Reincarnated as the Death Spider Queen, sacrificing Bibi Dong at the start

The three princes whose names were called stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Nan Feng as juniors.

Nan Feng casually glanced at the three of them and raised an eyebrow: "Only three? If I remember correctly, I heard that the Heavenly Dou royal family should have four princes?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled and was about to speak up to properly explain the situation to the young fourth prince.

However, before he could speak, the Second Prince Xue Luochuan, who was standing in the middle, suddenly stepped forward and interrupted, "Your Majesty, my fourth brother is still young and weak. He cannot withstand the hardships of the ocean voyage, so Father Emperor has allowed him to stay in the palace to recuperate."

Upon hearing this, the air in the hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

Nan Feng ignored Xue Luochuan, but instead turned his head slightly and gave Ning Fengzhi, who was standing to the side, a meaningful look.

Upon receiving Nan Feng's mocking and displeased gaze, Ning Fengzhi instantly broke out in a cold sweat, feeling deeply ashamed.

How can you be so rude!

Nan Feng didn't react, but a hint of undisguised contempt flashed in his eyes. He withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "Since you're here to broaden your horizons, let Purple Pearl lead the princes around the island."

With that, Nan Feng stood up and dusted off his clothes: "I have some other matters to attend to. If Sect Leader Ning has nothing else, I will take my leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Ning Fengzhi to say anything to stop him or to exchange pleasantries, Nan Feng turned around and walked straight towards the back door of the hall. Seeing this, the Sea Maiden Douluo and Xiao Bai immediately followed closely behind without saying a word.

Seeing this, Purple Pearl quickly apologized to Ning Fengzhi and the others, saying, "Sect Leader Ning, please sit for a moment. I'll go see my teacher off and be right back."

After saying that, she quickly followed him out.

In the blink of an eye, only Ning Fengzhi, Gu Rong, and the three princes who were looking at each other in bewilderment remained in the huge and magnificent conference hall.

Watching Nan Feng's ruthless departure, Xue Luochuan was momentarily flustered. He looked at Ning Fengzhi uneasily and asked in a low voice, "Sect Master Ning, did I... say something wrong just now?"

Chapter 216 Ning Fengzhi: Taking the most useless prince and seeing the fiercest face

……

Ning Fengzhi turned his head and looked at the Second Prince, who was usually pampered, and sighed helplessly, his tone carrying a hint of stern rebuke: "Second Prince! Just now, I was speaking with His Majesty the Demon God as a representative of the Heaven Dou Empire. You are just a child who has not yet come of age, how dare you interrupt in such a situation?!"

Upon hearing Ning Fengzhi's reprimand, Xue Luochuan immediately felt embarrassed and a surge of resentment welled up in his heart.

"Sect Leader Ning, aren't you being a bit too harsh?" Xue Luochuan frowned and retorted confidently, "In the past, in the Imperial Study in the palace, even when Father Emperor and the ministers were discussing state affairs, I could always chime in with my advice. Father Emperor not only didn't get angry, but often praised my unique insights and exceptional intelligence!"

"Today, His Majesty merely asked a question casually, and I simply answered truthfully. How did that become me being rude and ignorant of etiquette?"

Seeing Xue Luochuan's indignant expression, as if he had been wronged beyond measure, Ning Fengzhi felt a deep sense of weariness.

This second prince, who is known for his "intelligence," has really been spoiled rotten by the old emperor in the deep palace!

He can't even distinguish the importance and urgency of this kind of situation!

This is not the Imperial Study of the Heavenly Dou Palace, and the person sitting here is not his father who would be infinitely tolerant of him!

He, Ning Fengzhi, is the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, one of the three upper sects! And the man who was sitting in the main seat just now is a level 98 peak Douluo from Seagod Island, and also Seagod Island's representative to the outside world!

To put it bluntly, when the two of us are talking, what right do you, a little kid, have to interrupt?!

Seeing the atmosphere become somewhat tense, the eldest prince, Xue Qinghe, who was standing to the side, stepped forward at the opportune moment. With a gentle smile on his face, he acted as a peacemaker: "Sect Master Ning, please calm down. My second brother is usually straightforward. He was just speaking off the cuff just now and had absolutely no intention of offending Your Majesty."

