hadn't even had room to push back. It frustrated her and gnawed at her pride.
She retreated to her room, mood in turmoil. Sitting cross-legged on her bed, she silently circulated her cultivation technique to steady her frayed nerves. Gradually, her breathing stabilized, and she began to consider her relationship with Yang Kai from a different perspective—the pros and cons of keeping him versus letting him go.
Leaving Xue Yue's room, Yang Kai shook his head slowly.
He had given her three days. After that, regardless of her choice, he would put as much distance between himself and this woman as possible. Perhaps it was the Soul Chain's influence, but the decision stirred a faint trace of reluctance in his heart.
The several heads peeking around the corner to watch only made Yang Kai more irritated.
If they were going to watch the show, they could at least have found a better spot. Every last one of them wore a gossip-hungry expression—looking like they desperately wanted to ask what had happened but were too embarrassed to speak up.
"Old Ha!" Yang Kai waved them over.
Halika flushed and strode over together with Lin Mufeng and the others, pretending to discuss something with great earnestness, their expressions utterly grave.
"Old Ha!" Yang Kai called again as they drew near.