Prince Xue Xing narrowed his eyes slightly. The Crown Prince's arrival was impeccably timed, appearing at this critical juncture. There was no way he could let Dugu Bo kill the Crown Prince—that was impossible, and Dugu Bo wouldn't do it anyway.
If it had just been Ning Rongrong alone, Dugu Bo might not have cared about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's reputation. But with the Crown Prince present, things were entirely different. The Crown Prince held real power, and Dugu Bo had no desire to offend both the Heaven Dou Crown Prince and the heiress of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School simultaneously.
"Senior Dugu, I happen to have obtained a bottle of aged fine wine. Coincidentally, your granddaughter Yan Yan and the Young Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang San, are also here. Since we've met by chance, why not share a drink together?" The Crown Prince stepped aside, revealing Tang San and Bai Chenxiang in the distance.
"Young Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect?!" At these words, even Prince Xue Xing and Dugu Bo's expressions changed, and they immediately looked over. Though they had never met Tang San before, his extraordinary bearing made it clear he was no ordinary person.
And if it came from the Crown Prince's mouth, could it possibly be false?
Xue Qinghe smiled. "Brother Tang happened to be visiting and, upon learning Ning Rongrong was here, came to see her. Hehe, Senior Dugu, having been in seclusion for so long, you might not be aware of certain personal matters. This young lady, Ning Rongrong, is actually engaged to Brother Tang."
!?
If Dugu Bo had initially been unwilling to back down just because of Ning Rongrong's words, after Xue Qinghe's explanation, he completely abandoned the idea.
Ning Fengzhi was a support-type Soul Master with only level 79 Soul Power. If he wanted revenge, he'd need to rely on the Bone Douluo and Sword Douluo to act. But Tang Hao wasn't a support-type—he could do as he pleased without caring about anyone else's opinion.
Moreover, even Dugu Bo knew that Tang Hao had only one son, unlike Ning Fengzhi.
The weight of an only son!
Dugu Bo's demeanor instantly shifted. The sharp killing intent and Soul Rings vanished, replaced by a kindly smile. "Hahaha, in that case, since we've met by chance, why not? It's been a while since I've seen Yan Yan—I wonder how her training is progressing. I also have some matters I'd like to discuss with the Clear Sky Sect. Crown Prince, would you mind introducing me?"
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe nodded. "Of course, no problem. Brother Tang is open-hearted and enjoys making friends. Earlier today, he even gave some pointers to the students of Shrek Academy and exchanged a few moves."
Dugu Bo then glanced at Ning Rongrong but didn't press further, nodding lightly. "Very well, I'll give you this face. Don't let me see you again in the future. Now scram."
"But no, I'm not—" Ning Rongrong tried to explain, but Xue Qinghe gave her a meaningful look, signaling her not to complicate things. He then addressed the Shrek group, "Members of Shrek Academy, I believe your teaching philosophy differs too greatly from our academy's. You are no longer suited to remain here. Please leave."
Even Tang San couldn't help but applaud this Crown Prince of the empire. Not only had he defused the conflict between the academy's Soul Douluo committee members and the Titled Douluo, but he'd also given Dugu Bo a way out and done Ning Rongrong a favor in the process. Three birds with one stone!
Bai Chenxiang, standing nearby, frowned and asked, "Did Xue Qinghe already know that Ning Rongrong is Ning Fengzhi's daughter? Was this all arranged by him?"
Tang San shrugged and replied, "He certainly knew of Ning Rongrong's existence, and he probably also knew that the Shrek group arrived yesterday. Whether everything was prearranged, I'm not sure, but it definitely wasn't entirely coincidental."
"Xue Qinghe didn't become the crown prince by mere luck."
Prince Xue Xing and Xue Beng weren't wrong—they were merely protecting their own interests. However, they never expected that among the Shrek group was a genuine noble daughter. If the Shrek members had stumbled upon the iron wall that was Tang San and Poison Douluo, then Xue Beng and his uncle had unwittingly kicked the iron wall Xue Qinghe had personally arranged for them—Ning Rongrong.
At this point, Grandmaster's expression remained calm as he addressed the group, "Fine, we'll leave. Flender, let's go."
With that, he forcefully grabbed Flender's arm and pulled him toward the exit. Flender struggled free from Grandmaster's grip, his eyes burning with defiance—clearly unwilling to yield even at the cost of his life.
Grandmaster lowered his voice and growled, "You may not fear death, but do you want everyone else to die with you? A Titled Douluo is not someone you can oppose. If you were also a Titled Douluo, you could order people around as you please—but you're not. Even if we old folks aren't afraid to die, do you really want the children to be dragged into destruction with us?"
Ning Rongrong turned around as well and said, "Grandmaster is right. As long as the green hills remain, there'll be no shortage of firewood. Dean, let's leave for now."
Grandmaster then faced Qin Ming and said, "Qin Ming, the matter of joining Heaven Dou Royal Academy is hereby canceled. We will never forget your warm hospitality. Farewell for now."
Without giving Qin Ming a chance to persuade them otherwise, Grandmaster led the group out of the academy.
As the Shrek members slunk away in defeat, the observing students of Heaven Dou Royal Academy erupted in cheers, celebrating the prince and the prince's uncle for upholding the academy's dignity.
Watching this scene, Tang San chuckled to himself, "It seems that, to the academy students, Poison Douluo is actually the righteous one."
As for Qin Ming, the academy teacher, his face was filled with grief and indignation. He even considered leaving the academy, but apart from the three academy committee members who tried to persuade him to stay, he failed to notice that neither the crown prince nor the prince—nor even the seven students he had mentored—made any attempt to stop him.
After all, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was different from other academies. The word "Royal" alone signified that this institution wasn't just a place to teach Soul Master knowledge—it was also the center of political turmoil. Qin Ming's political naivety destined him to be ill-suited for teaching in such a politically charged environment.
Of course, Tang San had no interest in these matters. He had accepted the crown prince's invitation to the wine-tasting banquet, as one of his purposes in coming to Heaven Dou Imperial City was to meet with Poison Douluo and discuss the Titled Douluo conference. Now, the timing couldn't have been better.
At the top floor of Heaven Dou Pavilion, the most luxurious establishment in Heaven Dou Imperial City, after sampling some fine delicacies and wines of the Heaven Dou Empire, Poison Douluo Dugu Bo sent a Soul Power Voice Transmission to Tang San: "Young Sect Master Tang, may I have a word with you in private?"
Tang San hadn't expected this—before he could even approach Dugu Bo about the Titled Douluo conference, the latter had taken the initiative to seek him out.
Tang San nodded and followed Dugu Bo to a quiet spot outside the private room.
"Senior Dugu, may I ask what you need from me?" Tang San inquired curiously.
Dugu Bo hesitated, as if struggling to speak, but finally gritted his teeth and said, "Young Sect Master Tang, I'll be straightforward—I wish to ask for your help in introducing me to Yang Wudi, the leader of the Breaking Clan from your Clear Sky Sect. I have a matter to request of him."
Hearing this, a flicker of surprise passed through Tang San's eyes as he asked, "You want Clan Leader Yang of the Breaking Clan to help cure the poison afflicting you?"
(End of Chapter)