Chapter 215: Broken Bonds and Brewing Storms
When Xiao Qiang punched her and sent her flying backward, Zhang Lexuan was completely stunned.
She had seen Xiao Qiang defeat a Soul Emperor two years ago and knew he wouldn't be easy to deal with. But she hadn't expected that in just two years, she—now a Soul Douluo with a 100,000-year soul ring and Soul True Body—wouldn't even be able to land a blow on him.
With her current strength, even an ordinary Titled Douluo shouldn't be able to defeat her so easily. Could Shrek really hope to win the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Competition in the future with such overwhelming opponents standing against them?
Zhang Lexuan deeply doubted it.
"What's wrong, Palace Master?"
When the wall of Xiao Qiang's office was smashed through, Mu Qingxue and several elders of the Soul Palace rushed in to assess the situation.
"Nothing. She got a little restless and tried to attack me, so I defended myself. That's all. Take her to get treatment, but make sure to reattach the soul-limiting collar. I won't allow her to act out again."
"Understood. Leave it to me," Mu Qingxue replied coolly.
She quickly fastened the collar around Zhang Lexuan's neck and unceremoniously dragged her out. The rough manner she used—dragging Zhang Lexuan across the floor with her collar tight against her throat—made it obvious there was personal resentment involved. Anyone watching could tell Mu Qingxue was getting a bit of revenge in.
"Palace Master, is it really okay to let the High Priest treat her that way? After all, she's Master Kong's great-granddaughter. Won't it be hard to explain things if Kong Deming confronts us?" one elder voiced his concern.
"She tried to attack me after I released the collar. If Elder Kong thinks I've wronged her, I can compensate him. But if he's handing her over to me, she must follow my rules. If not, then he can take her back."
Xiao Qiang's voice was firm, brooking no argument. His stance on Zhang Lexuan was clear and final.
Kong Deming, after all, didn't know the truth of Shrek. He hadn't read Peerless Tang Sect and couldn't see the depth of Zhang Lexuan's loyalty. But Xiao Qiang understood it all perfectly. Zhang Lexuan's ties to Shrek ran too deep—years of history, loyalty, and shared ideology. She wasn't someone who could be swayed.
Unlike Ling Luochen, who possessed pure ice attributes and could be emotionally influenced, Zhang Lexuan couldn't be moved that way. In such a case, returning her to her family with a solid excuse was the smartest path.
"I understand," the elder said with a nod.
Soon after, several architectural soul engineers arrived to repair the damage to Xiao Qiang's office. Once things settled down, Xiao Qiang was left alone with his thoughts.
He understood why Kong Deming had taken this desperate step. Despite the Kong family's abundant resources, their descendants had proven to be deeply disappointing. If even one of them had been good enough to earn a regular spot in the All-Continent Competitions, Zhang Lexuan wouldn't have had to bear the family's hopes.
The family's talents were so meager that even with Kong Deming's accumulated resources, it would take a hundred years to produce a Titled Douluo—and even then, one less accomplished than the Unbreakable Douluo.
Xiao Qiang did have the power to change that. With access to hundred-thousand-year soul beasts and immortal herbs, he could easily help someone like Kong Deming reach new heights.
But that would only create a debt that could never be repaid.
In Xiao Qiang's eyes, a hundred-thousand-year soul ring was merely a transitional asset. But for most others, it was a life-altering treasure—one that invoked life-long gratitude or deep resentment if the balance of obligation was broken.
That's why he intended to help Bai Qingshan, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen fuse such rings. Their past actions had earned his favor, and Xiao Qiang's gratitude was genuine—there would be no lingering debts or enmity.
But Kong Deming? He hadn't been there at the start. When Xiao Qiang had risen, he already had everything thanks to the Hongchen family's full support. Kong Deming was a mentor in name only. Compared to Jing Hongchen, who was a true teacher and benefactor, Kong Deming's position was much weaker.
Even now, Jing Hongchen's recent breakthrough to level 95 hadn't diminished his technical lead in soul tool crafting. For at least the next three years, Jing Hongchen would still be the top soul tool master in the Sun Moon Empire.
Kong Deming could make more rapid progress with an immortal herb, yes—but if Xiao Qiang granted him such favor, and he couldn't repay it, the result would be enmity, not alliance.
"Ah, Master…" Xiao Qiang sighed.
Either path—helping or not helping—was bound to end in disaster. And explaining the truth to Kong Deming was equally hopeless. He wasn't a reader from the future who knew how things would end. Telling him to give up on Zhang Lexuan now would be like going back to the Spring and Autumn Period and asking the State of Chu to destroy Qin first—it would sound insane.
"Forget it. One step at a time. She won't change anything anyway," he murmured to himself.
Ironically, the consequences of Mu Qingxue's heavy-handed retaliation meant that Zhang Lexuan was seriously injured—more than a month passed before she fully recovered. A wound that should have taken two days dragged on for over four weeks. Even then, she didn't speak. She didn't act. She just sat in silence, her aura subdued, her presence almost ghostlike.
But her silence was a blessing to Xiao Qiang.
Until, that is, a respected elder of the Soul Palace rushed into his office in a panic.
"Palace Master, bad news! Miss Zhang Lexuan disappeared this morning!"