Chapter 229: A Long Talk in the Hall
Faced with the sudden entrance of another Titled Douluo into the battlefield, deep despair finally surfaced on Qian Chenhai's face.
Just as he was about to dodge the terrifying incoming attack, a strand of starlight entwined around him, freezing him in place.
Behind him, Tyrant Blade Douluo struck again, and the terrifying, sharp blade aura made the hairs on the back of Qian Chenhai's neck stand up in fright.
Pinned by one controlling force and two attacking ones, Qian Chenhai had no room to maneuver. He could only resist for a few brief moments before Tyrant Blade Douluo seized the opportunity to strike.
With a fatal blow, life ended instantly for Qian Chenhai.
With Qian Chenhai's demise, the palace fell silent once again.
"Elder Tyrant Blade, you may go back now," Xu Changling said softly.
Tyrant Blade Douluo glanced at the figure entering the palace, nodded silently, and vanished on the spot.
As Tyrant Blade Douluo disappeared, Xu Changling looked at the familiar figure before him with a complex expression. "Brother Youyuan…"
Dai Youyuan walked calmly towards Xu Changling, rolling up his sleeves. The sight struck a familiar chord with Xu Changling.
"You…"
Thud… Thud, thud…
...
As he served the dishes to Tang Qianqiu, Qi Han couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Senior, what was that noise just now?"
After Tang Qianqiu had left, Qi Han faintly heard a roar echoing in the sky while in the kitchen, and in the next moment, Tang Qianqiu appeared back in the shop.
'The Holy Spirit Cult?'
Qi Han had a vague recollection of this name; wasn't it a group of evil spirit masters that would only emerge thousands of years later? He hadn't expected them to be active already.
Unable to contain his curiosity as he brought out the dishes, Qi Han finally asked.
Tang Qianqiu looked frustrated, seemingly regretful that he hadn't managed to eliminate all threats.
At Qi Han's question, he sighed, "A Level-97 evil spirit master appeared, and his ruthlessness was beyond my expectations."
"The moment I attacked, he severed his own connection, like a lizard shedding its tail to escape. I didn't expect such a quick reaction and let him slip through my fingers."
After all, he was a Level-97 evil spirit master – nearly the strength of a standard Level-98 Super Douluo.
Though the gap between him and Tang Qianqiu was still substantial, his strength made it possible to escape if he was desperate.
Besides, his methods were bizarre. Tang Qianqiu had never seen such self-fragmenting tactics, splitting himself into countless pieces.
Although the blood from their clash would have left him grievously weakened, if he hid and recovered in secret, there would be little Tang Qianqiu could do to prevent it.
Although Tang Sect disciples were already pursuing the other evil spirit masters hiding around, this Level-97 spirit master was the key figure; the rest were of no real importance.
And…
A dark shadow appeared on Tang Qianqiu's face again.
The group calling itself the Holy Spirit Cult – why had he never heard of them before?
The greatest flaw among evil spirit masters was their inability to unite due to their personality flaws; they scattered like a rabble at the first sign of trouble.
But if they were indeed gathering into a single force…
He would need to consult with Qi Poxiao at the Sea God's Pavilion to discuss strategies for dealing with this.
It would be best to act sooner rather than later while the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult was still weakened.
After finishing this meal, he would set out immediately.
Tang Qianqiu returned his attention to the food in front of him, picked up his chopsticks, and began to enjoy his meal.
...
Bang!
In the palace, Dai Youyuan slammed his fist into Xu Changling's face, then tossed him like a sack down the steps in front of the throne.
Phew, he exhaled deeply and walked up the steps, plopping down beside Xu Changling.
"That felt great."
Xu Changling had lost his usual refined, ministerial composure; his luxurious prime ministerial robe was full of holes, and his swollen, bruised face looked rounder than before.
"When did you get back?"
Even after Dai Youyuan's beating, Xu Changling's voice remained calm and steady, though there was a touch of exasperation.
Dai Youyuan hadn't used a single bit of spirit power, only brute force, so Xu Changling's injuries were merely superficial.
"Almost half a month ago." Dai Youyuan's gaze drifted off into the distance.
After a moment of silence, he spoke up on his own.
"He wanted to kill you, so you fought back – I don't blame you for that."
"But you are a minister, and he was the Emperor. You went against him, so I beat you on behalf of the ancestors of the Dai family. No objections?"
"You mean that's why you attacked me on sight?" Xu Changling winced as pain shot through him. He couldn't help but laugh and shook his head. "No objections. Go ahead and hit me again if you like."
"You're a Titled Douluo with nine rings now, thick-skinned. I'd rather not bother." Dai Youyuan glanced at his slightly reddened fist, rolling his eyes.
"Are there any remnants left of the evil spirit masters or Spirit Hall?"
