Xue Ye's expression remained unfazed by Qian Renxue's display of filial piety. Having ascended the throne through countless schemes and intrigues, he was well aware of the darkness within the imperial family. If he couldn't see through Qian Renxue's facade, it would truly be a miracle.
"Leave. I'm tired," Emperor Xue Ye said indifferently.
Qian Renxue knew there was no point in pretending further, so he bowed respectfully once more and left the hall.
Watching Qian Renxue's retreating figure, Xue Ye's gaze darkened.
"What a perfect heir—charming in both personality and ability. But why do I still feel something is off?"
The deaths of his two exceptionally talented sons hadn't weighed heavily on Xue Ye Emperor's heart. After all, if he desired, he could easily impregnate countless women to produce more heirs.
In fact, he admired Xue Qinghe's decisive and ruthless nature.
But originally, Xue Qinghe had no backing—he was just an ordinary prince. The two princes who had died before him came from influential backgrounds, yet it was Xue Qinghe, with no connections, who survived.
This meant there was an unseen hand supporting Xue Qinghe—a fact that deeply troubled Xue Ye.
Ruthlessness wasn't a flaw for someone aiming to secure power—Xue Qinghe's cruelty didn't bother him.
However, if his chosen successor was compromised or aligned with forces that could destabilize the Tian Dou Empire's future, then even Emperor Xue Ye, whose life was nearing its end, couldn't afford to ignore the matter.
Xue Ye believed he still had seven to eight years left, so there was no rush. He decided to observe further.
As for Xue Beng, Xue Ye had long abandoned hope. But he still had a princess—if raised properly, she might one day support the empire's future.
Not long after Qian Renxue left, the black-clad figure returned to the palace and handed over another report.
Upon reviewing the information, Emperor Xue Ye's expression brightened.
"So that's why this name sounded so familiar—it's Ye Wen, the genius who collaborated with Qinghe to establish the pharmacy faction!"
Yet, the connection between Ye Wen and Xue Qinghe, who remained somewhat mysterious, made Xue Ye uneasy. However, upon closer inspection of the documents, he discovered that Ye Wen had merely borrowed Xue Qinghe's name and partial financial support to operate the pharmacy. Afterward, they had minimal interaction. This reassured him.
Considering the pharmacy's operations and political analysts' perspectives, it was clear that Xue Qinghe used Ye Wen's pharmacy to boost his own reputation, without expecting Ye Wen to take on additional responsibilities.
This suggested that Ye Wen was likely still "clean."
Xue Ye stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"It didn't matter before, but now that Dugu Bo and Countess Tianxin are involved, Qinghe can't continue associating with him. Otherwise, if Qinghe turns out to be problematic, it could affect Ye Wen and the forces behind him—a major issue for the entire Tian Dou Empire."
Flipping through the document again, Emperor Xue Ye's pupils contracted when he saw Ye Wen's strength.
"At just twelve years and seven months old, he's already reached soul power level 34. This boy has the potential to become a Title Douluo!"
Included alongside Ye Wen's records were profiles of Huo Yu'er and Xiao Wu. Upon reading their abilities, Xue Ye was once again astonished.
"Both possess the potential to become Title Douluos? These three children's talents are simply monstrous."
At this moment, Xue Ye couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. If he had discovered Huo Yu'er and Xiao Wu earlier, he might have secured one as his daughter-in-law, ensuring the imperial family had its own Title Douluo in the future.
But it was too late now. With two Title Douluo-level fighters backing Ye Wen, attempting to snatch his fiancées would be suicidal.
Still, where there's a will, there's a way. Emperor Xue Ye's gaze shifted, and a sly smile crept onto his lips.
"This boy already has two fiancées—he probably wouldn't mind another. And Xue Ke is adorable and beautiful. If we make the first move, I refuse to believe we can't win over Ye Wen. With Xue Ke as the bridge, this family's future would essentially belong to our imperial family's line of Title Douluos."
Imagining the success of his plan, Xue Ye's smile widened involuntarily.
Continuing to flip through the documents, his expression suddenly turned serious.
[Observations show that after Ye Wen became Dugu Bo's disciple, during one of their outings, Dugu Yan's condition improved significantly upon Dugu Bo's return to the estate alone. His soul power cultivation surged by three levels, reaching level 40, making him a quasi-Soul Ancestor.
Later, Dugu Bo continued to travel with Ye Wen frequently. It's speculated they might be studying medicine together. Before becoming Dugu Bo's disciple, Ye Wen independently created all the formulas for the pharmacy he founded, indicating exceptional medical expertise.]
After reading this intelligence, a look of delight gradually spread across Xue Ye's face.
Though the palace had imperial physicians, most were merely auxiliary soul masters with healing-type soul skills. Their knowledge of medicine and medical techniques was embarrassingly shallow—hence why they couldn't diagnose Xue Ye's poisoning.
Now, discovering such a skilled physician capable of treating the Dugu family's centuries-old poison problem, how could Xue Ye not rejoice?
After all, who wants to die when they're sitting atop half of the Douluo Continent's vast empire?
Though Xue Ye desperately wanted Ye Wen to examine him now, he knew that both Dugu Bo and Ye Wen were currently unreachable. Everything required patience.
The more he read about Ye Wen, the more Xue Ye realized the boy's immense value, causing his eyes to gleam with growing intensity.
"No matter what, I must secure this child—it's crucial to the continuation of my Xue family's legacy." Emperor Xue Ye silently affirmed.
---
Meanwhile, at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well—
After Ye Wen's explanation, Huo Rui finally realized she had misunderstood Dugu Bo. Yet, her expression showed no hint of remorse.
"It's not my fault. If anyone's to blame, it's Poison Douluo himself for his terrible reputation. That gatekeeper of yours gave me suspicious looks—I assumed he might harm you, so I acted."
Dugu Bo stared at Huo Rui, exasperated, as black lines formed on his head.
"So this is somehow my fault!?"
Huo Rui stood tall and proud. "Of course! If your gatekeeper had spoken properly, none of this misunderstanding would've happened!"
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