Douluo Continent: Twin Golden and Silver Dragons Shock Bibi Dong

"From beginning to end, my grandfather and I were the fools who were sold out and still helped the seller count the money!"

"..."

Dugu Bo fell silent.

Although he was not good at political maneuvering, he was no fool after all, having lived to such an old age. He had been blinded by his own involvement before, and Xuexing had saved his life, so he hadn't thought things through.

Now that his granddaughter has pointed it out, and considering the subtle attitudes of the royal family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School today...

"Grandpa, why do you insist on getting involved in that good-for-nothing Avalanche's affairs?"

Dugu Yan couldn't help but ask, her tone tinged with reproach, "You are a Title Douluo, a free and unrestrained powerhouse. Why do you put yourself in such a passive position for the sake of a spoiled brat from the royal family?"

Dugu Bo sighed, "Yanyan, there are some things... you don't understand."

"I don't understand?" Dugu Yan looked at him stubbornly. "I'm not a child anymore! Xuan Hao is several years younger than me, and he can understand it, so why can't I? Do you think I'm brainless, so you don't tell me anything?"

“I used to think that with you around, no one would dare to scheme against us. But today… I’m really scared. I’m afraid that one day you’ll be sold off, and I won’t know where to find your body!”

Dugu Bo sighed, his heart softening as he looked at his granddaughter's stubborn eyes.

"Never mind."

Dugu Bo waved his hand, "It's fine to tell you. But remember, keep this to yourself and don't tell anyone."

"This matter... involves the deepest secrets of the Heaven Dou royal family, and may even concern the survival of the empire."

Dugu Yan immediately sat up straight and held her breath.

"You only know that Avalanche is an incompetent playboy, but you don't know that this is actually a mask he has to wear in order to survive."

"Avalanche... is actually just pretending to be stupid."

"Pretending to be stupid?" Dugu Yan was stunned.

“That’s right.” A glint of light flashed in Dugu Bo’s eyes. “Do you remember the Second Prince and the Third Prince who died unexpectedly a few years ago?”

Dugu Yan nodded.

“That was no accident at all,” Dugu Bo sneered. “Where do so many accidents come from in this imperial palace? And those who died were all intelligent and talented princes.”

"Many people suspect that it was the eldest prince, Xue Qinghe, who did this."

"Xue Qinghe?" Dugu Yan's eyes widened. "That gentle and kind-hearted Crown Prince?"

"You can know a person's face but not their heart." Dugu Bo shook his head. "Beneath that broad mask may lie a heart more venomous than a snake or scorpion. To be willing to turn against one's own brother for the throne, and to do it so flawlessly, that kind of person... is terrifying."

“Prince Xue Xing saw through this, which is why he had Xue Beng pretend to be a spoiled brat and cause trouble all day long, just so that Xue Qinghe would think he was a good-for-nothing and posed no threat to him, thus saving his own life.”

"The reason why Prince Xuexing risked his life to protect Xue Beng was also His Majesty's will."

"What does Your Majesty mean?" Dugu Yan was even more confused.

“The art of imperial rule…” Dugu Bo sighed. “The second and third princes are already dead. If another avalanche occurs, then Xue Qinghe will be the only heir to the throne. At that time, the only obstacle for Xue Qinghe to ascend the throne will be His Majesty the current emperor.”

"A man who would kill all his brothers for the throne, who can guarantee he wouldn't... commit regicide to seize power sooner?"

Dugu Yan felt a chill run through her body.

She never imagined that such a chilling conspiracy and bloodshed were hidden deep within that magnificent palace.

"Therefore, avalanches must not kill or destroy lives."

Dugu Bo continued, "Once an avalanche occurs, His Majesty, the royal family, and even the entire court will feel great fear and distrust towards Xue Qinghe."

"Who would dare serve a monarch who slaughters all his brothers before even ascending the throne? Who would dare entrust the future of the empire to him?"

"At that time, no matter how outstanding Xue Qinghe is, His Majesty will inevitably depose him for the sake of the empire's stability!"

"Otherwise, the royal family of the Heavenly Dou Empire, along with the princes who control fiefdoms and command armies, will never agree to this. They might even unite and rebel under the pretext of 'purging the court of corrupt officials,' because they dare not gamble on whether Xue Qinghe will turn against them after ascending the throne. At that time, the Heavenly Dou Empire will inevitably fall into turmoil and may even split apart."

Dugu Bo looked at Dugu Yan and said earnestly:

"That's why I stepped forward. It's not just to repay Xue Xing's favor, but also for the peace and tranquility of the Tian Dou Empire."

"If the Heavenly Dou Empire is thrown into internal strife due to the struggle for succession, and its vitality is severely weakened, the Star Luo Empire, which has always been eyeing it covetously, will surely take the opportunity to launch an attack. At that time, war will rage and lives will be lost."

"Although my grandfather was aloof and didn't like getting involved in these power struggles, he couldn't just stand by and watch the world descend into chaos."

Dugu Yan pursed her lips. Although she understood her grandfather's noble cause, she still felt aggrieved.

"But Grandpa, even for the sake of the greater good, we shouldn't be so passively used as pawns. This time, Xuanhao meant no harm, but what if something like this happens again, and the other party really wants to fight you to the death?"

"You are a Title Douluo, not a royal guard dog."

A hint of relief flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes as he patted Dugu Yan's head: "Don't worry, Grandpa knows what he's doing. This time, Grandpa was careless and got a little carried away by Xue Xing. With this lesson learned, it won't be so easy for them to use me as a pawn in the future."

