Lu Mingfei starts from Douluo.

"Tell me first, what does 'popular support' mean?" Lu Mingfei immediately grasped the key word. Who was this idiot who came up with such a brainless suggestion?

What do you mean by saying that because the Star Luo Empire won the Soul Master Competition and became arrogant, they sent an academy student to severely dampen Star Luo's arrogance during the Star Luo Crown Prince's state diplomatic visit?

That's a bit too hasty!

It's not like elementary school kids are fighting; if you can't beat the older person, you bully the younger one.

And why did they have to choose me? There are hundreds of students at the Royal Academy, aren't there any other students? What about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School? Don't they care? Lu Mingfei roared inwardly.

Xue Qinghe spoke up: "In fact, this was a suggestion from our teacher. This diplomatic visit involves a lot of content, which I cannot disclose here, but you should know that the fact that the other side sent the eldest prince, who has the highest probability of succession, is enough to prove that this matter is extremely important."

"However, Xingluo has always been arrogant, especially after they won the previous Soul Master Competition. They openly and secretly despised the abilities of Tiandou Royal Academy and even our royal family. This visit will definitely seize on this sore spot and make our royal family lose face."

"And this is actually a responsibility that the Royal Academy should bear. It just so happens that news of your defeat of classmate Yu Tianheng came out, and Father and Teacher immediately had this idea."

"After all, in the end, our royal family does deserve the current situation, but the Royal Academy also bears some unshirkable responsibility. Brother Lu, you are a student of the academy, and it is your duty to share the burden for the academy."

Xue Qinghe gave Lu Mingfei a meaningful look at the end.

Lu Mingfei slumped back into his chair, drew his sword, and looked around in bewilderment.

This is definitely a case of a backlash against one's carefully constructed image!

He used to talk about repaying kindness all the time, but now it's time for him to do his part. He should have known better; what goes around comes around!

He originally thought that the "karma" might just be that he was directionally challenged and wouldn't find him so quickly, but who would have thought that the karma would come so suddenly and be so terrible.

"Relax, Mingfei is just fighting a few souls. Treat it as regular training, just practice a bit," Qin Ming said. After all, this concerns the reputation of the Royal Academy, and he has received great favors from the three education committee members, so he has no choice but to do so.

“That’s right, it’s just a level 29 White Tiger Martial Soul, right? It’s probably about the same as mine. Just perform normally.” Yu Tianheng also spoke up.

The White Tiger Martial Soul is considered one of the most powerful Beast Martial Souls, second only to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Considering all this, the outcome of the battle should be evenly matched. If he weren't representing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and unable to take action, he would have already volunteered.

"Moreover, judging from the current situation, he will definitely be the opponent you encounter in the Soul Master Competition seven years from now. You'll have to fight him sooner or later." Xue Qinghe nodded with a smile.

"You make it sound so easy!" Lu Mingfei rolled his eyes, looking completely resigned to his fate. If this were a mass grave, he would have dug a hole and buried himself in it, with a tombstone that read "Fei is dead, burn paper money if you need anything."

For such a major diplomatic matter between the two countries, it's incredibly stressful for a mere Great Soul Master like him to have to save face.

As you can see, Archduke Ferdinand, the world's number one loser, directly ignited World War I. He has no intention of replicating his predecessor's achievements.

More importantly, this is just the beginning. If the main storyline were to end prematurely like this, would he still have a chance to go home?

Thinking of this, Lu Mingfei regretted that he should have shamelessly asked for some wine earlier, so that he could at least face this cruel reality later.

"Alright, alright, just tell me, how are you going to do it? Should I pull his hair or throw wine in his face?" Lu Mingfei leaned back in his chair, feeling utterly hopeless... A torrent of nonsensical thoughts welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"You wouldn't go so far as to seduce his fiancée, would you?"

"No need for that." Xue Qinghe couldn't help but cover his mouth and chuckle. "Being too arrogant isn't good either. In fact, we can just give Brother Lu a nickname when we introduce him."

