In a Fantasy World as Cannon Fodder, I Got Entangled with the Heroine - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Jiang Zixuan’s Betrayal?

Translation by: Weebsread👹

“I… I don’t know what you’re… talking about.” Hu Murui’s eyes darted away, refusing to meet his gaze.

Jiang Qian didn’t waste a second. He reached out and tore the Beastmaster’s Ring from her right index finger.

Then—

He threw her to the ground and, for all to see, crushed the ring in his palm.

In an instant, over a dozen demonic beasts materialized in the clearing.

They ranged from third to fifth rank—the strongest of them, her own Northwind Ice Wolf.

“Hu Murui, do you have any idea what kind of trouble you’ve gotten yourself into?”

Jiang Qian knew Hu Murui’s temper was fiery, yet beneath it, she was a decent person—her biggest flaw, a hopeless devotion to love.

Worse, even, than Bai Piaoxue once was.

She had no idea how deep she’d fallen into this web.

…

…

“I don’t know, and I don’t care!” Hu Murui suddenly shouted, her voice quivering with emotion. “As long as I can stay by Brother Duan’s side, that’s all that matters!”

Jiang Qian just looked at her, face unreadable. Wordlessly, he flicked his right hand.

His own Northwind Ice Wolf bounded forward, launching into a savage attack. The summoned beasts dropped one by one under its unrelenting assault.

At last—

Jiang Qian’s wolf locked eyes with Hu Murui’s own and lunged.

Utterly overpowered, her wolf stood no chance.

It was pinned beneath the other’s iron jaws, helpless whimpers echoing through the air.

The other slain beasts didn't seem to move Hu Murui at all.

But when it came to the Northwind Ice Wolf, it was a different story—that beast had been with her since childhood.

To call it a "demonic beast" barely did it justice. It was family.

“No… no… stop—!” Tears streamed down Hu Murui’s cheeks, unstoppable.

Jiang Qian watched her, his expression cold, unmoved by her grief. “Don’t you like Duan Yuqing?” he asked evenly. “Tell me—where is he right now?”

“If he was the one who sent you to ambush me, he should be close by. So why hasn’t he shown himself?”

“But honestly, you’re just fooling yourself. Your precious Brother Duan—his heart already belongs to Jiang Zixuan.”

Why do I suddenly feel like such a villain?

Wait, isn’t that exactly what I am?

Jiang Qian’s words struck like barbed arrows into Hu Murui’s heart.

After a moment, he called off his Northwind Ice Wolf. Then he tossed her a small vial of Rainbow Antlered Deer blood.

“This is my last warning: stay far away from that Crown Prince.” With that, Jiang Qian turned around and strode off without looking back.

Hu Murui stared after him, lost in a haze.

“Jiang Qian, you’re back? Did you catch them?” Chen Shimin called out the moment he saw him return.

Jiang Qian shook his head. “No. I almost had them, but someone else swooped in and took them away.”

Chen Shimin couldn’t hide his disappointment, but he managed a forced smile. “No matter. Let’s head back.”

Bai Piaoxue immediately gave Jiang Qian a thorough once-over, scanning him from head to toe.

Her scrutiny left him a bit embarrassed. He instinctively shielded his younger brother, tugging awkwardly at his mouth. “Bai—Senior Sister Bai, what are you staring at?”

“You’re not hurt, thank goodness!” Bai Piaoxue sighed in relief. “I was worried you’d run into something you couldn’t handle. Since you’re in one piece, I can finally relax.”

Jiang Qian caught the worry in her eyes, and a gentle warmth blossomed in his heart.

Chen Shimin, watching the exchange, quickly looked away with a wry smile. “Alright, I can take a hint… Not really the right time for me to hang around, is it? I’ll just—”

Before he could put his plan into action, a lone figure stepped out from the shadowed woods.

All three tensed, eyes locked on the approaching silhouette.

Moonlight spilled across the clearing, revealing the newcomer.

It was Jiang Zixuan.

Jiang Zixuan walked up with a faint smile. “It looks like Hu Murui already tried to carry out Senior Brother Duan’s orders and attack you.”

“Cousin, why are you here?” Jiang Qian’s tone was wary—Jiang Zixuan, after all, had already sided with Chen Jianzhi’s faction. “Come to finish us off?”

Without a word, Bai Piaoxue sprang into action, conjuring a razor-sharp shard of ice that shot toward Jiang Zixuan.

“Bai Piaoxue, I’m not here to steal Jiang Qian away—” Jiang Zixuan barely managed to protest before another volley of ice spears flew her way.

She had no chance to explain, no chance to reveal her purpose. Forced onto the defensive, she found herself locked in a pitched battle with Bai Piaoxue.

Amber flames roared up around Jiang Zixuan, her eyes burning crimson. In that instant, she was the spitting image of a Fire Goddess.

Meanwhile, snow whirled weirdly around Bai Piaoxue, her pupils glinting icy blue—a living portrait of the Ice Maiden descended to earth.

Two bodies. Two extremes—sacred fire and celestial ice—colliding in a blink.

Jiang Qian nearly called out for them to stop, but Bai Piaoxue no longer heard him.

Helpless, he summoned his Thunderflame Skywing Eagle, swept Chen Shimin onto its back, and soared into the air above.

Chen Shimin stared in disbelief at the mighty bird beneath them. “Senior Brother, you had a sixth-rank beast all along?!”

Jiang Qian grinned. “If that’s impressive, just wait—maybe next time I’ll bring out a seventh-rank.”

“Seriously?”

Jiang Qian snorted. “Please. If I had a seventh-rank demonic beast, I’d be strutting through Longyan Kingdom like I owned the place.”

Chen Shimin scratched his head, sheepish. “Guess you’re right.”

The difference between sixth and seventh rank was a chasm—one that mere numbers couldn’t describe.

The two of them turned their attention to the chaos below.

It had to be said: when divine bodies clashed, the spectacle was terrifying. Half the forest had been flattened by their rampage.

Even the nearby mountain wasn’t spared—one half was buried under a frozen white, the other blazed with furious fire.

Chen Shimin gaped. “That’s insane… No wonder they say those with divine bodies belong to a world of their own.”

“If I got caught in that mess, I’d probably come out half-grilled, half-frozen.”

Before long, the battle began to die down.

Jiang Qian, who’d been silently watching, stood and stretched.

“Senior Brother, what are you doing?”

“What else?” Jiang Qian replied. “I’m stopping the fight.”

Before Chen Shimin could protest, Jiang Qian leaped down between the two combatants, hands outstretched. “Alright, that’s enough! Both of you—let’s calm down.”

At his words, Bai Piaoxue instantly withdrew her attack.

Seeing as she relented, Jiang Zixuan lowered her flames as well, though she shot a sharp glare at Bai Piaoxue. This lunatic—starting a fight out of nowhere.

The truth was, Bai Piaoxue had attacked Jiang Zixuan out of pure instinct to protect Jiang Qian. Jiang Zixuan was openly aligned with the Crown Prince, while Jiang Qian stood with King of Qin. If anything happened, Bai Piaoxue feared Jiang Zixuan would strike first.

Might as well preempt her, she’d thought.

Now, with the fight broken up, Jiang Qian turned his attention to Jiang Zixuan, eyes cold. “Cousin, out with it. What’s your purpose here?”

Jiang Zixuan brushed frost off her sleeve, a lazy smile on her lips. “Simple. I want to join your side!”