Peerless: Tang San, this time Huo Yuhao is the attacker.

Chapter 131 Xu Jiujiu: Yuhao, tell me, who do you want to kill? I'll take care of it for you!

"To be honest, I'm still not quite in the mood. That performance was truly amazing. You're so talented for your age, Yuhao. By the way, is it okay if I call you that?"

"Of course, Princess Jiu Jiu is too kind."

Seeing Xu Jiujiu's ever-present friendly smile, Huo Yuhao responded with a smile in return.

This morning, Xu Jiujiu suddenly came to his door in person, ostensibly to express her "gratitude," and then brought him here.

He hadn't expected that the Starry Sky Royal Hotel would have set aside an entire floor to build a reception room.

"Princess Jiujiu just told me she wanted to thank me, but I don't know why. I don't recall ever offering her any help."

"That's not necessarily true, Yuhao, don't underestimate yourself." Xu Jiujiu's eyes curved into a smile as he filled Huo Yuhao's teacup, his expression becoming more serious.

"Thank you, Yuhao, for pointing out the Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone in time, which prevented the reputation of Starlight Auction House from being affected."

A hint of surprise flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. That's it? It doesn't make sense that Xu Jiujiu came to find him alone just for this.

Huo Yuhao understands Xu Jiujiu's personality: she is intelligent, has a good vision and overall perspective, but lacks willpower and loses her rationality when faced with temptation.

During the campaign to support the Heavenly Soul Empire, Xu Jiujiu discovered that the main force of the Sun Moon Empire's army was not on the border. He believed this was an excellent opportunity and immediately overruled objections to send the Soul Master Legion to attack.

As a result, the horde of Soul Masters suffered heavy casualties from the Death Ray, losing more than a dozen Soul Douluos and over two hundred Soul Saints, and was completely routed.

Was this matter wrong for so long? Of course it was.

At the time, Dai Hao's plan was to eliminate all the detection soul tools at all costs, and then try to break through the blockade of the Mingdou Mountains to aid the Tianhun Empire.

However, this will inevitably attract the attention of the Sun Moon Empire, prompting them to take precautions, and the subsequent attack will be extremely intense.

Xu Jiujiu's proposed surprise attack could theoretically catch the Sun and Moon forces off guard and even deplete a significant portion of their military strength in one fell swoop.

Both decisions actually have their own logic. The most important thing is that no one knew there was a Death Tower in the Mingdou Mountains that could emit the light of death.

To put it bluntly, this thing was a complete game-changer for the three great empires at the time.

Regardless of which plan is used, the first encounter with Death's Light will result in heavy casualties.

Xu Jiujiu did indeed suffer from not being able to resist the temptation. Logically speaking, even if her surprise attack plan failed, she should still have gained something, right?

Unfortunately, a single blast of death light struck, resulting in a total annihilation with zero damage, creating the Star Luo Empire's history of the greatest casualties.

Therefore, Xu Jiujiu's decision-making error stemmed from a lack of composure and resolve, but this does not affect her overall evaluation.

To reiterate, no matter who leads the team, the army will inevitably suffer heavy losses in the face of the first appearance of the Grim Reaper's Light.

Xu Jiujiu just happened to be unlucky enough to stumble upon the debut of Death's Light.

"Princess Jiu Jiu already expressed her gratitude back then, and besides, I've received compensation from Starlight Auction House, which is more than enough."

"No." Xu Jiujiu shook his head solemnly, his eyes extremely serious. "The soul bone and the compensation are what you, Yuhao, deserve."

As for a verbal thank you, that's far from enough to express my gratitude.

Xu Jiujiu's face showed a hint of lingering fear. "Yuhao, you probably can't imagine how much of an impact this will have on our auction house if it gets out."

That's a top-tier auction where the total sales in a single session exceed 100 million. If a problem were to occur with the items at an auction of that size, the damage to its reputation would be devastating.

After speaking, Xu Jiujiu smiled elegantly, her tone tinged with relief, "If it weren't for your help, Yuhao, our auction house would have suffered enormous losses."

So, when I got back that day, I thought about it and realized that verbal thanks weren't enough; I needed to show real sincerity.

Huo Yuhao's eyes narrowed involuntarily. He didn't believe there was such a good thing in the world when people were eagerly offering money.

He lost an Ice Jade Scorpion Soul Bone and 30 million, and now Xu Jiujiu wants to give him something else. He doesn't believe Xu Jiujiu likes to do unprofitable business by maximizing her losses.

