Inside the cave—
Li Chang'an held Dugu Yan tightly, as though he wanted to merge her into his very being. The two of them, oblivious to the world, poured all their emotions into that embrace.
Not far away, Dugu Bo's face twitched violently. He could practically smell the sour, sickening stench of young love wafting through the air. Thinking about how his precious granddaughter had been swept up by this brat, his mood darkened instantly.
If it weren't for his presence here, he was certain those two would have already gone much further than just hugging. After all, young people were impulsive—and this, by comparison, was them being restrained.
"Ahem! You two… that's quite enough."
Unable to bear the sight any longer, Dugu Bo coughed deliberately.
The pair jolted as if awakening from a dream. Embarrassed, they pulled apart slightly—but their hands remained firmly intertwined, fingers unwilling to let go. Dugu Bo could only shake his head helplessly.
"Yan'er," he sighed, "you're still young, barely in your teens. You have a long life ahead of you. There will be plenty of talented young men out there—better than this boy. Are you really so sure you've chosen the right one?"
Dugu Yan, cheeks still flushed, lifted her head slightly. Her clear eyes glimmered with stubborn determination."Grandfather, I don't care what the future holds. I only know that right now, I've already chosen my future husband—and that person will never change!"
Saying this, she turned toward Li Chang'an, her gaze filled with unwavering devotion.
Li Chang'an's heart trembled. Deeply moved, he couldn't resist pulling her into his arms again."Yan'er, I will never fail you," he said with conviction. "I swear—you will be my wife in an official marriage, recognized by all!"
Hearing that, Dugu Yan's eyes shimmered with tears of joy. Her heart was filled with pure happiness.
What she didn't know, however, was that deep down, Li Chang'an silently added: Yes, officially married… but who ever said I can only have one official wife?
Dugu Bo snorted derisively."Promises, promises. What guarantees can you offer? Do you think a royal engagement can be annulled just because you say so? You're far too naïve."
He wasn't wrong.
The Heaven Dou Empire wasn't as weak as depicted in the so-called "original story." There, the empire had been humiliated by the Spirit Hall, and its royal family seemed to have no Titled Douluo at all. But in truth—how could a mighty empire that had stood for a thousand years have no Titled Douluo? If that were the case, it would've been overthrown long ago.
The true Heaven Dou Empire's depth of power ran far deeper than most could imagine.
The original tale had simply downplayed it to make the protagonist seem more impressive. But in reality, an empire of that scale, with its vast population and resources, must have at least one or two Titled Douluo. And countless Soul Sages and Soul Douluos besides.
Otherwise, what kind of empire would that be? With its massive wealth, manpower, and cultivation resources, could it truly produce fewer experts than small sects of mere hundreds?
That would make no sense at all.
The only logical explanation was that the empire had chosen to conceal its true strength.
As for why, in the original account, no royal Titled Douluo had appeared even when the nation was on the brink of destruction—there were only two possible reasons.
One: those hidden Titled Douluo knew the enemy was overwhelmingly powerful. Even if they appeared, they'd be crushed, so they chose to remain hidden—protecting the royal bloodline and waiting for a chance to rebuild the empire later.
Two: perhaps those royal Titled Douluo had already been secretly assassinated by Spirit Hall before the conflict even began. After all, for Qian Renxue to infiltrate the empire successfully, she would have needed to eliminate potential threats in advance—even killing royal princes. What were one or two Titled Douluo to her?
In short, it was completely reasonable that the Heaven Dou royal family did have powerful hidden experts.
And with that understanding, Dugu Bo—despite being a Titled Douluo himself—knew perfectly well he could never afford to provoke the royal family.
Especially when Li Chang'an wasn't just any noble, but the Emperor's personally chosen son-in-law, someone clearly favored and invested in.
If this had been a simple noble's engagement, perhaps his prestige as a Titled Douluo could have swayed things peacefully. But to challenge the royal family's decision? Not even he dared to dream of that.
Yet Li Chang'an, undaunted, answered with firm resolve:"I know I'm still weak—only a Soul Master, powerless to resist that engagement now. But weakness is temporary. One day, when I become a Soul Douluo—or even a Titled Douluo—no one, not even the royal family, will be able to control my fate!"
"Hah! Titled Douluo?" Dugu Bo sneered. "That's easy to say. Even if you have extraordinary talent, how long will that take? Fifty years? Sixty? Do you expect my granddaughter to waste her youth waiting for you to reach that level?"
He wasn't wrong either.
Even a prodigy with innate full soul power would need decades to reach Titled Douluo rank—perhaps fifty or sixty years at best. By then, Dugu Yan would be old and fading, her prime long gone.
And engagements like his didn't wait forever.
By the time Li Chang'an turned twenty—or thirty at the latest—the royal family would undoubtedly push for the marriage ceremony.
Once he married the princess, it would be too late.
At that point, no matter how strong he became later, what could he do? Divorce the princess to marry another woman? That would make him nothing short of a heartless traitor—a man who abandoned his wife and child.
Could Dugu Bo possibly entrust his beloved granddaughter to someone capable of that? Of course not.
"I'll wait!"
Dugu Yan's clear voice broke through the silence. Her tone was steady and unwavering."No matter if it takes fifty or sixty years, I'll wait for Brother Chang'an to become a Titled Douluo—and come marry me himself."
"You silly girl…"
Li Chang'an's heart softened. Deeply moved, he held her tightly again, overwhelmed by her sincerity.
He hadn't expected Dugu Yan's feelings to be so pure, so intense—she was truly willing to wait a lifetime for him.
Ah, such is the nature of first love. To a young girl, love becomes everything. She would sacrifice all else for its beauty and innocence.
Dugu Bo could only shake his head again and again. He hadn't expected his granddaughter's affection to run so deep. If he forced them apart now, she might never love another man again in her lifetime.
An old man like him knew well that first love is the hardest to forget. The more he tried to sever it, the deeper it would root itself in her heart. Forbidding their contact would only make her rebel—turning her longing into an idealized fantasy she could never let go of.
The more impossible the love, the more beautiful it became in memory.
With a weary sigh, Dugu Bo realized that bringing Li Chang'an here had been a huge mistake.
If he had simply left things alone—let his granddaughter wallow in sadness for a while—she might have eventually moved on from the misunderstanding.
But now?
He had personally kidnapped the boy and given them the perfect chance to reconcile—and even confess their feelings to each other.
Now the fruit of love he had tried so hard to prevent had ripened completely.
It was far too late to stop it.
All Dugu Bo could do was regret bitterly, cursing himself for his own stupidity.
(End of Chapter)
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