Douluo 2: This Dragon God has too much martial virtue

Chapter 591 The Heart of a Ruler is Unfathomable (Part Two)

Mu Xing was of course fully aware of Wang Dong's passionate yet childish feelings for her, but if she had to make a choice, her answer was always undeniable—she preferred someone who was both attractive and useful, not someone who didn't quite fit her aesthetic or sexual preferences, was of little use to the overall situation, and often caused trouble due to his emotional outbursts.

What's more, looking back on the past, she believed that she had done her best for Wang Dong, giving him enough tolerance and even resources. Because she had been "decent" enough, she felt at ease with her ruthlessness, without even a ripple.

Good-looking and useful? Di Tian didn't dislike this statement, but he wasn't easily coaxed by her. He had been coaxed into doing too many things by her eloquent little mouth, and it wasn't something that could be coaxed away with just a few kisses and a few sucks.

However, at this moment, he truly felt a deep-seated joy. It wasn't because of the superficial praise, but because his king had personally granted him the right to kill, even providing him with the most lethal weapon.

It reminded him of the alliance that had changed everything.

After that covenant, his dragon life, which had been peaceful (or numb) for hundreds of thousands of years, was completely over.

He could never forget the pair of eyes she looked at him with in the light of the oath, which were filled with light and seemed to ignite all the dead silence; he could not ignore the hardships and oppression that countless fellow beastmen on this continent were still enduring, even though he had hypnotized himself to turn a blind eye; he could not tolerate the difficulties encountered by the dragon clan and even the soul beast clan, and the inaction of the Silver Dragon King over the long years; he could not hypnotize himself to accept the suffocating status quo and be satisfied with the power of being in a corner.

And now, she even handed him the knife with her own hands, just asking him to do it cleanly and not give the goddess of life any chance to save him.

"Our alliance was destined, wasn't it?"

"No," Mu Xing pierced his fantasy seriously, "I planned this with all my heart and soul."

"Yeah, yeah." Di Tian agreed perfunctorily. It was great that everyone stopped pretending. But no matter what, it was good that she was willing to spend time and effort on him.

Their philosophies of life are also surprisingly similar: those who hate me should die, and those I hate should not live.

Meanwhile, across the wastelands of the Tiandou Empire, over a month had passed since Princess Xuelingxun, the youngest sister of the previous Douling Emperor, had eloped with the leader of the Xuanming Sect, forcing her to flee from the center of power. Now, with the remnants of her tribe, she resolutely left the now defunct Douling Empire. In her eyes, and those of her sworn followers, this was no betrayal, but rather a tragic act of resistance against the Tianhun Empire's attempt to steal the nation's throne. She was accompanied by her son, Xu Sanshi, the young leader of the Xuanming Sect.

Although successive emperors of the Douling Empire maintained strict control over the distribution of core royal territories, guarding them closely, some branches of the royal family, either due to merit or for some reason, were able to break away and branch out. After long periods of development, a few of these branches not only survived but also wielded considerable power and influence in the local area.

When the Sky Soul Empire forcefully announced its "merger" with the Douling forces, this devastating news, tantamount to annexation, reverberated like thunder, and the empire was far from united. Shock, panic, and anger were mixed, but undercurrents surged. There were those who were tempted, those who waited, and even those who sought to profit from the situation. Within the empire, especially those distant from the center of power, the branches of the old imperial family and the local tyrants, were in a state of panic, with all sorts of thoughts stirring, and the situation presented a fragile and precarious balance.

It was during this chaotic and delicate moment that Princess Xue Lingxun and her son Xu Sanshi seized their opportunity. They weren't without foundation. As the youngest sister of the previous emperor, Xue Lingxun's royal bloodline was undeniably legitimate. Furthermore, her husband's family, the Xuanming Sect, was a powerful faction, and both mother and son possessed a certain amount of influence.

With the secret support of a group of ministers and generals within Lingdou City who remained loyal to the former Douling Imperial Family and were deeply dissatisfied with the Tianhun Empire's annexation, Xue Lingxun and Xu Sanshi acted with astonishing speed. They quickly seized control of several important cities surrounding the imperial capital, Lingdou City. Leveraging the royal family's legitimacy and the banner of righteousness, they gathered as many scattered armies as possible and consolidated those willing to pledge their allegiance.

