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

Chapter 378 Xue Lingxun's Advantages (Part 2)

After traversing space from the Earth Dragon Gate back to the Heavenly Soul Palace, Huo Yuhao settled Nan Qiuqiu and Ling Luochen, who were too weak to walk, and then went to find the group staying in the next room.

"Yuhao, you're back? Where are Senior Ling and Qiuqiu?"

"They were both slightly injured and are recovering in their rooms."

As Huo Yuhao spoke, he looked around and noticed that a certain hot red-haired older sister was missing. He couldn't help but ask her about it.

"By the way, isn't Sister Xiaotao with you? Where is she?"

"It seems something happened at the academy. Two days ago, they suddenly sent someone to the palace to inform Sister Xiaotao, and she went back with them."

"Something happened at the academy?" Huo Yuhao frowned slightly.

"Hmm, but it doesn't seem to be anything particularly serious, otherwise Sister Tao would have informed us before leaving."

"Yeah"

Huo Yuhao nodded, temporarily putting the matter aside: "Then let's go back to the academy after we've resolved the Douling Empire issue. It's also time for the Spirit Pagoda to be officially established."

The group exchanged glances, then hesitantly asked, "What about Aunt Huo?"

"I've already mentioned it to my mom; she and Aunt Jiang will be leaving with us."

After this incident, even with Gu Yuena's protection, Huo Yuhao no longer intends to let Huo Yun'er stay in Tiandou City.

After all, no one knows whether he and Gu Yuena will be able to come to the rescue if a similar thing happens again. If they are tied down, even if they are strong, they will face a situation where they are unable to do so.

With the Spirit Pagoda about to be established, and considering that almost all of his companions, except for Ju Zi and others who needed to manage their forces, would be gathered there, he took this opportunity to persuade Huo Yun'er to move to Shrek City together.

This matter was brought up by Gu Yuena herself when she was fighting with him in bed that night. Although the Heavenly Soul Royal Family is now under the control of Vina, the defensive strength of Heavenly Dou City is still somewhat weak.

Shrek City is different. Not only does it have Elder Mu, a powerful veteran Limit Douluo, but it also has Zhang Lexuan, whose strength is comparable to that of a Limit Douluo, in charge. Even the ferocious beasts from the Great Famine Land can lend a helping hand at crucial moments.

Just then, a crisp knock on the door caught everyone's attention. Huo Yuhao got up and opened the door, somewhat puzzled, and found a maid who often accompanied Vina standing at the door.

"Is there something you need?"

The maidservant immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing Huo Yuhao.

"It is like this. I just received news of your return from the palace guards and came here specifically to inform you that the sect leader's wife of the Xuanming Sect arrived at the palace this morning, and His Highness the Princess is currently speaking with her in the reception room."

"Oh? What a coincidence!"

Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow in surprise, thought for a moment, turned around and said a few words to the people in the room, then turned back to look at her: "I wonder which reception room those two are in right now? I'd like to go there now."

As if she had anticipated Huo Yuhao's words, the maid turned to the side and made an inviting gesture.

"This way, please."

Soon, led by a maid, Huo Yuhao arrived at a reception room with its doors tightly closed and stopped.

Without knocking or announcing, the maid opened the door and addressed him respectfully.

"Please come in, sir."

"Thanks."

Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, stepped into the room, and met Vina's gaze as she looked towards the door.

"Yuhao, you've finally arrived."

She stood up abruptly, her face beaming with delight as she introduced herself to Xue Lingxun sitting opposite her.

"Princess Snow, this is Huo Yuhao. As for other information, I believe you have already heard about it, so I won't go into too much detail here."

Xu Sanshi, who was sitting on the sofa with Xue Lingxun, also raised his hand to greet Huo Yuhao before looking back at his somewhat dazed mother.

"Mom, he is Huo Yuhao, who asked me to find you. He is also my junior at Shrek Academy."

Although she had heard on the way here that the Holy Spirit Cult’s son was exceptionally handsome and had been mentally prepared for it, Xue Lingxun still couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned when she actually saw Huo Yuhao.

Of course, what shocked her was not only Huo Yuhao's appearance, but also the respectful attitude that Vina displayed.

The dignified Heavenly Soul Emperor actually disregarded his image in the eyes of an outsider like her and stood up to greet Huo Yuhao's arrival. One can imagine how shocked she was by the scene before her.

Even if she was personally helped to rise to power by Huo Yuhao, this performance is still a bit too exaggerated.

Fortunately, she was a princess after all, and she quickly recovered from her shock, smiling and nodding at Huo Yuhao.

"I heard about your deeds five years ago at the Star Luo Soul Master Competition. Now I finally get to meet you in person. It's really unexpected that a genius soul master who can stir up the situation on the continent is actually a few years younger than my son."

"You flatter me, senior. I only achieved what I have today thanks to the help of my colleagues."

Without much preamble, Huo Yuhao sat down next to Vina and got straight to the point.

"I believe Senior Xu has already explained to you the purpose of inviting you here. If possible, I hope you can provide me with some assistance during this process."

