Douluo Continent: Reborn as Yuhao, they all have ulterior motives.

Chapter 367 With Me Here, They Can't Hear Me (Part 2)

As Huo Yun'er stepped out of the hotel restroom, she saw the black-haired, heterochromatic-eyed girl in the corridor who looked nervous and was clearly waiting for her.

"I think your name is Zhu Lu, right? Is there something you need?"

While wiping the water stains off her hands, Huo Yun'er recalled some information the girl had revealed at the dinner table. As if she had thought of something, the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up slightly.

"Speaking of which, it was thanks to your help that Yuhao and I were able to leave the Duke's mansion. Thank you, young lady."

"No, you're welcome. Yuhao has helped me a lot at the academy too."

Zhu Lu lowered her head, her voice faltering, "I... I came here to apologize to you."

"Apologize?"

"Um"

She nodded: "The reason Zhu Ying dared to act so recklessly in the Duke's mansion was inseparable from the Zhu family behind her, so I think I should..."

"Since that's how you feel, then I forgive you."

"Huh?" Zhu Lu looked up in surprise and met Huo Yun'er's slightly smiling eyes.

Instead of unilaterally severing ties between Zhu Lu and the Zhu family, Huo Yun'er used well-known principles to convince herself, telling herself, "This matter has nothing to do with her," she said softly.

"This applies only to you, Zhu Lu. I forgive you for being a member of the Zhu family."

Zhu Lu trembled slightly, her lips trembling, but she didn't know what to say.

"Thank you, thank you."

Seeing the girl burying her head even deeper, Huo Yun'er seemed to finally understand something, and her eyebrows couldn't help but curve into a smile.

"So, that's why you were so reserved in front of Yuhao?"

Before Zhu Lu could explain, she continued, "I noticed it at the dinner table before. If the way other people looked at Yuhao was full of expectation, then the way you looked was full of fear."

"Although I don't know exactly why you have a different impression of Yuhao than others, judging from that brat's personality of not opening his mouth until the meat is put in front of him, I think you can trust him a little more."

"I understand."

Seeing that Zhu Lu had agreed, Huo Yun'er smiled and nodded, then continued to ask.

"So, in your eyes, what is your relationship with Yuhao?"

"Ah, this."

It was a question that could be as simple as it could possibly be, but Zhu Lu was completely stunned.

After stammering for a long time, she finally managed to squeeze out an answer that Xiao Xiao had already given at the dinner table.

"friend."

Huo Yun'er chuckled twice, as if she had already seen through the girl's heart, and asked in return.

Would someone willingly remain friends with someone they like?

"."

Zhu Lu was speechless. Of course she was unwilling, but whenever she tried to act like others, her identity as a member of the Zhu family would become a cage that imprisoned her.

Gradually, she even began to change her mind.

Isn't it good as it is now?

She would stay by his side for life, watching over him, and then, when Huo Yuhao needed her, she would offer her assistance without reservation, just like a best friend.

That's enough.

Ignoring the faint blush on the girl's face, Huo Yun'er silently turned her head to look out the window, her beautiful eyes reflecting the bright moon, and gently reminded her with a smile.

"If it's just wishful thinking, the distance between the two will only grow further and further, until they become as unattainable as the moon. Keep going."

After saying those three encouraging words, she couldn't help but reach out and pat Zhu Lu's head before walking past her and heading towards the still bustling room.

After an unknown period of torment, the banquet that had made Huo Yuhao feel like every day was an eternity finally came to an end.

However, before he could even catch his breath, new problems arose one after another.

Where do so many people live?

Although his home in Tiandou City had been moved from the original duplex to a very spacious villa, it was obvious that a mere villa couldn't possibly accommodate so many people.

After much deliberation, Huo Yuhao decided to have Gu Yuena help take Tang Ya and the others who lived with him back to the villa first, while he would take the rest of the people back to the palace to ask Vina for help in arranging a few guest rooms.

He was also planning to discuss the next steps with Vina, so it was a win-win situation.

Perhaps because Huo Yun'er was right next to them, those who were arranged to stay temporarily in the palace, though somewhat aggrieved, reluctantly agreed.

There was no other way; the other person's mother was right there, so I had to make a good impression.

Otherwise, if they get caught sneaking into Yuhao's room in the middle of the night after they go to the villa, things might get complicated.

