Chapter 268 – Shattered Alliance and Hidden Alternatives
Looking at the confident Huo Yuhao, Beibei opened his mouth as if to speak but ultimately remained silent. He couldn't be sure who was right or wrong—Huo Yuhao or himself. And more importantly, he had no one to discuss these decisions with anymore. Unlike the original timeline, there was no longer a unified group like the Shrek Seven Devils to help navigate difficult choices.
Due to the butterfly effect, Huo Yuhao's relationship with He Caitou was shallow at best. As a result, He Caitou never joined the Tang Sect. Even now, he was still growing cotton in obscurity. Xu Sanshi and Jiang Nannan, no longer bound by Moon's dying wishes, had no reason to affiliate themselves with Tang Sect either.
As for Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong'er—Xiao Xiao had originally joined the Tang Sect because Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er were members. But in this altered reality, although they were still close, Wang Dong'er's affiliation with the Tang Sect had never been solidified.
Wang Dong'er had wanted to join. She once formally requested to join the Tang Sect, but Tang Ya, the then-leader, had set a condition: win the freshman competition. Unfortunately, without the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's support, Huo Yuhao's team was defeated. After the loss, Wang Dong'er lost the confidence to bring up the matter again. Tang Ya then disappeared, and Beibei—who loved Tang Ya and succeeded her—regarded her unspoken wishes as sacred.
Even though he recognized Wang Dong'er's immense talent and sincerity, Beibei saw honoring Tang Ya's unspoken wish as more important. No matter how powerful or loyal she was, she was turned away from the Tang Sect. Thus, the once-hopeful Tang Sect had dwindled to just Beibei and Huo Yuhao.
Beibei had tried to find new members. But unlike in the original story, the Tang Sect didn't receive its initial financial boost from Shrek Academy. In this reality, Huo Yuhao hadn't shared a wealth of soul tool knowledge with Shrek. Worse yet, events escalated when Moon, Xuan Zi, and Du Busi led a force of Titled Douluo to eliminate Xiao Qiang and Jing Hongchen, only for Xiao Qiang to reverse the situation with brutal soul master power.
As a result, figures like Moon and Du Busi never recognized the importance of soul guides. The Sea God Pavilion, now under Du Busi, gave no support to the Tang Sect. Shrek Academy was disillusioned with soul guide development, and their influential elders no longer backed innovation.
Thus, without Shrek's endorsement or resources, Beibei was left with only Moon's remaining fortune and his own resolve. He used this to employ small teams, compartmentalizing soul guide construction and hiding the Zhuge Divine Crossbow's secrets. But the money was running out fast, and without a successful sale after the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, Tang Sect was doomed.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother," Huo Yuhao said, trying to ease Beibei's concerns. "The Zhuge Divine Crossbow's structure is unique. No one else can replicate it. With the soul guide technology I've learned, we'll earn more than enough. This is only the beginning."
"I hope my worries are unnecessary," Beibei murmured, clearly unconvinced.
The Empire's Frustration
"Damn it! It's already come to this, and Shrek is still trying to squeeze every coin out of us! If we fall, does the Sun Moon Empire plan to crown Shrek as their next emperor?"
Back in her room at the hotel, Princess Xu Jiujiu was fuming. First, Shrek tried to dominate through alliances, and now they'd weaponized their own subordinate force—the Tang Sect—to extort the Star Luo Empire. It was obvious to anyone with basic soul guide knowledge that the Zhuge Divine Crossbow was only a fourth-level device. Yet Huo Yuhao demanded a price 30% higher than that of a typical fifth-level soul guide and refused to budge.
Still, she had no choice. The fixed soul guide cannon, which could be used by ordinary people, was desperately needed. Star Luo's military infrastructure couldn't afford to rely solely on soul masters—not when the Sun Moon Empire was advancing aggressively.
"Grandma Manyi, what should I do?" Jiujiu asked, turning to the Titled Douluo at her side. "Should I really bite my tongue and spend that much for a level-four crossbow?"
Grandma Manyi, wise and experienced, hesitated before answering. "It's not my place to comment on national policy, but currently, only Shrek's Tang Sect offers fixed soul guide cannons with such range and independence from soul masters. The price may be high, but we're out of options."
She paused, then added with certainty, "Apart from Tang Sect, there is no force on the continent right now that can supply weapons of this level to non-soul masters."
Almost as soon as she said this, a new voice echoed through the room.
"Don't be so sure."
Xu Jiujiu immediately turned in alarm toward the unfamiliar voice—only to find a figure lounging casually on her bed.
"Hello, Princess Jiujiu," Xiao Qiang greeted her with a relaxed smile. "If you're looking to buy soul guides, why didn't you come to me?"