Peerless Douluo: Blood of the Black King Nidhogg!

Chapter 172 The entire court is loyal to the Emperor; how could there be any disloyal officials? (4K)

Shrek Academy, in the infirmary.

Jing Hongchen stood silently in the clean ward, looking at Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen lying on the bed, their bodies wrapped in bandages. Suddenly, she laughed in anger, then turned to Yan Shaozhe behind her and asked coldly,

"Dean Yan, I think you should give me a reasonable explanation. Why are my precious grandson and granddaughter lying in hospital beds when your hospital has no plans for any field training recently?"

"Ah, this..." Yan Shaozhe was at a loss for words. How could he have known that Mo Yuan would suddenly fight with Hong Chen and his sister? And that he would use such force?
If it were just like that, it wouldn't be a big deal. Given the two siblings' attitude towards Mo Yuan, this wouldn't be a big deal at all. But who would have thought that Jing Hongchen would arrive as soon as the two siblings entered the ward?

Isn't Mo Yuan just asking for trouble?!

Yan Shaozhe thought for a moment and was about to tell the truth when a hoarse cough broke the heavy atmosphere. Jing Hongchen quickly turned her head and saw her precious granddaughter slowly waking up and opening her eyes.

"Grandpa? What brings you to Shrek Academy?"

Seeing this, Jing Hongchen immediately shoved Yan Shaozhe aside and sat down by Meng Hongchen's bedside. Her tone was full of concern and worry, as if she was afraid that her granddaughter had been bullied at Shrek Academy.

"Meng, are you badly hurt? Is there anything that feels uncomfortable? Did Shrek Academy bully you and Xiao on purpose? If you have any grievances, tell Grandpa, and Grandpa will stand up for you!"

After a brief moment of confusion, Meng Hongchen's mind returned to full clarity, and she nodded under Yan Shaozhe's incredulous gaze.

"Yes, Grandpa, I feel like something's different about my heart..."

Holy crap?! You can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want! The medical staff clearly examined you and Xiao Hongchen's condition, and it's not a big problem at all!

Yan Shaozhe felt numb looking into Jing Hongchen's murderous eyes.

"Oh? Your heart is different? Dean Yan, it seems my granddaughter's injuries are far more serious than that. If you don't give me an explanation today, hehe..." Jing Hongchen stood up, his tone icy, then turned to Meng Hongchen with concern and asked...
"Dream, what kind of discomfort are you experiencing? What exactly does it feel like?"

"A heart-pounding feeling."

"Heartbeat... wait, what does 'heartbeat' mean?" Jing Hongchen was dumbfounded and hurriedly continued to ask.

Then, Meng Hongchen's face was flushed like a peach blossom, her eyes were glazed over, and she could not hide her joy as she recounted her contest with Mo Yuan in detail.

"..." Jing Hongchen listened silently to his granddaughter's entire story, his lowered eyes filled with joy.

He then coughed twice, stood up, and nodded apologetically to Yan Shaozhe. "I apologize. I was too impulsive just now. Please leave for a while, Dean Yan. My granddaughter and I have something to discuss."

"It's alright." Yan Shaozhe said and left the infirmary immediately, afraid that Meng Hongchen's infatuation might cause other misunderstandings later.

After the door closed and Yan Shaozhe was completely gone, Jing Hongchen could no longer pretend. Her inner joy burst forth, and she excitedly asked, "..."
"Dream, you mean Mo Yuan is at Shrek Academy right now! And he holds a high position, jointly managing the Sea God Pavilion with Zhang Lexuan and Xuanzi, and has even become a Soul Saint with two Soul Rings over 100,000 years old?! You're not kidding me!"

Seeing that her grandfather's reaction to the mention of Mo Yuan was even stronger than her own, Meng Hongchen was taken aback for a moment, then nodded blankly, "Yes, my brother and I witnessed all of this ourselves."

"Excellent! I've waited so long, missing two opportunities to meet you, but now I've finally got my chance!" Jing Hongchen's joy was palpable. Three years! A full three years! No one knows how he got through those three years!
For the sake of that possible new knowledge system, his heart would pound like a cat's claws whenever he thought of Mo Yuan, but he missed it twice in a row. Now that he could finally meet him, how could he not be excited?
"Oh right, where is Mo Yuan now? Is he in the Fire Seed System?!" Jing Hongchen said, turning to turn around and push the door open to leave. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, the door opened first.

Looking at the anxious white-haired old man in front of him, Mo Yuan frowned slightly. After glancing at Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen behind the man, the old man's identity was basically self-evident.

"You are..." Upon seeing Mo Yuan standing outside the door, scrutinizing him, Jing Hongchen was initially taken aback. Then, looking at that incredibly handsome face, he instantly realized who it was. Suppressing his excitement, he feigned calmness and said...

"You must be Dean Mo Yuan. Meeting you today, I am truly impressed. To have such powerful cultivation at such a young age makes even this old man feel ashamed of himself."

"You flatter me, Master Hongchen."