"Besides, children speak without thinking. I'm sure that with His Majesty the Demon God's transcendent status and magnanimity, he wouldn't bother with such trivial matters as a child who hasn't even come of age yet." Xue Qinghe patted Xue Luochuan's shoulder, appearing like a kind and generous elder brother.

Hearing Xue Qinghe's seemingly exonerating words, Ning Fengzhi did not feel comforted. Instead, he let out a long sigh.

"Your Highness Qinghe, this isn't a matter of whether His Majesty the Demon God cares or not, it's a matter of impression!"

Ning Fengzhi turned around and looked at the three princes in front of him with a serious expression: "This is the first formal meeting between us, representing the Heaven Dou Empire, and this Demon God Douluo who rules over a region! Not to mention that you should follow the rules, even if you're just pretending, you have to put on the most impeccable performance of the Heaven Dou royal family today!"

"You are not ordinary children from the streets; you are princes of the Heavenly Dou Empire! When you step out of the country, you represent the face of the entire royal family!"

Ning Fengzhi's tone became slightly more serious, "In such a formal diplomatic setting, your rudeness is not just a matter of 'childish indiscretion' in the eyes of others; it is throwing the dignity of the royal family into the ground and trampling on it!"

"The prince is unruly and does whatever he pleases. What does that Demon God Douluo think of him? Isn't it tantamount to telling him that our Heaven Dou royal family is also unruly and corrupt from top to bottom?!"

Xue Luochuan's face turned pale from the scolding, and his lips trembled as if he wanted to argue.

Ning Fengzhi didn't give him a chance at all, directly peeling back the layers and pointing them out to him: "You think the First Prince said you were 'innocent and naive' because he was helping you? Second Prince, think carefully about how absurd your actions were just now!"

"In terms of age, the Third Prince Hai Zang is younger than you, and even he knows to be careful with his words in this kind of situation, not daring to say a word from beginning to end. You, as the older brother, are the one who rushes to interrupt. What kind of innocent talk is this? What kind of logic is this?"

"And what about your answer just now!" Ning Fengzhi looked at him with exasperation. "You said in front of outsiders that your fourth brother is too young and can't endure the hardships of a long sea voyage? What kind of logic is that? You could have made up some excuse, like the fourth prince catching a cold or being unwell! But you said in front of a peerless expert that your royal family's 'brothers can't handle hardship' and that's why they're not coming. Do you think that's reasonable? What will outsiders think of the Heavenly Dou royal family's backbone?"

"Even if we take a step back..." Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, "In that situation, even if someone had to step forward to explain the Fourth Prince's absence, it should have been the First Prince, Xue Qinghe, as the eldest brother, who spoke up. But it was you, the Second Prince, who beat your elder brother to it and made the final decision!"

"In this situation, your actions, at best, are considered reckless and betrayal of your younger brother; at worst, they are considered overstepping your authority and disrespecting your elder brother!"

Listening to Ning Fengzhi's incisive and penetrating analysis, Xue Luochuan's previously indignant expression completely changed. His eyes instantly reddened, and he protested with a face full of grievance and helplessness, "I...I didn't think that much! I really didn't mean that..."

“I know you didn’t think that much about it, which is why I said it’s a bad habit you’ve developed because His Majesty spoiled you.” Ning Fengzhi shook his head helplessly, his tone full of deep weariness.

"Second Prince, it's alright if you don't understand these diplomatic nuances. But before we came in, didn't I repeatedly tell you not to say anything out of line and to let me make all the introductions?"

Ning Fengzhi looked directly into Xue Luochuan's evasive eyes and mercilessly exposed his little scheme: "You're used to being fawned over and praised in His Majesty's study. To put it bluntly, you just couldn't resist showing off your 'cleverness' in front of this Demon God Douluo, hoping to get his approval."

"But Second Prince, you must face reality."

"In the palace, in your own homes, you are His Majesty's son, and you can freely display your intelligence. But this is Purple Pearl Island, the territory of the Demon God Douluo."

"Here, we are guests."

Ning Fengzhi's stern reprimand completely intimidated the three princes who were usually aloof and arrogant.

