Chapter 42, A Visitor

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Lihua exclaimed, "My poor heart..."

Li Meixiu patted the princess's back as she calms her down, "There, there." She then eyed Tengfei who was discussing something with Red Sin.

Afterwards she then commented, "That fight was short... but intense. Tengfei used his head well. I think he wouldn't need Red Sin's help if the ring worked."

Lihua furrowed her eyebrows before looking at her.

The golden eyed lady apologized again with both words and by giving out her precious food.

Red-haired accepted the sweet before saying, "You're lucky he's alright. I'm still mad even if I forgave you."

"Yeah, I know. It's a horrible mistake in my part." She said.

The princess then saw that Red Sin and Tengfei were walking to somewhere else. She then thought, 'What are they planning?'

Li Meixiu wanted to tease the red-haired girl and so, she said, "Don't be worried, I highly doubt he would cheat on you."

Lihua at first felt annoyance but then she had a question, "How are you so confident?"

"I'm pretty sure, you're that type of woman. If Tengfei ever cheated on you... the poor lady who walked beside him would have been torn to pieces by none other than..." Li Meixiu pointed at Lihua to end her sentence.

Lihua crossed her arms, furrowed her eyebrows, then looked angrily at her friend. She then reacted, "You're entirely wrong!"

The doll tilted her head to the side slightly before asking, "How so?"

Lihua drooped her shoulders and bit her lower lip with a downcast look. "I-I'll never do such a thing..." She then thought of Tengfei walking away with another woman before continuing, "If he ever grew tired of me... I'll just be sad. At first mad of course, but then... I think I would just cry for a long time. Drown in tears to escape that painful misery." Lihua showed a sad look.

Li Meixiu didn't know what to say. She accidentally created this mess. And here she thought that she just wanted to make a joke.

Lihua then started laughing before revealing a smile to her friend. Almost even giving an expression to the doll.

The princess then proclaimed, "But that would never happen. I believe in him." She then turned her hair into a pony tail and keeping it in place with a certain black clip. Covering her hair immediately with the hood afterwards. A lovely expression emerged before she said, "With me always by his side, he'll not think of looking at someone else due to my beauty!"

Li Meixiu closed her eyes before revealing a very rare smile.

The princess wanted to change topics, "Enough about me, how about that Zhou Huan?"

Li Meixiu was puzzled as she asks in response, "What about him?"

"Aren't you like... worried? He's having his time with that freckled green haired girl."

The golden eyed lady gave a long look at her friend.

"You're kind of mistaking something here." Said Li Meixiu. Her eyes then focused on the screen which showed both Zhou Huan and the green haired girl speaking with each other.

She continued, "Unlike you and Tengfei, I have no feelings nor attachment towards him. A perverted womanizer. Neither does he. We are mostly acquaintances. At best, friends."

Lihua remained silent.

Li Meixiu kept looking at Zhou Huan before mumbling, "I just... want to know who is he. That mysterious fellow." She closed her eyes before uttering, "Forced".

She felt like the word she uttered was confusing to Lihua and so she elaborated, "Lately, I could notice his expression were really forced. Something to disguise himself. Either when he's serious, happy, or when he's acting stupid. I wonder how is he like underneath that mask."

Lihua noticed that Li Meixiu's hands were shaking.

The princess then figured out something before saying with a sad look,

...

"You too were scarred."

Li Meixiu intertwined her hands together. She made sure that they stopped shaking as she dispels the thoughts rushing to her head. Forcefully forgetting the image of holding that man's hand.

Lihua placed her hand on top of her friend's. Gripping them.

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Farengoth chewed the dried salted meat before drowning the saltiness with water.

He then looked to his side to find Lou Jun finishing her stew. When she finished, Farengoth then said, "It seems he left, alongside with that servant girl."

After tapping the wooden spoon on the bowl, she then replied, "The older brother, huh?"

Lou Jun wiped her mouth before continuing, "Well it's smart thing from his part. That man wouldn't want to encounter that blood fiend. Or else certain death awaits him."

Farengoth gave out a tired sigh. After placing back, the leather water poaches, he then said, "Now I wonder what I gained from being here."

Lou Jun gave a scornful look at him before mockingly telling him, "Wasted your precious time. Now no more candies can be offered to you by your sweet King."

Farengoth gave a shrug. He then placed his focus onto the green haired girl, Quafilia.

As if knowing as to where the knight is looking at, Lou Jun then asked, "Isn't she the one you mentioned before?"

"Aye, it's that peculiar girl from my place. She and her family must have left Krehor due to constant war. And from recently judging her Kian accent, it should have taken place quite a while ago."

Lou Jun eyed Quafilia before showing an annoyed look.

Farengoth caught this, but didn't pry.

After massaging her forehead, Lou Jun asked, "So, what now?" She then recommended, "Drop in a ditch somewhere?"

"I have someone to meet in town. He should know something." Farengoth said.

Lou Jun crossed her arms before looking at the empty wooden bowl. She then thought, 'One year... huh.'

