Dai Weisi's Eye for Talent

Zhou Qing, Tang San, and Xiao Wu.

Dai Mubai hated the three guys who had given him a good beating last night.

Especially Zhou Qing!

That bastard even flirted with his fiancée, which is even more despicable!

Originally, Dai Mubai wasn't interested in Zhong Dingxiu's discussion at all. After all, his purpose in coming out with the Star Luo Royal Academy Team was simply to confirm the specific escape route.

However, Dai Mubai did not believe that he would definitely run away; he was just... planning out a few more escape routes for himself in advance.

But now!

Zhong Dingxiu was analyzing Team Eighteen, even showing considerable admiration for the three guys who beat him up, while Dai Weisi seemed inclined to recruit them as well...

This is absolutely unacceptable!

Despite Dai Mubai's belief that the competition within the royal family was unfair—that he was too young to ever beat Dai Weisi, who was six years his senior—Dai Mubai still believed the competition was unfair.

but.

Eight-year-old Dai Mubai actually had a tiny bit of a desire for the throne.

After all, there are three princes in the Star Luo Empire. The second prince and the children of the Zhu Family do not have innate Martial Soul reactions and are automatically excluded.

Dai Mubai is the Third Prince. If he really didn't want to compete, it would be simple.

Give up cultivation—the kind of complete abandonment.

The fierce competition in the Star Luo Empire is aimed at creating a "Hell White Tiger" that can lead the Star Luo Empire to conquer the entire Douluo world, through the principle of "two tigers cannot share one mountain".

But if one of the selected parties is a "sick cat," then the competition becomes meaningless.

Dai Mubai's current behavior shows that he is both ambitious for the next Star Luo Empire Emperor's throne and feels that this competition method is extremely unfair.

Currently, Dai Mubai faces only one situation:

He simply knew he couldn't win the argument!

Just because he can't win doesn't mean he's willing to give up or let his older brother recruit more talent; that would make his chances even slimmer.

"Your His Royal Highness the Prince, do not underestimate anyone in the world," Zhong Dingxiu admonished. "Besides your personal strength, you also need to improve in other areas."

"I know, you don't have to say it every time, it's so annoying." Dai Mubai said impatiently.

"Mu Bai!"

Dai Weisi said in a calm voice, "Apologize to the elder!"

Dai Mubai immediately shuddered, straightened his back, Bowing Body, and apologized to Zhong Dingxiu.

"It's alright. The Third Prince is young and a little mischievous; it's just his nature." Zhong Dingxiu said expressionlessly, then started talking about Team Eighteen. "That Romantina is also quite good. She has a very rare Spirit System Martial Soul. If we can subdue her together, she may play an unexpected role in the future."

"I'm afraid she can't do it." Dai Weisi shook his head.

Before joining a specific faction, Soul Master are free individuals. Only those with ability and a desire for wealth, beauty, power, and status are eligible to choose between the Heaven Dou, Star Luo Empire, and Spirit Hall factions.

Once you have truly chosen to join one of these three major forces, you must not betray them, otherwise you will be cursed and despised by all the Soul Master on the continent.

Romanyac is a nobleman of Heaven Dou. Although his title is low, he still has the status of a nobleman, which has been passed down through generations. He is also the deputy city lord of Nuoding City and holds an official position.

Similarly, as Romantina is Romanyac's only daughter, she will inevitably inherit this identity in the future.

If she chooses to join Star Luo Empire, it would be a betrayal of Heaven Dou!

Unless Romanyac committed a grave error, or her father did something foolish and was stripped of his title and official rank...

Um?

Dai Weisi suddenly remembered that they came to this small Nuoding City because they heard about the Soul Bone and learned about Dales's plan from Falling Star City. So they wasted a little time coming here to add fuel to the fire and make their next move.

He hadn't expected that such an excellent Soul Master could exist in this small Nuoding City, so much so that he almost forgot the purpose of his visit.

"It seems that His Royal Highness the First Prince has come to a decision."

Zhong Dingxiu's satisfaction was evident. "Among Team Eighteen, apart from Mo Hen and Wang Sheng, who are just there to make up the numbers, and Miss Zhu Zhuqing, who is from the Spirit Cat Family, the other four can all be recruited."

"If they are too proud to join Star Luo Empire immediately, then with the friendship between Miss Zhu Zhuqing and them, it won't be too late to extend an olive branch when they experience the hardships of Commoner Soul Master in the future."

Dai Weisi knew all this, but still bowed and thanked him, saying, "It's all thanks to Elder Zhong's excellent teaching."

Dai Mubai witnessed all of this and felt that Zhong Dingxiu and Dai Weisi were extremely hypocritical. Then, when he saw Zhu Zhuyun using her younger sister as a bargaining chip to win over others, he felt nothing. His heart turned cold again: No wonder she is Dai Weisi's fiancée, just as utilitarian as him!