The hall was completely silent. Xue Luochuan lowered his head in shame, not daring to utter another word of rebuttal.

Seeing their trembling silence, Ning Fengzhi softened his tone slightly and sighed, "Given my status, it is really inappropriate for me to presume to speak such harsh words to you. The princes' etiquette and education are His Majesty's responsibility."

"But now, I have no choice but to speak," Ning Fengzhi said solemnly. "We are here on behalf of the Empire and will be staying on Purple Pearl Island for a long time. Your rudeness at our first meeting has already left a very bad impression on His Majesty the Demon God. In the days to come, we must find a way to make amends and absolutely cannot continue to act recklessly! Do you all understand?"

"Yes, Sect Master Ning, we understand." The three princes' expressions turned solemn, and they all bowed their heads in agreement.

Ning Fengzhi nodded, then turned his gaze sharply to the Third Prince Xue Haicang, who was standing to the side without saying a word.

"And you, Third Prince." Ning Fengzhi's voice suddenly turned cold, and he reprimanded him mercilessly, "From now on, keep your eyes to yourself and don't let them wander off!"

Upon being suddenly called out, Xue Haicang's expression tightened abruptly, his face instantly turning bright red. He quickly lowered his head and admitted his mistake: "Sect Leader Ning is right to reprimand me, Haicang knows he was wrong..."

Looking at the submissive Third Prince, Ning Fengzhi sighed deeply in his heart, feeling utterly exhausted.

Just now in the hall, it was one thing for the Second Prince Xue Luochuan to interrupt recklessly in order to show off his intelligence, but this Third Prince Xue Haicang was even more outrageous!

Just now, while Nan Feng was making his introduction, his eyes were brazenly darting between the Sea Maiden Douluo and the island-guarding sacred beast! What wicked thoughts were hidden in those eyes? Did he really think all the Title Douluos present were blind?!

That's absolutely outrageous!

Putting aside the fact that one of them is a high-ranking member of Seagod Island and the other is a Seagod's mount that has lived for 100,000 years, just look at their cultivation level—they are a titled Douluo!

You, a royal prince who hasn't even grown up yet, are staring at me with that look of amazement, even drooling? What are you trying to do?! Are you looking for death?!

Ning Fengzhi gritted his teeth inwardly. If this were on the mainland, and he encountered a female Title Douluo with a slightly fiery temper, being stared at like that would be perfectly normal for her to slap him, a prince, into a pulp on the spot, or even physically exterminate him! At that point, even he, the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, might not be able to save his life!

Ning Fengzhi turned his head and glanced at the First Prince Xue Qinghe, who had been standing quietly to the side with a dignified and proper demeanor.

They had barely met when, apart from the eldest prince who had always been well-behaved and knew when to advance and retreat, the other two legitimate princes who were favored and pampered by the old emperor in the palace were really more and more outrageous and more and more reckless than the other!

Ning Fengzhi shook his head inwardly: In the greenhouse of the palace, pampered and indulged by everyone, no major problems could be seen at all.

But once they went on a long journey and encountered a top expert who was truly not bound by imperial power, all these bad habits that had been spoiled in their daily lives were exposed!

Chapter 217 Are you playing a very new kind of master-disciple relationship game?

……

On the other side, Nan Feng, along with the Sea Maiden Douluo and Xiao Bai, had already left the Presidential Palace and were slowly walking along the wide, flat stone path towards his private villa by the sea.

"How did you feel?" Nan Feng asked without turning his head, his hands behind his back. "What's your impression of those people from the Heavenly Dou Empire?"

Upon hearing this, the Sea Maiden Douluo walking beside him gave a meaningful smile.

As a titled Douluo of the Mermaid Clan, she was born with an extremely rare and powerful talent—mind reading.

Although the two sides didn't exchange more than a few words during their brief meeting in the hall, she had already overheard their true thoughts at that moment.

"Well, it's quite interesting." The Sea Maiden Douluo twirled her long, deep blue, wavy hair with her fingers and slowly commented, "That Ning Fengzhi from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is indeed a true old fox. He's extremely cunning, and his mind is full of weighing pros and cons and the interests of his family. However, he's also a smart man. Just now, he didn't have too many messy hostile thoughts about us. He was mainly testing and being wary."

