Chapter 101: Shouldn't Someone Be Protecting You? [Fourth Update] By Jiang Haichuan

"Ugh..."

Gong Juechen’s hand holding the iron hammer was numb, and his palm was bleeding from the shock of the impact. The White Bone Lady was simply too powerful. He spat out a mouthful of white foam, then looked at He Xueqi. "How about that? Am I a badass? Do you have any thoughts of marrying me now?"

Even while injured, this guy couldn't resist showing off, which was truly speechless.

"No!" He Xueqi replied with a smile, looking utterly exasperated.

"Pfft..."

Gong Juechen spat out a mouthful of blood and pretended to collapse in front of He Xueqi, nuzzling his head against her chest and acting as if he were in great pain, though in reality, he was enjoying it immensely.

He Xueqi was completely stunned. She hadn't expected him to vomit blood, and at the sight of it, she panicked. Knowing he had fought to save her, she nearly burst into tears, her eyes welling up. "Are... are you okay? Didn't you say you could defeat six quasi-kings alone? You aren't going to die after just one exchange with this quasi-king, are you?"

"Ugh... my mouth feels so awful. I need a kiss to feel better," Gong Juechen said pitifully.

He Xueqi, taking him at his word, leaned down and kissed him without a second thought. Gong Juechen, of course, triumphantly seized the opportunity to savor her softness and everything else.

He used his teeth, he used his tongue, he used every method he could think of. He was truly a massive fraud.

He Xueqi was blushing uncontrollably by the time he finally pretended to recover and stood up. "The power of your love has filled me with strength," he remarked—a truly exasperating guy.

Even Zhang Tianling, standing nearby, couldn't bear to watch any longer.

"Bang..." Two figures strode in. One was a middle-aged woman in a white dress, wearing a cold expression and heavy, glamorous smoky makeup. The other was a middle-aged man in a black fur-lined cloak, looking sinister and surrounded by a ghostly aura.

"Damn, aren't these the White Bone Lady's right-hand minions? What’s her name... Rong Momo? I thought the White Bone Lady herself had arrived," Gong Juechen muttered, taken aback. "And isn't that the Thousand-Year Tree Spirit’s capable subordinate, Cao Dan? What a pain in the ass."

"Watch your mouth, kid. You’re nothing but meat on our plates now. How dare you be so arrogant? You’ll regret this soon enough," Cao Dan said, genuinely shocked that the boy recognized them and even knew their names. It was hellish.

"Heh, your strength is indeed impressive, but do you know who I am? I am Luffy from Jiuzhou City! I can beat six quasi-kings alone. Do you really think I’m afraid of you?" Gong Juechen puffed out his chest, once again impersonating Luffy to act tough.

"Heh... you think we’ll believe that? The moment you took my bone thorn attack, I knew you didn't have that kind of strength. You’re just an impostor," the White Bone spirit, Rong Momo, said coldly, tearing through his lie. "Besides, that boy named Luffy doesn't use a hammer; he uses a sword and is wreathed in blue and white flames. You are certainly not him."

"Damn, how do you know so much?" Gong Juechen’s eyes widened, his face flushing slightly as he felt the sting of being exposed.

"Previously, the quasi-kings from the Jiuzhou side came to ask for reinforcements, but our Queen and King refused. Since we haven't even conquered the safe zone here yet, we couldn't possibly send troops there," Rong Momo said icily.

"Damn..." Gong Juechen was speechless.

"You're not Luffy? You lied to me, you liar!" He Xueqi glared at Gong Juechen, raising her hands to beat him. "Doesn't that mean we're doomed?"

"Haha... yes, you are doomed," Rong Momo sneered.

"A bunch of rabble. Die!" Cao Dan said expressionlessly. He had hoped for a real battle, but these people were mere commoners; they were a total disappointment.

"Screw you! You think we're easy to bully?" Gong Juechen roared and charged forward. Zhang Tianling also rushed in, wielding his whisk and Soul-Suppressing Bell. "You run! We'll hold them off!"

"Ah, ah..." He Xueqi backed away in terror, not knowing which way to flee as there was no path behind them.

"What do we do?" The little bone spirit hid behind Luffy in fear.

"It's fine," Luffy said calmly. Since Gong Juechen liked pretending to be a hero, he might as well let him have his fill.

"Boom!" Rong Momo swung her bone sword at Gong Juechen, sending countless small bone blades raining down on him.

"Swish, swish..." Gong Juechen swung his iron hammer desperately, but he was forced back, pierced by several bone blades, and began to bleed.

Zhang Tianling fared no better. His whisk was shredded by vines, and his Soul-Suppressing Bell was silenced, knocked out of his hand as he was sent flying and pinned against a wall by a vine.

"Pfft..." He spat out blood, his expression one of despair. "Run! I’ll use my corpses to cover you!" Agonized, Zhang Tianling frantically formed hand seals, sending his reanimated corpses lunging toward Rong Momo and Cao Dan.

"You deal with these measly corpses. I’m taking that traitor back," Rong Momo commanded. She raised a hand toward the little bone spirit, her arm elongating as she reached out to grab her by the neck.

"Shut up!" Luffy barked. Rong Momo’s hand froze in mid-air. Her entire body felt as if it were being crushed by an immense pressure; she broke into a cold sweat, unable to move a muscle. Luffy walked toward Zhang Tianling, his demeanor calm and natural.

Cao Dan, seeing Rong Momo frozen, was puzzled. "What are you doing? Why aren't you attacking?"

"I don't know, I feel terrible... it’s as if I’m being suppressed by something," Rong Momo gasped, unable to move.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you running?" Zhang Tianling was utterly confused. His corpses had been destroyed, and he thought this boy was too stupid for his own good, wasting all his efforts.

"In exchange for you risking your life to protect me, I'll spare yours," Luffy said, reaching out to grab the vine.

"Are you joking? If you were that strong, you would have acted sooner! You must just be a normal person protected by someone powerful. Call them out! You can't do this!" Zhang Tianling thought he was clever, having deduced everything. "You can't pull that vine off!"

"Ah..." Just as he spoke, the vine was easily pulled away. As blood trickled from his wounds, he felt a wave of agony and shock. Was this boy just incredibly lucky? Was it possible Cao Dan had simply stopped exerting force, allowing him to pull it off? "But what is Rong Momo doing? Why is she frozen in that pose? I don't understand."

"Damn it, save me!" Gong Juechen cried out, his body immobilized by several bone shards.