However, the mother and son had an awkward dispute with Long Ge several months ago due to an unfinished transaction. At that time, Xuan Ming Sect "accidentally" learned that Long Ge had obtained an extremely precious 100,000-year-old golden tortoise turtle soul ring a few years ago. That was a golden opportunity for the Xuan Ming Turtle martial soul to be completely alienated and transformed into the pure divine beast Xuanwu Shield.

Dragon Pavilion originally intended to trade this spirit ring for the Xuanshui Pill formula, which was considered the lifeblood of the Xuanming Sect. This was supposed to be a win-win deal. However, Xu Sanshi, the young sect leader, insisted that Jiang Nannan, who had already joined Dragon Pavilion and was highly regarded by a certain high-ranking official, marry into the Xuanming Sect. He even disturbed Princess Xuelingxun, the sect leader's wife, and personally went to Dragon Pavilion to propose marriage for her son.

Jiang Nannan clearly expressed her reluctance, and the matter should have been dropped. However, a leading figure from the Xuanming Sect accompanying her spoke cavalierly, calling Jiang Nannan "just a pretty girl with an ordinary martial spirit," and saying that marrying into the Xuanming Sect was "marrying up." He even frivolously suggested, "Given our long-standing business relationship, consider it a bonus in the deal," and hinted, "Since the Young Sect Master really likes her, perhaps becoming her legal wife isn't out of the question." These remarks completely infuriated the Dragon Pavilion's leadership, and the deal fell apart, bringing relations between the two parties to a freezing point.

Now, with the passage of time, a mere month on the run seemed to have etched marks on Xu Sanshi that would take years to unravel. Gone was the lazy smile he once wore, perhaps tinged with the arrogance of a young master. In its place was a heavy, solemn dignity, rapidly ripened in desperate circumstances. Unwavering worry clung to his brow, and unconcealed fatigue etched in his eyes. Upon closer inspection, he seemed even older than he had been a few months earlier. It was clear how immensely these life-threatening experiences had drained his energy.

Even more brutal than their personal transformations, however, was the desperate situation facing this team of nearly 100,000. They fought tooth and nail to escape Douling, only to find, in the vast world, that there was no place for them to rest. The former Xingluo Empire had been swallowed up by the iron hoofs of Sun and Moon. Now, across the continent, only the two giants, Tiandou and Sun and Moon, remained, facing each other from afar.

Beyond the borders of the two empires, vast expanses of land were the domain of soul beasts, teeming with danger. Even the once sparsely populated plains and hilly areas on the outskirts had recently been swept and trampled by terrifying beast hordes. Supplies were scarce, and even a small amount of food was often purchased at the cost of blood.

This team, carrying the Douling's last hope, struggled like a trapped beast in a vast quagmire, plagued by hunger, exhaustion, and ever-present threats. The flames of national restoration had barely ignited, but their instinct for survival was pushing them to the brink of collapse. Furthermore, an unresolved feud with the continent's most powerful faction only compounded their woes.

Xu Sanshi stood in the cold wind of the wilderness, looking at the long, emaciated team behind him, his heart heavy, not only because of the hopeless situation before him, but also because of a past that still made him feel suffocated and puzzled when he thought about it.

He clearly never imagined that his insistence on a commoner girl with an ordinary martial spirit would lead to the complete breakdown of a crucial deal between the Xuanming Sect and the Dragon Pavilion, and even hint at being targeted by the other side. In his mind at the time, it was merely a mutually agreeable condition; he even thought the Dragon Pavilion should be happy about it, since Jiang Nannan's marriage into the Xuanming Sect would solidify the relationship between the two sides. However, after the deal fell through, the family's stewards, who were often away from home and considered themselves worldly-wise, and even his mother, Princess Xue Lingxun, privately hinted to him, with a hint of regret and ambiguity: that girl had probably already been set in stone by a powerful figure in the Dragon Pavilion, becoming their private "possession." She was no longer a woman the Xuanming Sect could even dream of touching.

These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the fire of resentment in his heart caused by rejection, and replacing it with a deeper emotion mixed with frustration, contempt and a hint of inexplicable bitterness.

He was extremely frustrated and couldn't understand it.

why?
Why would Jiang Nannan choose to become... a plaything of an old man, rather than accept him, the young and promising Young Master of the Xuanming Sect? In his mindset at the time, those who reached the top of the Dragon Pavilion and held the power of decision-making were all extremely old and of high rank. He couldn't imagine a woman as cold and stubborn as Jiang Nannan willingly committing herself to someone like that.

