Dugu Bo's Farewell, Plans for a Chamber of Commerce

"Isn't this Mr. Dugu? What brings you here today, Yuxing, to see me?"

"Brother Xue Xing, the way you're talking makes it sound like I only come to see you when there's nothing wrong."

"Haha, as a titled prince, Mr. Dugu naturally prioritizes cultivation. It is only natural that he would not come."

Regardless of what Prince Xue Xing was thinking, his words were like a gentle breeze to Dugu Bo.

Prince Xue Xing spoke, he looked at Dugu Bo's face and exclaimed, "I have already heard from my subordinates about Mr. Dugu regaining his youth. Now that I see him, it seems that his skills have greatly improved!"

"Brother Xue Xing, you flatter me. Actually, I have important business to attend to today."

Upon hearing Dugu Bo's words, Prince Xue Xing appeared outwardly calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

"Oh? Could you tell me the details? If there are any problems, I will do my best to help Mr. Dugu resolve them!"

Upon hearing this, Dugu Bo shook his head and said, "Actually, my so-called regaining of youth is not due to any improvement in my skills, but rather... the work of a stronger person whose strength surpasses mine."

Dugu Bo spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "He used this favor to ask me to serve him."

Prince Xue Xing frowned immediately and slammed his hand on the table. "Isn't this taking advantage of a favor? Mr. Dugu, there's no need for you to hold back! You have no reason to agree to something like this! If you want to refuse him, I will do everything in my power to help you!"

"No, Brother Xue Xing, you misunderstand. I am not an enemy of that powerful figure. Although he made such a request, he did not insist after I explained that I was currently working for you. In return, he asked me to convey his conditions to you."

"To convey his conditions to me?"

Prince Xue Xing was somewhat confused. Even if the mysterious expert was making demands, he should have made them to Dugu Bo. Why was he being dragged into it?

Dugu Bo gazed intently at Prince Xue Xing for a moment, then said in a low voice, "He has already seen through Xue Beng's deliberate pretense of being a playboy."

Prince Xue Xing's pupils contracted, and he appeared extremely shocked.

The political intrigue in Douluo isn't particularly sophisticated.

This is because the existence of Soul Master has led to a long-term stagnation in social development and an abnormally solidified class structure.

It is said that no dynasty in the world lasts more than three hundred years, but look at the Douluo Continent. The Star Luo Empire lasted for tens of thousands of years. If the Heaven Dou Empire had not had problems with its royal family, it would probably have lasted for just as long.

The fact that the nobles and royalty of ten thousand years ago remained nobles and royalty ten thousand years later is enough to illustrate how severe their class stratification was.

Forget about solidification, it's completely diamond-like!

You see, Soul Master, as the ruling class, don't need to learn management or political skills. As long as they can inherit Martial Soul, they can occupy a high position. They spend most of their study time improving their Martial Soul.

If the common people live for ten thousand years, they will still be farming. They will not have experienced any compulsory education or enlightenment. They will remain common people.

Ten thousand years have passed, and power struggles still only occur within a few families that are related by marriage. There is neither the soil nor the need for any new power plays or schemes to develop.

So Prince Xue Xing's practice of "supporting a puppet" may not seem like a big deal to modern people, but it was a groundbreaking new approach in the Douluo Continent. He never thought that his secret would be discovered so easily!

Prince Xue Xing's hand trembled slightly.

He looked at Dugu Bo, a growing suspicion forming in his heart: 'I only told a very limited number of people about Xue Beng being my pawn, about him disguising himself as Xue Beng playboy, and none of them would betray me. Only... Dugu Bo! He didn't serve me because I had leverage over him, but because of a debt of gratitude! Is it really as Dugu Bo said, that he was forcibly treated and then used it to blackmail me? Is it possible that he actually sought treatment voluntarily and then revealed the details about me afterwards? Was he saying this specifically to warn me not to take advantage of his kindness? To warn me not to push my luck; he's already done enough for me!?'