"All traces of the Spirit Hall remnants have been wiped out – that should have been their last stronghold. As for the evil spirit masters, that Level-97 one got away, but the rest should be hunted down soon by our people and the Tang Sect disciples." Xu Changling forced a bitter smile.
"So, what's happening on your end?" Xu Changling turned to Dai Youyuan. "There were reports of unrest on the border of the Heaven Dou Empire. Did something happen? Did you uncover anything?"
"Don't underestimate my army intelligence-gathering abilities," Dai Youyuan chuckled. "Have you heard of the Body Sect?"
"I know a little," Xu Changling replied, puzzled. "It's a unique sect in the Heaven Dou Empire that only accepts spirit masters with body martial spirits. It's said to be quite powerful but rarely shows itself to the outside world. Does the unrest have something to do with them?"
"Recently, the Heaven Dou Empire deployed a large number of powerful forces to capture a prominent figure from the Body Sect. Apparently, this Body Sect figure had the nerve to elope with a princess from the Heaven Dou imperial family. Rumor has it that she's already with child, and that person from the Body Sect is of high status within the sect."
"The two were apprehended near the border, likely intending to escape to Star Luo, but they didn't make it." Dai Youyuan shrugged. "So, the so-called border unrest was just that."
That's… it?
Xu Changling's face fell.
He thought the Heaven Dou Empire had some conspiracy against Star Luo, but it turned out to be a royal princess's elopement causing a misunderstanding?
Shaking his head, Xu Changling pushed this irrelevant matter out of his mind, his expression growing slightly serious.
"The country cannot go a day without an Emperor. Arrange for someone trustworthy to take your position in the Eastern Army. In a few days, we will conduct the coronation ceremony for the new Emperor."
"Huh?" Dai Youyuan gave Xu Changling a strange look. "Who told you I was going to take the throne?"
Xu Changling's expression froze, stunned into silence.
"You…you're not taking it?"
"Right, I'm not taking it."
"Then who will? You want to put Dai Tonghua on it?"
"Not necessarily. I've learned recently that he's no good either. I haven't seen him in years, and he's become just like his father. I'd rather you take the throne than him."
"That's true." Xu Changling nodded in agreement before stiffening, turning to look at Dai Youyuan in shock. "You…what did you say?"
"I'm saying you should be the emperor." Dai Youyuan nodded, watching Xu Changling's disbelief with complete calm.
He wasn't joking.
"Are you insane, Dai Youyuan? Have you lost it?" Xu Changling stood up in outrage, nearly shouting, "I'm a Xu, not a Dai! Are you planning to ruin the Dai family's eleven thousand two hundred forty-six-year legacy?"
"Oh, it's been that long?" Dai Youyuan scratched his head, looking puzzled. "I thought it was just over ten thousand years. Your memory must be better than mine!"
"Is that the point?" Xu Changling felt exhausted.
You're really giving the throne away—aren't you worried that generations of Dai ancestors would crawl out of their graves to throttle you?
And there was even an ancestor from the Dai family among the original Shrek Seven Monsters who attained godhood!
"But…I'm serious," Dai Youyuan's face turned solemn.
Xu Changling's face shifted through a range of expressions, opening his mouth to speak, but Dai Youyuan stopped him with a wave.
"Listen to me first."
Dai Youyuan's gaze drifted to a certain place: the tombs of the Star Luo royal family.
"The Dai family has lasted for two hundred and forty-two generations now. Every Star Luo emperor had countless concubines. The family should have flourished. But do you know? When I was young, I followed Father to the ancestral shrine, and there were less than four hundred memorial tablets."
"Every prince who lost the throne wasn't just outcast—they were killed or reduced to commoners, stripped of their martial spirits and spirit power, without even the right to a memorial tablet in the shrine."
"For ten thousand years, how many princes suffered this fate? This so-called prosperity and strength of the Dai family is nothing but a mountain of our kin's corpses." Dai Youyuan's face showed a bitter smile, sorrow radiating from his heart.
"Since I was young, I've constantly advised Father to abolish this cursed ancestral rule, but to no avail. Instead, he grew more distant and dissatisfied with me, seeing me as soft-hearted and un-Dai-like, favoring my rebellious elder brother."
"But in the end, Father broke the ancestral rule for the sake of that scoundrel who killed three of his brothers, to stop me from killing him. How ironic." Dai Youyuan laughed coldly, shaking his head.
"But you allowed it back then." Xu Changling couldn't help but interject. "If you'd stood firm, the ministers would have supported you."
"Yes, I allowed it," Dai Youyuan sighed, looking distant. "I had to. If I'd opposed Father breaking the ancestral rule, it would have imprinted it like an iron brand on every Dai's spirit."
