Douluo Continent: Azure Dragon Slays Evil, Qilin Suppresses the World

Chapter 28

After arriving in Tiandou City, the group parted ways.

Ning Fengzhi and the other two returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.

Xue Qinghe was then entrusted to Dugu Bo to be sent back to the palace.

Xue Qinghe looked at Xuan Qing.

"Brother Xuanqing, please forgive me. I have been away for many days, and there must be a mountain of official business to attend to. Once I have finished my duties, I will definitely come to apologize in person."

Xuan Qing waved his hand.

"Your Highness is too serious. Please go about your business and don't worry about me."

Xue Qinghe turned and walked into the palace. His back looked heavy, probably because he was still upset by Xuan Qing's words.

Dugu Bo looked at Xuan Qing.

"Where are you going? You can't possibly stay at the herb garden again, can you?"

Xuanqing thought for a moment.

"Do you have any spare rooms at your residence?"

Dugu Bo laughed.

"What are you saying? Apart from the servants and maids who do the cleaning, there are only Yan Yan and me in the entire mansion. There are plenty of empty rooms. You can stay in whichever one you want."

"Then I'll stay at your place. I don't have anywhere else to go anyway, so I'll rest for a while first."

Dugu Bo patted his chest and said.

"No problem! You can stay as long as you want, make yourself at home."

The three walked towards the Dugu Mansion, which was located inside Tiandou City, not far from the imperial palace. The mansion was large, but there were few people, making it seem quite deserted.

Upon returning to the palace, Xue Qinghe immediately went to see Emperor Xue Ye to report the information he had gathered over the past few days.

The Emperor was in his study when Xue Qinghe entered and put down a memorial.

"Qinghe is back. Did you gain anything from your trips to Soto City?"

After bowing, Xue Qinghe briefly recounted the events, including Xuan Qing's strength, Yu Xiaogang's true nature, Tang San's twin martial souls, and the secret of the Blue Silver Emperor.

And finally, Xuan Qing's words—"The Spirit Hall will inevitably launch a war within twenty years."

After listening, Xueye Dadi remained silent for a long time, then rubbed his temples and sighed.

"I knew the Spirit Hall would make a move, but I didn't expect it to be so fast. They finally produced a twin spirit and ruined it. What a pity!"

Xue Qinghe hesitated for a moment, but still gave the reminder.

"Father, the one we should be most worried about right now is not the Spirit Hall, but Xuanqing."

Xueye was clearly taken aback.

"Why? He shouldn't have any ill intentions towards us."

"Does Father Emperor still remember the massacre of numerous nobles in the past two years, and the evidence of their corruption being hung on their corpses?"

Xueye's expression changed.

"You mean... Xuanqing made this?"

Xue Qinghe nodded.

"Although it's unbelievable, His Majesty the Dragon has already taken out that mask, which is practically a direct admission."

"And as it turns out, Xuan Qing doesn't care who you are, he only cares about right and wrong. If he thinks you deserve to die, he will definitely take action."

Emperor Xueye's expression changed completely; he recalled those cases, each one shocking.

The city lord, nobles, and generals were all killed without hesitation.

If Xuanqing felt that the Heavenly Dou royal family also deserved to die... he dared not think any further.

"Father, the slave trade can at least be stopped. This will affect us, but compared to pushing Xuanqing to the other side, this loss is nothing."

He nodded in the snowy night.

"By imperial decree, all registered slaves shall be converted into servants. Those who do not wish to remain shall be given a sum of money and allowed to leave."

Xue Qinghe shook his head.

"Father, that's not enough. Don't forget that many nobles have broken the imperial law, and many of them are turned a blind eye. Xuanqing couldn't possibly not know that. He must be waiting for a trigger."

He frowned on the snowy night.

"Fuse? What fuse?"

"Xuanqing is waiting for our response. If he sees that we are only doing superficial work and not really making any changes, he will probably take action himself."

"At that time, it won't just be a few nobles who die; the entire Heaven Dou City could be awash in blood."

Emperor Xueye's face turned completely pale. He wanted to refute, but he swallowed his words.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Xue Qinghe took a deep breath and spoke.

"We will rectify officials and severely investigate corruption, starting from the royal family, then the nobility, and finally the officials. We will investigate every single one of them without any leniency."

Xueye let out a bitter laugh.

"That's easier said than done. Those nobles won't agree."

Xue Qinghe's eyes turned completely cold.

"They have no choice but to agree, whether they want power or their lives. They can only choose one or the other, or there's another, albeit not a solution, way to kill Xuanqing."

"But besides the Spirit Hall, who else has this ability? And who knows if there is a Peerless Douluo behind him? If the Demon Dragon Douluo is the strongest, he wouldn't be able to come out with him."

Emperor Xueye remained silent.

He knew his son was right, but the reform was too difficult; to touch the nobility was to shake the very foundation of the empire.

If it's not changed, Xuanqing's knife will still be hanging over our heads.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and said.