"As for that old man named Gu Rong next to him..." The Sea Maiden Douluo couldn't help but laugh out loud, "That guy is also a very honest person. From the moment he entered the door, his mind was constantly and frantically calculating: if you, the Demon God, suddenly launch an attack, what methods should he use to escape with Ning Fengzhi as quickly as possible? If there is enough time, what methods should he use to take those three useless princes on board as well?"

“Especially when that Second Prince Xue Luochuan suddenly jumped out to interrupt,” the Sea Maiden Douluo covered her mouth and chuckled, “Gu Rong cursed him and his ancestors for eighteen generations in her heart, and almost couldn’t help but slap the kid’s head into his stomach.”

Nan Feng chuckled inwardly: "What about the three princes?"

Upon hearing the mention of these three princes, the smile on the Sea Maiden Douluo's face vanished instantly, her expression becoming somewhat unnatural, even showing a hint of obvious disgust.

"That Second Prince Xue Luochuan is a typical spoiled good-for-nothing," the Sea Maiden Douluo commented bluntly. "All he thinks about is how to show off his little bit of cleverness in front of you. He seems precocious, but in reality, he has no brains at all. He can't even distinguish the most basic things like reading between the lines or the importance of the occasion."

"And that Third Prince, Xue Haicang..."

The Sea Maiden Douluo's eyes turned completely cold. "That kid looks young, but his mind is utterly despicable! Can you believe it? When he was staring at me and Xiaobai in the hall, he was already fantasizing about... how to capture us and take us back to the palace, imprison us, and use us as his playthings!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Bai, who had been silent until now, also turned cold, a fierce glint flashing in her azure eyes. If it weren't for Nan Feng, she probably would have swallowed that brat whole back in the hall.

"Hmph, if it weren't for the fact that this is your place today, and I don't want to cause you any trouble..." The Sea Maiden Douluo sneered, "Just based on those filthy and vulgar thoughts in his head, I would have turned him into an idiot on the spot with the Siren's Song!"

"However..."

The Sea Maiden Douluo's eyes darted around, her previously icy expression suddenly transforming into one of extreme gossip. She quickened her pace, moving closer to Nan Feng, almost touching his nose, her eyes gleaming with excitement: "In comparison, that First Prince Xue Qinghe, who hardly ever speaks... he's quite interesting!"

Nan Feng paused almost imperceptibly, raising an eyebrow: "Oh? What's so interesting about it?"

The Sea Maiden Douluo stared into Nan Feng's eyes, lowered her voice, and spoke with certainty:

"That eldest prince, she's actually not a man at all, she's a girl, isn't she?!"

Nan Feng didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.

Seeing that Nan Feng did not refute, the Sea Maiden Douluo became even more excited. She continued to reveal the truth with a grin: "Moreover, I heard it very clearly. She not only knows you, but also calls you 'teacher' in her heart!"

“The most crucial thing is…” Sea Maiden Douluo deliberately dragged out her words, reached out and poked Nan Feng’s chest, teasing him in a sour tone, “Just now in the hall, when this First Prince’s gaze swept over me and Xiao Bai, she actually felt extremely intense jealousy and anger! She’s jealous!”

The Sea Maiden Douluo crossed her arms, scrutinizing Nan Feng with an expression that said, "I've seen through everything."

"Confess! You beast in the guise of a demon god, what exactly is your illicit relationship with the eldest princess of the Heavenly Dou Empire?!"

"It's a very simple relationship," Nan Feng said, spreading his hands as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Didn't you just hear him calling me 'teacher' in his mind? What else could our relationship be but master and disciple?"

"However... there is indeed a deal between us. As the 'Demon God Douluo' representing the power of Seagod Island, I will deliberately show this Crown Prince a great deal of appreciation and favor in the coming period of time."

"Use this to influence the suspicious old emperor's judgment on the crown prince, and go with the flow to see if we can directly help her secure the crown prince position in the Heaven Dou Empire."

Upon hearing this, the Sea Maiden Douluo frowned slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: "I can understand helping her seize the throne. But... why would that little girl go to such lengths to disguise herself as a man and impersonate the eldest prince of the Heaven Dou Empire?"