Douluo: The Throne of Ice

Chapter 48 A Ten-Thousand-Year Hatred: The Prerequisite and Basis for the Choice

As soon as those two titles were uttered, the crowd behind Luo Qinghan suddenly fell silent. Shu Yan detected obvious hatred and loathing in them. Even Electrolux, who was in Shu Yan's sea of ​​consciousness, was briefly awakened by this intense emotion.

Seemingly sensing the awkward atmosphere, Luo Qinghan chuckled again, then said softly:

"What's wrong? Are you all feeling down and frustrated because of these trivial matters?"

"Let me tell you, the humiliation and oppression suffered by our ancestors were a thousand times worse than what we are experiencing now. If you can't even control your emotions, you might as well go back to the south and get married. That would be your contribution to the alliance."

Luo Qinghan's words were merciless, but no one came forward to refute her. Regardless of gender, after hearing her words, everyone perked up again, and their momentum even became slightly higher than before.

Shu Yan stared at Luo Qinghan with some surprise. He could tell that Luo Qinghan held a high position among the group, but he did not expect her position to be so high. With just a few words, she was able to easily influence and ease everyone's emotions. In fact, no one showed any resentment on their faces, and most of them even showed a faint respect.

Xu Jiujiu sat to the side with a hint of astonishment in her eyes. She hadn’t expected that a girl who was about the same age as her would have such great authority. In her astonishment, she was also worried. Could Shu Yan still handle such an opponent with the same ease as before?

As for Xue Di, she was completely in a spectator's mindset. She closed her eyes to rest from the moment she sat down, and didn't even open them once during the whole thing.

After Luo Qinghan's reprimand, the young men and women, who were clearly not very old, regained their fighting spirit. Shu Yan watched this scene and then said softly to Luo Qinghan:

"Would you be interested in talking about something else? I think you'd be interested in this topic."

Luo Qinghan glanced at Shu Yan, then her gaze swept over Xu Jiujiu and Xue Di beside him, before she nodded.

"Everyone except Chen Ming and Wang Lin, get out."

Everyone looked at each other, but due to Luo Qinghan's imposing presence, no one dared to voice their doubts. In the end, they all swarmed towards the gate, not even forgetting the guy who was still an ice sculpture as they left.

After the group of people left, the entire hall instantly became empty, leaving only two people behind Luo Qinghan.

Shu Yan's gaze swept over the two of them. They noticed Shu Yan's scrutiny, but their expressions didn't change much. Instead, they nodded slightly to Shu Yan, behaving much better than the group that had just left.

Luo Qinghan's gaze was cold as she looked directly at Shu Yan before speaking:

"Speak, Chen Ming and Wang Lin are both outstanding individuals of our generation, and also the inheritors of their respective families. They are qualified to know the same information as me."

Luo Qinghan kept her gaze fixed on Shu Yan. Shu Yan was stared at by her sharp gaze for a moment, then nodded slightly, appearing quite relaxed.

The two teenagers nodded slightly to Shu Yan, their auras were very peaceful, completely different from the previous group. Clearly, they were also leaders among the descendants of the Spirit Hall's remnants, possessing a maturity and composure beyond their years.

Luo Qinghan frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure. Looking into Shu Yan's eyes, she said directly:

"I can tell you're not one to beat around the bush. Just say what you want to say directly. There's no need for any preamble. We live in darkness and shadow, beings that can't see the light of day. We don't have the constraints and considerations of the secular world. The fact that you can make the Imperial Princess and the worshippers subconsciously follow your lead suggests that what you want to say is definitely not a trivial matter. Aside from the power behind us, I can't imagine why you're here today."

Shu Yan was somewhat surprised. His gaze towards Luo Qinghan changed again. He smiled gently, concealing the extra emotions on his face, and returned to his reserved and gentle state. Those who knew Shu Yan knew that once he entered this state, it meant that he was about to start a formal conversation instead of continuing to probe.