This thought tormented him. On the one hand, he felt that Jiang Nannan had fallen into depravity, and on the other, he felt the humiliation of having his sincerity and qualifications ruthlessly trampled upon, and that he was no match for the power of an old man. He even darkly speculated that perhaps Longge was deliberately using this method to humiliate their Xuanming Sect.

After the deal fell through and the Xuanming Sect's members were unceremoniously "asked" to leave Dragon City, Xu Sanshi's resentment and frustration didn't dissipate over time, but instead grew even more intense. He ultimately couldn't contain himself and made a move that he considered either a reconciliation or a questioning move.

He sent someone to deliver a letter to Jiang Nannan.

However, the letter didn't even reach Jiang Nannan's hands for her to read. The messenger, following Xu Sanshi's instructions, had included a long-held question, one that was filled with intense confusion and a hint of condescension: "Miss Jiang, our Young Sect Master asked me to ask you why you would rather be someone's plaything than his legitimate wife?"

These words were like the fuse that lit the explosives.

Jiang Nannan didn't even open the letter, her slender fingers trembling slightly with extreme anger. In front of the messenger, she didn't hesitate to rip the envelope containing Xu Sanshi's complicated feelings into shreds, and the scraps of paper scattered like snowflakes.

She laughed in anger, a layer of frost covered her beautiful face, and her eyes were as sharp as a knife, as if they could penetrate the messenger and pierce the dandy young master who was thousands of miles away.

"Yes!" Her voice was exceptionally clear and cold due to her anger, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth. "I practice so hard, and strive so hard to improve myself, just for the day when—"

She paused, her voice rising suddenly, carrying a mixture of pride and sarcasm that bordered on resoluteness: "How is it to be the Pavilion Master's plaything?"

Between Big Sister Dragon and the bored turtle, no one would choose the turtle!
But her counterattack was not over yet. Just as the messenger was stunned by her shocking remarks, she suddenly changed the subject, and the sarcasm and disgust in her tone reached its peak, "But if I don't work hard, I will be reduced to the point of having to marry that self-righteous bastard Xu Sanshi!"

The words that finally reached Xu Sanshi's ears were far more damaging than any direct rejection or insult. Jiang Nannan fundamentally rejected him and everything he stood for, describing him as a fate worse than becoming someone else's "plaything," a fate far more unacceptable. This undoubtedly left Xu Sanshi, feeling self-satisfied at the time, with a psychological scar and sense of failure that would likely last a lifetime.

However, at this precarious moment, when all support was needed, a heavy blow quietly struck. This was something Xu Sanshi had not anticipated, and even refused to believe. His family, the Xu family of the Xuanming Sect, did not come to his aid as he had hoped.

The leader of Xuanming Sect, Xu Sanshi's father, after receiving his son's request for help and the imperial edict issued by Xue Lingxun in the name of the royal family, after careful consideration, he finally made a cold but, in his opinion, the most rational decision: to refuse rescue.

When the leader of Xuanming Sect received the cold notice from Longge about the detailed reasons for the breakdown of the transaction and the subsequent handling methods, he almost felt dizzy and was so angry that he almost vomited blood.

Far away within the sect, he had initially considered this a significant transaction, promising a leap forward for the family's martial spirits. He indulged his son's "small" desires, even considering having his wife, Xue Lingxun, personally propose marriage as a sign of respect. But he never imagined his foolish son would cause such a catastrophic disaster on Dragon Pavilion's territory! Could a woman be more important than the evolution of a martial spirit?!

Could the people favored by the Dragon Pavilion's leadership be anything they could even dream of?! Having traded with the Dragon Pavilion for years, the Xuanming Sect's leader knew far better than Xu Sanshi just how unfathomable and immense the Dragon Pavilion truly was. Its internal structure was complex, its ranks teeming with experts, and more importantly, its cunning and powerful style of operation was not something a traditional sect like the Xuanming Sect could easily provoke.

He had originally hoped for a mutually beneficial deal, but what happened was that his son fell in love with someone in high position, and his subordinates were speaking without restraint. Isn't this courting death?

Now, not only is their 100,000-year spirit ring gone, but even Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng won't do business with them anymore. Instead, they have offended a terrifying force that they must not offend for no reason.

　Due to time constraints, the two chapters have been combined into one today. I'm currently reading other types of novels and planning to write the outline for my new book.

　　(End of this chapter)