Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Mountains, rivers, cities, passes... This land he has protected for decades, this empire to which he has poured all his heart and soul, must not be put into a passive position because of the marriage alliance between the Spirit Hall and the Heavenly Dou.

Dai Tianfeng's fingers stopped.

He sat up straight, picked up his pen, and spread out the letter paper.

The pen tip, dipped in thick ink, hovered above the paper, hesitant to fall.

He hesitated.

Arranged marriage is an open strategy.

That was exactly what the Spirit Hall was planning: to win over the Heavenly Dou Empire through marriage, gradually erode its power, and ultimately disrupt the balance between the two great empires.

If Xingluo doesn't follow suit, he will be isolated.

However, if we follow up, it would mean having Davis marry a woman from the Spirit Hall.

This is tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house.

Dai Tianfeng's brows were furrowed tightly.

He knew it was a conspiracy.

But he knew even more that he had no choice.

If they don't form a marriage alliance, Xingluo will be isolated, and the Spirit Hall will not hesitate to side with Tiandou. At that time, Xingluo will face a pincer attack from two major forces.

A marriage alliance can at least maintain a superficial balance and buy some time.

Dai Tianfeng took a deep breath and put down his pen.

The ink spread across the paper, and he wrote slowly, stroke by stroke, each character as if he had used all his strength.

The letter was short, but every word had been carefully considered.

In his letter, he wrote: "The Star Luo Empire wishes to forge an eternal alliance with the Spirit Hall, and the person to be married off is Crown Prince Davis of the Star Luo Empire."

After finishing writing, he put down his pen, looked at the letter, and remained silent for a long time.

Then he folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and sealed it with sealing wax.

"Someone come here."

The door to the Imperial Study was pushed open, and a figure walked in silently, kneeling on one knee.

"His Majesty."

Dai Tianfeng handed over the letter, his voice low and weary: "Send it to Wuhun City as quickly as possible."

"Yes."

The shadowy figure took the letter, and in a flash, disappeared outside the door.

Silence returned to the Imperial Study.

Dai Tianfeng leaned back in his chair, gazing at the sky outside the window, which was bathed in golden sunlight, and remained silent for a long time.

“Davis…”

He murmured the name, his voice so soft it was as if he were talking to himself.

"I hope your shoulders can bear this burden."

……

Tian Dou City, Yue Xuan.

Tang Yuehua stood by the window, gazing at the ink bamboo in the courtyard that still stood tall in the cold wind, and remained motionless for a long time.

Today she wore a light purple dress, which made her skin appear even whiter. Her long, dark hair was styled into an elegant updo, with a few wisps falling around her ears, shimmering softly in the sunlight.

But her delicate face now bore a lingering trace of weariness.

These days have been tough.

Since the death of Emperor Xueye and the ascension of Xue Qinghe, Yuexuan's situation has deteriorated day by day.

In the past, when Emperor Xueye was still alive, he took good care of her, a woman from the Haotian Sect.

While Yuexuan's business in Tiandou City wasn't entirely smooth sailing, it at least didn't encounter any major obstacles.

Out of respect for the emperor, the nobles treated her with great courtesy and patronized Yuexuan's business.

But now...

Tang Yuehua sighed softly.

The new emperor, Xue Qinghe, is different from the great emperor Xue Ye.

This young emperor clearly preferred to befriend the Spirit Hall.

Since ascending the throne, all the signals he has sent, both overt and covert, have pointed in the same direction: the Spirit Hall is the most important partner of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The relationship between the Clear Sky Sect and the Spirit Hall is known throughout the continent.

The Spirit Hall has always remembered the debt of Tang Hao's severe injury to Qian Xunji, the former Pope of the Spirit Hall, which led to his death.

Although the Haotian Sect has been in seclusion for many years, this relationship will not be forgotten with the passage of time.

The connections and advantages that Tang Yuehua accumulated during the reign of Emperor Xueye are now disappearing one by one.

Those nobles who once greeted her with smiles now merely nod politely when they meet her, then hurry away, as if staying even a moment longer would leave them tainted by something.

Those documents that were once readily approved are now often shelved and delayed for various reasons.

Those channels that were once unobstructed are now blocked at every turn.

Tang Yuehua had considered various solutions.

She tried to befriend the new emperor's favorites, tried to build new relationships, and tried to exchange benefits for convenience.

But the effect was minimal.

The people around Xue Qinghe always maintained a just-right level of politeness towards her, neither too warm nor too cold, neither too close nor too distant, making it impossible for her to find a way to break through.

She knows why.

It's not because she didn't do a good enough job.

It was because of her identity.

Haotian Sect.

In the new emperor's court, these three words were no longer a plus, but a minus.

Tang Yuehua withdrew her gaze and walked back to the table to sit down.

On the table lay Yuexuan's account books for the past few months, the rows of numbers stinging her eyes.

Income is decreasing, while expenses are increasing.

Although Yuexuan's business is still operating, its profits are much lower than before.

Chapter 477 Training Hammer and the Sixth Soul Ring

Tang Yuehua closed the ledger, her slender fingers gently stroking the cover until her knuckles turned white.

She raised her head, her gaze falling on the dark bamboo outside the window. The swaying bamboo shadows were reflected in her emerald eyes, but she could not hide the weariness and anxiety deep in her eyes.

Profits are not as good as before.

That's easy for you to say.

The reality is far more brutal than those four words suggest.

Yuexuan has been operating in Tiandou City for many years, relying not on simple etiquette instruction, but on the information network hidden behind the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

The children of noble families come here to study not only for the sake of elegance, but also to make connections and exchange information.

But now, with the ascension of the new emperor Xue Qinghe and the news of the marriage alliance between the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire spreading throughout the streets and alleys, those nobles who once flocked to the Moon Pavilion have begun to distance themselves from it one by one.

It's not that Yuexuan has changed.

Her identity as Tang Yuehua has become sensitive in this new political landscape.

Haotian Sect.

These three words were once her passport to navigating the elite circles of Tiandou. Out of respect for the Haotian Sect, those nobles treated her with deference and showed her considerable favor in Yuexuan's business.

But now, those three words have become her shackles, a stone weighing on her shoulders, and a reason for those who once greeted her with smiles to avoid her.

Tang Yuehua sighed softly, stood up, and walked to the window.

The night breeze slipped in through the cracks in the window, carrying the coolness of early autumn, and ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead.

She remembered the list of supplies that needed to be sent back to the Haotian Sect this month.

Medicinal herbs, metals, gold soul coins... she calculated each item repeatedly, meticulously planning every penny, wishing she could split a single gold soul coin in half to spend.

Even so, the numbers on that list were still lower than last month.

"I wonder what those elders will think when they see this list..."

Tang Yuehua's lips curled into a bitter smile.

Since the Haotian Sect went into seclusion, almost all the communication and resource gathering from the outside world has fallen on her shoulders.

She navigated the various factions in Tiandou City with utmost caution, each step fraught with danger.

But what about the elders?

They hid deep in the mountains, living off the wealth accumulated by their sect and drinking fine wines brought in from outside, but never opened their eyes to see what the outside world had become.

"stubborn."

Tang Yuehua uttered those two words in a low voice, her voice filled with long-suppressed dissatisfaction.

She knew it was wrong to say that. Those elders were her seniors, the foundation of the Haotian Sect, and she shouldn't harbor resentment towards them.

But she couldn't help it.

Especially when she recalled the Fifth Elder's self-righteous face when he suggested "finding an opportunity to plunder the pills and herbs in Ge Duo's hands" a few months ago, she felt a tightness in her chest.

grab?

What can you use to rob it?