"Don't mind them. They're just like that. They don't actually mean you any harm." Seeing Shen Haoran approach, the young lady chuckled softly. She then ladled a bowl of meat porridge from the pot and handed it to him.
Shen Haoran took the meat porridge and chuckled. "I know. After all, there have always been... misunderstandings between the Demon Race and the Human Race. But you, miss... are you also from the Human Race?" Shen Haoran looked at the young lady before him and asked, a little puzzled. She looked completely different from the others of the Demon Race. Her features were those of a standard human.
"Don't call me 'young lady.' That's just what they call me. You can call me Lady Ya," the young lady said with a faint smile. She then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and added softly, "Actually, I can't really be considered part of the Human Race, but I'm not part of the Demon Race either. To be precise, I'm a Half-human Half-demon. My mother was from the Demon Race, and my father was from the Human Race."
"Half-human Half-demon!" Hearing Lady Ya's words, Shen Haoran froze, a look of astonishment in his eyes. 'Half-human Half-demon... they are considered outcasts throughout the entire Xingluo Continent, not accepted by any race. So why is this Lady Ya so supported by the group of Martial Artists around her?'
"What's wrong with being a Half-human Half-demon? What's with that look on your face? Lady Ya is merciful, gentle, and kind. All of us here were taken in by her. If it weren't for Lady Ya, we'd probably be dead by now! And you! If it weren't for Lady Ya, you would've been fed to the Spirit Beasts long ago. Do you think you'd be sitting here eating with us otherwise?" Da Mao said coldly, seeing the shocked expression on Shen Haoran's face.
Hearing this, Shen Haoran felt a bit awkward. He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm, I was just surprised."
In response to Shen Haoran's apology, Lady Ya just smiled softly, but her smile was filled with bitterness. She then said sadly, "It's nothing. After all, it's a fact that I'm a Half-human Half-demon. Neither the Human Race nor the Demon Race has a place for me."
Hearing Lady Ya's words, the Martial Artists surrounding her all lowered their heads. They had followed her for many years and knew just how much scorn and humiliation she had endured, how many tears and how much pain she had suppressed. They were despised by others, treated like rats in the street. They had to be vigilant at all times, terrified that they would be "judged" by some self-proclaimed righteous heroes in the next moment.
Seeing the somber mood of those around him, Shen Haoran frowned. In a deep voice, he said, "So what if you're a Half-human Half-demon? Half-human Half-demons have the right to exist too. Why should we care what others think? To hell with the Demon Race, to hell with the Human Race—it has nothing to do with us! All we need to do is be ourselves. No one can take away our right to live, right?"
Shen Haoran's voice was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of Lady Ya and the surrounding Martial Artists, jolting them to their senses. 'That's right! To hell with the Demon Race and the Human Race! We just need to be ourselves!'
However, the hope in Lady Ya's beautiful eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared. With a wry smile, she said, "Young man, what you say is too idealistic. In this life, many things are beyond our control. What can we possibly do?"
"What do you mean?" Seeing her expression, Shen Haoran knew that Lady Ya must be in some kind of trouble.
"It's all because of that damn Bai Family! Not far from here, there's a place called White Fox City, and the Bai Family are its masters. Lady Ya's mother was the daughter of the Lord of White Fox City. But when the City Lord found out she had a secret affair with someone from the Human Race, he imprisoned her. As a result, after giving birth to Lady Ya, her mother's health was so frail that she passed away. And because Lady Ya is a Half-human Half-demon, she was ostracized by her clan. The Lord of White Fox City—Lady Ya's own grandfather—exiled her and even severed their grandfather-granddaughter relationship!" Da Mao said angrily from the side.
"But just a short while ago, the Lord of White Fox City suddenly died. For a time, White Fox City was left without a leader. The nearby Snow Wolf Race seized this opportunity to try and annex White Fox City. This led to a great war between the Fox Race and the Snow Wolf Race. However, because the Fox Race had no one to lead them, they suffered a major defeat and heavy losses.
"To turn the tide, the Fox Race asked the Vajra Ape Race for help, but they demanded a marriage alliance in return. Helpless, the Fox Race had no choice but to agree. But they were unwilling to send one of their own clan's Princesses to the Vajra Ape Race. After all, everyone knows what the Ape Race is like. Sending their own Princess would be like throwing a sheep to the wolves! So, the Fox Race remembered Lady Ya's existence and decided to send her over instead!" Er Mao added.
Hearing this, Shen Haoran's brow furrowed tightly. He snorted coldly in his mind. 'This Fox Race is truly ruthless. When she was useless to them, they kicked her out, cut all ties, and didn't give a damn. Now that she's useful, they're calling her back to be a scapegoat. They're just using Lady Ya as a tool!'
"You're not going to resist?" Shen Haoran asked in a low voice.
"Resist? If my sacrifice can bring peace and stability to the people of the Fox Race, then it's worth it," Lady Ya said with a soft laugh, her eyes filled with grim determination.
At this, Shen Haoran looked into Lady Ya's eyes and could only shake his head helplessly. 'Lady Ya's heart is far too kind. But it's precisely because of her kindness that she's being used. In this world, kindness is a Sharp Sword that only wounds its wielder.'
"Alright, let's not talk about this sad topic anymore. Let's talk about you. What's your name? How did you end up in the Eastern Domain? And why were you so badly injured?" Lady Ya said, quickly changing the subject when she felt the oppressive atmosphere.
"Me? My name is Shen Haoran. As for how I got here... that's a long story," Shen Haoran said with a light laugh. But before he could say more, he felt a chill from behind and turned to look.
Behind him, Bai Shuo was staring at Shen Haoran with an icy expression. He said coldly, "Kid, I'd advise you to get out of here as soon as possible. Otherwise, if something happens to you, don't blame us for not warning you."
Gazing at the hostile Bai Shuo, Shen Haoran's eyes narrowed, and a cold glint flashed within them. He replied nonchalantly, "You don't need to worry about me. I'll leave when it's time for me to leave. As for any future dangers, you should just focus on looking after yourself."
"You..." Seeing Shen Haoran's indifferent demeanor, Bai Shuo's face instantly darkened. Just as he was about to say something, he was stopped by Lady Ya.
"Commander Bai Shuo, your only task is to escort me safely to the Bai Family. Don't concern yourself with anything else," Lady Ya said coldly.
"Hmph!" In response, Bai Shuo could only shoot Shen Haoran another cold glare. His lips moved slightly, and then he turned and walked away.
Shen Haoran watched Bai Shuo's retreating back, a cold smirk playing on his lips. He had read Bai Shuo's lips just now. His final words were, "Just you wait!"
'Wait for him? Hmph. I hope you don't provoke me, or else...' A cold smile touched Shen Haoran's lips, and he paid Bai Shuo no more mind.
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