"but……"

Dugu Bo's expression turned serious, and he solemnly instructed:

"What Grandpa told you tonight—about Xue Beng feigning ignorance and his speculations about Xue Qinghe—you must keep it all to yourself! Don't let a word of it slip, not even in your dreams!"

"If this gets out and Xue Qinghe finds out that the avalanche was a hoax, he might take the risk and eliminate it directly!"

"At that time, His Majesty and the imperial clan, in order to uphold the legitimacy and bottom line of imperial power, will not tolerate such a ruthless crown prince who even dares to act under their noses!"

"That will be the time of true upheaval!"

Dugu Yan nodded solemnly: "I understand, Grandpa. I will definitely not tell."

"Hmm." Dugu Bo sighed. "Actually, His Majesty's thoughts are also conflicted. His decision to have Ning Fengzhi become Xue Qinghe's teacher may have been intended to use the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School to check and balance the Crown Prince."

"After all, both brothers are flesh and blood. Although His Majesty favors the more capable Xue Qinghe and believes he is better able to protect the country than Xue Beng, harming one's own brother is ultimately a taboo for an emperor and is chilling."

"Therefore, the current situation is very delicate."

"Avalanche must survive, and he must be a useless piece of trash. If he also displays amazing talent and makes His Majesty waver in his choice of successor... then the Heavenly Dou Empire will probably really be plunged into bloodshed."

Dugu Yan was terrified and silently lowered her head, saying nothing more.

She suddenly felt that compared to the bloody and scheming royal family, the noble children in the academy who fought over jealousy were simply adorably innocent.

Chapter 48 Qian Renxue: We're in this together.

……

"Alright, let's not talk about these upsetting things anymore."

Dugu Bo waved his hand, "What else did that kid named Xuan Hao say to you later?"

"It's nothing..."

Dugu Yan recalled, "They just analyzed the pros and cons for me, scolded me for being brainless, and told me to get less involved in these things in the future and to be more careful..."

As she spoke, Dugu Yan recounted Xuan Hao's remarks about "scheming and plotting being beneath public scrutiny," "seeking peace of mind," and "one must walk one's own path" in their entirety.

After listening, Dugu Bo leaned back in his chair, his eyes filled with surprise and admiration.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

"How old is he? Eight? Nine?"

"It's amazing that he can see through human nature so clearly and still have such an open mind and broad perspective."

Dugu Bo shook his head and sighed, "This kid is simply a prodigy. Compared to him, Xue Qinghe's so-called imperial strategies seem rather petty."

"Grandpa, please stop praising him," Dugu Yan said irritably. "That guy has a sharp tongue and keeps finding ways to insult me ​​for being brainless."

“He’s giving you pointers.” Dugu Bo smiled. “Grandpa can protect you for a while, but not forever. This kid is right, you need to be more careful.”

"By the way, have you found out where this kid comes from?"

"No," Dugu Yan shook her head. "In that situation, how could I dare to ask any more questions? But..."

Dugu Yan recalled the scene in the Soul Arena that afternoon and said with lingering fear:

"His martial spirit is terrifying. This afternoon in the Soul Arena, he didn't even use his martial spirit to possess Yu Tianheng; he just roared and knocked Yu Tianheng unconscious."

"Moreover, his dragon might had an extremely strong suppressive effect on my Azure Phosphorous Serpent. After he roared at me, I felt my martial soul trembling, and I couldn't even mobilize my soul power. My whole body went limp."

"Oh?" Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "To be able to exert this level of bloodline suppression on the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus and the Azure Phosphorous Serpent... this kid's martial soul is definitely a legendary True Dragon level, and a high-ranking True Dragon at the top of the dragon bloodline."

"Golden Dragon..."

"No wonder he dares to be so arrogant, with this talent... he certainly has the right to be arrogant."

At this point, Dugu Bo suddenly raised his head and looked Dugu Yan up and down with a strange look in his eyes.

"Yanyan, what do you think of... that Xuanhao?"

"Huh?" Dugu Yan was drinking tea when she heard this and was stunned for a moment, almost choking. "What do you mean, how?"

"It's just... how are the people?" Dugu Bo chuckled, his tone teasing. "Look, you're not young anymore, it's time to think about the future. Those good-for-nothings in the academy who only know how to fawn over you all day, I don't think any of them are good enough for you."

“Although Yu Tianheng is alright, he’s too arrogant. Besides, he’s from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and they have very strict rules. I’m afraid you’ll be mistreated if you marry into that clan.”

"But this Xuan Hao..."

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. "Although I'm a few years younger than you, we don't care about that in the world of Soul Masters. As the saying goes, 'A woman three years older than you is like holding a gold brick.'"

"This kid is incredibly talented, cunning yet has his own bottom line, and can completely subdue all your bad habits..."

"puff--!!"

Dugu Yan spat out her tea, her face instantly turning red to her ears, and she jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Grandpa!! What nonsense are you talking about!!"

"Who...who wants that bastard?!"

"He's so much younger than me! And he has such a sharp tongue! He's always calling me brainless! And he's always trying to scheme against me!"

"If I went with him, wouldn't he just ruin me?!"

"Yeah, that's true."

Seeing his granddaughter's excited expression, Dugu Bo sighed, the teasing in his eyes fading, replaced by a trace of worry.

“Being smart is a good thing, but this kid… is too smart.”

"At such a young age, it dares to stir up trouble in Tiandou City, scheming against the royal family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and even managing to escape unscathed."

"This kind of person is destined to be restless and unruly. The road ahead for him will likely be filled with bloodshed and violence."

"You're straightforward and naive. If you were to be with him, you'd probably only end up being bullied."