"As you wish, let's make this brief. I know the origins and past of your lineage, and I know the prejudices and discrimination your ancestors suffered over the past ten thousand years. You watched helplessly as your companions died one by one in agony due to worldly prejudices, and the heartache and torment of being powerless to do anything about it caused you to become increasingly despondent..."

"In the end, your dire situation made it incredibly difficult for you to even protect yourselves. You were forced to flee your homeland and migrate to the impoverished and backward southern part of Xingluo. I know all of this. So, I am now giving you a chance—a chance to vindicate your ancestors, restore your family's glory, and wipe away the humiliation of Shrek Academy and all your enemies. Whether you can seize this opportunity is up to you..."

Shu Yan's voice echoed in the ears of the three. Chen Ming and Wang Lin clenched their fists almost subconsciously, and their expressions gradually darkened. The dull sound of their bones grinding together reflected their heavy and angry mood.

Luo Qinghan's hands, which were clasped together beneath her robes, clenched involuntarily. Her gaze shifted slightly, and she said softly:

"You want to cooperate with us, or rather, you want us to submit to you..."

Shu Yan nodded noncommittally, tapped the crystal tabletop in front of him lightly, and said in a calm voice:

"Your understanding isn't wrong. I need my own team, and my ultimate goal largely overlaps with yours. Considering everything, you are undoubtedly my best choice. Furthermore, given the current situation and circumstances, I think you have no choice but to accept it..."

Luo Qinghan lowered her eyes slightly. She had completely understood what the other party meant. Chen Ming and Wang Lin behind her were also waiting for her judgment and choice.

As the undisputed leader and strategist of the entire team, Luo Qinghan's ability to earn their respect and following is naturally due to her unique qualities. Besides her own formidable strength, her intellect and wisdom are top-notch, and she possesses unique perspectives on handling matters, enabling her to safeguard the interests of her own faction while considering the overall situation…

After a long while, Luo Qinghan raised her indifferent and beautiful eyes again. The result of her thinking made her realize a very real problem. No matter what the reason, they seemed to have lost the right to refuse. She could tell that the other party did not know much about them, but they definitely knew some deeper things.

The two sides have different understandings. Since the other side dares to so hastily and directly state their thoughts, it means that they have sufficient confidence and an almost absolute grasp of success.

Luo Qinghan wasn't foolish enough to think the other party's behavior was stupid or reckless. One could tell a person's level of vision from their basic judgment of them, and in her opinion, Shu Yan and his two companions were all terrifying, especially the Imperial Envoy, who gave her the feeling that was even more terrifying than the other one...

Her hand, hidden beneath the hem of her dress, was clenched so tightly it turned white. After letting out a soft breath, she continued in a low voice:

"I admit that with the strength you just displayed, easily defeating Wang Hu with a mere flick of your wrist, even I would probably be no match for you. But even with the royal princess and her retainers standing behind you, it is still not enough to make us abandon our original security and choose a bottomless path."

"In other words, you know a lot, so you know better what we need. You need to show enough confidence to let us see hope ahead. I can tell you very clearly that if you want us to submit, a common goal is a prerequisite, and strength is the most important foundation. Otherwise, I don't think we would entrust our fate to you for no reason..."

……

P.S.: Some readers may have doubts about whether the hatred from ten thousand years ago still has such a significant impact on the descendants in this era.

This will be explained in later articles. Actually, it's quite easy to understand. Roughly speaking, it just depends on your own choice.

For example, after the war of gods ended, the Holy Dragon Sect also suffered heavy losses, and was also scorned by the world and ostracized by various forces in the empire. At that time, they didn't have many choices.

The first option was to relocate and live in seclusion, forced by reality and the situation to swallow all the hatred and humiliation.

The second option was to choose submission, such as joining one of the Star Luo or Heaven Dou empires at the time, voluntarily taking on the so-called "crimes," or "redeeming oneself through meritorious service," to secure a way out for one's descendants... In a sense, this was no different from choosing to defect to the enemy.

It's absolutely impossible for the powerful figures of the original Spirit Hall faction to coexist harmoniously with the two great empires after the God War.

(End of this chapter)