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

Ning Fengzhi gripped the armrests of the chair tightly with both hands. His proud and refined demeanor, which he had maintained for half his life, was almost completely shattered in this extreme despair.

Mind reading? Does such a defying-the-logic talent really exist in this world?!

After the initial shock came a chilling feeling that sent shivers down my spine.

Ning Fengzhi's sharp mind, typical of a top politician, began to work frantically: Seagod Island deliberately sent the Sea Maiden Douluo with such terrifying abilities to Purple Pearl Island, and the purpose was self-evident—to thoroughly understand the true intentions and thoughts of this group of Heaven Dou Empire envoys from the most fundamental subconscious level!

Even now, when Ning Fengzhi thinks back on it, he realizes that even if the Sea Maiden Douluo used her mind-reading ability to see through his meticulous calculations about "monopolizing interests" and "being wary of the Star Luo Empire" as the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, it was all a trivial matter.

After all, at the negotiating table, each side is acting in its own interest and striving to maximize its own benefits, which is an open strategy that the other side can understand.

But... what about these two princes?!

They came here as candidates for the future crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire!

As a result, this first formal meeting not only completely ruined the goodwill of the Heavenly Dou royal family, but also, because of the disgusting and filthy thoughts in the Third Prince's mind, completely amplified the dislike of the Seagod Island's higher-ups towards them!

He's completely devastated! Ning Fengzhi truly feels like he's about to break down!

He himself worked hard to pave the way for the interests of the empire, but when he turned around, the two incompetent teammates he brought not only blew up the bridge, but also took a dump on the opposite side of the battlefield!

"Fengzhi..." Gu Rong, standing to the side, looked at Ning Fengzhi, whose face was deathly pale, and called out with some concern.

Ning Fengzhi waved his hand weakly, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. He slumped into a chair, closed his eyes, and fell into a long, deathly silence.

The second and third princes huddled in a corner like quails, barely daring to breathe, fearing that Ning Fengzhi would suddenly attack and cut them down with his sword at any moment.

Especially the Third Prince Xue Haicang, the thought that all the dirty fantasies in his mind had been heard by that beautiful Title Douluo made his face not only pale, but also sickly ashen.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After a long, long silence, Ning Fengzhi suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes!

He suddenly raised his head and locked his gaze on Xue Qinghe standing opposite him.

No, that's not right! Things aren't completely over yet!

Why didn't the Sea Maiden Douluo, who possessed the ability to read minds, turn on them and drive them out of Purple Pearl Island after hearing all their unpleasant thoughts?

On the contrary, she specifically called Xue Qinghe over separately at noon today!

This shows what?

This shows that among this group of incompetent princes, the eldest prince Xue Qinghe, who was usually unassuming and kind, not only withstood the test of mind-reading with his pure and innocent heart, but also left a very good impression on the demon god and sea goddess Douluo on Seagod Island!

Why did the other party use Xue Qinghe's words to reveal that "I can read minds" to them?

This is far more than just showing off! It must contain a profound warning!

The other party was using Xue Qinghe to clearly tell the Heavenly Dou Empire: Stop engaging in those self-righteous, utterly pointless schemes and hypocritical pleasantries in front of Seagod Island. We know exactly what you're up to!

However... since the other party chose to take the initiative to break through this barrier, it means something crucial—although the other party saw through their schemes and the incompetence of those two princes, they were not completely disappointed with the Heavenly Dou Empire, nor had they completely closed the door to cooperation!

Otherwise, given Seagod Island's confidence and unparalleled martial prowess—its willingness to confront even the Spirit Hall head-on—they wouldn't need to waste time here trying to teach them a lesson. Why not just slap them back to the mainland and get the Star Luo Empire to cooperate?

"call……"

Realizing this logic, Ning Fengzhi let out a long sigh of relief, and his nerves, which had been so tense they were about to break, finally relaxed a little.

As long as there's room for maneuver, that's good. As long as the other side is still willing to send signals through Xue Qinghe, there's still hope for this situation that concerns the future of the empire!

Ning Fengzhi's face darkened, and his gaze swept over the three princes with extreme seriousness. His tone was cold and hard: "You all know what you were thinking yesterday. For the sake of the royal family's reputation, I won't expose you to your faces."

"However, we will definitely have to go and apologize in person next."

Ning Fengzhi's gaze pierced Xue Haicang, who was cowering to the side, as if it were a physical object, and he emphasized, "Especially you, Third Prince."

Upon hearing this, Xue Haicang trembled violently, buried his head completely, wishing he could disappear into the ground, and dared not utter another sound.

Looking at their incompetent state, Ning Fengzhi sighed deeply, his voice full of exhaustion: "The good impression we made at our first meeting is completely ruined. Whether you can make amends, and to what extent, depends on your own abilities and sincerity."

"But I'm warning you one last time: shut up all those inappropriate thoughts in your minds! Don't cause any more trouble!"

After finishing his reprimand, Ning Fengzhi stood up, turned to look at Xue Qinghe who had been standing quietly, and his expression softened a bit: "Your Highness Qinghe, come out with me for a moment."