"Brother Xue Xing?" Dugu Bo asked in surprise.

"Huh? Ah."

Prince Xue Xing snapped out of his daze, put his hands behind his back, silently wiped the sweat from his palms, and smiled, "I'm just a little surprised. Who is that mysterious expert? Since he's recognized by you, Mr. Dugu, he must be a titled prince. It's quite astonishing that a titled prince would pay attention to the affairs of a mere prince like myself."

Dugu Bo replied, "Brother Xue Xing, you must have heard of this person's name. He is— Heaven-Grade Assassin!"

Heaven-Grade Assassin!

Prince Xue Xing's hand trembled again!

Prince Xue Xing could not possibly have been unaware of this assassin who struck fear into the hearts of countless nobles, who feared for their lives at any moment.

Rumors circulate that this Heaven-Grade Assassin actually only possesses the strength of Soul Douluo, but has mastered some special techniques that allow him to roam freely among Soul Douluo.

But today, judging from Dugu Bo's words, he directly denied this rumor.

'That Heaven-Grade Assassin is actually Titled Douluo?! A Titled Douluo assassin whose whereabouts are even unknown to the Spirit Hall, this... this!'

Prince Xue Xing's expression froze instantly, especially when he thought of his earlier boastful words that he would do his best to help Dugu Bo deal with the other party, and cold sweat poured down his face.

He hurriedly asked, "So... what conditions did that Heaven-Grade Assassin propose?"

Prince Xue Xing himself was unaware that his tone had become much more cautious, as if he were reporting to a Heaven-Grade Assassin.

Dugu Bo then recounted what You Chen had said: that Xue Beng had most likely become a pig after pretending to be one, and the suggestion to educate and reform him.

"He wants to repay the kindness you showed me, Brother Xue Xing, in exchange for your permission to use some of my resources. Of course, that Heaven-Grade Assassin also agrees that this matter involves your grand plan, Brother Xue Xing, and it's understandable that you don't want him to get involved directly. If that's the case, he promises to provide some assistance in your future struggle against Xue Qinghe."

Upon hearing this, Prince Xue Xing calmed down.

He initially thought these "conditions" were a threat, but now it seems quite the opposite—it's an indication of an alliance.

He finally broke free from the fear of "a Titled Douluo assassin who could kill him at any moment lurking around him," recalled the past experience of the Heaven-Grade Assassin, and understood the meaning behind these sincere words.

However, after overcoming his fear, Prince Xue Xing developed resentment towards the Heaven-Grade Assassin and Dugu Bo.

This seemingly friendly request for an alliance also implicitly contains a sense of threat.

' Heaven-Grade Assassin could see through Xue Beng's disguise, how could I not see it? As a chess player, I don't need him to succeed at all. In fact, I'd rather he be a useless pig!'

His gaze towards Dugu Bo also became subtly unsettling: ' That Heaven-Grade Assassin, he's forcing me to make a choice! Either I relinquish Xue Beng as a pawn and turn it into his own, or he backs down, but I'll have to relinquish Dugu Bo ... And does Dugu Bo truly not know this?'

Both conditions appear to be helpful to him, but in reality, only the latter is a pure promise of help, while the former is an interference with his plans!

To directly interfere in modifying his most important puppet ruler is such an outrageous demand. After all this, they still want him to relinquish Dugu Bo? It's practically forcing him to turn against them!

In contrast, the second one was just a flimsy promise.

Therefore, it is only natural that there is something fishy hidden beneath the surface of these words.

The only person whose status is comparable to that of the puppet emperor is Dugu Bo, a Titled Douluo and his guest advisor!

Therefore, it is clear that the former's so-called "permission" is most likely just empty talk.

On the surface, there was "partial permission to dispatch Dugu Bo," but the crucial "partiality" was determined by Xue Xing! Theoretically, he could have easily evaded the issue in various ways.