"Master, I have arranged guest rooms for them as you instructed. Is there anything else?"

"There is indeed one more thing I'd like to ask you."

Seeing Vina return to the room, Huo Yuhao cut to the chase and asked, "So, what are your thoughts on the Douling Empire?"

"Huh?" Vina was taken aback.

Seemingly feeling that the question was a bit too general, Huo Yuhao paused for a moment before patiently explaining.

"To put it simply, if I were to kill the emperor of the Douling Empire and put you in that position, how confident are you that you could take control of the Douling Empire in a short period of time?"

"Very low."

Vina gave a sincere answer: "Although our two families have formed an alliance to some extent, it is only a choice we have to make to fight against our enemies. When it comes to the interests of our two countries, neither side will make any concessions."

"Secondly, the Douling Empire places great importance on the royal bloodline, which makes the royal family members very hostile to the people of the other three great empires. I heard that before I was born, a princess of Douling and a genius soul master of our Tianhun Empire fell in love with each other, which made the Douling emperor at the time furious and directly severed ties with the princess."

"Considering all these factors, their royal family and nobility would never stand idly by and watch a foreigner ascend the throne."

Seeing Huo Yuhao deep in thought, Vina paused and added softly, "Furthermore, if I may be frank, since Master intends to unite the four great empires in the future, he could try to support an emperor from within the Douling royal family to temporarily replace him."

Actually, she had another option she didn't mention, which was to directly launch a war.

Let alone the combined forces of the three great empires, even with just their Heavenly Souls alone, they would be able to fight their way from the border all the way to the capital, Lingdou City, and then slaughter the entire Douling royal family.

However, considering that Huo Yuhao had taken the initiative to propose the decapitation operation, she figured he probably didn't want to make things too big, so she kept the idea to herself.

Huo Yuhao remained noncommittal upon hearing Vina's suggestion.

He had naturally considered this method, but the position of emperor was not simply about being obedient.

What he needs is someone like Vina, who is capable and knows how to do things well, not a puppet who only obeys orders and requires him to spend energy on everything and give detailed instructions.

What's the difference between that and doing it yourself?

The problem is, he doesn't know who in the Douling Empire would be suitable for this position!

The Douling royal family perished so quickly in his previous life that he knew almost nothing about their situation. The few people he had come into contact with, such as Tianyang Douluo, had just had their throats slit by him.

Moreover, apart from these old guys, the young people in Douling are generally not that great. At least in the Soul Master Competitions of these two lifetimes, no geniuses from the Douling Empire's participating teams have impressed him.

...How about finding someone on the inside and asking them to help with the introduction?

Thinking back to Xu Sanshi's relationship with the Douling royal family in his previous life, Huo Yuhao, having made up his mind, looked at Vina again.

"I understand. I'll ask someone I know for help. I'll come back to you if I need anything else."

"Yes, Master."

Under Vina's respectful gaze, Huo Yuhao thoughtfully walked out of the room and left the palace.

However, as soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, a familiar voice entered his ears, pulling him back from his wandering thoughts.

"You little bastard, you're still alive?"

Seeing Huo Yuhao sneaking out of Vina's palace in the middle of the night, Ye Xishui couldn't help but raise her eyebrows and look him up and down with surprise.

"Judging from your death-defying expression earlier, I almost thought you little rascal wouldn't survive the night. What, did you not get enough to eat with your little girlfriends earlier, so you came to the palace to have a little extra meal with your subordinates?"

"I never would have guessed. You don't look very strong, but you're actually a legendary combat expert?"

...No, something doesn't feel right about what you're saying.

What do you mean, "I'm not full"? What do you mean, "extra meal"?

Are you talking about eating?

Selectively ignoring the latter half of the other person's sentence, Huo Yuhao rolled his eyes: "Do you think I look alright? I almost lost my life there."

"Serves you right."

Ye Xishui sneered: "You little rascal, you've done so many evil deeds all this time, and today you've finally gotten your comeuppance. The only pity is that I didn't get to see you get your comeuppance in person."

"."

Huo Yuhao's face darkened, and he was about to retort when Ye Xishui suddenly changed the subject.

"But that silver-haired girl is really impressive."