"What nickname?" Lu Mingfei blurted out, "If you're a brother, come and chop me up? One hit for 999?"

"Pfft." Xue Qinghe couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. He never knew Lu Mingfei had such an interesting side!

Even Qin Ming and Yu Tianheng couldn't help but laugh out loud, even though they didn't understand the meaning behind these rubbish words.

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around, Brother Lu, let's get serious." Xue Qinghe spoke up, his smile fading. "The Xingluo delegation will surely come with an air of arrogance. Therefore, as long as we add a title like 'Number One Genius of the Heaven Dou Empire' or 'Invincible among those of the same rank' to your profile, the Crown Prince of Xingluo, wanting to maintain his superiority, will definitely take the bait and challenge you to a fight. So, our side will not have to bear the consequences of provocation in any way."

"Of course, if the other party acquiesces, then you won't need to intervene, Brother Lu," Xue Qinghe added.

Lu Mingfei felt that the latter situation could be ignored, but the fact that he didn't have to provoke them was the only good news.

As the saying goes, one must learn to find joy even in hardship.

Chapter 56 Coercion and Enticement

"The Xingluo delegation has already set off and will arrive in Tiandou City in about half a month. Accompanying them are Zhu Tianxiang, the younger brother of the current Duke of Youming, as a diplomatic envoy, and the eldest prince Davis and his wife Zhu Zhuyun as representatives of the royal family. On the evening of the second day after their arrival, a welcome banquet will be held in the palace. That will be your time to make your appearance, Brother Lu," Xue Qinghe instructed.

"Wow, they really have a good relationship," Lu Mingfei muttered to himself.

"He even has to keep his fiancée by his belt when he goes on a mission to an enemy country. How afraid is he of being cuckolded?" Lu Mingfei thought to himself with a dark smirk. "Isn't he afraid that they'll smash a glass as a signal and chop him into mincemeat?"

However, thinking of this, Lu Mingfei couldn't help but glance at Xue Qinghe again, thinking to himself, "Look at him, he's even younger than you, and his wife is willing to die for him. You haven't even had a talent show. Are you really Emperor Xue Ye's biological son?"

Xue Qinghe didn't understand Lu Mingfei's slightly disdainful look, thinking he was just a little temperamental, and continued, "Whether the relationship is good or not is uncertain, but it is true that they will follow each other to the death. The Zhu family and the Dai family of Xingluo have been intermarrying for generations, and the women are all appendages of the royal princes. If the princes no longer exist, then the daughters of the Zhu family have even less value."

"That's inhuman!" Lu Mingfei shook his head.

However, the Xingluo Dai family is not only ruthless to others, but even more ruthless to themselves. They engage in internal strife and are not afraid of accidentally ruining their lineage.

Damn! The more he thought about it, the more he felt he should go and join the Spirit Hall; this place was just a bunch of weirdos and idiots.

The Haotian Sect, crippled by defeat; the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, deranged by its own madness; the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, only interested in opportunism; the Heaven Dou Royal Family, all show and no substance; and the Star Luo Dai Family, rife with internal strife and scheming—they're a complete mess, doomed to perish sooner or later.

No, that's not right! Logically speaking, this place is already in such a mess, yet it can still stand up to the Spirit Hall. This shows that the Spirit Hall probably has some serious problems. It's too early for him to take sides now. Who knows what kind of trouble the Spirit Hall might cause in the future.

The others had no idea how far Lu Mingfei's mind had wandered; they assumed he was thinking about strategies for dealing with the enemy two weeks from now.

"Teacher Qin Ming, the academy should have special records on the White Tiger Martial Soul. In the next few days, you can explain the opponent's situation to Brother Lu and design a feasible tactic. As for Brother Lu's situation, it probably can't be hidden from the opponent. Both sides are fighting with their cards on the table. I have faith in Brother Lu's strength."

