In Douluo, there is a way to die.

Chapter 139 The weak obey the rules, the strong make the rules!
The Star Luo Empire, with its capital Star Luo City.

Another day of holiday arrived. A tall, elegant, black-haired woman walked out of the Star Luo Royal Academy and entered a waiting carriage with practiced ease. Once the woman was settled in the carriage, it slowly started moving and left the Star Luo Royal Academy. Before long, the outline of the Duke of Youming's mansion appeared in the distance.

Inside the carriage was only a black-haired woman. Through a thin curtain used to block out the sunlight, the outside world could not see what was happening inside the carriage, and the inside of the carriage could not see the outside world either. However, the black-haired woman still did not lift this "barrier". She looked at the Zhu family plaque above the gate of the mansion with a gloomy expression.

She had to go back to this wretched place once a week. If it weren't for her worry about her silly little sister, she wouldn't want to see those powerful old men in the family.

As the carriage entered the Duke of Youming's mansion, Zhu Zhuyun, having already developed the habit of controlling her expression, immediately reverted to her usual gentle and delicate demeanor.

"Young Miss, we've arrived," the coachman's voice came from outside the carriage.

"Mm," Zhu Zhuyun replied calmly, pushing open the car door and getting out.

It was dinnertime at the Zhu family's residence, so the corridor was rather deserted, with only a few servants taking turns wandering around. Zhu Zhuyun walked familiarly toward the Zhu family's main hall, keenly sensing that something was amiss.

Walking along the corridors of the Zhu family mansion, the servants he encountered along the way seemed to be deliberately avoiding him, as if they were afraid of being questioned by him.

Zhu Zhuyun frowned. In the past, when she was in the family, although she also wore a mask, her status as the eldest daughter of the Zhu family was genuine. As a well-mannered noblewoman, she had never done anything to make things difficult for the servants. In fact, if it weren't for Zhu Zhuqing, she would never have returned to this family on weekdays and rarely had any contact with the servants in the family. How could they have avoided her?
...Something happened at home, and it was quite serious. As the Crown Princess, Zhu Zhuyun was always quite politically astute, but she didn't rashly stop a servant to ask her questions.

The "Crown Princess" is just the "Crown Princess," not the "Empress." Moreover, even if she were to become the "Empress" in the future, it wouldn't necessarily mean she could boss the Zhu family around.

The Star Luo Empire has never been an empire of "emperor and empress". The royal family is supported by two huge families: the White Tiger Dai family and the Netherworld Zhu family. Even the emperor who wins under the iron-fisted rule of survival of the fittest has to compromise when it comes to politics.

The power of discourse within the Zhu family has always been firmly held by the elders, making it difficult to shake. This is the underlying logic that constitutes the foundation of the Xingluo royal family.

Therefore, Zhu Zhuyun could only be confined to this set of rules and play this political game with them. The Dai and Zhu families wanted to use Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing as stepping stones for Davis and her, forcing the two sisters to kill each other. So she forcibly kept Zhu Zhuqing in the family and prevented her from contacting Dai Mubai.

As long as she can suppress Zhu Zhuqing openly, it will be considered a "competition" in the eyes of the clan elders. And once Dai Mubai dies, the lone Zhu Zhuqing will no longer pose a threat and her life will no longer be in danger... However, as a woman of the Zhu family, Zhu Zhuqing will probably not be able to escape being sent to a family for a marriage alliance in the future. But this is the best solution Zhu Zhuyun can think of within this set of rules to protect Zhu Zhuqing's life. Being sent to a marriage alliance is better than losing her life.

Without sufficient power to change the rules, one can only become a plaything of the rules.

As for Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuyun had already investigated him. That guy was a dissolute playboy who abandoned his fiancée to go to an enemy country to indulge in debauchery. It was a fitting end for him to exchange his life for his sister's. He deserved to die.

This is why, even though she sensed something was wrong, Zhu Zhuyun didn't immediately stop the servants to question them. The power of the Zhu family was entirely concentrated in the hands of the clan elders, and every servant in the mansion was their spy, making them difficult to trust. Sometimes, Zhu Zhuyun even had to return specifically to suppress Zhu Zhuqing, showing a complete domination of him in order to appease the clan elders' doubts.

Ever since she and Zhu Zhuqing were given such a life, she has found it difficult to even hug her younger sister, and she has nothing to say to her.

A shadow of gloom crossed Zhu Zhuyun's face again before it returned to its bright expression. She walked into the main hall, which was large enough to accommodate all the members of the Zhu family with room to spare. Members of the Zhu family dined here, with different seats for members of different generations.

Zhu Zhuyun found her seat and sat down. Soon after, a servant brought her dinner. The seat next to her was empty; it was Zhu Zhuqing's seat.

However, Zhu Zhuyun did not feel that anything was wrong. Over the years, she and Zhu Zhuqing had always eaten at different times, and she had gotten used to it. Zhu Zhuqing never ate with the family members, and the Zhu family members seemed to pity her and did not criticize her rude behavior.