Seemingly not expecting Huo Yuhao to get straight to the point, Xue Lingxun's expression froze for a moment, and her heart sank to the bottom.

She originally planned to first build rapport through chatting, and then try to plead with Huo Yuhao to spare the Douling Emperor once they were more familiar with each other. However, the other party didn't give her that chance at all and chose to confront her directly.

Especially that phrase, "Provide me with some conveniences," seemed like a sincere request, but how could she not hear that Huo Yuhao was subtly implying that all she could do was offer insignificant "conveniences"?

Even if she refuses to help, the other party will still choose to take action against the Douling royal family.

As the most beloved daughter of the former Douling Emperor, she certainly didn't want to see Huo Yuhao and the Douling royal family end up in this situation.

What's more, the people this young man wants to kill are her brother, the current Douling Emperor, and her former brothers and sisters.

Admittedly, she did sever ties with the previous Douling Emperor, but how could she easily sever the bond of blood?

Furthermore, she herself was well aware that the reason her relationship with her father had deteriorated to that point was the price she had to pay for ignoring advice and acting recklessly.

Although she did not regret what she had done, her father had not done anything wrong either, and since she did not harbor any hatred towards the royal family, she naturally could not sit idly by.

"Before answering your question, I would like to ask His Majesty..."

Looking up at Vina, she asked the question that concerned her most: "What is the Heavenly Soul Empire's attitude towards this matter?"

This question was less about the Heavenly Soul Empire's attitude towards the Fighting Spirit Empire, and more about her probing the extent to which Vina, as the emperor of a nation, had submitted to Huo Yuhao.

If Vina could also be involved in the decision-making process, her chances of successfully persuading the other party would increase accordingly.

Vina clearly understood her meaning; a faint smile appeared on her face, and then she ruthlessly extinguished that last bit of hope.

"Follow the horse's lead."

"..."

Upon hearing those four short words, Xue Lingxun immediately fell silent.

After a long while, she looked at Vina again with a pleading expression.

"Since Your Majesty does not intend to participate in this matter, would you be so kind as to grant us some time alone?"

"certainly."

Vina naturally wouldn't refuse the request. After nodding to Huo Yuhao, she got up and walked towards the entrance of the reception room. At the same time, Xue Lingxun also looked at Xu Sanshi beside her and whispered instructions.

"You can go out too. I need to talk to your junior alone."

"……I see."

Xu Sanshi looked at Huo Yuhao with a complicated expression, as if he wanted to say something, but after hesitating for a moment, he chose to keep his mouth shut.

He wanted to put in a good word for his mother and the Douling Empire, but recalling their conversation that day, he knew very well that it would all be in vain.

Considering what Tianyang Douluo did, Huo Yuhao's decision not to slaughter the entire Douling royal family was already a huge concession.

If you can't beat someone, you might try to kidnap their family members as a threat. If you don't respond with a heavy hand and use death to deter and warn others, who knows if similar things will happen again?

As the door opened and closed again, the living room, now occupied by only the two of them, fell silent.

Compared to Xue Lingxun, who looked troubled, Huo Yuhao seemed much more relaxed. He first picked up the teapot and added some tea to her empty cup, then poured himself a cup before patiently asking.

"Now, senior, you should be able to give me an answer, right?"

Before Xue Lingxun could speak, he continued, "To avoid implicating other innocent members of the royal family, and to ensure a smooth transition of power and minimize the impact on the common people of the Douling Empire... I believe I have made sufficient considerations and concessions in this matter. What do you think, Princess Xue?"

"...Is there really absolutely no room for negotiation?"

Seeing Huo Yuhao, who didn't care about his image at all and downed the tea in one gulp, Xue Lingxun still seemed a little unwilling to give up and asked in a dry voice.

"If Your Excellency is willing to make an exception, I believe the Douling Royal Family will be willing to provide sufficient compensation to mend the rift between you."

Huo Yuhao shook his head: "I understand what Princess Xue means, and I can also understand your feelings for the Douling royal family, but unfortunately, I have no intention of reconciliation."

As he spoke, he poured himself another cup of tea and calmly asked, "As a princess of the royal family, you are also a mother. Imagine if Senior Xu were in this situation, what would he do?"

Xue Lingxun remained silent, while Huo Yuhao, as if not expecting her answer, gave his own.

"I believe Senior Xu will make the same choice as me, won't he?"

He took another sip of tea, then looked up at the beautiful woman with her head bowed, his voice firm and cold.

"I don't need compensation, I just want them dead. Every single one of them who participated in and planned this must die."

"..."

After a brief silence, Xue Lingxun seemed to deflate, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"You want me to introduce you to which members of the Douling royal family are most suitable to sit on the throne and have the ability to manage the empire, right?"

"right."

"Then let me do it."

She looked at Huo Yuhao and said, word by word, "Let me manage the Douling Empire."

Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow, as if he understood something, and glanced at Xue Lingxun meaningfully, causing her delicate body to tremble.