"Hey, hey, he's level 29, and I'm only level 22. Where do you get this confidence?" Lu Mingfei had wanted to say this for a long time.

So what if he only fought Yu Tianheng? Why does everyone think he's invincible among his peers? Don't they know you can't make promises before a battle?

Upon hearing this, all three shrugged. Among them, Yu Tianheng had the most to say. When they finished fighting a few days ago, Lu Mingfei barely broke a sweat. What else was there to say?

Seeing this, Xue Qinghe offered a way out: "Precisely because Brother Lu is only level 22, it's not shameful for him to lose. On the contrary, if the other side is humiliated, they certainly won't be able to be proud anymore."

"After all, no matter what, Brother Lu is a level 22 Great Soul Master at the age of 7, and he is the most prestigious person on the continent wherever he goes."

Damn! Should I thank you for that flattery? Lu Mingfei thought to himself, he'd rather not have this kind of attention. But no matter what, he couldn't deliberately slow down his cultivation just to avoid any so-called limelight, could he?

"Alright, that's all I wanted to say." Xue Qinghe couldn't help but smile at Lu Mingfei's resigned expression and continued:

"To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, no one should mention the Star Luo Envoy again after leaving this room, to prevent anyone from leaking information and making a move against Brother Lu in advance. Brother Lu, try not to leave the academy these days and wait for my people to pick you up."

"They even carry out assassinations?" Lu Mingfei was startled, wondering if he had somehow gotten involved in a 007 plot.

"More than that." Xue Qinghe smiled maliciously: "In Xingluo, where everyone values ​​martial arts, if he, as a prospective crown prince, were defeated by a low-level soul master who is several years younger than him, he probably wouldn't dare to leave the palace for two or three years."

Damn it! You still say this isn't harming me? Lu Mingfei was sweating profusely. He thought to himself that he had originally planned to run away to Xingluo when he couldn't make it in Tiandou anymore. After this fight, he figured he would be put on Xingluo's list of assassins.

"How about we discuss this again? How about we save face for him and call it even?" Lu Mingfei said hesitantly.

“That works too. Anyway, the news that he drew with a seven-year-old student will still spread throughout the continent.” Xue Qinghe nodded seriously.

"There's no difference at all, okay?" Lu Mingfei said, sounding a bit aggrieved. He was in the same boat, whether he stuck his neck out or not. He couldn't deliberately lose, otherwise he wouldn't be able to survive at the Royal Academy.

“There is a difference. If you win outright, I will ask my father to grant you the title of viscount and a noble mansion in Tiandou City. If you fight to a draw, you may only be a baron.” Xue Qinghe spread his hands.

What feudal dregs! And bestowing titles? Lu Mingfei scoffed inwardly. Did he look like the kind of person who would bow down for a pittance?

"That mansion, based on the current property prices in Tiandou City, would probably cost around two million gold soul coins," Xue Qinghe casually remarked.

Wow! Over two million gold soul coins! That's enough to buy tens of thousands of servings of Five Pecks of Rice, right?

Lu Mingfei imagined that if he looked in the mirror right now, his wide eyes would be filled with nothing but gold coins.

Let's do it! He's just a prince of Xingluo, so what if we offend him? This is comparable to a courtyard house in Beijing. We don't care about forever, we just want to have it once.

"Alright, alright, let's fight then. But let's be clear from the start, I can't guarantee a win." Lu Mingfei sighed helplessly.

He wasn't really after money, but out of respect for the three education commissioners, he had to help. Repaying a debt of gratitude can't just be empty words. After helping this time, even if he turned against his former employer, he wouldn't feel so awkward.

"Then I'll be waiting for Brother Lu to show his prowess that day!" Xue Qinghe smiled broadly as he looked at Lu Mingfei's seemingly disingenuous but actually tactful demeanor.

