Douluo Continent Villain Simulator: Persecuting Qian Renxue at the Start

Chapter 100 Xiao Qing, you need to learn to use Su Cheng

"If you want to change the fate of your family, then work hard for it," Zhu Hongtao said in a deep voice. "Do you know that your eldest sister is also working hard for this?"

"Big sister...?" Zhu Zhuqing's expression faltered slightly.

"Yes, but if none of you can succeed, then we'll have to follow the tradition of the Star Luo Empire." Zhu Hongtao nodded. "I will help you in secret. That's right, not only you, but your sister, I've also given her a lot of guidance."

He sighed. "I hope you have a chance to end all this, but to be honest, the chances are slim. If you can't, be prepared for one of you to die. Don't blame me for being ruthless; it's my duty as the head of the family."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded silently, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.

"We don't have much time left today, so I'll give you one last piece of advice."

Zhu Hongtao sneered, "Make good use of that kid from the Su family."

"Su Cheng?" Zhu Zhuqing was taken aback upon hearing this.

"That's right, it's him." Zhu Hongtao stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.

"You probably don't know this, but he is the illegitimate son of the Star Luo Emperor, with the blood of the White Tiger Clan flowing through his veins, and possessing the White Tiger Martial Soul of the Dai Clan."

"White Tiger... Martial Soul..."

Zhu Zhuqing's expression contained surprise and realization.

She had indeed never seen Su Cheng use his martial spirit before.

No wonder...

No wonder I felt that strange resonance of martial spirits when we first met.

"But Dai Mubai..." Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a moment.

"Dai Mubai?" Zhu Hongtao sneered. "You still care about him? Right now, he's hiding in some corner, trembling with fear. Do you really want to rely on a coward?"

"Xiao Qing, you must remember, never lack the courage to break the rules. If you don't even dare to break these small rules, how can you expect to shatter bigger and stronger shackles?!"

"Moreover, Su Cheng has a major advantage over you."

Zhu Hongtao looked at Zhu Zhuqing meaningfully, "He's the Dai family's illegitimate son. Do you know what that means?"

"What?" Zhu Zhuqing was stunned upon hearing this and didn't react for a moment.

"Think about it carefully yourself."

After a moment's hesitation, she asked tentatively, "You mean, he has no right to the royal succession?"

"Clap! Clap!" Zhu Hongtao clapped his hands lightly twice and chuckled.

"You've finally decided to use your brain a little."

"That's right, he doesn't have a legitimate identity, which is a crucial point. This means that when the two of you work together, you're more likely to gain the upper hand."

"Moreover, as an illegitimate child, his dissatisfaction with the royal family might be even greater than that of Dai Mubai and others."

"I think he's an ambitious person too."

"This is not a bad thing."

"Ambitious people have stronger desires and are more easily manipulated. But it's not really manipulation; it's a win-win situation, isn't it?"

"Of course, you must firmly grasp the master-servant relationship in this matter."

"Remember, he is just a pawn in your game, not your partner."

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head and softly repeated his words, "Chess piece..."

"That's right, if you choose this path, then you are destined to be alone. If you can't harden your heart, then don't waste any more time, and don't waste my energy."

"..." Zhu Zhuqing's expression changed several times before she became resolute.

He looked at Zhu Hongtao and said in a deep voice, "I will do it."

Zhu Hongtao nodded and continued:

"Over the years, I have also gained some new insights into the Netherworld Cat Martial Soul of my family, as well as the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul Fusion Technique, which I will gradually pass on to you in the future."

"In the future, the martial soul fusion skill between you and Su Cheng might be able to be performed with you as the main character."

"By then, you will be well on your way to taking control of your own destiny."

His expression gradually turned serious.

"Remember, this matter must never be discovered by the royal family. If you don't want to die, don't reveal this to anyone. On the surface, act as if nothing has changed. Treat me the same way, and treat Xiaoyun and the others the same way."

"Similarly, I will maintain the same attitude towards you on the surface."

"I think you should now understand what kind of relationship we have with the Dai family, and you should also understand what the consequences would be if they found out my thoughts."

"You may not know this, but your sisters love you far more than you imagine. Your second and third sisters are also trying their best in their own ways."