Are there any requirements? Is it hush money or something else?

"You've actually seen this before, and I think it would suit you quite well. What do you think?"

After a long while, the gemstone ring on her index finger flashed, and a brown cloth bag suddenly appeared out of thin air in her fair palm.

Soul bone? The cloth bag that conceals the aura of soul power—Huo Yuhao was all too familiar with this style.

As the face of the cloth bag glowed, a small bone floated out from it. With just one glance, Huo Yuhao understood what Xu Jiujiu meant.

This soul bone is one of the treasures in the Star Luo Soul Bone Treasury. He had seen it that day as well—the right leg bone of a 40,000-year-old Frost Falcon.

If this soul bone were put on the market, it would probably fetch around four million gold soul coins. Xu Jiujiu's gift of gratitude is undeniably valuable.

Huo Yuhao's eyes gleamed; he hadn't expected the opportunity to reconnect with Xu Jiujiu to come so quickly.

He had already given up on contacting Xu Jiujiu. Although the effect of the [Star Power] was top-notch for him as the owner of an ultimate martial soul, he couldn't resist the fact that Xu Jiujiu's identity was too sensitive and she was too old.

Xu Jiujiu was only twenty years old and the most noble princess of the Star Luo Empire. It was impossible for her to develop her career over time like Wang Dongxiao.

He was also unable to create a stable and substantial value chain for Xu Jiujiu in the same way he had done for Ling Luochen, and the two had almost no chance of intersecting.

If I had to say, the only option would be to join the royal family and side with Xu Jiujiu's faction, which is Xu Jiawei's camp.

This strategy might work, but it's like throwing away the big picture for a small gain. Shrek Academy has a ton of advanced skills waiting for him to improve, while Xingluo currently only has Xu Jiujiu.

Theoretically speaking, there shouldn't be any other way to play, but reality often doesn't follow theory.

Huo Yuhao certainly couldn't refuse Xu Jiujiu's initiative. He knew in his heart that this soul bone was just a prelude to help Xu Jiujiu achieve her goal.

As for what it is, we'll have to wait and see what Xu Jiujiu says next.

"How is it? Are you satisfied?" Xu Jiujiu's smile was somewhat playful. This was already the third unusual emotional expression Huo Yuhao had seen from her.

The first feeling is lingering fear, the second is relief, and the third is current playfulness.

These are all normal emotions, but given their current relationship, Xu Jiujiu shouldn't show them in front of him.

"Princess Jiu Jiu's gift of gratitude is probably a bit too valuable."

Huo Yuhao spoke slowly, and although he had a smile on his face, he could not see any excitement or enthusiasm in it.

Faced with such a precious soul bone, let alone a twelve-year-old boy, even a Soul Saint, Soul Douluo, or some ordinary Title Douluo might not have shown such composure.

Xu Jiujiu nodded inwardly. Huo Yuhao was not only exceptionally talented, but also had an extraordinary mind. Just like when she was twelve years old, he already had a mature mind.

This is both good news and bad news.

Maturity means that Huo Yuhao can understand the meaning behind her words. If Huo Yuhao rejects this soul bone, it is also a way of rejecting her.

In addition, maturity also means not being easily fooled. Huo Yuhao has a keen enough sense of smell, so she cannot win him over by acting as a confidante.

The way we cultivate feelings for each other needs to be changed appropriately; we can't treat each other like we would care for an ordinary teenager.

"A gift of gratitude? I'm afraid it's more than that. Doesn't Princess Jiu Jiu have any other ideas?"

Huo Yuhao followed up on Xu Jiujiu's words and asked in return, "This is the most basic process. You throw out something, I throw out a question, and the topic unfolds slowly like this, which is convenient and comfortable for everyone."

"Yuhao is very perceptive, and I do have some questions I'd like to ask." Xu Jiujiu's smile deepened; intelligent people speak with ease.

"Princess Jiu Jiu, please speak freely."

"I wonder if Yuhao has thought about his future plans, or considered developing a career in the Star Luo Army?"

Huo Yuhao is now certain that Xu Jiujiu wanted to win him over. Was he trying to use his strength to break Dai Hao's control over the army?

However, the only difference for the royal family in letting someone from another family take control of the military is that he has no ability to rebel.

But for Xu Jiujiu and even Xu Jiawei behind her, the difference is different.

He faces an additional danger compared to Dai Hao: he can choose to side with other royal factions, something Dai Hao would never do.