For some reason, when she met those deep, azure eyes, Xue Lingxun felt as if the boy could see right through her, and she instinctively avoided his gaze.

Just as she was worried that Huo Yuhao would find out.

Her decision to ascend the throne was not a rash, impulsive act, but a carefully considered one after realizing that she could not persuade Huo Yuhao to spare the Douling Emperor. In order to preserve the Douling royal family to the greatest extent possible, she made this choice.

Simply put, she doesn't trust any members of the Douling Royal Family except herself.

Perhaps many of them are very capable and more suitable to sit on the throne than I am, but who can guarantee that they won't have ulterior motives after they take the throne?

Of course, the disloyalty she mentioned was not directed at Huo Yuhao, but at the Douling royal family.

Imagine if a member of the royal family without any connections were helped to ascend the throne by Huo Yuhao, and then learned that he had a deep-seated hatred for the Douling royal family, what would he do?

He would do everything he could to please Huo Yuhao, even to cater to his preferences, and would not hesitate to kill his own relatives and royal family members who had a grudge against Huo Yuhao, so that he could sit in this position second only to the emperor for a longer period of time.

Indeed, Huo Yuhao has made it clear that he will not implicate innocent people.

But who knows if the person he chose as emperor was someone who was "particularly good at getting things done" and would casually do these trivial things for his benefactor?

The probability of this happening may not be high, but it concerns the survival of the royal family, and she wants to completely eliminate even the slightest possibility.

Moreover, Huo Yuhao's strength is undeniable; everyone would want to cling to him more tightly, so the probability of that happening is actually quite high.

If she had continued living in the Douling royal family, perhaps she could have recommended suitable candidates to Huo Yuhao, as he requested.

But now, nearly twenty years after she left the Douling Royal Family, even though she still occasionally keeps up with the news of the Douling Empire, everything she knew back then has changed beyond recognition.

Who knows if, twenty years later, the brothers and sisters who once harbored lofty ideals have had their edges smoothed out by life and have changed their original intentions?

In contrast, if she were to take the lead herself, she might not be able to do the best, but at least she wouldn't make things worse.

However, judging from Huo Yuhao's expression, it seemed that the other party had already guessed her selfish motives.

Striving to maintain outward composure, Xue Lingxun feigned curiosity and asked in return.

"Is there a problem?"

However, Huo Yuhao simply shook his head. Just when Xue Lingxun thought her suggestion would be rejected, his calm voice echoed through the room once again.

"What I need is someone who can manage the Douling Empire. Since you want to take this position, you at least need to show me that you have the ability."

He didn't care about Xue Lingxun's little schemes. What he wanted was an emperor who could help stabilize the Douling Empire and prevent internal strife after he killed the Douling Emperor and his group.

It doesn't matter who sits in this position, as long as they have the ability.

Seemingly surprised that Huo Yuhao didn't refuse her suggestion, Xue Lingxun's eyes lit up. After a brief moment of mental preparation, she began to promote herself.

"I know my abilities are not as outstanding as those of royal family members who have been in the palace for many years and have been handling government affairs for the emperor. However, I have also held a high position in the Xuanming Sect over the years and have some experience in management. If your requirement is to maintain the stability of the Douling Empire, I am definitely capable of this position."

Huo Yuhao listened to her words in silence, then said calmly, "But what you've said barely meets my minimum requirements; it doesn't offer any advantage compared to others."

"No."

Xue Lingxun interrupted him: "I have the advantage."

"Oh?"

Seeing that Huo Yuhao finally showed interest, she explained softly.

"Compared to others, I'm easier to manage because I have so many attachments, aren't I?"

"Others want to become emperor because of their own ambition. Once they are in power, they may gradually become dissatisfied with the status quo, start to disobey your orders, and even try to break free from your control."

"Are you trying to say you wouldn't do that?"

Huo Yuhao looked at her with a half-smile, but his tone remained cold: "But didn't you also want to take this position because of your own selfish motives? Who knows if, once you're in it, you'll be like everyone else, outwardly obeying my orders but inwardly defying me, trying to break free from my control?"

"As you said, I do have my own selfish motives, but I'm different from them."

"If you truly intend to keep your promise and kill only those involved, as you yourself said, then my personal motives will not hinder you in the slightest."

She met Huo Yuhao's eyes without fear and said, "Others may want more power, but I only want to protect the remaining members of the Douling Royal Family as much as possible. After I take power, I will restrain them as much as possible. As long as you don't attack them without reason, I will strictly follow all your instructions."

"Conversely, since you hold the lives of members of the royal family in your hands, you don't need to worry that I will try to break free from your control like others do."

After stating all her advantages in one breath, she calmly gazed at Huo Yuhao, like a prisoner awaiting trial, waiting for his response.

In the silence, Huo Yuhao blinked and suddenly chuckled.

"Although I'm not worried about the problems you mentioned at all, I have to say that your performance certainly makes you worthy of being given that position to try and see how it goes."

He put down his teacup and reached out his hand to Xue Lingxun.

"You have one last chance to consider whether you really intend to do everything you just said."