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Currently, Inside the contest

Zhou Huan turned to his back. He saw the happy green haired woman eating fruits.

He wondered why did that fishy woman tagged along. 'Must be food.' He thought.

The lady swallowed the food before saying, "You don't look like Kian to me."

Huan expression became ugly for a moment. He then replied back, "I get that a lot."

"No worries, I won't ask anymore." She said after eyeing the flying beast following them.

She winked at him as implying that his secret is safe with her.

Zhou Huan rarely thinks of punching women, but at this moment... that lady is testing his patience.

Quafilia ran in front of him before showing a bunch of mushrooms on her bundled hand. She then curved a smile before saying, "I brought you some delicious mushrooms for you. This is repayment for those apples before!"

Huan eyed the mushrooms before walking past her.

Quafilia was confused until she felt like her hands were getting itchy.

As if figuring out as to why the young man had an ugly look, she tossed away the mushrooms immediately. Having teary eyes, itchy hand and a look that resembled someone who felt betrayed.

She went after him before asking, "Hey, can we meet again after this contest?"

Zhou Huan raised an eyebrow before replying with a question, "Why?"

Quafilia gave a smile with her teeth showing. She then whispered nearby him, "I saw you holding that knight's body-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a painful force sent towards her stomach. Though her expression changed, but it was only for a moment. A forced smile then appeared before she says, "It... wasn't a threat."

Zhou Huan didn't want to listen any further and decided to leave her alone.

Watching his body walk away, Quafilia gripped her hands tightly. Deep within her eyes... were empty.

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Some other area

Gongsun Mu kept his eyes glued at the last piece of meat on the stony slab.

His gaze slowly moved towards the man in front of him. A man who called himself Vino Pheol.

By the time his eyes were on his face and after a single blink, he noticed something horrific.

The meat which was just on the slab... was now in Vino's mouth.

He chewed it with a deadpan look.

The burly man gripped his fist, stood up, before yelling out a curse.

It was loud enough that it made lots of birds flee for their lives nearby.

After eating the meat, Vino revealed a sinister smile before exclaiming, "Tasty."

Gongsun Mu fell down in despair.

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Tengfei was still sitting on the stony floor. Hearing the crackling of the flame echo through the cave he is in.

What stayed in his brain was Red Sin's face.

He somehow felt like he met her before. Somewhere around the time that incident... took place.

'But how? Or better yet... Why?'

He couldn't figure it out.

Especially his feelings of sadness. The painful throbbing of his heart.

Without him realizing, he uttered, "Curse." Before kicking away the wooden branch on the floor.

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Red Sin looked back to the cave she recently left.

Till now, the talk with that young man still lingers within her.

It is as if her body is screaming to not let him go.

Her heart pained when she set foot out of the cave.

Red Sin noticed that her breathing was also rough. She then looked down to her hands and found out that they were shaking. As if something is wrong with her.

She closed her eyes before remembering the image of that gray-haired individual.

A thought came by, 'My soul felt like reaching out to him.'

She shook her head before continuing her trail of thoughts, 'His name was... Tengfei.'

...

Red Sin felt like something was off. She noticed a horrible presence approaching.

A battle may appear. Or she has to run again.

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Everyone in the spectator's room noticed the shadow looming over them.

Steadily covering the place entirely.

...

Slowly but surely, everyone looked up.

They noticed the origin of the shadow.

It was a large thing floating above. Using its hind legs to move across air...

A strange type of fear crept up inside each person. As if it suddenly became eerily quiet.

The beast went closer and by then... They could see it entirely.

A type of whale.

...

With countless human skin attached to it. A freak show, were countless skinned human skins attached to the body of the whale.

Multiple amounts of people started panickily running away.

In front of the whale's face, an inscription glowed on it. Before it came crashing onto the bubble of the island.

Slowly it started entering the strong barrier.

Li Meixiu currently was pulling on the clothing of her friend. Though her friend, Lihua, was still in a sense of shock.

She slapped her which gave her senses back. The princess nodded before following her out of the place.

The golden eyed lady covered both of them in a lightning barrier that follows them.

In another area, Lou Jun was having this complicated look.

Farengoth who was beside her, asked, "They have arrived, huh."

Lou Jun crossed her leg while eyeing the whale, "I guess they want that individual really badly."

Farengoth snapped his finger and Lou Jun removed his armor from her storage ring. Dropping it on the ground, with a disgusted look.

As he wore his armor, he asked, "For killing one of their members? Or is there more to that?"

Lou Jun removed her cloak and tied her hair, "Of course, she's the sole reason why their leaders decreased by a lot."

Farengoth gave a gesture with the movement of his head. Telling her that they'll leave now.

The whale's head entered the barrier before opening its mouth. What followed... was the whale's clicking sound.

A very loud series of sound that stunned everyone nearby.

Luckily the barrier covering Lihua and Li Meixiu, barely blocked it.

The princess showed a dreaded look before uttering, "A tier five beast..."

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