Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

Chapter 66 The Emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is

……

"I don't care what you do for the Spirit Hall, and I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said today."

Dugu Bo stood up.

"There's only one rule: you mustn't hurt Yanyan, otherwise..."

"Why do you think I'm telling you all this?" Xuanming asked.

Does it make me appear honest?

Dugu Bo turned around. "What do you mean?"

“I can’t resist whatever they ask me to do. I have to do what I’m supposed to do, but if I do it and fail, then they can’t blame me,” Xuanming said.

Dugu Bo was slightly taken aback. "It seems you have no loyalty to the Spirit Hall."

"Loyalty? Don't you want to listen to what you're saying?" Xuanming asked.

"You expect me to be loyal to a group of people who tricked me and almost killed me?"

"Are you crazy or am I?"

Dugu Bo's eye twitched. "Then how could they feel comfortable letting you go back to Tiandou City?"

"Do you want to hear the truth, or just some empty promises?" Xuanming asked.

"Stop!" Dugu Bo's face darkened, and he quickly interrupted.

"I don't want to know anything!"

"You're not allowed to tell either!"

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on saying anything anyway,” Xuanming said.

"..."

Dugu Bo took a deep breath. "I thought my temper was strange enough, but after meeting you, I realized what it means to be outmatched."

It can drive people crazy with its seriousness!

"So, you're just feigning submission while plotting your rebellion?" Dugu Bo said.

“It can’t really be called feigned submission,” Xuanming said.

“They know I was forced into this situation, and they don’t trust me much. They might kill me at any time.”

"..." Dugu Bo.

"With a temper like yours, how did you survive in Spirit City?"

There was no subjugation, no trust, and this kid didn't even pretend!

With this, how dare the Spirit Hall send this kid to Heaven Dou City?
"There's nothing they can do. My talent is too great; they can't bear to kill me outright," Xuanming said.

"People are always more patient with geniuses, just as beautiful women receive more tolerance from men."

"It's normal for geniuses to be arrogant, and it's easier for people to accept that beautiful women have tempers."

"Of course, people who are ugly and mediocre cannot understand this."

Qian Renxue tolerated him because she couldn't bear to lose his talent, and Bibi Dong helped him because his talent was worth investing in.

He knew very well that if he didn't have this talent, he would have died long ago.

“Since you understand, then you…” Dugu Bo was somewhat puzzled.

This kid isn't stupid! So why doesn't he at least pretend for a moment?

“First of all, I couldn’t control my temper at that time,” Xuanming said.

"Secondly, I was just being rebellious and throwing a tantrum, it wasn't some irreparable grudge."

If he didn't react at all after being tormented like that, he'd either be a spineless coward or a cunning schemer.

He dared to fight Barth to the death in Tiandou City, so Qian Renxue wouldn't think he was a spineless coward; it could only be the latter.

Therefore, his outburst was necessary; otherwise, Qian Renxue would be very wary of him and might even keep testing him.

Compared to someone who keeps things bottled up, is submissive, and unpredictable, he is someone who speaks his mind but has a bad temper, making him easier to control. He is reducing the difficulty for Qian Renxue.

If Qian Renxue senses that she cannot control him, or even is unsure of his thoughts, then his death is imminent.

He's just a child. It's best if he doesn't understand things when he shouldn't. Being too smart isn't a good thing.

"Then what do you mean by telling me all this?" Dugu Bo asked, puzzled.

He used to think the kid was somewhat clever, but now... to be honest, he's a little uneasy!
“They want to control you through me, so I have to make some progress,” Xuanming said.

“I want you to put on an act, at least to make them feel that I’m putting in the effort, instead of doing nothing.” “More than that?” Dugu Bo raised an eyebrow.

"You want to use me as a talisman?"

“If that’s how you want to understand it, then that’s fine too,” Xuanming said.

His talent is his bargaining chip, but it's not something that will always be useful.

In many cases, actual threats are still required.

Dugu Bo's threat level is unparalleled in the entire Douluo Continent.

Neither Soul Masters nor nations would want to offend this walking poison gas bomb.

If Dugu Bo can show enough respect for him, his safety can be better guaranteed.

"Okay." Dugu Bo thought for a moment and agreed.

"You helped me before, now I'm helping you, so we're even."

"However, I still have one request: you mustn't scheme against Yanyan!"

"Why would I scheme against her?" Xuanming asked, puzzled.

"I've already discussed this with you. If I scheme against her and you find out, you'll turn on me immediately. Wouldn't I be finished?"

“That’s what you say…” Dugu Bo’s expression was somewhat unnatural.

"But I really can't believe you."

“I don’t expect you to believe me,” Xuanming said.

“Your position can bring me safety, and if you stand with me, the Spirit Hall will assume that you are already working for them, and naturally they will not take any further action against you.”

“It’s just what each of us needs.”

Qian Renxue wanted to bring him under her wing, so she could tolerate him, but Dugu Bo didn't have the same intentions towards him.

It's safest to talk to this old poisoner in a simple and direct way.

They had no conflict of interest, and Dugu Bo didn't try to control his mind, as long as they weren't enemies.

……

Time flies, and half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

With Dugu Bo keeping his promise and expressing his importance to him in various ways, his life at the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy went relatively smoothly, and Xue Qinghe did not interfere with him too much.

Qian Renxue would appear about once a month to say a few words to him, as a way of checking on his cultivation progress. She wasn't as aggressive as before, probably because she had changed her strategy and wanted to slowly boil him down.

As for the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, Dugu Bo never mentioned that place, nor did Dugu Yan.

Ultimately, that place was Dugu Bo's lair; without sufficient trust, he would never reveal his true colors.

If he brings it up out of the blue, it will inevitably arouse suspicion, so we can only let things take their course.

"The eldest prince is going to become the crown prince!"

On their day off, Xuanming sat by the lake fishing, and Ye Lingling followed suit, sitting next to him with a fishing rod. Since neither of them liked to talk, fishing, a quiet activity, was one of their few forms of entertainment.

However, the restless Dugu Yan always manages to break this tranquility.

Watching the large fish scatter and flee in the lake because of their screams, Ye Lingling couldn't help but give Dugu Yan a resentful look.

"Sister Yan Yan, you've scared the fish away again."

"Let them run away, you won't catch any big fish anyway," Dugu Yan said.

"You finally catch a small fish, but you can't bear to let it go, so you have to release it, all your efforts for nothing."

"Alright, stop fishing. The eldest prince is going to become the crown prince. The investiture ceremony will be held in a couple of days."

"You're going to be the Crown Princess?" Ye Lingling asked in confusion.

"You're the one who's going to be the Crown Princess!" Dugu Yan said irritably.

"Then why are you so happy? The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is," Ye Lingling complained.

"It scared all my fish away."

Dugu Yan paused for a moment, "Lingling, can you stop talking like Xuanming? It's not cute at all."

The longer Ye Lingling spends with Xuanming, the more sharp-tongued she becomes!
……

……

The plot has been a bit weak lately, but we'll move on to the main storyline tomorrow...

(End of this chapter)