"Perhaps when it really comes down to a life-or-death situation, Xiaoyun might be willing to give up her own chance to help you."

At this point, his expression suddenly turned cold and stern.

"But that was your own choice, it has nothing to do with me."

"After I leave this room today, you must not mention what happened tonight to anyone, including your sisters."

"If you really do that, it will only harm both of you in the end, and it will also ruin the Zhu family."

"Just keep everything outwardly as usual."

Zhu Zhuqing nodded solemnly as well.

She now fully understands her father's good intentions.

I also know just how huge the risks are.

"That kid should be back soon." Zhu Hongtao's expression softened, and he turned to walk towards the door. "From now on, you can sneak out of the academy to see me every month at the end of the month. You can ask me any questions you have about the academy. Xiao Qing, don't let me down."

"Dad, wait a minute—"

Seeing that he was about to leave, Zhu Zhuqing quickly spoke up to stop him.

After saying that, she quickly ran back to her bedroom.

A moment later, she came out carrying a slightly worn teddy bear.

"Dad, do you remember this?"

"Hmm?" Zhu Hongtao's expression faltered slightly.

After a moment of stunned silence, she realized what she was seeing and said, "Ah, isn't this the plush toy I gave you back then? I didn't expect you to still have it. If you like it, I'll buy you a new one later."

Not long after Zhu Hongtao left, Su Cheng returned after using the restroom.

Without knocking, he simply pushed open the door and went inside.

"what?"

When Su Cheng entered, he found Zhu Zhuqing standing dumbfounded in the center of the front hall, holding that old, worn-out doll.

She raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Why did you suddenly take that thing out? Didn't you treat it like a treasure before, not even letting me glance at it?"

After speaking, he looked Zhu Zhuqing up and down a few more times, a hint of doubt on his face.

Why aren't you wearing that deadpan expression anymore?

"..." Zhu Zhuqing ignored his teasing and turned back to her bedroom.

"That doll was indeed a gift from her father."

Su Cheng was sweating profusely as he left the Duke's mansion.

That tattered doll almost gave him away, but luckily he reacted in time and was quite fortunate.

At that moment, he didn't have time to think much and could only say the most likely option.

There was an element of gambling involved, but luckily he gambled correctly.

Pretending to forget would be fine, but it would definitely affect Zhu Zhuqing's dependence on and trust in his other identity, which would inevitably be detrimental to subsequent plans.

To be honest, given Zhu Zhuqing's current intelligence, he didn't think the other party would suddenly have a probing idea.

It's probably because they haven't experienced the warmth of family affection for too long that they subconsciously made this move.

Choosing Zhu Hongtao as the imposter was a decision Su Cheng made after careful consideration.

First and foremost, this person needs to be someone Zhu Zhuqing can trust enough.

Secondly, this identity must not be easily exposed in the open; either it should be rarely revealed, or the relationship with Zhu Zhuqing should not be good at the moment.

Besides Zhu Hongtao, Su Cheng had originally considered Zhu Zhuyun or a teacher from a certain college.

However, he was unsure about the relationship between the former and Zhu Zhuqing. There were too many potential conflicts and intersections between them, making it easy for the truth to be exposed later. As for the latter, he lacked sufficient standing to do so and it would be difficult to inspire Zhu Zhuqing's conviction and ambition.

After observing the Duke's mansion today, he found that this Duke of the Underworld was an excellent candidate for disguise.

They are indifferent in attitude, deep in thought, and have both the standing and the reasons to do this.

Most importantly, he rarely had any contact with Zhu Zhuqing on a regular basis.

Needless to say, back in college...

Even after his daughter returned home, he would only give her a perfunctory reply, greatly reducing the possibility of being exposed.

As for the things he said about helping Zhu Zhuyun, those were naturally fabricated.

Su Cheng had no idea what Zhu Zhuyun's true feelings were toward Zhu Zhuqing.

From the original timeline, it is indeed unbelievable that Zhu Zhuqing was able to escape that level of pursuit, but what if she was just lucky?

Those words were said simply to strengthen Zhu Zhuqing's resolve and give her a stronger reason to lead her family out of the mire.

(End of this chapter)