Carefully observing the renewed richness of expression on Huo Yuhao's face, she said with a hint of amusement, "I actually managed to pull you back using this method."

Hearing this somewhat puzzling statement, Huo Yuhao subconsciously frowned.

"Pull me back? What do you mean?"

"It means exactly what it says."

Ye Xishui curled her lips into a mysterious smile: "Just like you appeared before I died, she also appeared at your most critical moment and gave you a helping hand."

"."

Huo Yuhao frowned even more deeply, seemingly understanding what the other party was trying to say, and asked hesitantly.

"You mean I had a problem before?"

"I don't know if there's been a problem, but haven't you noticed that compared to when you came to the branch forum with a long face yesterday, your words now clearly carry a bit more personal emotion?"

Ye Xishui glanced at him sideways: "Although I don't know how long this effect will last, you have indeed returned to your original appearance at this moment."

"But I haven't always been like this."

Huo Yuhao instinctively wanted to refute, saying that he had never changed.

But as he carefully recalled what happened after the attack on the City of Original Sin, he suddenly realized the changes that had occurred to him.

"You've been changing all along, you just haven't realized it, have you? Especially when you're killing people in the main hall."

Seeing that he finally realized something, Ye Xishui suppressed the slightly mocking smile on her face and spoke calmly.

"In my opinion, at that time you had unknowingly reached the edge of a precipice, and just one more small step forward would have caused you to fall and lead the world down a completely different path."

At this point, she couldn't help but sigh with regret: "What a pity, I had high hopes for this."

"So you'd love for me to become a world-destroying monster?"

Huo Yuhao's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but retort, "You're really awful."

"That's an interesting thing to say."

As if she had heard something funny, Ye Xishui crossed her arms and chuckled.

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

"Someone who massacred an entire hall and nearly a hundred Soul Douluos at the drop of a hat, and even wiped out the entire Body Sect, dares to say I'm utterly wicked?"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but sigh aloud.

"To be honest, this is the first time I've seen someone like you. You have the power to kill everyone here at once, yet you go to such lengths to kill them one by one with almost cruel methods. You really haven't worked as an executioner before?"

"Um?"

Huo Yuhao asked in confusion, "Aren't there any similar ones among the evil soul masters?"

"Very rare. Evil spirit masters usually kill for cultivation purposes, so they are more focused on efficiency. Even if someone does do this, it's so that those people can become vengeful spirits after death, thereby increasing their own strength."

"If I had to describe it, it's like how soul masters would deliberately provoke soul beasts in various ways during battle in order to increase the drop rate of their soul bones after death."

After looking her up and down, Ye Xishui gave a malicious smile.

"But you little bastard, you kill people without any ulterior motives. You may look harmless on the surface, but you are more cruel and more insane than anyone else."

"Are you praising me for not being swayed by worldly interests?"

Unexpectedly, after hearing her words, Huo Yuhao simply smiled shyly, appearing completely shameless.

"I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but if I had a choice, I would still really like to be a good person."

"."

Knowing that this kid was up to his old tricks again and going against her, Ye Xishui couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"So, future great man, how do you plan to treat the Douling Empire as it comes into being?"

"What else can we do? Keep killing. At worst, we'll just give them a quick death while we're killing them."

Huo Yuhao waved his hand dismissively, seemingly unaware that his previous acts of slaughter were inappropriate.

"We can't just be nice guys and let them go without holding a grudge, can we?"

Ye Xishui's eyelids twitched: "I take back what I said before. You little bastard, you really should go to hell after you die."

"I'm sorry, you might not believe it, but I crawled out of hell."

Looking up at the moon high in the night sky, Huo Yuhao ended the conversation and said goodbye softly, "It's getting late, it's time for me to go back. I'll leave Vina to you."

"Get out of here, get out of here! Seeing you, you little rascal, makes me annoyed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Yuhao took a step forward under Ye Xishui's gaze and disappeared from the spot.

When Huo Yuhao returned home, everyone else seemed to have already fallen asleep, and the huge villa was quiet.

After taking a quick shower in the bathroom, Huo Yuhao, who originally planned to sneak back to his room to sleep in the dark, suddenly paused as he passed Gu Yuena's room.

Recalling what Ye Xishui had said before, he remained silent for a moment, then raised his hand and knocked on the door in front of him.

dong dong dong-

As the crisp sound rang out, the person inside seemed to have anticipated his arrival and responded immediately.