He had always felt that Lu Mingfei didn't care about anything except cultivation, and even the little brother he had taken in before was just an unexpected interlude.

However, now that he knows Lu Mingfei also has vanity, he's no longer worried about not being able to win people over.

Lu Mingfei ignored Xue Qinghe's teasing gaze, scratched his head, and thought to himself, "He who eats another's food is bound to be grateful, and he who takes another's gift is bound to be grateful." He was prepared to accept both food and gifts, but he felt a little guilty in front of Xue Qinghe. However, the idea of ​​making him devoted to Xue Qinghe through such rewards was simply a joke.

He was just trying it out and racking up some game achievements.

Chapter 57 Mission

The next day.

The number one genius of the Heavenly Dou Empire has returned to the Royal Academy he has always been loyal to.

Qin Ming specially gave him a break, allowing him to skip the two-week training camp at the Great Soul Arena, and delivered the information about the Star Luo Dai Family's White Tiger Martial Soul to his dormitory that same day.

Lu Mingfei opened it and took a look. As a military spirit data of a rival nation's royal family, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy had collected exceptionally detailed information on this subject.

The first few soul skills of the Dai family's White Tiger Martial Soul are the same as those of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex, all of which are fixed soul skills that have been selected from the best ones over generations. The first soul skill is White Tiger Protective Barrier, and the second soul skill is White Tiger Blazing Light Wave.

Judging from the first two soul skills alone, which enhance physical defense and provide ranged attacks, it is a standard powerful offensive turret configuration. Combined with the powerful strength of the White Tiger Martial Soul itself, it is indeed a well-rounded and balanced configuration.

No wonder Yu Tianheng verbally admitted defeat. In the early stages before he transformed into a dragon, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon might not have been much stronger than the White Tiger Martial Soul.

However, in Lu Mingfei's opinion, the opponent was much easier to deal with than the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex. The White Tiger Martial Soul was ultimately outmatched in four out of five dimensions, resulting in a disadvantage in speed.

This is a common problem with this type of balanced build: it doesn't have any standout features. Not to mention that its speed is enough to kite its opponent to death, Dragon's Might and Sovereign's Flame alone could easily break through the opponent's double defense.

Now he only has one thing to consider: how to prevent the opponent from losing too badly. Otherwise, if the opponent gets desperate and sends a few 007 agents to use their charms on him, he's really afraid he won't be able to withstand it.

"Forget it, let's not think about it too much. Let's focus on cultivation first." Lu Mingfei sighed. Things had come to this point, and he couldn't control how things would develop from here. He would just have to take it one step at a time.

"Speaking of which, this incident seems to be related to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School again. Is Ning Fengzhi planning something?"

Lu Mingfei scratched his head, unable to figure out what the diplomatic relations between the two countries had to do with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Did the Star Luo Empire dare to disrespect the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School? Without the support of the Haotian Sect, shouldn't the Star Luo Empire be trying its best to curry favor with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School?

Besides, what important matter could possibly require the Star Luo's prospective crown prince to be sent on a mission? Surely it's not to discuss a joint attack on the Spirit Hall?

-

The time was thirteen days later, on a slightly hot and uneventful evening.

As the sun set, the lukewarm, boiled egg slowly sank into the walls of Tiandou City. Armored in black, as black as ink, carrying the White Tiger battle flag, a black, exquisitely crafted soul-guided carriage slowly drove into the Tiandou Imperial City. The scattered sunset shone on the black paint, reflecting a matte finish, making the onlookers feel heavy-hearted.

The unresolved issues between the Heavenly Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire are now irretrievable. Even today, conflicts frequently erupt in the border region, and the people of both countries harbor mutual hostility.

If it weren't for the Heavenly Dou Royal Guard directing traffic when the Star Luo Empire's delegation entered the city yesterday, they probably would have been pelted with vegetable leaves.

Accompanied by the three education committee members, Lu Mingfei, Yu Tianheng, and Dugu Yan traveled together in two carriages from the academy to Tiandou City, right behind the Xingluo delegation.

