"You don't want to degenerate into a fox in the future, only to be sent to the Beast Fighting Arena or dissected for research, do you?"
Humans who once possessed great power can no longer take on missions to support themselves after degenerating into beasts.
As a result, some are cared for by their families. Those without families, or whose families abandon them, are sent to places like the Beast Fighting Arena and research institutes.
The Beast Fighting Arena is filled with primitive cruelty and slaughter. Once sent there, the only outcome is to fight to the death.
Compared to the Beast Fighting Arena, the research institutes are even more terrifying. Anyone sent there is fated to be used for various studies or dissections, sacrificed for the sake of human genetic evolution.
Either of these fates would be unacceptable to any ordinary person.
Si Xie: "..."
'This damn woman was so stupid and clumsy before. How did she suddenly become like a completely different person—so silver-tongued, eloquent, and skilled at manipulating people?'
'That's right. She had him right where she wanted him.'
Yesterday, seeing Jun Yao's condition, he had been overcome with anger and agitation, wanting nothing more than to take her down with him. But now, after a night to cool off, and after all she had said, his resolve was starting to waver. He was beginning to think that maybe he didn't have to kill her after all.
"The inner core is indeed inside Jun Yao."
Just as Si Xie was struggling with his indecision, Fu Yuan's voice reached his ears. Fu Yuan had come out of his room, and he was studying Jiang Yunnuan with a probing gaze.
'After an inner core was dug out, how could it be put back inside a body? And its power was still intact. This was completely illogical. Just how did she do it?'
Hearing this, Si Xie's eyes widened, a look of utter disbelief filling them.
'What?'
'That damn woman really gave the inner core back to Jun Yao?'
'Could what she said be true?'
As for Jiang Yunnuan, her eyes flickered upon hearing those words. Then, she immediately started wailing and accusing them at the top of her lungs. It was impossible to tell if any actual tears were falling, but her cries were so heart-wrenching they could make any bystander's heart ache and eyes water.
"You heard him, didn't you? Everything I said is true! Can you let me go now?"
"SOB SOB SOB... I'm so pitiful! I was framed, Controlled, and bullied by an outsider, but my own husbands won't protect me, won't get justice for me, won't stand up for me! Instead, they want to kill me! SOB SOB SOB... I'm just so, so pitiful..."
Si Xie: "..."
Fu Yuan: "..."
Ming Ye: "..."
The men were stunned by her display. Ever since they had been assigned to her, this woman had always been arrogant, haughty, and imperious. When had she ever acted like this?
Listening to her heart-wrenching accusations, they couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and helplessness. Si Xie, in particular, let go of her as if she were scalding hot and muttered under his breath.
"We haven't even gotten to the bottom of this yet, so what are you crying for? Don't think you're in the right just because you're the one crying."
"WAAAH..."
At his words, Jiang Yunnuan's crying only grew louder.
"You misunderstand me, you won't protect me, you want to kill me, and now you won't even let me cry! You're so mean! This is just too much! Why is my life so hard?"
Si Xie: "..."
A vein throbbed on his forehead. He clenched his fists and sneered.
"Do you think we're blind? You haven't even shed a single tear! What kind of crying is that? You have the nerve to howl when you can't even squeeze out a tear? Shut up! Stop howling!!!"
'This woman is going to drive me crazy with her noise!'
'That damn woman is always finding new ways to torment them. It's like she can't get through a single day without causing trouble.'
The moment her neck was free, Jiang Yunnuan immediately stopped crying.
'In any situation, a person needs to know when to quit while they're ahead and be pragmatic. Otherwise, you're the only one who loses. She had no desire to further provoke a guy like Si Xie and get her neck squeezed again.'
"So, can you believe me now? I was really being Controlled by Ling Ze. Otherwise, think about it—he already has a contract, and his Contract Master is the person I hate most in the world. Why would I chase after him and suck up to him? I'm clear-headed now. I'll never treat you guys like I did before. Can't we all just get along peacefully?"
At these words, the expressions of all three men changed instantly. They stared at her with cold, sinister eyes.
"Get along peacefully? Didn't you just say you wanted a Contract Termination? What, are you trying to go back on your word?"
The moment Fu Yuan finished speaking, Si Xie furiously chimed in.
"Don't even think about it! I'm warning you, if you dare go back on your word, I'll never let you off the hook! Since you said you'd do the Contract Termination, you have to do it! Do it now! Right now, this instant!"
'He didn't want to maintain this relationship with this woman for a second longer.'
'As soon as the Contract Termination was successful, he would definitely get his revenge for all the humiliation and abuse he had suffered. Then, he would find a gentle, kind, and beautiful girl, and they would run off toward a bright future together.'
"What's the rush? I'm not going back on my word, don't worry. I will perform the Contract Termination with you, just not right now. Give me three months. In three months, I will definitely set you free."
'She still needed them to complete missions. How could she go through with the Contract Termination now?'
'If she let them all go, who would she turn to when she needed to extend her life?'
'These guys were her life-extending tools. So, she'd wait. Once she raised their affinity into the positives, she wouldn't need them to extend her life anymore. Then would be the perfect time to kick them to the curb.'
"Why three months? I think you're just trying to stall for time, you damn woman! When you mentioned Contract Termination before, you were just messing with us, weren't you?"
Si Xie was furious. He knew it! This damn woman would never agree to a Contract Termination so easily. Everything she said before was just a stopgap measure because she was afraid he would take her down with him.
"You're overthinking it. The only reason I'm not doing the Contract Termination immediately is because your hatred for me is too high right now. I'm afraid that once the contract's restraints are gone, you'll try to get rid of me."
"Don't worry. As soon as I feel that you've let go of your hatred and no longer hold any enmity toward me, I'll immediately perform the Contract Termination. Given our relationship, it's perfectly reasonable for me to have this concern, right?"
"I know you're in a hurry for the Contract Termination, but you can't push me too hard. Unless you still want to take me down with you."
Si Xie was so angry he could only grind his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.
He gritted his teeth and said furiously, "So what if we still have enmity toward you in three months? Are you just going to delay for another three months?"
"Wouldn't that be your problem?"
Jiang Yunnuan sighed and said with feigned sadness, "So, you really must let go of your hatred for me as soon as possible. That way, everyone will be happy. A win-win for all, you see."
Si Xie: "..."
"Even if we let go of our enmity, what if you just insist that we're still a threat to you and refuse the Contract Termination? There's no guarantee for us. You have to give us some kind of assurance."
Seeing Si Xie so furious he was rendered speechless, Fu Yuan coolly interjected.
Hearing this, Jiang Yunnuan immediately turned to him with a broad grin.
"Alright then, how about this? In three months, regardless of whether you still hold any enmity toward me, I'll perform the Contract Termination with you. It's just a Contract Termination. What are you all so worried about?"
"You guys don't like me. It's not like I can cling to you forever, can I?"