Chapter 63
"Why does Your Highness the Prince insist on killing Qin Xiao?" Dugu Bo didn't give Xue Xing a precise answer but instead asked.
"To be frank, from Xue Ye, I received an order to recruit Qin Xiao again. I tried but failed."
"Those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish. Qin Xiao can't become my friend, so he can only become my enemy."
"Since he's an enemy, only death can put my mind at ease."
Xue Xing mentioned Qin Xiao, and his eyes couldn't contain the fierce glint within.
Without a doubt, this young powerhouse with boundless potential had become a major threat to him.
After speaking, he looked at Dugu Bo. "I don't know when Mr. Dugu plans to take action, and if there's anything I can do to help you?"
"Hmm?" Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow. "Your Highness the Prince may have misunderstood. I didn't say I would help you deal with Qin Xiao."
He thought, aside from the fact that Qin Xiao had shown him kindness, even in terms of strength, he couldn't possibly match Qin Xiao.
After finally recovering from the Blue Luan Snake Poison, he wanted to live a few more years and enjoy life.
No way, Snow Star Prince, I won't take on this task, no matter what!
Dugu Bo had made up his mind.
"Mr. Dugu." Xue Xing was taken aback and reluctantly tried to persuade him.
However, Dugu Bo stopped him with a raised hand.
"Your Highness the Prince, even if you speak grandiloquently today, I still cannot take action against Qin Xiao."
Dugu Bo said sternly, "Considering our many years of acquaintance, I advise you to give up the idea of dealing with Qin Xiao. It's not wise!"
"It's impossible. If I don't deal with Qin Xiao, I'll completely lose control of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and I can't afford that loss."
Xue Xing was getting anxious. "Mr. Dugu, I'm begging you, considering our past friendship."
"That's enough!" Dugu Bo sternly interrupted. "Your Highness the Prince, there's no need to bring up past friendship. I've done a lot for you in secret over the years, and that friendship has long been repaid. Now, not helping you is my prerogative."
Boom!
Dugu Bo's words echoed in Xue Xing's mind like thunder.
He hadn't expected Dugu Bo to show no sentiment at all.
"Your Highness the Prince, please leave."
Suddenly, Dugu Bo's voice rang in Xue Xing's ears, snapping him back to reality.
"Ah."
"Mr. Dugu, today I was too impulsive."
Xue Xing apologized to Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo simply waved his hand. "I have other matters to attend to today, so I won't escort Your Highness the Prince any further."
With that, he poured himself a cup of hot tea.
Seeing this, Xue Xing turned and left without saying another word.
At that moment, his eyes turned incredibly cold.
He knew that the Poison Douluo was of no use; he had even been afraid to poison Qin Xiao. Was he really that afraid of Qin Xiao?
"I won't give up. I can deal with Qin Xiao without relying on you, Dugu Bo!"
He thought to himself and then left in large strides.
"Qin Brother, you've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you."
In the grandest hotel in Tian Dou City, Ning Fengzhi greeted Qin Xiao with a smiling face.
Qin Xiao also noticed that the Bone Douluo beside him was smiling and radiating goodwill.
"Haha, Master Ning, it's all because your little princess took me on a tour everywhere, delaying us."
He said as he stepped aside to reveal Ning Rongrong standing behind him.
In fact, the time Qin Xiao spent leaving the Blue Tyrant Academy with Ning Rongrong was more than enough.
Unexpectedly, Ning Rongrong, using the excuse of guiding him, led Qin Xiao through all the bustling streets.
If Qin Xiao hadn't noticed something was wrong and pulled Ning Rongrong's ear to make her show him the way, the hotel might have been closed by the time they arrived.
"You, always up to mischief."
Ning Fengzhi looked at Ning Rongrong and said helplessly.
"I just wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to show His Highness around."
Ning Rongrong stuck out her tongue.
"Qin Brother, please have a seat."
Ning Fengzhi invited Qin Xiao to sit down.
Qin Xiao didn't refuse.
After a while, guided by Ning Fengzhi, Qin Xiao arrived at the top floor of the hotel.
Two words: magnificent!
At a hundred meters in height, Qin Xiao could see almost all of Tian Dou City.
He instinctively reached out, and the bright moon, seemingly within arm's reach, was now at his fingertips.
"Dangerous heights of a hundred meters, hand can pick the stars."
"I dare not speak loudly, fearing to startle the heavenly beings."
Qin Xiao softly recited.