It must be said that this Crown Prince of Xingluo is really bold. He is practically the crown prince in the making, yet he still dares to risk his life to enter the capital of an enemy country. In terms of courage, he is far superior to the shady Xue Qinghe who only pretends to be wise and secretly poisons people.

"Lu Mingfei, your suit is quite nice." Yu Tianheng was wearing his own blue outfit representing the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Clan today, and he was immediately impressed when he saw Lu Mingfei's suit, which seemed to have been modified.

Dugu Yan actually had the same feeling, and was thinking about when to get a few sets for Yu Tianheng to see.

"We're going to take action soon, so I altered my dress to be a little looser and removed the tail to avoid getting in the way," Lu Mingfei said quietly to the two men as he stepped down from the carriage and glanced at the Xingluo delegation ahead.

To be honest, it's all Xue Qinghe's fault. He made me rush around without taking responsibility for my costume. The key is that I can't leave the academy at will, so I had to ask Li Lan to run errands. She took my measurements and quickly sent it to the tailor shop to have a costume made urgently.

The suit he was wearing was actually a modified version of the traditional tailcoat here, with the single-breasted design inspired by Lu Mingze's suit.

He had always wanted such a set, but it cost several hundred yuan, so his aunt didn't care. Sure enough, once he put it on, it was much more comfortable than any shabby dress.

While the three were chatting, three figures alighted from the carriage of the Star Luo Empire.

Leading the group was a middle-aged tough man with black hair and black eyes, dressed in a black suit, with a resolute face and a military air. Following him was a young man with blond hair and purple eyes, long hair flowing down his back, exuding a lazy aura, yet also carrying the dignity of a superior. Finally, a beautiful young woman appeared, wearing a black dress, tall and extremely voluptuous, with pale skin and a smiling face.

The three were the representatives of the Star Luo Envoy: Envoy Zhu Tianxiang, Prince Davis, and Princess Zhu Zhuyun.

"My God, wasn't it said that the Crown Prince's Consort of Xingluo was only fourteen? This figure is even better than that of Asahina Mikuru." Lu Mingfei was greatly amazed. Although he had read in the information that the Zhu family of Xingluo produced many beautiful women, this level of beauty was beyond Lu Mingfei's limited imagination.

However, upon thinking about the other person's age, Lu Mingfei immediately snapped back to reality and cried out in disgust. The other person was only a junior high school student; it was too beastly of him to think that way.

Even Yu Tianheng, who had an icy expression like an old monk all day, was momentarily stunned, but was quickly brought back to his senses by Dugu Yan blocking his view.

Lu Mingfei turned his gaze to the bickering couple and chuckled inwardly. Although Dugu Yan was undoubtedly the academy's recognized beauty, she had to admit that she was slightly inferior in terms of large breasts.

Just then, Xue Qinghe also appeared. He had received the news when the delegation left and was waiting here in advance. Since the Star Luo Prince was visiting, the Heaven Dou Prince should naturally receive him.

Unfortunately, the avalanche was of little use, so the crown prince had to take matters into his own hands.

When the three members of the Xingluo delegation saw that Xue Qinghe had come to greet them personally, they did not put on any airs. After all, they were just subjects and princes of Xingluo, and the reception from the Tiandou Empire was already giving them enough face.

The groups of people were not far apart, but they did not greet or introduce themselves to each other, as the occasion was inappropriate and it would be impolite to do so.

However, Lu Mingfei noticed that the guy named Davis nodded and smiled in their direction, probably recognizing Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan.

"Damn, Senior Yu Tianheng, did you see that? That guy is flirting with your girlfriend!" Lu Mingfei seized the opportunity to fan the flames.

If Yu Tianheng could fight the other side, things would be much easier for him today.

Chapter 58 The Banquet

"How can this be tolerated? This is intolerable!"