Fu Ping looked at Wei Yang with a relaxed expression, as if the girl were nothing more than a piece of dessert.
“You hesitated. You definitely know something.”
Wei Yang knew she absolutely could not reveal Galio’s whereabouts here. Once Fu Ping learned of the White Dragon’s movements, she would undoubtedly go for revenge. Regardless of who won that fight, Huyin Town would certainly be affected. The Zhuji incident had yet to be resolved; if a Mermaid Princess joined the fray, the consequences would be unimaginable.
It was the butterfly effect.
In this game world, every choice could lead to a different ending. If she let Fu Ping and Galio meet now, it would trigger an uncontrollable chain reaction.
Until the Zhuji incident was dealt with, she could not let them meet.
“Uh, you’ve got it wrong. Actually, my aunt is also named Galio. I just thought of her.”
A red cross-vein popped up on the right side of Fu Ping’s forehead. It was obvious she was angry.
“Are you looking down on me? How dare you play games with me.”
The moment she finished speaking, that water arrow shot forward with incredible speed.
Previously, the artifact horn Wei Yang had received from Heng’e had been engraved on the back of her hand in the form of a mark. At this moment, the mark suddenly glowed, and golden light instantly solidified into a physical form—
*Clang!*
The water arrow slammed into the horn, exploding into a cloud of mist.
Wei Yang was blown back over one meter by the force of the impact. She immediately channeled her divine power, activating the petrification effect of the Medusa Sapphire with everything she had!
Fu Ping’s left hand, where her artifact, Water Six, was located, was instantly petrified. She could no longer use her water abilities.
A follow-up! Wei Yang gathered her divine power, pinkish-purple light converging at her fingertips.
But just as she was about to release a slash—
Fu Ping let out a mocking chuckle and vanished from sight in an instant.
Wei Yang’s pupils constricted.
A warm breath brushed against the back of her neck.
“Not bad.”
Fu Ping had appeared behind her. Having her artifact petrified did not mean she was at Wei Yang’s mercy.
Wei Yang had made a mistake.
She had been so focused on the artifact, Water Six, that she had overlooked the incantations Fu Ping herself possessed.
The Mermaid Princess could travel freely through any place where there was water.
Fu Ping had used the residual water from the first arrow that hit the tree behind Wei Yang to teleport behind her.
Before her hand-blade, infused with full power, could strike Wei Yang’s neck, she offered another critique.
“But not good enough, either.”
If this blow landed, Wei Yang would definitely lose consciousness. However, she also possessed information that Fu Ping did not know.
The pinkish-purple divine power surged through her body, and Wei Yang’s physique changed in an instant.
Fu Ping had originally aimed for the back of the neck, but because of Wei Yang’s sudden change in size, the strike landed on her right shoulder instead.
“Ugh!”
Wei Yang gasped in pain. It hurt terribly, but at least she didn’t pass out. This was her only chance to counterattack!
She seized the moment while Fu Ping was stunned by the missed target. Wei Yang grabbed Fu Ping’s right hand before she could withdraw it, turned, and performed a shoulder throw!
Fu Ping’s body traced an arc through the air before hitting the ground with a dull *thud*, knocking her unconscious.
Wei Yang panted heavily. It took a long time before she finally regained her composure.
She had won.
Even if it wasn’t through raw strength but rather an information advantage, a win was a win.
She looked down at herself. Her clothes, which weren’t very loose to begin with, were now stretched almost to the point of tearing. The fabric across her chest had reached its limit, and the lace patterns along the edges were distorted. The friction caused by every breath made her cheeks burn.
But what made her even more ashamed was that the feeling was back—the damn side effect of her divine art.
A deep longing was calling out to the tide, and an unstoppable sense of emptiness continued to expand.
‘No way, this feeling again…’ Wei Yang felt like crying. ‘Already!?’
She looked down at Fu Ping lying on the ground. What should she do? Just leave her here?
She couldn’t. No matter what, Fu Ping was still a girl; she couldn’t just leave her out in the wild. Wei Yang gritted her teeth, leaned over, and picked Fu Ping up in a bridal carry.
‘She’s so light. Have I improved?’
In truth, Fu Ping had a slender build, unlike Ah Li. Plus, since the effects of the divine art were still active, she had more than enough strength to carry her.
It was just that Wei Yang could still feel the warmth of the skin beneath those clothes, and the girl’s curves were pressed against her front. It was maddening.
Wei Yang forced herself not to overthink it. Carrying Fu Ping, she hurried through the woods toward the barrier of Huyin Town.
The space outside the barrier was deserted, and naturally, there were no guards patrolling. Only there was it safe.
She arrived outside the barrier with Fu Ping, gently placing her under a large tree to ensure she was lying comfortably. Then she stood up and looked at her own hands.
They were still shaking.
The obsession was growing stronger; she could feel her body crying out.
‘Calm down, calm down, calm down…’
The lesson she had learned from Ah Li last time was not to try and attack a girl. She would definitely lose control before anything happened. Therefore, she had to handle this alone.
Her gaze fell on Fu Ping. If the girl woke up halfway through and saw her disgraceful behavior, it would be social suicide.
Wait, she could probably borrow that outer coat. If she just covered herself up before doing *that* thing, it would be fine.
Wei Yang carefully removed Fu Ping’s outer garment, terrified of waking her. Then she ran behind another large tree, curled her body up, and wrapped herself completely in the coat.
Time to start.
It wasn’t enough.
Still not enough.
Wei Yang bit her lip.
It was different.
It wasn’t the same at all.
One, two, three…
A long time passed.
The traces left by the spring rain were right before her eyes, and the heat finally subsided.
Wei Yang lay there limply. She pushed aside the coat and stared at the dark clouds in the sky, her mind a total blank.
After a while, she slowly sat up and looked down at herself.
The effects of the divine art had worn off at some point, and she had returned to her original size. Her clothes were stained with the “spring breeze after rain,” and her stockings were wrinkled and twisted.
Wei Yang sighed and pulled them back on. The damp fabric felt cold and uncomfortable against her skin.
She stood up, stretched her numb legs, and walked toward Fu Ping. The other girl was still lying under the tree, her chest rising and falling slightly, fast asleep. Wei Yang knelt beside her and watched her.
“You’re quite the sleeper. Did I hit you too hard? I really don’t know what to do with you. Oh? Has the petrification worn off? I guess it really only lasts for about thirty minutes.”
She sat down next to Fu Ping, leaning against the tree trunk. Having nothing better to do, she began studying the dappled shadows of the leaves cast by the sunlight.
What should she do with this Mermaid Princess?
“When the spring breeze blows, the grass grows again; to pull up weeds, one must remove the roots”—
‘As if I could ever do something like that. I’m a five-star law-abiding citizen of the world; I don’t do anything worse than a five-star offense.’
Wei Yang closed her eyes.
She was so tired.
But it also felt quite comfortable.
Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, a shallow breath sounded beside her.
Fu Ping slowly opened her eyes and locked gazes with Wei Yang. The two of them stared at each other blankly for a long moment.
It took Fu Ping several seconds to remember what had happened.
“You—”
“Don’t move,” Wei Yang said, pressing her down. “Unless you want to be turned into a solid block of stone.”
Surprisingly, Fu Ping was very obedient and didn’t struggle.
Then, she replied—
“I lost. I lost to someone who isn’t of the Dragon Race. In that case, do with me what you will. Just make it quick.”