"Let's go watch the game together this afternoon," Dai Weisi ordered, noticing Dai Mubai's uncertain expression.

"But the injuries on my face haven't healed yet, and it would damage the Royal Family dignity." Dai Mubai didn't want to meet Zhou Qing, Tang San, and Xiao Wu from Team 18. He might be Taunt and laughed at by those country bumpkins. Moreover, he didn't want to show Zhu Zhuqing his swollen face after being beaten up.

"A real man sheds blood, not tears. It's just a minor injury, and you're too ashamed to go out and face people? Are you some delicate princess?" Dai Weisi scolded. "Hiding it is the most shameful thing!"

"Yes···"

Dai Mubai trembled, his eyes filled with anger, but he still gritted his teeth and agreed.

He would be resentful if he lost to Dai Weisi, but he wouldn't dare say anything in front of Dai Weisi. After all, he was only eight years old, far less mature than the fifteen-year-old Dai Mubai in the original work, and was still at the stage of expressing his inner emotions on his face.

"Alright, everyone, let's go have lunch." With Dai Weisi's order, Dai Mubai immediately ran out, afraid that Dai Weisi would call him back again.

"That kid is really giving me a lot of trouble."

When only Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun remained in the room, Dai Weisi sighed Youyou, "The most troublesome attitude is wanting to compete but not wanting to compete."

If Dai Mubai really gave up and stopped cultivating, it would be fine. His Father Emperor wouldn't actually kill him, and he wouldn't need to compete with this kid in the future. The kid's engagement with Zhu Zhuqing could also be dissolved, and he could continue being his playboy.

But he continued to cultivate, which gave his Father Emperor the wrong impression:

Dai Mubai wants to compete!

[It might not be a misperception; this kid genuinely harbors the ambition to become the Star Luo Emperor... yet he possesses such a complex personality—a mixture of courage and cowardice.]

"I'm afraid my little sister Zhu Zhuqing will be dragged down by your brother." Zhu Zhuyun frowned.

"Elder Zhong brought us here to play a casual game, which also gave you and me a chance to keep Zhu Zhuqing alive, didn't it?" Dai Weisi reassured. "With Dai Mubai's mentality, he will never be able to compete with me in the future. If he really runs away one day, that would be even better. I can persuade Father Emperor more... Even if Father Emperor still has expectations for him, he will choose to give in for the sake of the future interests of the entire Star Luo Empire."

Zhu Zhuyun's brows relaxed slightly. "You forgot a premise, which is that Zhou Qing can really grow up and show his talent throughout the continent."

"With his talent, even if he doesn't accept Elder Zhong's invitation later, he will definitely be admitted to the Advanced Academy of the Heaven Dou Empire through special admissions in the future, and he will definitely participate in the continent-wide Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament."

Dai Weisi was extremely confident, saying, "We might even run into him then."

"However, this is also a side move. The specifics will depend on Zhu Zhuqing's attitude towards Zhou Qing and future developments: whether Dai Mubai will really run away."

If he's willing to stay in Star Luo City, then he's the best choice. We'll have no choice but to play the villain and force him and Zhu Zhuqing to be of one mind.

Zhu Zhuyun understood this as well, and said, "If Zhou Qing weren't here—even if Dai Mubai really ran away, I, as the older sister, would have to play the villain, forcing Zhu Zhuqing to go find Dai Mubai and guiding Dai Mubai there... Now it's just that we have one more option. But as you said, it still depends on Zhu Zhuqing's specific attitude towards Zhou Qing ..."

In the original novel, after Dai Mubai, he didn't tell Zhu Zhuqing where he went, but his whereabouts should have always been known to the emperor of the Star Luo Empire.

It's highly likely that Zhu Zhuqing's ability to find Shrek Academy was not a coincidence, but rather that she found Suotuo City, where Dai Mubai was, under the deliberate guidance of Zhu Zhuyun's subordinates.

The original text didn't say that Dai Mubai wouldn't need to compete with Dai Weisi if he didn't cultivate, but I think this setting is fine. After all, the competition for the Star Luo Empire throne should definitely produce a fierce tiger that can swallow mountains and rivers, rather than letting a powerful tiger kill a sick cat. That would be completely meaningless.

Royal competition is brutal, but it cannot be a form of torture, or at least a brutal one that is out in the open.

Therefore, I think that if Dai Mubai completely gives up on cultivation, he won't have to worry about his Life anymore and can still be a carefree prince. After all, his status as the Star Luo Empire Prince is there, and on the surface, apart from his brother and his parents, no one dares to Taunt him.

However, in the original novel, Dai Mubai wanted to compete for it, and even wanted the Shrek Seven Devils to join his camp...