Dugu Bo cast a casual glance at Xue Beng, who lay unconscious on the ground, and a trace of resignation flickered in his eyes. If he had not owed Prince Xue Xing a favor, he truly would not have wanted to get involved.
Prince Xue Xing briefly surveyed the scene before the stall and nodded to Xue Luochuan. With a slight lift of his hand, the guards behind him placed the gift boxes they were carrying before Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan.
"Young ladies, I have a general understanding of what happened. I have prepared these modest gifts as a token of apology. I hope you will accept them."
"Xue Beng was at fault today. Later, I will take him to see His Majesty in person and report everything truthfully. I believe His Majesty will certainly punish him accordingly and have him apologize to you both in person."
"What do you think, young ladies?"
Prince Xue Xing adopted a humble stance, looking at Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan for their answer.
There were two main reasons Prince Xue Xing had done so.
First, Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan had a Titled Douluo at their side.
Second, the imperial family was in the wrong.
Offending a Titled Douluo without cause, or offending a faction with a Titled Douluo among its ranks, was not a wise choice no matter how one looked at it.
Besides, Xue Beng had started this, so the bulk of the responsibility lay with him.
When there was a disparity in strength, the principle that might made right naturally meant whoever had the stronger fist was in the right. But if the other party had the standing to sit at the negotiating table, then who was actually in the right mattered a great deal.
Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan clearly had that standing.
After all, they already had one Titled Douluo openly at their side. Anyone who could have a Titled Douluo accompanying them certainly had a formidable background. There might even be more than one Titled Douluo backing them.
If either side abandoned reason and resorted to force, neither would benefit. Besides, what Xue Beng had done was neither a truly major offense nor a trivial one.
The best solution, naturally, was to make the matter smaller and then let it rest.
Bai Wanwan used a fingernail to lift a corner of the gift box and took a quick peek at its contents before withdrawing her hand. She said nothing, instead turning her gaze to Qian Renxue beside her.
The two exchanged a glance and instantly understood each other's thoughts.
They had reached the point where they could stop.
No matter how much further they tried to press the issue, this was about as much as they could get out of Xue Beng's offense.
Even if they brought the matter before Xue Ye, the outcome would be much the same as Prince Xue Xing's proposal, and they would also strain their relationship with the imperial family.
They still intended to establish themselves in Heaven Dou City. Making their relationship with the imperial family too hostile would do them no good.
As Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan remained silent, however, Prince Xue Xing's eyes darkened slightly. He thought the two were unwilling to let the matter end there.
Glancing at Moxiong, who had remained composed throughout, Prince Xue Xing said nothing. Instead, he shot Dugu Bo a look, asking him to help.
Noticing Prince Xue Xing's look, Dugu Bo turned his gaze to Moxiong without betraying his thoughts. The idea of forcibly taking Xue Beng away flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
He had been a Titled Douluo for decades, yet his strength had remained at rank ninety-one. He had fought other Titled Douluo, but in battles at that level, he had hardly ever won. A draw was the best he had managed.
He could not gauge Moxiong's strength. Acting rashly might not gain him any advantage and could even leave him at a loss. Besides, clashing head-on with a Titled Douluo over trouble caused by a spoiled wastrel was hardly wise.
After much deliberation.
Dugu Bo slowly spoke. "Young lady, I am Dugu Bo. Would you do this old man a favor and let this matter rest?"
Moxiong eyed Dugu Bo sidelong. Though he said nothing, he truly did not think much of him.
As for doing him a favor, that depended entirely on the mood of the two young women behind Moxiong. If they were in a good mood, they might oblige Dugu Bo. If not, his name would carry little weight.
Titled Douluo were indeed among the continent's strongest experts, but their Elder Hall had more than a dozen such experts. Above it, the Worship Hall had another seven whose Soul Power was at rank ninety-six or higher.
In other words, an ordinary person might be able to call on a top expert at the Titled Douluo level, but Qian Renxue and Bai Wanwan behind Moxiong could summon the very strongest among those top experts.
"Since you have spoken, Senior Poison Douluo, we will naturally oblige. But His Highness the Fourth Prince won't bear a grudge over this and come looking for trouble with us, will he?"
Qian Renxue lightly tapped the gift box before her, her slender, phoenix-shaped eyes turning toward Prince Xue Xing.
"He certainly will not."
"I can guarantee that."
Prince Xue Xing spoke with absolute certainty.
This was indeed something he could guarantee.
If Xue Beng dared to trouble someone accompanied by a Titled Douluo again, he would have to be out of his mind.
"With your assurance, Prince Xue Xing, we can rest easy."
"Wanwan, let's head back. After such a long journey, it's time we got some rest."
Qian Renxue rose from her seat.
"All right~"
Bai Wanwan answered and slipped her arm through Qian Renxue's, walking with her toward the street ahead.
Moxiong followed closely, but always remained half a step behind them.
Noticing this detail, Xue Luochuan, who stood beside Prince Xue Xing, had a sharp gleam flicker in his eyes.
Half a step behind-a small gesture, yet one that revealed a great deal. Remaining half a step behind someone was usually a subordinate's way of showing respect to a superior.
That meant this Titled Douluo was not their elder, but their subordinate.
If even the subordinate tasked with protecting them was a top expert at the Titled Douluo level, their elders certainly could not be weak. There was even a strong chance that they, too, were Titled Douluo.
The gleam in Xue Luochuan's eyes soon faded. He waved to the two guards beside him. "Help Fourth Brother up. We're returning to the Imperial Palace."
"Uncle, will you be returning to the Imperial Palace with us?"
Prince Xue Xing shook his head slightly. "I need to speak with Brother Dugu first. You go on ahead. I will go to the Imperial Palace later and inform His Majesty of this matter."
"Then we'll head back first, Uncle."
Xue Luochuan gave a slight bow and walked ahead.
After they left, Prince Xue Xing approached Dugu Bo and asked quietly, "Brother Dugu, do you know that Titled Douluo? Which faction do they belong to?"
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