Could the Watcher Truly Bully the Weak and Fear the Strong?

"So, you can neither tell me what you're going to do nor give me any clear guarantee." Sonia kicked a pebble by her foot, her gaze following its arc until it vanished into the curtain of rain. "So do you want me to pray to god for you? But I don't usually believe in gods either..." "It's not that I'm expecting you to help me..." "Then what do you mean? Do you just want to see me heartbroken with worry over you? Sure, I can do that." Sonia's eyes suddenly welled with tears. She rushed forward and hugged Yaxiu, burying her head against his shoulder and whimpering tearfully, "Don't go! Don't leave me, I can't live without you, we have to stay together forever—is this what you like?" Pushing him away, Sonia said calmly, "Suddenly telling me you have to carry out a perilous mission within five days, suddenly telling me you might die, suddenly telling me... How domineering, Captain. You never give me any choice. I just have to obediently listen to your orders. You can tamper with my emotions as you please, while I can only watch your life from the sidelines like a passerby." "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but because of the contract's restrictions, I simply can't say it," Yaxiu explained helplessly. "I haven't shared anything about my real life lately—did you think I wanted to hide it from you? I'm simply forbidden from revealing anything to outsiders—" "Right, outsiders." Sonia crossed her arms and looked away. "I'm an outsider." *Oh come on, is the fur that was finally smoothed over last night about to ruffle up again?* At this moment, Yaxiu couldn't help harboring some resentment toward that slave owner, Annan. If not for her contract's numerous restrictions, he wouldn't have been reduced to speaking in riddles before Sword Princess. He wished he could return to reality right now to get back at that root of all evil. Yet the thought of Annan's likely response—feigning a pitiful, coy, playing-hard-to-get act without the slightest fear of him—left Yaxiu feeling a faint ripple of stirring excitement beneath his helplessness. The cult leader cleared the stray thoughts from his head and reached out to grasp Sword Princess's arm. "You know that's not what I meant—" "In many of the dramas I've watched," Sonia said suddenly, "many protagonists about to embark on a dangerous mission, even if they say goodbye to the heroine, won't reveal that their lives are hanging by a thread. Instead, they paint a rosy picture of the future to reassure her, adding a heavy dose of tragic romance to the story. "Back then, I used to wonder why screenwriters always loved using such clichéd tropes. Looking at it now, clichéd tropes have their merits." Sonia glanced at Yaxiu's hand. "If it isn't clichéd like that, it just makes the protagonist look utterly powerless." "But didn't I tell you when I was preparing to launch our plan in prison?" Yaxiu asked curiously. "What's different between then and now?" "It's different. The strength is different, the process is different." The village girl paused. "The mood is different too. "Besides, did you pull me aside just to tell me this?" Remembering something, her expression turned quizzical. "There's no need to hide this from Witch, is there? Could it be..." Her eyes shone as she stared intently at Yaxiu, her curved brows and shimmering gaze betraying fleeting glimmers of anticipation. "You have something even more important to tell me?" However, Yaxiu shook his head. "This has to be kept from Witch, and I can only tell you in advance." Sonia started slightly, then realized what he meant. "I'm not even sure if I have an inheritance to speak of, nor do I know how to transfer it to you," Yaxiu said. "But right now, our bond level is the highest. If I really leave behind an inheritance in the Void Realm, it will probably all go to you—like that sports car, and maybe those miscellaneous features..." Sonia gazed at him quietly for a moment, then said, "You didn't arrange your posthumous affairs like this when you broke out of prison." "Breaking out of prison was dangerous, but I was fully prepared back then. More importantly, the Blood Moon Country doesn't execute people easily. Even if the prison break had failed, the most likely outcome would have been becoming a permanent guest on the Blood Moon Trial, lingering on for a few more days," Yaxiu said. "But this time, I might not get such leniency. And..." He paused. "The mood really is different." "Is it that dangerous?" Yaxiu blinked, then shook his head with a laugh. "No. Although I made it sound like certain death just now, as long as everything goes smoothly, there's no danger at all. Just like driving is dangerous, but as long as you handle it properly, you won't get into an accident... Sigh, I just wanted to see if you'd worry about me. I didn't expect you to make me lose so completely. You're not gentle or considerate at all." "Then go find a gentle and considerate woman! You must have one in reality, right?" Sonia glared at him coldly. "Maybe she's lying in bed right now, waiting for you to come favor her." "All right, all right, time to head back to exploring. Witch must be impatient by now, and the White Ox seems to have drifted far off." Just as Yaxiu finished speaking and turned to head back, Sword Princess suddenly lunged into his arms, followed by a heavy thud against his abdomen. *Am I finally going to achieve the feat of being stabbed to death by Sword Princess?