"The door wasn't locked."

Huo Yuhao pushed open the door, but instead of seeing the familiar figure on the bed as he had expected, he did not.

Suddenly, a breeze seemed to blow through the room, and as the curtains swayed, a familiar, subtle fragrance silently entered Huo Yuhao's nostrils.

He subconsciously looked up at the balcony door, which was now open and connected to the room, and finally caught sight of the silver-haired girl bathed in moonlight.

Like an elf not belonging to this mortal world, her hair, as brilliant as stars, reflected a hazy glow, obscuring the girl's breathtakingly beautiful face, appearing and disappearing in the breeze.

And through the gaps in her hair, a pair of amethyst-like eyes were quietly watching him, carrying a hint of confusion and bewilderment.

Seemingly stunned by the breathtaking scenery that had suddenly appeared before his eyes, Huo Yuhao's breathing quickened slightly, and he couldn't help but take a step forward to the girl's side.

Then, instinctively, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I can't sleep..."

Gu Yuena responded softly, glancing at Huo Yuhao with some confusion, and blinked.

Aren't you angry?

"Um?"

Huo Yuhao was taken aback. Realizing that the other person was referring to the banquet, he immediately feigned seriousness and put on a stern face: "Of course I'm angry! You made me look so foolish in front of others. How are you going to make it up to me?"

Gu Yuena blinked again: "What kind of compensation do you want?"

"..."

Huo Yuhao didn't speak, but his gaze shifted downwards and landed on Gu Yuena's crystal-clear lips.

After a brief silence, he suddenly curled the corners of his lips and said with a light laugh.

"I didn't have a chance to drink the juice you gave me before, so I'd like to try it again."

Ignoring the fleeting surprise in Gu Yuena's eyes, he lowered his head slightly, captured her soft, moist lips, and easily pried open the defenses that had not yet fully formed.

"Well……"

The familiar scent rushed towards her, hitting her brain directly. Perhaps because everything happened so suddenly, Gu Yuena, who was completely unprepared, suddenly felt dizzy and weak, and was instantly drawn into Huo Yuhao's rhythm.

In a daze, a hand touched the back of her head.

With an irresistible force, it restrained her movements, completely extinguishing any hope of escape.

It was rare for Huo Yuhao to take the initiative, and he never expected that Gu Yuena would be so vulnerable. Her defenses were completely broken down by him, leaving her no chance to resist, allowing him to explore her and take whatever he wanted.

A subtle, lingering desire spread through their hearts, and he greedily savored the sweet, fragrant aroma.

Only when Gu Yuena's mind was completely in a daze, and her eyes were filled with a hazy look, did she reluctantly open her mouth.

His gaze swept over the girl's flushed face and her slightly trembling, luscious red lips, still glistening with a trace of moisture. Huo Yuhao suppressed the urge to go at it again, tightened his grip on her arm, and said softly.

"Thanks."

"……You're welcome."

Gu Yuena rested her now empty head on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, panting heavily, still immersed in the afterglow of what had just happened.

Did I do something wrong?

But experiencing this feeling once in a while isn't bad...

Thinking this to herself, she instinctively licked her lips and murmured in response.

"Welcome back..."

Huo Yuhao smiled, about to say something, when he realized that the girl's legs had unknowingly wrapped around him like a python.

Just like the position the two of them liked to use when fighting in the middle of the night, Gu Yuena wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed hot air into his ear with an ambiguous expression.

"Is that all you're getting out of it?"

Her ethereal voice had become slightly hoarse, bringing an indescribable allure. Looking at the frozen smile on Huo Yuhao's face, she asked softly.

"Aren't you planning to pursue further compensation?"

Huo Yuhao's heart fluttered slightly, his throat bobbed, and he lowered his voice guiltily, "Everyone else at home is here, so..."

"With me here, they can't hear me."

Interrupting Huo Yuhao's words, Gu Yuena placed a kiss on his lips.

"I want it...give it to me."

"..."

With desire surging in his chest, Huo Yuhao, without any further hesitation, grabbed Gu Yuena with both hands and turned to walk into the room.

With a soft snap, the balcony door closed, shutting out the two people's impatient panting and commotion.

War is imminent.

(End of this chapter)