The main hall was very quiet, which was also the norm for the Zhu family. Before the elders, who were seated at the head of the front row, spoke, no one was allowed to chat or break the rules.

Zhu Zhuyun glanced casually across the hall, her movements suddenly paused for a moment, and then, as if nothing had happened, picked up her utensils and put the food into her mouth. Her movements were fluid and appeared perfectly natural at first glance.

Her elders... that is, the generation of her and Zhu Zhuqing's father, are missing one person, their second uncle, Zhu Lanlin.

The strongest member of the Zhu family today, the clan elder Zhu Meiyue, is only an 82-level Soul Douluo who has not made a breakthrough for many years. Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing's father, the current Netherworld Duke Zhu Lanfeng, is a 73-level Soul Saint, while Zhu Lanlin is a high-level Soul King with a cultivation level of 59. Although his Soul Rings are not the best combination, he is still a rare combat force in the Soul Master world. There are no more than 5,000 Soul Masters in the entire continent.

Had Uncle Lanlin been sent out on some mission...? Considering the way the servants had avoided her along the way, Zhu Zhuyun had a bad feeling. She shoveled rice into her mouth to hide her unease.

"Zhu Yun!" A reprimanding voice suddenly rang out, exploding in Zhu Zhu Yun's heart like a thunderclap. Only then did Zhu Zhu Yun come back to her senses and find that it was her father looking at her with a frown.

...She started eating before the elders had even put down their chopsticks, which was undoubtedly disrespectful to them and violated the strict rules of the Zhu family. Only then did Zhu Zhuyun realize that she had lost her composure due to the unknown changes within the clan.

“It’s alright, Lanfeng,” said the elder sitting at the front, the one in the first seat. He was Zhu Meiyue, the grandfather of Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing. “Zhuyun isn’t blind. She can see that something has changed in the clan. Besides, this matter is also related to her.”

“Indeed, Zhu Yun is an excellent young lady,” said another elderly man beside him who looked similar to him. He nodded slightly to Zhu Zhu Yun. He was Zhu Meixing, the third grandfather of Zhu Zhu Yun and Zhu Zhu Qing, who had the cultivation level of an eighty-first-level Soul Douluo. His eyes contained undisguised admiration. “She has only been back in the clan for a short while and she already has such awareness. She truly deserves to be the most outstanding woman of our Zhu family generation.”

"Grandpas, you flatter me." Although she disliked talking to the elders, Zhu Zhuyun still had to greet them with a smile. She was more concerned about the matter that Zhu Meiyue had mentioned that concerned her. "Zhu Qing has disappeared," Zhu Meiyue said bluntly, getting straight to the point. "About a week ago, she ran away from the Duke of Youming's mansion."

Zhu Qing… Zhu Zhuyun’s heart tightened, and she gripped the cutlery in her hands tightly. Zhu Qing hadn’t even turned twelve yet. She was usually confined to the clan and rarely came into contact with the outside world. How could she possibly survive in the unfamiliar outside world? Moreover, how could a great Soul Master like her have escaped right under the noses of so many high-level Soul Masters in the Zhu family? Even if she did escape, how far could she have gone?

“I deliberately let her out,” said Zhu Lanshan, the fourth uncle of Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing. He glanced at Zhu Zhuyun indifferently and began to explain, “I even found a channel through the Spirit Hall for her so that she wouldn’t be investigated by the authorities, so that she could leave in peace.”

"..." Zhu Zhuyun's eyebrows twitched slightly, but she suppressed her inner turmoil and looked at him calmly, "Why is Uncle like this?"

She believed she had always concealed her true intentions well. Over the years, it was clear to everyone that she had kept Zhu Zhuqing firmly under control within the Duke of Youming's mansion. In this "competition," she had always been the one with the upper hand. Logically speaking, there shouldn't have been any accidents. She just needed to wait until four years later, when Dai Mubai died, for Zhu Zhuqing to be able to break free from the shackles of death!

Before that, no matter how much Zhu Zhuqing hated her, she was willing to endure it, as long as she could keep it from the people in the clan and get through these four years!

“I made him do it,” Zhu Meiyue said, giving Zhu Zhuyun a meaningful look. “What we need is for you two to form ‘competition’! You’ve kept her locked up in the clan for years, how can she pose a ‘threat’ to you? How can we create the ‘competition’ we want to see?”

A burning rage seemed to ignite in Zhu Zhuyun's heart, but she could only hide it to prevent the elders from noticing anything amiss. This was clearly a test from the elders.

"The Star Luo royal family has always been known for its ruthlessness. If you want to become a true royal, this is the path you must take." In the end, Zhu Meiyue gave her final verdict on the matter.

However, Zhu Zhuyun's heart was not at peace. Zhu Zhuqing's personality had always been rather "stubborn" and straightforward. If she escaped and lived in seclusion for four years, it would be fine, which would not deviate too much from her original plan. She could even avoid being sent away by the Youming Zhu family and forced into a marriage with someone she didn't like. But if she foolishly went to find Dai Mubai... that would be bad.

