Chapter 11: Sowing discord between the humiliated Huang Heyun and the scapegoatAt this moment, Huang Heyun finally noticed Dai Youheng. Even if Youheng's presence was low, to not see him at this point would truly mean he was blind."Dai Youheng? It's you, you damn bootlicker!" Huang Heyun's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his rage completely overwhelming his reason and thoughts. "How dare you ambush me? You're courting death!"Clearly, Huang Heyun mistook Youheng for that bootlicker.After all, apart from their Spirit and temperament, they looked identical.He had no time to ponder why the opponent's attack carried such an eerie, icy attribute, nor how he had approached so silently. Anger and humiliation had already robbed him of his judgment.A smile, perfectly befitting a bootlicker—smug, malicious, and arrogant—appeared on Dai Youheng's face. He violently slammed Huang Heyun to the ground, then stepped forward, lifted his foot, and mercilessly stomped on the other's face. The sole of his shoe ground against the face, twisted with rage and humiliation, pressing it into the cold dirt!"Hmph! I'm returning to Shrek Academy tomorrow," he said, mimicking that nauseating, self-important tone. "I came to find you today to give you a final warning! Stay away from Princess Jiujiu from now on; she belongs to me! You're not worthy of coveting her!"He pressed down with his foot, feeling the muffled roars of anger and struggles from the other party."If you don't heed my warning, and I find you harboring improper thoughts about Princess Jiujiu again..." He leaned down, his voice as cold as ice. "I will make you regret ever coming into this World!"After delivering this carefully crafted, hate-filled speech, Dai Youheng snorted, withdrew his foot, and no longer spared a glance for the disheveled and enraged Huang Heyun on the ground. He turned and slowly walked away, his figure quickly disappearing into the thick darkness, as if he had never appeared."Dai! You! Heng!"A full fifteen minutes passed before Huang Heyun managed to dispel some of the chill from his body and struggled to get up.His face was covered in mud, shoe prints, and bloodstains, looking utterly miserable. He stared fixedly in the direction where Dai Youheng had disappeared, his chest heaving violently, his eyes filled with almost overflowing murderous intent!Utter humiliation! It was simply an utter humiliation!To be ambushed and have his face stomped on by a bootlicker he had always looked down upon! How could he swallow this indignity!"Ah ah ah!!!" He let out a beast-like growl, smashing a nearby boulder to pieces with a punch. "You dead bootlicker! You just wait! Once you leave Star Luo City... I will make you pay! No one can protect you!"He had completely cast aside the illogical attack power from earlier, all his rage and murderous intent now firmly locked onto the "Dai Youheng" who was returning to Shrek tomorrow!Meanwhile, the true mastermind, Dai Youheng, had already returned to the inn. He dispelled his Spirit Ability, washed his hands, as if he had merely gone for a stroll."The bait has been cast, and the knife sharpened," he chuckled to the Snow Empress in his mind. "Now, we just need to wait until tomorrow to see how that enraged dark demon tiger will tear at that unsuspecting bootlicker."He lay on the bed, closed his eyes, a slight smile on his lips.Setting off tomorrow, the journey won't be lonely.In his mind, the Snow Empress's cool voice, with a hint of a peculiar tone, resonated, "Though the methods are slightly despicable, they are... just right."Dai Youheng raised an eyebrow slightly, responding in his mind, "Oh? Sister Snow Empress, don't you think my tactic of using a borrowed knife to kill is a bit beneath me?""Beneath you?" The Snow Empress's voice carried a hint of disdain, as if she had heard something ridiculous. "What is 'beneath you'? The law of the jungle is the most fundamental law of heaven and earth. In the Extreme North Land, to survive and become stronger is the only 'beneath you.'"Her tone became distant, as if recalling a very distant past. "Do you think this Empress was born a 700,000-year-old ruler of the Extreme North? This Empress was once weak, struggling to survive under the claws of countless Spirit Beasts stronger than this Empress. If I had no schemes, if I didn't know how to utilize the environment, exploit the weaknesses of my opponents, and even leverage their internal conflicts, this Empress would have long ago become nourishment for other Spirit Beasts to advance. It would have been impossible to grow step by step and eventually become the king who governs the Extreme North.""To survive and reach the peak, the process has never been important." The Snow Empress's voice was resolute, carrying the coldness and pragmatism of a ruler of ice and snow. "Your method is efficient, effortless, and can conceal yourself to the greatest extent, avoiding risks. This is very good. The World of Spirit Beasts is like this, and the World of humans, it seems, is also like this. Even more hypocritical and complex."She paused, then concluded, "Therefore, this Empress does not find anything wrong with your approach. On the contrary, you are very clever, knowing how to utilize all available resources, including your opponent's anger. This is the mindset a strong person should have. And that worthless bootlicker, who only knows how to wag his tail and beg, doesn't even qualify as a stepping stone."Upon hearing this, Dai Youheng's smile deepened. It seemed that this ice and snow emperor of the Extreme North was quite compatible with him in terms of survival philosophy."In that case, let's get some good rest," Dai Youheng relaxed his mind. "Tomorrow, the show begins."Silence fell in the hotel room, with only the cool moonlight filtering through the window, casting light on the young man's calm yet sharp face.A hunt targeting another version of himself had silently begun. And his ally was an ice and snow queen who also believed in the law of the jungle.The next morning, in the relatively secluded courtyard of the White Tiger Dukes Mansion.Simp Youheng finally finished packing his bags with much dawdling. His mother, a beautiful woman with an indelible sadness and humility in her brows, was carefully straightening his collar, constantly giving him instructions."Heng'er, once you're at the Academy, you must focus your mind and cultivate diligently." The woman's voice was gentle, yet carried a hint of an almost imperceptible sob. "Shrek Academy is the continent's top academy, and opportunities are rare. Although your father is usually strict with you brothers, sending you there also shows his hope for you to achieve something."She sighed softly, her gaze turning to Dai Luoli, who stood quietly beside her, her eyes filled with dependence and envy for her older brother. "Mother is just a concubine, and Luoli's talent is... Alas, the future hope of our lineage rests entirely on you. Only when you become strong can the three of us—mother and children—have an easier life in the mansion, do you understand?"Dai Luoli's talent was the worst among the Dai Family brothers, so she could only place her hopes on Dai Youheng.Dai Youheng looked at his mother's earnest and worried eyes, a rare pang of guilt rising in his heart.Although he was a bootlicker, he still respected his mother.
