No! Not as a Slave!

“Can I… can I propose a condition?”

Her soft, pleading words sent a ripple through Du Chen’s heart, nearly making him blurt out, “Any condition at all?” But he bit back the words just as they reached his lips. *Damn it all, why would I even think that? This is a sign of impending transgression, utterly unforgivable!* Yet, facing Helen’s peerless beauty, capable of “toppling kingdoms with a single glance,” any man without such thoughts was hardly a man at all!

Du Chen let out two hearty laughs, his mind already racing. *This girl must be mistaken about my true strength, which is why she’s asking me to do something. It’s easy to infer that whatever Helen seeks must be incredibly difficult—at the very least, her friend outside, who can command ten thousand pythons to besiege a city, can’t accomplish it!* And for something so difficult, Du Chen himself would naturally find it quite challenging.

With this thought, Du Chen adopted the tone of a “master,” his voice chilling. “Propose conditions? Hmph, it seems you possess nothing that could move me. Sacred artifacts? I can seize them and compel them to acknowledge my mastery. Treasures? I possess countless. Power? Conquering vast territories and establishing my own sect—what difficulty would that pose for me!?”

Helen was stunned. *Indeed, I was so desperate for help after witnessing his power that I failed to consider fully. With this man’s capabilities, what could he possibly lack?*

“Leave quickly! Zigurd is about to arrive. While I don’t fear him, I have no desire to slay the headmaster of the Battle God Academy!” Du Chen waved his hand, feigning impatience.

*No, I absolutely cannot leave! A powerhouse capable of effortlessly compelling a Nine-Tier sacred artifact to acknowledge his mastery is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. He is my only hope!* Helen knelt, her expression resolute and firm. “Your Excellency,” she declared, “there is one thing, no matter how mighty you become, that you cannot obtain. This thing, only I can give you!”

Du Chen’s heart gave a sudden tremor. Helen’s sky-blue eyes gazed at him serenely, a hint of desperation in their depths. Her face, beautiful beyond compare, was etched with an unyielding resolve, as if she had made a momentous decision, prepared to pay any price to secure his aid.

“No, please don’t say it. You should leave now!” Du Chen vaguely understood Helen’s bargaining chip. *Gods, please don’t let it be *that*. My willpower isn’t that strong!* Yet, Helen calmly stated, “You, sir, lack the most beautiful maid on all Three Continents!”

*Damn it, why did you have to say it!?* Her words sent Du Chen’s heart hammering, a frantic “thump-thump” in his chest. Spoken from Helen’s lips, the word “maid,” coupled with her transcendent beauty, was truly enough to shatter any man’s resolve!

Channeling his Lotus Internal Force to suppress the turmoil in his heart, Du Chen sneered, “Unfortunately, I’m not interested in you!” He leaned down, staring into Helen’s eyes, and said in a low voice, “I admit, you are beautiful, but beauty isn’t everything! Young lady, please have some self-respect! A woman who would sell her own body to achieve her goals will never earn the respect of others!”

Suddenly, Du Chen felt an emptiness in his heart. Before this, his impression of Helen could be described as perfect—though that perfection stemmed solely from her appearance. But the moment Helen laid her own body on the negotiation table, that perfection shattered completely, like a flawless piece of art violently broken into fragments.

“I don’t want to hear another word from you. Leave immediately! I shouldn’t need to tell you how to shake off Zigurd, should I?” Glancing at the hole above, Du Chen, using his powerful, transformed body, leaped with all his might, springing out of the dungeon.

Helen was stunned for a moment, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Do I not deserve your respect?” She stared in the direction Du Chen had left, her voice laced with resentment. “To leap out of this dungeon with mere physical strength, without even resorting to battle qi—you are truly powerful! But is *that* your reason for insulting me, Your Esteemed Excellency!? You are far too powerful, and thus, you must have never experienced the agony of your mother dying for you, or your father facing the executioner’s block on your behalf!” She touched her left shoulder, then leaped out of the hole as well.

***

Antwerp Port.

From the sky, countless colossal pythons could be seen encircling the port city in layers. On the city walls, soldiers stood ready, their blades and spears gleaming, yet fear was clearly etched upon their faces. Antwerp Port, as the northern nexus of the Grand Triangle Golden Trade Route and a crucial commercial hub, hadn’t witnessed warfare in many years. These southern Imperial soldiers had never encountered such a tense spectacle.

Near the harbor, the Lord’s Manor Household Guards, tasked with defending against sea-borne python attacks, stood defiantly fearless. Leading them, Norton wore a ferocious expression. Waving his greatsword, he roared, “You brats! Those pampered lads on the walls haven’t seen the world; they’re only good for scaring people. But you—you followed me out of the Sigurd Legion! All of you, snap to attention! Can these pythons possibly compare to the Macallan Empire’s ‘Behemoth Battle Array’!?”

“No!”

“Haha, good! You’re all fighting to the death, and this old man will bleed for you! Listen up: kill one snake, earn one gold coin! And what I just said about those southern soldiers, you sons of bitches, better keep it a secret from me!” The soldiers burst into laughter. Norton was pleased with their morale, but inadvertently, his gaze drifted anxiously skyward.

In the sky, a look of wretched pallor had crept onto Zigurd’s aged face. A moment ago, he had sensed that his sacred artifact had been forcibly acknowledged by another. *Battle Gods protect us, someone compelled a Nine-Tier sacred artifact to recognize their mastery! Alas, an incredibly powerful Battle God must have rescued the fiendess.*

He wished to rush back and investigate, but the situation wouldn’t allow it. He couldn’t even spare a moment to glance towards the Lord’s Manor, for directly opposite him, a massive golden python soared! The colossal python spoke in human tongue, “Your Excellency Zigurd, I shall say this one last time: surrender the Young Miss, and I will withdraw my forces immediately!”

Zigurd glared coldly at the python. Normally, he could defeat the colossal python even without his sacred artifact. But now, he was heavily wounded, and more alarmingly, *who could be powerful enough to rescue the fiendess?!*

As the man and the snake stood in a stalemate, suddenly, dozens of miles away from Antwerp Port, a ribbon of purple light bloomed across the sea.

“The Young Miss has escaped?!” The colossal python exclaimed, overjoyed.

“Alas, the fiendess truly did get away!” Zigurd stomped his foot and beat his chest in frustration.

The golden python bellowed a few serpentine words to the besieging pythons, then spoke in the common tongue of the Aethelgard Continent: “Zigurd, the Young Miss is safe. I will take my leave, but I advise you not to pursue, for my brothers and sisters will continue to besiege Antwerp Port for a while longer. Should you dare to pursue us, my kin will mercilessly raze the harbor! Just imagine the scene! Haha!” The colossal python flew away.

Zigurd watched coldly as the python flew away. “Hmph, you’ll come back for me sooner or later. That fiendess’s father is still imprisoned in the Battle God Academy!”

Meanwhile, Du Chen had already jogged back to the underground secret chamber, where he was sharing beef jerky and chatting idly with Aliza.

Half a day later, the swarms of pythons slowly retreated. Antwerp Port once again resumed its bustling appearance. A bloody catastrophe, dispelled by Du Chen’s rescue of Helen, bringing an end to conflict, a deed of immeasurable benevolence! With the pythons completely gone, the lotus on Du Chen’s backside began to stir restlessly.