But the three people around him, Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong, and the Bone Douluo, were not ordinary people. They heard Qin Xiao's words clearly.
They were instantly shocked.
"Qin Brother not only has outstanding talent but also exceptional literary talent."
Ning Fengzhi praised him.
"Haha, I'm just a parrot, not the actual author."
Qin Xiao shook his head.
"Your Highness, don't be so modest. If there were a real author who could write such sentences, they would already be famous on the Douluo Continent."
Ning Rongrong looked at Qin Xiao with admiration.
Hmm... Is this what it feels like to be a famous author? Qin Xiao decided not to explain further and took his seat.
Before long, a series of exquisite dishes were brought to the table.
"Master Ning, is there something you'd like to discuss now that we can talk?"
Qin Xiao didn't rush to taste the delicious food but looked at Ning Fengzhi and asked.
"Can't I just be welcoming you and treating you to a meal?"
Ning Fengzhi asked.
Qin Xiao smiled without saying a word.
Ning Fengzhi wouldn't come to him without a reason.
There's a saying for this situation, "When offering help, beware of ulterior motives."
"Haha, Qin Younger Brother, in reality, I had to beg the Master to invite you."
"If it weren't for your Soul Bone that you sold to Master, I wouldn't have known how long it would take to find an opportunity for a breakthrough."
The Bone Douluo smiled as he spoke to Qin Xiao.
"Senior, please don't misunderstand. The relationship between Master Ning and me is purely a business transaction, with no emotions involved."
Ah, hearing Qin Xiao's words, Ning Fengzhi's expression stiffened for a moment. Then he smiled bitterly.
"Qin Brother, you are truly too shrewd. There's nothing that can be hidden from you."
Ning Fengzhi dropped the act and said, "Alright, I did come to you for a reason, but I assure you, it's a good thing for you."
"Oh?" Qin Xiao let out a long "Oh" and waited for further explanation.
"You killed Tang Xiao, the head of Haotian Sect, which means you've incurred a great feud with Haotian Sect. I wonder how you plan to proceed?" Ning Fengzhi asked.
Bringing up this matter, the smile on Qin Xiao's face instantly disappeared, and he replied calmly, "This matter doesn't require you to worry about it for now."
"Haha, Qin Brother, don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to interfere with your affairs. I just wanted to say that if you ever face difficulties, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will wholeheartedly support you."
Ning Fengzhi smiled.
"In that case, thank you, Master Ning."
Qin Xiao nodded his head in acknowledgment.
He understood that Ning Fengzhi was expressing his determination. He was willing to stand with Qin Xiao to counter Haotian Sect.
Qin Xiao wouldn't refuse this offer, considering that his initial purpose in selling Tang Xiao the Soul Bone was to create a confrontation between the two major sects. Now, his goal had been achieved.
"Master Ning, Senior Bone, don't just drink wine, have some food too."
In the palace,
Inside the Crown Prince's sleeping chamber.
"Your Highness, Qin Xiao has gone to his appointment."
"It seems that Ning Fengzhi also wants to win him over."
Dream Spirit Machine conveyed the latest information to Xue Qinghe.
"Throughout history, such peerless geniuses are rare. Who wouldn't want to win them over?"
"No, my uncle and my brother have already kept such peerless experts out."
Xue Qinghe sighed. "They want to take him, so let them have him. I don't want to compete with them. If we continue to fight, it will only weaken the empire's strength."
"Forgive my boldness, Your Highness, but you're wrong. You're the Emperor's designated heir, and no one is more qualified than you to rule the empire. Xue Xing and Xue Beng should not be your competition. You should strike back decisively."
"But it's brother against brother."
Xue Qinghe hesitated.
"Your Highness, make your move. If you can recruit Qin Xiao to our side, it would be a tremendous asset. Plus, with the full support of our Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Xue Xing and Xue Beng will be powerless."
"Then I'll invite Qin Xiao to meet me at the Moon Pavilion tomorrow?"
"I'll go deliver the message for you."
Dream Spirit Machine showed great enthusiasm.
He felt that the Crown Prince was too kind and benevolent.
Late at night,
Qin Xiao returned to the Blue Tyrant Academy.
To his surprise, there was a graceful figure waiting in front of the academy gate, as if she had been waiting for a long time.
When she saw Qin Xiao approaching from a distance, her pretty face lit up with joy.
"Your Highness, you're back?"