Unless Heaven-Grade Assassin truly intends to abandon Xue Beng as a pawn, they won't turn against him. After all, the effectiveness of Xue Beng largely depends on his network of connections on Xue Xing.

Conversely, if the Xue Beng didn't exist as a battlefield for both sides to continue their power struggle, and the Heaven-Grade Assassin had no scruples, would Xue Xing dare to arbitrarily block the other side's control over Dugu Bo? Wouldn't he be afraid of losing sleep at night?

What would happen if Prince Xue Xing hadn't understood the hidden meaning? Would the alliance simply fall apart, or... would the other side come to assassinate him?

If Prince Xue Xing put himself in his shoes, he would most likely continue with the next round of bargaining negotiations.

However, he wasn't sure how to handle this Heaven-Grade Assassin.

Before Dugu Bo introduced himself as knowing the Heaven-Grade Assassin, Prince Xue Xing thought that the Heaven-Grade Assassin was a completely reckless madman!

In retrospect, he was not as completely insane as he appeared, but rather a rational person with whom one could communicate.

But how exactly?

He has not met the person in question and cannot make a judgment.

Most importantly... he cherishes his life.

In a daze, Prince Xue Xing seemed to hear a strange voice whispering in his ear.

"Choose one: either hand over the most important pawn of imperial power to the emperor, or relinquish the power you cannot control and return it to someone who can manipulate it better."

The two options are obvious trade-offs of similar value.

Imperial power and strength.

He chose...

Prince Xue Xing forced a smile at Dugu Bo, "It's not that I don't trust the education level of the Heaven-Grade Assassin, but Mr. Dugu should also know that the Heaven-Grade Assassin is currently wanted by the Spirit Hall and should not show his face in public, right? I think that a promise from the Heaven-Grade Assassin is enough to make my heart surge and feel extremely excited. Mr. Dugu... let's drink to how we have been able to get along so well all these years."

He chose imperial power.

He felt that Dugu Bo's heart was no longer with him. Since that was the case, it was better to part ways peacefully, maintain mutual dignity, preserve the relationship, and allow for the possibility of reconnecting and cooperating in the future than to force someone who had already decided to leave.

Dugu Bo also smiled.

Just as he was unwilling to betray Prince Xue Xing, he also did not want to betray You Chen.

Now, he is finally free from the dilemma of being torn between the two sides.

Dugu Bo didn't consider was that, in his eyes, the promise of a Titled Douluo was of immense weight, and with You Chen's displayed strength and intelligence, he was already ashamed of his own inferiority. Such a promise from a powerful figure was absolutely invaluable.

But in the eyes of someone from an imperial family like Prince Xue Xing, only profit matters. A promise is nothing but an empty check; how can it compare to a real Titled Douluo?

His reply was entirely reluctant and unwilling, given under the guise of a killer's reputation.

"Just as you said, Brother Xue Xing thanked me very happily and then told me to follow you."

Back at the mansion, Dugu Bo said to You Xing with a cheerful expression.

"That would be a win-win situation for everyone."

You Xing patted Dugu Bo on the shoulder. "From now on, work hard for me, Brother Dugu."

You Xing had anticipated this development.

He wasn't a mind reader for Prince Xue Xing, but he knew that the emperors and nobles of the Douluo Continent had a common problem: prioritizing interests over emotions.

Prince Xue Xing would never place absolute trust in Dugu Bo.

However, if one approaches this problem by weighing the pros and cons, one cannot avoid a crucial issue—one's own life and property.

In particular, the fact that he had never directly communicated with a Heaven-Grade Assassin- Heaven-Grade Assassin face-to-face amplified the mystery surrounding them and the resulting fear.

In a sense, this is also the effect of the reputation brought about by You Xing's previous series of assassinations, which could be described as terrorist attacks.

Given that their interests were aligned and the other party had shown a friendly attitude, Prince Xue Xing felt there was no need to deliberately provoke them.