After saying that, Ning Fengzhi, Gu Rong, and Xue Qinghe left the oppressive reception hall and headed towards the private rooms at the back.

In the vast front hall, only the Second Prince Xue Luochuan and the Third Prince Xue Haicang stood frozen in place.

Only after Ning Fengzhi's figure completely disappeared did the suffocating sense of oppression dissipate slightly, but what followed was an overwhelming sense of fear and lingering apprehension.

Especially the Third Prince, Xue Haicang, whose legs were now trembling. All those disgusting, unspeakable thoughts in his mind had been discovered! And that was a high-ranking Title Douluo! Would the other party, in a fit of rage, simply slap him to death?!

Although Xue Haicang was arrogant, it was precisely because of his arrogance and his extreme admiration for the jungle law of the Soul Master world that he understood a cruel reality better than anyone else—the so-called imperial power was meaningless in the face of a Title Douluo with absolute martial prowess!

If a Title Douluo were truly provoked, let alone his current isolated and helpless state on a deserted overseas island, even if he were hiding in the heavily guarded imperial palace of Heaven Dou City, the Imperial Guards would absolutely be unable to stop a berserk peerless expert! He would truly be doomed!

……

On the other side, Ning Fengzhi and the other two entered a completely quiet private room and took their seats in turn.

Ning Fengzhi picked up the teacup on the table, his gaze unconsciously falling on Xue Qinghe, who sat quietly opposite him. Looking at this composed and well-mannered eldest prince, Ning Fengzhi felt as if he had been transported to another world.

For the first time, he found the eldest prince, who usually seemed indifferent to worldly affairs, to be surprisingly pleasing to the eye!

For more than a decade, the eldest prince, Xue Qinghe, had always been gentle, reserved, and even somewhat unambitious. In addition, his birth mother died early, and he had no powerful maternal clan to support him. Therefore, despite bearing the title of the eldest son of the royal family, very few people in the court and the public believed that he could eventually surpass his favored younger brothers and inherit the throne.

But at this moment, after today's thrilling ordeal, Ning Fengzhi's views have been completely overturned.

This seemingly unremarkable eldest prince may be the most suitable, and only, candidate for the position of Crown Prince of the Tiandou Empire!

Although the Second Prince Xue Luochuan showed some precocious intelligence from a young age, he was deeply spoiled by the old emperor and lacked discipline. Long-term excessive indulgence has distorted his original intelligence into arrogant and conceited petty cleverness, making him completely incapable of handling the overall situation.

As for the Third Prince, Xue Haicang... well, let's not even mention him!

If that little monster, with his dark thoughts and a view of everything as a plaything, were to become the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, let alone tomorrow's cooperation, the Sea God Island would probably turn against the Heaven Dou Empire that very day in order to eliminate him completely!

Although, from the perspective of imperial strategy, a mild-mannered personality of "not competing with the world" is definitely not a good thing for a prince who needs to inherit the throne of a vast empire and manage his ministers.

But that depends on the time!

Faced with dangerous allies like Poseidon Island and that Demon God Douluo, whose strength is terrifying and whose methods are unpredictable, the last thing the Heaven Dou Empire needs right now is an ambitious and self-righteous emperor!

What the empire truly needs is a ruler with sufficient self-awareness, the ability to assess the situation, and the capacity to stabilize this precarious state.

The second prince is too cunning and lacks a sense of the big picture; the third prince is not only stupid but also wicked to the core; and the fourth prince is too young to discern his true nature.

After such rigorous selection, the only heir that the Heavenly Dou Empire could offer and that would be accepted by the two mind-reading experts on Seagod Island was Xue Qinghe.

Chapter 228 Finally, a prince who isn't brain-dead has been found.

……

Inside the private room, Ning Fengzhi held a teacup and gently blew on the floating tea leaves. He looked up at Xue Qinghe across from him, his gaze deep and discerning, and asked in a calm tone, "Your Highness Qinghe, after what you have seen and heard these past two days, what are your thoughts on this Purple Pearl Island, or rather, on the Sea God Island behind it?"

"And..." Ning Fengzhi changed the subject, his tone carrying a deeper meaning, "What are Your Highness's thoughts on His Majesty's arrangement for you princes to go to sea together this time?"

Xue Qinghe lowered his head slightly and remained silent for a moment. He quickly recalled the situation analyses Nan Feng had given him, then raised his head, his eyes clear and firm, and answered:

"Reporting to Sect Master Ning, in my humble opinion, the situation on the continent is currently turbulent and unpredictable. The Spirit Hall's power is growing stronger every day, and it seems poised to conquer the world. Although our Heaven Dou Empire has a strong military, it is struggling to stand alone at the level of top-tier spirit masters. Therefore, Seagod Island, an overseas spirit master force that once had a blood feud with the Spirit Hall and whose foundation is unfathomable, is a natural ally that our empire urgently needs to win over."

"But it is precisely because Poseidon Island is too powerful..."