"A shattered stone can't be pieced back together, can it?"
"And…that night, Father told me something. He said, if I truly hated the act of killing one's kin, I shouldn't kill Dai Yuansheng. Otherwise, I'd become just like him."
"This…" Even Xu Changling, shocked, looked up suddenly. "That's just an excuse to protect Dai Yuansheng!"
"Yes, I know that." Dai Youyuan nodded. "But he's not wrong."
"If my hands were stained with my brother's blood, what right would I have to uphold my ideals?"
Xu Changling opened his mouth, then closed it, speechless.
There was no solution to this dilemma.
"I remember, my younger brothers liked me back then, especially Third and Fourth Brother. Fifth Brother, being more reserved, admired my older brother more." Dai Youyuan gazed at the grand ceiling of the palace as though seeing familiar faces and scenes from his memory.
"Third Brother loved sneaking out of the palace to bring back little trinkets. Even if he'd get beaten when caught, he loved sharing them with us. I still have some of those trinkets he gave me."
"Fourth Brother was bookish, a quiet kid who Father thought was useless because he preferred reading to training. Whenever he spoke of the stories he read, his eyes seemed to light up, and I used to smuggle him books."
"As for Fifth Brother…" Dai Youyuan's voice turned bitter. "He admired strength, always following Dai Yuansheng around, completely under his influence. I don't think he ever thought that his beloved older brother would be the one to end his life."
Dai Youyuan's eyes glistened with tears.
Men don't cry unless truly sorrowful.
"So, I…I don't want to be emperor anymore." Dai Youyuan looked relieved. "There are few good men in the Dai family."
"The Dai family thinks itself as a tiger, but even a tiger won't eat its cubs."
"If the Dai family were an ordinary family, could we regain the kinship we lost?" he murmured as if in a dream.
Seeing his once-proud and untamable elder brother in this state, Xu Changling felt a pang of pain. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "Then…why me?"
"I trust no one else." Dai Youyuan straightened up a bit, chuckling. "I remember you used to have some unconventional ideas, despite all the obstacles. Many of your thoughts have my full support. Although Dai Yuansheng sidelined you, you still brought fresh air to Star Luo."
"In the Eastern Army, I've heard many praising your abilities…" Dai Youyuan admired. "If you took the throne, you'd make a fine emperor. As for me, I just want to enjoy family life now."
"You…" Xu Changling gave Dai Youyuan an odd look before hesitantly asking, "You're not married. Do you have an illegitimate child?"
Without children, what family life is there?
Cough, cough! Dai Youyuan glared at Xu Changling. "No illegitimate children. Just a long-lost nephew."
Speaking of this, Dai Youyuan smiled.
Women? Nothing but distractions from the path of cultivation!
A nephew was just as good, and he could put the little guy through some tough training.
"A long-lost nephew?" Xu Changling paused, his face lighting up as if recalling something. "The Fourth Prince's child survived?"
"Yes!" Dai Youyuan grinned. "The boy looks just like Fourth Brother, like he was carved from the same mold."
"So, I'm no longer interested in the throne. I just want to live a wealthy life in Star Luo City. I'll leave this mess to you."
He had originally planned to bring Ke back to the army, but since the kid wanted to stay, Dai Youyuan adjusted his plans.
Xu Changling's face shifted repeatedly before he bit his lip. "Fine, I'll take the position!"
"Now that sounds like the Xu Changling of old." Dai Youyuan nodded approvingly.
Finally, he'd passed the burden.
"But you must agree to two conditions!" Xu Changling's eyes shone with determination as he stared at Dai Youyuan.
"Go on, I'll consider it." Dai Youyuan responded nonchalantly.
"First, though you relinquish the throne, my first decree as emperor will be to grant the Dai family a hereditary dukedom," Xu Changling said firmly. "I want to ensure the Dai family's prosperity."
"Heh…" Dai Youyuan chuckled softly.
This wasn't a condition, but rather a gesture of goodwill.
Xu Changling, this guy…
"Fine. What's the second condition?"
"The Xu family will adopt a new ancestral rule." The stars in Xu Changling's eyes shone even brighter. "If any future Xu descendent is incompetent, the throne must be returned to the Dai family, upon pain of death for violating this vow!"
"As you wish," Dai Youyuan sighed, walking out of the palace.
Who could say what would happen in the future?
Xu Changling was imagining his descendants too ideally.
Once someone has the throne, who would willingly give it up?
After all, there was only one Dai Youyuan.
Xu Changling watched Dai Youyuan's departing figure, his gaze full of shining stars, almost forming a sea of light.
They would not forget!
The Xu family's descendants would never forget!
I, Xu Changling, will inscribe this oath into every descendant's martial spirit!
The Star Crown Martial Spirit, born by oath, to die by oath!
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