Zhu Zhuqing exclaimed with delight, quickly walking up to Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao asked, "Why are you still not sleeping at this late hour?"
"Liu Erlong assigned us accommodations in the academy, and I was afraid you wouldn't find me, so I've been waiting here."
Zhu Zhuqing replied earnestly.
"What if I didn't come back today?"
"Then I would have kept waiting until you returned."
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, Qin Xiao's heart warmed, feeling a bit touched.
He was about to say something more, but his words stopped at his lips.
He gazed into the distance, where a group of three figures appeared in his line of sight.
In the middle, a burly figure stood like a tower, while two young men flanked him.
They looked like henchmen.
"Boss, the beautiful girl from the academy during the day is right there!"
"You see, I didn't lie to you."
Someone pointed at Zhu Zhuqing and said.
"But she has someone with her."
Another person remarked.
Still, the burly youth in the middle said, "Even if she has someone, so what? We're not married yet, so I have the right to pursue her. Besides, I'm so strong. If you were a girl, who would you choose?"
"Hehe, don't even mention being a girl, even if I were a man, I'd choose you, Boss."
One of them said with a flirtatious smile.
However, he was kicked away by the burly youth.
"Your Highness, among those three, the one in the middle is called Tailong. He bothered me before, but Teacher Zhao helped me out."
Zhu Zhuqing whispered to Qin Xiao.
"Oh? Tailong?"
Qin Xiao was momentarily surprised and then asked, "Is he from the Strength Clan?"
He remembered that Tailong was indeed part of the Strength Clan and had been loyal to Tang San, providing significant assistance in Tang San's visit to Gengxin City and the production of hidden weapons.
Well... he must be eliminated.
In an instant, Qin Xiao made a decision.
"Haha, young man, have you gone deaf? Our boss is talking to you. Can't you hear him?"
At this moment, the youth beside Tailong rushed forward with a punch.
Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful face turned cold, and she struck the youth first, sending him flying.
"Man, I'm liking this girl more and more."
"She's hot enough!"
Seeing this, Tailong's eyes lit up, and he excitedly licked his lips.
On the other hand, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flashed with a cold light, but a broad, comforting hand landed on her shoulder.
"You're not his match right now; let me handle this."
Qin Xiao said as he stepped in front of Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing was taken aback but couldn't help feeling a warm sensation inside.
Was this what it felt like to be protected?
"Haha, kid, you've got some backbone not hiding behind a woman. I'll go easy on you later; I won't kill you."
Tailong laughed when he saw Qin Xiao stepping forward.
However, Qin Xiao didn't even want to say a word to Tailong.
*Crack.*
He flicked his fingers, releasing an invisible force, and Tailong was instantly sent flying over ten meters away, then plummeted like a sandbag.
The scene fell into silence.
"God, what kind of strength does this guy have?"
One person was shocked.
Another rushed to Tailong's side and helped him up, asking, "Boss, how are you?"
"It's alright; I'm fine."
Tailong staggered to his feet, but suddenly spurted out a mouthful of blood.
Boss, you're spitting blood, and you say you're fine?
Am I an idiot?
"Kid, pretending to be strong, huh? You're ruthless. We've made an enemy today. You wait for the retaliation from my Strength Clan."
Tailong sneered and left abruptly, leaving behind a threatening remark.
"Your Highness, should I go after him?"
Zhu Zhuqing asked.
"No need."
Qin Xiao shook his head and disappeared from the spot the next moment.
*Bang, bang, bang.*
The heavy doors of the Strength Clan were knocked on.
"Is the young master back?"
"He's back earlier than usual."
The gatekeeper mumbled and opened the gates of the mansion, but what he saw left him dumbfounded.
"Young master, what happened to you?"
He saw Tailong covered in blood right outside the gate, gasping for breath.
He panicked and carried Tailong on his shoulders, rushing into the mansion, shouting, "Patriarch, something's wrong! The young master is in trouble!"
"You useless fellow, where did you find him this drunk again? And you had to carry him back?"
A voice sounded, and a burly figure, Tainuo, appeared. He frowned and said in a deep voice.
What nonsense is this?
Drunk again?
If it's fake, I hope it's real!
The gatekeeper quickly said, "It's, it's you, please see for yourself."
What's going on? Can he even grow flowers on his body now?
However, when Tainuo saw Tailong's condition, he was utterly stunned!
"What's going on? Why do I feel like Tailong is breathing in less air and exhaling more?"
(End of this chapter)
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