At that moment, a message suddenly appeared on the holographic screen:
[Lin Yu (sighing): @Zhu Zhuqing, to be honest, Zhu Zhuqing, I truly feel sorry for you…]
Seeing that she had been mentioned, and realizing it was Lin Yu who had called her out, Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned.
As for Lin Yu…
Although Zhu Zhuqing hadn't spoken up much in the live stream before, Lin Yu had answered so many questions correctly, gaining a ton of attention. Naturally, Zhu Zhuqing was aware of him.
Her impressions of Lin Yu mainly revolved around two traits. The first was intelligence. After all, how could someone answer the first live-stream question without being smart? He had wished to know all about the past, present, and future of the Douluo Continent, which allowed him to ace the later questions with ease.
The second impression was boldness. Not everyone would dare to publicly expose the famous Haotian Sect's secrets, which even led to a rift between Haotian Douluo Tang Hao and his family.
Despite his audacity, Zhu Zhuqing didn't feel any aversion toward Lin Yu, since what he said was mostly true. She kind of admired him. If she could be like Lin Yu and answer a few questions correctly, maybe she could change her fate.
Even just answering one question about Martial Soul evolution would be enough to transform her life. If her Martial Soul evolved, she could escape the ruthless inheritance competition of her family.
While the Hell Civet family, like the royal family of the Star Luo Empire, practiced a brutal survival-of-the-fittest method for selecting heirs, the two were still different.
For the Zhu family, the competition among daughters was tied to their engagement with the princes of the royal family. Zhu Zhuyun, for example, was putting all her energy into suppressing Zhu Zhuqing to help her fiancé, Davis, secure the position of crown prince.
However, even if Zhu Zhuyun won, her prize would only be becoming the crown princess and receiving the full support of the Hell Civet family. In this ancient world, though, the title of Grand Duke would never pass to a woman. The duchy would always go to a male heir from the Hell Civet line.
But this wasn't set in stone.
In the world of soul masters, a family's success depended on the strength of their Martial Soul inheritance. The Hell Civet and the Evil-Eyed White Tiger families had once established the Star Luo Empire together. However, it was the White Tiger family that rose to royalty because their Martial Soul was stronger.
If a Martial Soul evolved beyond its inherited form, that person was almost certain to become the next family leader, with the entire family backing them. The family would pour all its resources into improving that person's strength and ensuring the new, evolved Martial Soul was passed down to future generations.
So, if Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul evolved, she could escape the current competition.
The Hell Civet family would likely find another family member to take her place in the engagement with Dai Mubai. Even if that didn't happen, and Dai Mubai eventually lost to Davis, the Zhu family would still do everything in their power to protect Zhu Zhuqing, ensuring she became the next family head and passed on the evolved Martial Soul.
But for Zhu Zhuqing, this was far too difficult to achieve! Under Zhu Zhuyun's constant suppression, Zhu Zhuqing had no opportunity to access the family archives or visit libraries. She couldn't collect resources or seek out scholars to help her prepare for the live-stream questions.
…
Lin Yu says he feels sorry for me… Could that mean my future is doomed?
Sitting in the Hell Civet mansion, Zhu Zhuqing's heart filled with uncertainty as she pondered Lin Yu's words.
Meanwhile, at the Third Prince's residence in the Star Luo capital...
Seeing that Lin Yu had called out his fiancée, and even said he felt sorry for her, a deep sense of unease crept into Dai Mubai's heart. Considering Lin Yu's past actions, Dai Mubai couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming.
What is this guy trying to do?
[Zhu Zhuyun (curious): @Lin Yu, you say you feel sorry for my sister. Does that mean her future is that bleak?]
Like Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhuyun suspected Lin Yu knew about some terrible fate awaiting her sister. So, she couldn't resist asking in the live stream.
[Lin Yu (sighing): Absolutely! I've always thought your sister is an amazing, hardworking girl. But unfortunately for her, she's stuck with an irresponsible, cowardly fiancé!]
[Dai Mubai (furious): Who are you calling a coward?!]
Seeing even Lin Yu joining in to insult him, Dai Mubai's fury exploded.
[Lin Yu (mocking): I'm talking about you! You've already given up, haven't you? Isn't that the truth? And I also know that in the future, you'll abandon Zhu Zhuqing, leaving her to face all the pressure while you run off to enjoy yourself. When she comes looking for you, you won't even feel guilty and will have the nerve to argue with her. Honestly, not only are you a coward, but you're also a piece of trash! What, you got a problem with that?!]
You!!!
Dai Mubai was seething with anger, but beneath his rage, a wave of shock crashed through him.
How could this guy know about my plans? How does he know I'm planning to escape to Shrek Academy next year?
[Lin Yu (sneering): @Dai Mubai, what's wrong? Can't you deny it? Or did I hit a nerve by revealing your dirty little secret?]
With Dai Mubai staying silent, Lin Yu mocked him further in the live stream. He didn't expect this would motivate Dai Mubai to change. After all, deep down, Dai Mubai was a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong.
In the original story, Dai Mubai showed two completely different attitudes toward Tang San and Ma Hongjun. When faced with pressure from Davis, he eventually chose to run away.
Now that Davis had answered a question correctly and gained more momentum, the gap between him and Dai Mubai would only widen. Lin Yu was sure that Dai Mubai would flee even sooner this time.
[Lin Yu: @Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhuqing, your fiancé is nothing but an irresponsible coward who can't protect you. You work so hard, yet he doesn't appreciate it. It's truly heartbreaking. Why don't you come with me instead? I'll protect you!]
After tearing into Dai Mubai, Lin Yu shifted his focus back to Zhu Zhuqing, tagging her once again in the live stream.