How can Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujiu avoid this outcome? What methods do they intend to use to win him over?

Or is it that these two intend to first use him to dismantle some of Dai Hao's military power, and then install people they trust into the military's management to dilute the military power he has gained?

In that instant, Huo Yuhao thought of many things. His gaze met Xu Jiujiu's, and it wasn't hard to see the expectation hidden in the princess's eyes.

Huo Yuhao nodded. "I have indeed considered returning to the Star Luo Empire, but I'm not sure what form it would take—the military, the royal family, or something else."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jiujiu's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, her gaze filled with a hint of doubt.

Given Huo Yuhao's talent and the heights he can reach in the future, if he were to return to the Star Luo Empire, would he have any other options besides the royal family and the military?

"Yuhao, what do you mean by 'other'?"

"I can't say for sure." Meeting the probing gaze that had been searching for a long time, Huo Yuhao shook his head slightly, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips, and said in an ambiguous tone, "But I will definitely return to the Star Luo Empire to do some big things, after all, I left behind some not-so-small personal grudges here."

Xu Jiujiu was taken aback at first, then his eyes lit up. There was an unexpected gain?

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Jiujiu acted entirely on instinct, "Yuhao, what kind of personal grudge are you talking about?"

"Literally, I've made an enemy of a big shot in the Star Luo Empire. Once I've achieved enough in my cultivation, I'll naturally come back to take revenge. I expect that it will cause some minor turmoil in the Star Luo Empire."

Huo Yuhao spoke casually, but after a long while, his heart tightened.

Revenge is easy to understand; it's like wiping out an entire family. Such things have happened before, and there just happened one in Xingluo City.

That was probably seven hundred years ago, when several young masters from a noble family conspired to play a game of massacring people in a village.

Who would have thought that a six-year-old boy from this small village happened to be out of the village that day to participate in the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony, and thus escaped the disaster.

He awakened an extremely powerful martial soul, and his innate soul power was as high as level eight and a half, so he was naturally valued and cultivated by the academy.

After graduating, this young man joined the army directly. He made great contributions and spent decades becoming a Super Douluo. Meanwhile, those who massacred the village back then became the heads of their families.

This man secretly gathered evidence of their crimes, and then, on a dark and stormy night, he slaughtered the entire family.

In the end, things didn't turn out badly. Super Douluo was among the top-tier combatants, and moreover, he had made numerous contributions in the army. His merits and demerits canceled each other out, so there was nothing wrong with him.

It was said that his merits and demerits canceled each other out, but it was really just a formality. His position in the army remained unchanged, and he even married an ugly woman and had many children.

Xu Congjiu felt that Huo Yuhao's target of revenge might not be just an ordinary nobleman. A single nobleman was not enough to cause turmoil in the Star Luo Empire.

Could this important figure be a member of the royal family?

Prince? Duke? Nobleman?

No matter which one it is, uprooting them would be very troublesome, as these people often have formed numerous small families behind them.

Making these things disappear has indeed caused quite a stir, and it can't be hidden.

The biggest problem is that, whether they are princes, dukes, or nobles, they all have merits to hold such titles.

If not handled properly, it could severely damage the overall dignity of the royal family.

The sudden extermination of a prince with numerous merits, and the inability to find the culprit, is a blatant slap in the face to the royal family.

Therefore, it is necessary to make the extermination of the clan reasonable, to make it the will of the people, and to incidentally, to establish the sacred and inviolable authority of the royal family.

Xu Congcong was thinking rapidly in her mind, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.

It seems there's only one ugly trick: start with rumors, expose Chen Wen's bad deeds, throw dirty water on him, convict him, and execute his entire family.

After going through the process again, a look of joy flashed across his eyes. It was truly wonderful news; Huo Yuhao was hiding something like this.

Isn't this the kind of ugly way to build rapport?

"Yuhao, tell me, who do you want to kill? I'll take care of it for you!"

?

Huo Yuhao was stunned when he saw Xu Congjiu's murderous look.

Wait, girl, what is this all about?

Huo Yuhao quickly realized what Xu Jiucong meant. He was really shocked by what he had just heard, and he didn't expect Xu Jiucong to say those words.

Great, it fits the character of Xu Jiujiu who loses some of her rationality and becomes irrational when faced with temptation.

He started with a revenge plot, and Xu Congcong, the blind man, was already preparing to make a fool of himself.