Xue Qinghe's tone was slightly somber. "For the Heaven Dou Empire, an uncontrolled, peerless military force is essentially no different from the Spirit Hall in its existence. Therefore, the Heaven Dou Empire must not rely on them too much strategically, but can only cleverly use their power to counterbalance the Spirit Hall."

"This is a dangerous tightrope walk. Whether the Spirit Hall falls or Seagod Island is destroyed, as long as the balance is broken, it will be a bad thing for the Heaven Dou Empire. Therefore, the establishment of this Purple Pearl Island is very ingenious."

Xue Qinghe looked out the window at the distant harbor: "It's like a special buffer zone. It allows both sides to cooperate without directly accessing core secrets, leaving room for maneuver while maintaining the proper boundaries."

"Otherwise, if we cooperate completely, the royal family will inevitably live in constant fear of the overwhelming military threat from Seagod Island; and Seagod Island, having tasted the sweetness of power, will inevitably develop the same ambition as the Spirit Hall to take its place."

Listening to this clear and insightful analysis, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong exchanged a glance, both seeing the extreme surprise and shock in each other's eyes!

Ning Fengzhi paused slightly, his hand holding the teacup churning with shock. He never imagined that this usually mild-mannered, unassuming, and unambitious eldest prince could see through the complex triangular balance of power on the continent so clearly!

Xue Qinghe ignored their surprised looks and continued to explain the second question methodically:

"As for Father Emperor's arrangement for us to go to sea this time, on the one hand, he naturally wants us, the children of the inner palace, to see the world overseas. As members of the royal family, we enjoy the support and should do our best for the future of the royal family."

"On the other hand..." Xue Qinghe paused, "We princes represent the future legitimacy of the Heaven Dou royal family. This cooperation across the ocean will inevitably be long and arduous, and will certainly not be accomplished overnight. Father Emperor personally sent the royal family's 'future' to their territory, which is clearly to express the Heaven Dou Empire's highest level of trust and sincerity in cooperation to Seagod Island."

At this point, Xue Qinghe gave a wry smile, "However, no matter how much we planned, neither Father nor we expected that the Holy Pillar Douluo of Seagod Island would actually possess the terrifying talent of 'mind reading,' which is so difficult to defend against."

"Now it seems that our two younger brothers' intentions have been seen through, and our voyage to express our sincerity seems to have backfired."

After hearing these words, Ning Fengzhi steadily placed the teacup in his hand on the table, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Xue Qinghe had undergone a complete change.

"It's true that it caused trouble, but it's not necessarily true that it backfired."

Ning Fengzhi shook his head, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Your Highness Qinghe, every cloud has a silver lining. If it weren't for that Sea Maiden Douluo's mind-reading ability as a touchstone, how would we have known... that the usually low-key and reserved First Prince actually possesses such great talent for governing the country?"

"Everyone in the palace says that the Second Prince is exceptionally intelligent." Ning Fengzhi leaned forward slightly, his tone filled with undisguised admiration. "But now it seems that you, First Prince, are the truly wise and intelligent one. As the saying goes, wealth should not be flaunted, and the same principle applies to 'wisdom'."

Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe feigned a look of trepidation and quickly bowed his head, saying, "Sect Master Ning, you flatter me! I am of dull talent and indeed not as quick-witted as my second brother. My ability to see through these things this time is nothing more than a lucky guess, a result of reading a few more history books."

"Whether the eldest prince is dull or not, I have my own judgment."

Ning Fengzhi waved his hand, interrupting Xue Qinghe's modesty. The smile on his face gradually faded, and his expression became more solemn and serious than ever before.

"Your Highness Qinghe, there's no need for formalities. There are no outsiders in this room today. I, Ning Fengzhi, only wish to ask you a heartfelt question on behalf of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."

"Your Highness... do you have designs on the position of Crown Prince, or rather, on the future throne of the Heaven Dou Empire?"

The cubicle fell into a deathly silence.

Xue Qinghe raised her head, her clear eyes meeting Ning Fengzhi's scrutinizing gaze, which seemed to see right through people.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Xue Qinghe remained silent throughout.

Faced with this interrogation that could determine his future, a passage that Nan Feng had emphasized when he was teaching him flashed through his mind:

"Qian Renxue, you remember this! If one day Ning Fengzhi or the old emperor asks you if you have any ambition for the position of crown prince, you absolutely must not answer this question!"

"It seems simple, but it actually hides a deadly trap. If you deny it, in the eyes of those suspicious politicians, you will seem too hypocritical and pretentious. After all, when they ask this question, they must already be doubting your abilities and ambitions! The more eager you are to clear your name, the more dangerous and uncontrollable you become in their eyes!"

"But if you admit it directly, wouldn't all the 'peaceful and kind' personas you've painstakingly cultivated over the years instantly become a mask of hypocrisy—a deep-seated, stoic demeanor? They'll only become more wary of you!"

Therefore, this question cannot be answered.

Xue Qinghe simply watched Ning Fengzhi quietly, her eyes as calm as a bottomless pool. She neither admitted nor denied anything, and didn't even reveal a shred of emotion.

In this brutal power struggle...

No answer is the best answer.