A sinister glint flashed in Zhu Zhuyun's eyes. At that point, she would have no choice but to find a way to kill Dai Mubai as soon as possible in the future duel, so as to save Zhu Zhuqing's life. Even if Zhu Zhuqing's cultivation was destroyed in the end, at least she would have survived.

She didn't try to hide this slight emotional outburst, which caught the attention of the clan elders. They all assumed she had been provoked into a competitive spirit, which drew satisfied glances from them.

"The problem now is Lan Lin," Zhu Meiyue said, dispelling her doubts upon seeing Zhu Zhuyun's reaction. She then turned to another matter with a heavy expression. "Shortly after Zhu Qing left home, I sent Lan Lin to track down the Spirit Hall brigade that Zhu Qing belonged to. Contacting the Spirit Hall is ultimately too risky. To prevent Zhu Qing from possibly joining the Spirit Hall, I ordered Lan Lin to act according to circumstances and find an opportunity to eliminate that Spirit Hall brigade and eliminate that possibility."

Yes, Zhu Lanlin was going there to annihilate the Spirit Hall brigade. No matter what, he would eventually create an opening and let Zhu Zhuqing go that night, but the Spirit Hall brigade had to die!
Zhu Zhuyun listened silently without saying a word, but inwardly she sneered. The elders had really gone to great lengths to create competition between her and Zhu Zhuqing.

She couldn't help but worry about her silly younger sister. Joining the Spirit Hall wasn't necessarily a bad option, but with Zhu Zhuqing's brain... she probably wouldn't actually choose the worst option, would she?
But then she saw Zhu Meiyue's brows furrow and her tone become even more serious: "But we only found out yesterday that Lanlin is dead, dead in the border mountains of the northern part of the empire."

Moreover, he died a gruesome death, his body split in two from the waist up. Judging from the marks, the wounds were as smooth as a mirror, seemingly the result of a single blow. The people sent to find Zhu Lanlin even discovered deep cut marks on the rocks not far away. In other words, after the opponent severely injured Zhu Lanlin with one blow, the power of that blow was not diminished, and even the rocks behind him suffered an undeserved disaster!

In the understanding of the Youming Zhu family, only the titled Douluo with "sword" as his title, "the number one attacker in the world"—Chen Xin, could achieve this level!
But this is a Spirit Hall brigade, and Chen Xin is a guardian elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. How could he possibly get involved in such a matter? Therefore, the Youming Zhu family could only guess that Zhu Lanlin was unlucky and ran into a powerful figure with similar abilities in the Spirit Hall brigade.

Afterwards, it took them a long time to find the bodies of the others—the scene was no less horrific than Zhu Lanlin's death. Pieces of blue crystal, wrapped around flesh and limbs, were piled up everywhere. Many of those who went to search for them were so frightened that they went mad, fearing that the powerful figure was still lying in wait there. They hurriedly ran back from the border without stopping, running all night and even killing several horses in the process. They only managed to return to the Zhu family yesterday to bring back the news.

As for Zhu Zhuqing, they didn't find her body, so she was probably lucky to escape with her life and left the Star Luo Empire with the Spirit Hall Brigade.

After Zhu Meiyue finished recounting the whole story, the main hall of the Zhu family fell into a deathly silence.

"...Fortunately, Lanlin is dead." After a long while, Zhu Lanfeng suddenly broke the silence.

Even though it was the Zhu family members who were killed by the Spirit Hall, and their deaths were so gruesome, no one dared to go to the Spirit Hall to demand an explanation—it was the Zhu family who attacked the Spirit Hall members first.

They should be grateful that the Spirit Hall didn't come after them. Even if the Spirit Hall did send someone to question them, they could simply insist that the attackers had nothing to do with them, and the Spirit Hall would be unable to cause trouble.

Since there is no way to verify the truth, the Spirit Hall cannot disregard the reputation they have built up over the years in the Soul Master world and forcibly create trouble to take action against the Zhu family. Moreover, the Zhu family is also one of the Star Luo royal families. If the Spirit Hall wants to take action, it will have to consider the political public opinion.

"Erase Lanlin's name from the family genealogy," Zhu Meiyue said coldly, finally making her decision. "From today onwards, there is no one named 'Zhu Lanlin' in our Zhu family. You must remember this and never make a mistake."

Just like in the past, his father erased his elder brother, Zhu Meiri, from the family genealogy.

Zhu Lanfeng, Zhu Lanhuo, Zhu Lanshan, and other members of Zhu Lanlin's generation suddenly narrowed their eyes, and finally bowed in response: "We all know."

Zhu Zhuyun and the younger generation of the branch family also followed suit and paid their respects. Her eyes were cold as she silently observed everything before her.

The weak obey the rules, the strong make the rules!
(End of this chapter)