Seeing that Mo Yuan had also recognized him, Jing Hongchen was not surprised at all. He didn't want to beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "I have something I'd like to discuss with you privately. Would that be convenient?"

Mo Yuan glanced at the empty corridor, pondered briefly, and then nodded.

"Since the Master of the Red Dust Hall is willing, I have no objection. Let's talk in my office."

“Okay!” Jing Hongchen replied immediately, her words filled with joy.

Then, under Meng Hongchen's bewildered gaze, the two turned and left the infirmary, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

Staring at the tightly closed door, Meng Hongchen was stunned. Wait, wasn't Mo Yuan supposed to be coming to visit me? Grandpa snatched such a good opportunity away?
……

Inside the Dean's office of the Spark Department.

"Please take a seat."

Mo Yuan pointed to the desk opposite him and sat down in the chair. Jing Hongchen glanced at the clear blue sky outside through the window, then took out a metal cube from her soul tool. With a gentle tap, a layer of blue light spread out from the cube, enveloping the entire office.

After finishing all this, Jing Hongchen finally sat down. Then he explained to Mo Yuan, who was calmly watching everything, "The matter I am about to discuss involves some secrets, so I must isolate myself from the outside world. Please forgive me."

"It doesn't matter."

Mo Yuan waved his hand dismissively. He wasn't afraid that Jing Hongchen would resort to underhanded tactics. If Jing Hongchen really went insane and did such a thing, then he would just have to collect another level nine Soul Master figurine.

Above, Xuanzi and Yan Shaozhe hid in the shadows, quietly watching the conference room below. When they saw that Jing Hongchen had used a soul tool to isolate the surroundings, Yan Shaozhe immediately became restless.

"Elder Xuan, are we still not going to make a move?! There's a risk that things might go wrong if Jing Hongchen and Mo Yuan are alone together!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Xuanzi glanced at Yan Shaozhe indifferently. "Jing Hongchen must know that I'm watching him. We're all smart people; we wouldn't do something so crazy."

“I know that much about Elder Xuan, but what I’m worried about is that Jing Hongchen might use his cunning to win over and turn Mo Yuan against him! Mo Yuan currently holds absolute power within the academy, and if it were Jing Hongchen…”

"Enough!" Xuanzi shouted sternly, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Elder Mu said that Mo Yuan is the next head of the Sea God Pavilion, and no one can interfere with his decision."

"Moreover, in our eyes, how could Mo Yuan be the kind of villain who would betray us? Don't forget, with a formidable enemy at hand, the fate of Shrek Academy rests entirely on Mo Yuan's shoulders. Elder Mu believes, I believe, everyone believes that Mo Yuan is the restorer of Shrek Academy, and the entire Shrek Academy belongs to him. Would he betray us and join the Sun Moon Empire? That's laughable!"

After being reprimanded, Yan Shaozhe fell silent. He had finally realized that Xuanzi truly lacked any ambition, as did the other elders. How could they entrust the vast Sea God Pavilion to a young man! It was utterly absurd!
However, even if Yan Shaozhe was unwilling, it was useless. If he clashed with Mo Yuan at this moment, it was obvious that Xuanzi and everyone else would side with Mo Yuan. Inside the office, Jing Hongchen sat down and went straight to the point, speaking to Mo Yuan in an extremely serious and sincere tone.

"Mo Yuan, join my Sun Moon Empire! No matter what price Shrek Academy offers you, my Sun Moon Empire can give you two, three, or even four times that amount!"

"With your intelligence, you must be able to see that Shrek Academy and even the three great empires of Douluo are now facing a life-or-death crisis."

If war breaks out, they will all be utterly vulnerable, like chickens and dogs. Even if Shrek Academy is powerful, how could it possibly contend with the entire world with just one city?!

Jing Hongchen extended her hand to Mo Yuan, making an invitation, "As long as you join us, the Empire will not harm a single tree or blade of grass at Shrek Academy, and you will still be the head of the Shrek Sea God Pavilion."

Not only that, the empire will bestow upon you a royal title, granting you endless riches and honors. If you so desire, even the elusive divine position will be found for you by the empire's utmost effort.

Some of Jing Hongchen's words were true, while others were just empty promises. But in any case, the Sun Moon Empire truly valued Mo Yuan, especially the Soul Masters. As long as there was even the slightest possibility, they would do everything in their power to personally confirm whether that new knowledge system existed.

Even Xu Tianran, who only wanted to unify the world, would not have any objections after learning about Mo Yuan's current strength. To put it dramatically, Mo Yuan is now definitely on the verge of becoming a god.

Mo Yuan tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, looked up at Jing Hongchen's outstretched hand, a faint smile appearing on his face, and spoke.
"If I remember correctly, the Master of the Red Dust Hall has not yet sided with any of the princes. If that's the case, how dare the Master of the Red Dust Hall offer such a price?"

"They can even recite the oath to become a god. Our Shrek Academy has produced gods before. We know better than anyone how difficult it is to find a god. To put it bluntly, even if the Sun Moon Empire really unified the world, it would still need to use the power of the entire country to find a god."