This kind of fear is something that Dugu Bo, who has only experienced the direct combat power of You Xing and has never worried about being assassinated by a Soul Douluo assassin because he was confident in his Titled Douluo, could not understand.

"Brother Chen, I've already spoken to Yan Yan about it. So, what's next..."

Dugu Bo finally voiced his doubts. "What exactly do you want me to do for you?"

You Xing glanced at Dugu Bo, then took out a map from his Storage Soul Tool.

He reached out and swept down from Heaven Dou City, across the Cataclysm Mountain Range of the Cataclysm Mountain Range, and straight into the territory of the Star Luo Empire.

He said, "I want to open up a trade route that leads directly to the Tiandou Empire and Star Luo Empire, and you are... well, the backer of this trade guild."

Dugu Bo's lips twitched. My brother, you weren't thinking of calling them thugs, were you?

However, why would a chamber of commerce require a Titled Douluo to act as guarantor?

Seeing Dugu Bo's doubts, You Xing continued, "The scale of the chamber of commerce I want to develop is destined to clash with the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce. In this situation, if there isn't even a single Titled Douluo publicly supporting me, I'm afraid I'll be swallowed up by the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce very soon."

"Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!?"

Dugu Bo opened his mouth in astonishment and asked, "Brother Chen, this... at your level, compared to some wealth, encountering the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is clearly not worth it."

You Xing glanced at Dugu Bo speechlessly. "Where do you think all my research results came from? They were all bought with money! Because spreading the rumors about Bibi Dong's romantic affairs cost too much, now forget about research, my organization is even running into a deficit. I can't afford to not raise money. Besides—"

You Xing grinned. "It's about making a fortune off the Soul Arena Beasts, going from the shadows to the light. The SkyNet is a thing of the past. With so many people around, I can't just let it rot away, can I? Without so many informants, I'm a bit clueless about the world now. Otherwise, why do you think I need to ask you about the rumors Bibi Dong?"

"Is that so?"

Dugu Bo felt that You Xing was hiding some details from him, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong with his words.

You Xing said, "Didn't I tell you that Prince Xue Xing and I are going to form an alliance? This is one of the steps. Doesn't Xue Qinghe have the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce Guild backing him? Now he has us. We're completely mutually beneficial. I'll use his connections and reputation to make money and reopen my intelligence network, while he'll get my support and priority access to my goods. Believe me, this is definitely a win-win situation for him. Besides, you can continue to stay in touch with your brother Xue Xing. Isn't that great?"

Dugu Bo could not find any fault with You Xing's words.

"But..."

Dugu Bo suddenly said with a hint of resentment, "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is one of the Upper Three Sects. Not to mention the large number of people and the strength of its core forces, just its top combat power alone includes two Super Douluo and one of the continent's number one support Soul Sage. You want me to deal with them? Are you serious?"

You Xing waved his hand and said, "It's just a platform, it's not as scary as you make it out to be. We're all here to do business, not Fallen Soul Master. What would it look like if we started fighting? Wouldn't that scare away all the customers? Even if there is a conflict, at most they'll beat you up, it's no big deal."

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes slightly. "But if I remember correctly, I'm the one who's supposed to get beaten up, right?"

You, Dugu Bo, can sneer at me with your squinting eyes, but I You Xing, can't?

You Xing squinted back at him. "If they really intend to beat you up, just say you have someone backing you. Once you get beaten up, I'll come straight to your door and beat them up for you. That should be fine, right?!"

Dugu Bo immediately smiled happily, "Well, then there's no problem."

Just kidding, getting beaten up is nothing! As the "weakest Douluo," it's not the first time he's been thrashed by other Titled Douluo! The key is... someone can get revenge for him!

'Damn, what's with this overwhelming sense of security?'

Dugu Bo suddenly had a question.

"How exactly to implement it will require you and my advisors to discuss it thoroughly. But before that..."

You Xing suddenly looked into the distance. "Shouldn't we bring your beloved granddaughter back first?"