* The thought popped into Yaxiu's head. Yet nothing happened; she had only pummeled him with her little fists. "Before I met you, I always wore a mask," Sonia whispered into his ear. "Whether you're speaking behind a mask or not, I can tell even with my ears covered." Sonia pushed him away, her eyes brimming with disdain. "Stop putting on an act in front of me. Pretending not to care—isn't that just masking the fear in your heart? Your acting was so clumsy anyone could see through it at a glance; wasn't that just because you wanted me to know? What, did you think I'd voluntarily take you into my arms to comfort you, care for you, and relieve your stress?" Already weighed down by immense pressure, Yaxiu had opened up to Sword Princess with solemn resolve. Confronted by such accusations, he couldn't help flaring up in irritation, compounded by the slight shame of having his inner thoughts exposed. Naturally, his tone turned sarcastic: "You didn't like it when I calmly explained the situation, and you're not satisfied when I laugh off my crisis. What exactly do you want me to do? Do you want me to hold you and act like a spoiled child? Do you want me to pull you into my arms begging for warmth?" Sonia sneered, "Then what do you want me to do? Let you sleep on my lap pillow while I sing in your ear?" Yaxiu ground his teeth. "Then what do you want from me? Do you want me to intertwine fingers with you and spend these few days clinging together?" "Do you want me to act like a love-struck fool with eyes only for you?" "Do you want me to hide in here from reality every day, relying on you just to survive?" "Do you want me to change into a cuter, sexier outfit to comfort you?" "Do you want me to look for chances every day to ki—" Having touched upon a forbidden word that must never be uttered, the squabble came to an abrupt halt. Sonia's face flushed crimson with rage, and she stomped viciously on Yaxiu's boot. "Go die!" With that, she stomped off in a huff, only to march right back a second later and slam her foot down violently on his other boot. "Hurry up and die! I'm waiting to collect your inheritance! Hmph!" *Thud!* Seeing Sword Princess return with a face full of fury, Diya had no choice but to tear herself away from her "Yaxiu and Annan's Bedtime Fantasies"—Black Butler and White Queen had just been roleplaying two parts in her mind, acting out various scenarios of Yaxiu and Annan being alone together. Without exception, all ended in complete intimacy, leaving everyone disgruntled—except Black Butler, who, despite her displeasure, wore an expression full of anticipation and delight, tirelessly imagining explicit dialogue between Yaxiu and Annan. "Why did you two start fighting?" "Don't ask me, ask him!" Sonia sat sulking in the back seat. When Yaxiu returned, she turned her head away to stare out at the reverse golden rain. Without a word, Yaxiu sat in the front seat, opened the Void Realm Map, and began exploring. In such a stifling, tense atmosphere, Diya didn't dare say a word, sitting in the car more demurely and quietly than ever before. After quite a while, Sonia suddenly turned to her and said, "I told you last night that among my upcoming opponents in the Meteor Tribulation, a Sanctuary appeared, right?" "Uh-huh." Diya nodded. "A swordsmanship Sanctuary, just like you." "If I can win all the way through, I'll face him in the finals," Sonia said. "But he's not just a Sanctuary, he's a formidable sword saint. I don't stand a chance." "Yeah." Diya thought this was where she should comfort Sword Princess, so she said, "There's really no helping it. The gap in strength is too big. Even if you lose, there's honor in defeat. You're already amazing enough—" "But I want to win the Meteor Tribulation," Sonia said. "I don't want to lose." Diya blinked in surprise. "But the opponent is a Sanctuary Sorcerer... Sword Princess's swordsmanship realm can't break through to the Sanctuary level on such short notice, right?" "That's why." Sonia suddenly reached out and grabbed Yaxiu by the collar. Under his bewildered gaze, she said with dead seriousness, "There are only a few days left until the finals. I must become a Sanctuary as soon as possible!" "Understood, Watcher?" She glared fiercely at Yaxiu. "Hurry up and find the Seven-Colored Tail! Make me a Sanctuary now!" The Witch sisters watched the abruptly erupting Sword Princess in complete bewilderment, deeply shaken. *Sword Princess is so bold!* *She actually dares to order Watcher around so arrogantly!* *Is this a rebellion against a superior?! This has to be, right?!* *What do we do? If Watcher and Sword Princess start brawling later, I won't have any snacks to eat while watching!* Just as the Witch sisters were wondering whether they should hunt a Fishcleaver Dragon for a snack, they heard Watcher gently reply: "All right." Diya blinked. Amid her shock, she seemed to have discovered a secret—could Watcher truly bully the weak and fear the strong?