Jing Hongchen nodded without refuting, after all, what Mo Yuan said was the truth. But even if it was the power of the whole country, so what? It was just a pie in the sky he was making.

But just as Jing Hongchen was dismissing it, Mo Yuan's next words almost made him jump out of his chair in fright.

"Let's assume that the Sun Moon Empire will have this capability in the future. Then this is interesting. Is this important national policy decided by the emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, or by you, the Master of the Red Dust Hall?"

"Leaving aside the former for now, if it's the latter... Ha, does the Master of the Red Dust Hall dare to say this because he believes in his own influence in the court, or do you think that you alone can control the future Sun Moon Empire?"

Jing Hongchen's eyelids twitched violently, almost jumping up in shock at Mo Yuan's meaningful words. "Mo Yuan, what do you mean? Are you saying I have rebellious intentions?!"

"Oh? Isn't that right?"

"What a joke! The entire court is loyal to the Emperor! How could there be any disloyal officials?!" Jing Hongchen said decisively.

Mo Yuan's smile remained unchanged. "Sect Master Hongchen, I might as well put it more bluntly. The Sun Moon Empire may seem to be at its peak right now, but the problems beneath the surface are by no means insignificant."

"The emperor is incompetent and foolish, the court is full of factions, and the princes are constantly plotting against each other. To deal with external threats, we must first secure internal stability. Your Sun Moon Empire cannot do that yet."

How can such an empire possibly unify the world? In my opinion, there is only one person in the entire Sun Moon Empire who is capable of being a wise ruler.”

Hearing this, Jing Hongchen broke out in a cold sweat. He couldn't understand what Mo Yuan was trying to achieve by saying all this, but driven by curiosity, he still asked softly,

"Who?"

Mo Yuan pointed a finger, "Of course it's you, Master of the Red Dust Hall."

Boom!

A thunderbolt struck Jing Hongchen's mind. She looked at Mo Yuan, who was smiling but not saying a word, with a look of doubt and uncertainty in her eyes. She had an urge to turn around and leave.

"Mo Yuan, you'd better not joke around. You can't joke like that."

“I’m not joking,” Mo Yuan said, pointing his finger lightly at Jing Hongchen. “What the Xu family can do, your Hongchen family can do as well.”

Hearing this, Jing Hongchen was completely dumbfounded. He couldn't understand why Mo Yuan was saying all this. Could it be that he wanted to incite him to return to China and fight for power with Xu Tianran, causing turmoil in the empire so that Shrek Academy could profit from it?!
But that doesn't make sense. Based on past intelligence, Mo Yuan shouldn't be that kind of person...

Just as Jing Hongchen was wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and trying to change the subject, Mo Yuan suddenly laughed and withdrew his finger from his.

"Why is the Red Dust Hall Master so nervous? It's just the two of us here. Even if we say more, it's all just a joke. Let's get back on track."

"Good...good! That's exactly what I was thinking!"

Jing Hongchen breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, Mo Yuan then steered the conversation back to the conditions he had set himself.

“According to the intelligence I have obtained, your Sun Moon Empire’s Crown Prince and Regent Xu Tianran does not seem to be as benevolent and virtuous as he appears on the surface. In my opinion, the word ‘tyrant’ is more suitable for him,” Mo Yuan said with a smile.

Jing Hongchen looked somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected Mo Yuan to be able to summarize Xu Tianran, whom he had never met, so accurately. However, amidst his surprise, he also had a bad feeling.

"If I'm not mistaken, then I must ask the Master of the Red Dust Hall: would a ruthless and ambitious hero, who would stop at nothing to conquer the world, really tolerate the existence of Shrek Academy after he has already done so? Wouldn't he secretly sabotage things?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen assumed that Mo Yuan was questioning the authenticity of the conditions he had offered. Just as she was about to explain, Mo Yuan suddenly waved his hand.

Then a map depicting the entire Douluo Continent was unfolded on the desk in front of him. Mo Yuan pointed his finger at the location of Shrek Academy.

"How can one tolerate another's snoring beside one's own bed? Can Xu Tianran really only want ninety-nine percent of the world? The result is self-evident. I don't believe it, and neither do you, Master Hongchen."

“Uh…” Jing Hongchen was speechless for a moment.

The next moment, another change occurred. A scarlet light suddenly appeared in his eyes, and a piercing buzzing sound of the air being torn apart rang out. Xin Tinghou, whose blade was as red as blood, was nailed to this map.

Suddenly, the wind stirred, and as his robes fluttered, Mo Yuan stood tall and straight, one hand behind his back, the other pointing downwards at the map, as if he were about to grasp the entire world in his hands, displaying a posture of tiger crouching and dragon coiling.

His gaze was intense, the dark golden light in his golden eyes flickering in the depths of his black pupils, and his voice was authoritative and indifferent, like an ancient monarch issuing a royal decree to the world.

"If it were me, I would hold the world in my hands!"

"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king!"

(End of this chapter)