"Very well! A crackdown! I'll start the investigation! You will personally oversee it; anyone who dares to obstruct it will be treated as a traitor!"

Xue Qinghe bowed solemnly.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

"9

Meanwhile, things were not peaceful at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School on the other side.

As soon as Ning Rongrong returned to the sect, she threw herself into Chen Xin's arms and burst into tears, crying loudly, "Waaah, Grandpa Sword—"

Chen Xin held her tenderly, his gaze towards Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong somewhat unfriendly.

"What happened? Who bullied Rongrong?"

Ning Fengzhi shook his head helplessly.

"Uncle Jian, this is a long story."

Gu Rong took over the conversation.

"Yeah, Swordsman, you didn't go to Soto City, you really don't know how exciting these past few days have been."

The three of them led Ning Rongrong to the council hall, where Chen Xin had Ning Rongrong sit next to him and poured her a cup of tea.

"Rongrong, don't cry. Tell Grandpa Jian who bullied you, and Grandpa Jian will teach him a lesson."

Ning Rongrong sobbed as she recounted the events of the past few days in fits and starts. From Xuan Qing's fight against seven opponents, to her scathing rebuke of Yu Xiaogang, to her father forcibly taking her away.

She spoke incoherently, but Chenxin understood.

His expression grew increasingly grave as he listened, especially when he heard Xuan Qing's words.

"Blue Silver Emperor? Sacrifice? Was it ruined? Did that kid really say that?"

The ancient banyan tree nodded.

"It's absolutely true, and that kid is incredibly strong. He took on seven opponents and finished the fight in less than two minutes. Tang San was also rubbed on the ground with his head pressed down, and his face was all raw."

Ning Fengzhi added.

"Xuanqing also exposed that Yu Tianheng was at least twenty-six years old but pretended to be twenty to pursue Dugu Yan, which made Dugu Yan explode on the spot."

Gu Rong chuckled.

"That spear is really powerful. It recognizes its master, and if someone else takes it, it will lose its life force. That kid said that some special martial souls come with their own weapons, such as the Golden Dragon Spear."

A glint of light flashed in Chen Xin's eyes.

"A martial soul with its own weapon? That's truly rare. That kid knows a lot; he even knows the secrets of the Blue Silver Emperor?"

Ning Fengzhi sighed.

"He not only knew, but he also analyzed the situation of the three upper sects and the Spirit Hall. Every word he said made sense, especially his evaluation of Qian Daoliu—"

He repeated Xuanqing's words of insult to Qiandaoliu.

Chen Xin's lips twitched after hearing this.

"That kid—he really dares to speak his mind! But he's right, Qian Daoliu is indeed not a good leader. The Spirit Hall has become more and more chaotic in recent years."

Gu Rong smiled.

"You didn't see His Highness's expression; it was absolutely priceless."

Ning Rongrong then asked in a low voice.

"Grandpa Sword, is Xuanqing really that powerful?"

Chen Xin patted her head.

"He's amazing, much more amazing than your Sword Grandpa was back then. A Soul Master at ten years old is already a miracle, and to have his strength and knowledge at ten years old is even more unparalleled."

"Rongrong, your father made the right decision to bring you back. Shrek Academy is not a suitable place for you. And Yu Xiaogang—he has ulterior motives."

Ning Rongrong lowered her head and remained silent.

She knew her father meant well, but she still felt bad. In the past few months at Shrek Academy, she had come to consider it her home.

Leaving now feels like being dragged out of my home, leaving me feeling empty.

Ning Fengzhi saw through his daughter's thoughts and gently advised her.

"Rongrong, it's not that Dad doesn't want you to make friends, but you have to look at their character and whether they're worth it."

"Yu Xiaogang is a fame-seeker, Tang San was spoiled, Dai Mubai is a womanizer, Ma Hongjun is a lecher, and Oscar—well, let's not talk about him."

"Zhu Zhuqing still has some backbone, but that's all. Just like Xuanqing said, if she wakes up in time, there's still hope. If she doesn't wake up, she can just hang herself and get a quick death."

"This kind of team is not worth your effort. You are the little princess of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. You deserve better friends and a better future."

Ning Rongrong looked up, her eyes red: "Then—what about Xuan Qing? Is he worth it?"

The three of them exchanged a glance and then smiled.

Ancient Banyan Tree Path.

"That kid may have a sharp tongue, but he's a decent person. He may do ruthless things, but they're all things that should be done. You won't regret being friends with him."

Chen Xin nodded in agreement.

"At least he's better than those Shrek students. That kid may be arrogant, but he has the right to be arrogant. Besides, he's insightful and knows how to live. That kind of person is worth getting to know better."

Ning Rongrong felt a little better after that.

She wiped away her tears and whispered, "Then... will I ever be able to see him again?"

Ning Fengzhi smiled.

"Of course you can. He's in Tiandou City. You can see him anytime you want. But remember, be sincere when making friends. Don't try anything funny. That kid is very shrewd; you can't fool him."

Ning Rongrong nodded emphatically, and a smile finally appeared on her face.