A thief's guilty conscience
The news that Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo were about to go out was obtained by Tang Shang through private inquiries, and the possibility of it being a setup is very small.
But Sea Horse Douluo still couldn't understand why things were so strange.
The moment he conceived a wicked idea, Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo voluntarily made room for him; this was far too coincidental.
Tang Shang looked slightly embarrassed, touched his nose, and said, "Your Majesty, is it possible that you're feeling guilty?"
"During a theft, the slightest disturbance will alert the thief, making them suspicious and paranoid. But if the thief wasn't stealing, but instead invited by the Master to tour the treasure vault, would they still be so suspicious and attentive to the slightest noise around them?"
Sea Horse Douluo frowned.
That's the logic, but he still felt uneasy.
However, under Tang Shang's persuasion, Sea Horse Douluo attributed it to his upright conduct in the first half of his life and his high status on Sea God Island. When the thought of stealing arose for the first time, he felt some instinctive resistance.
After taking several deep breaths, the Sea Horse Douluo's resistance gradually dissipated. He said, "Keep a close eye on Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo's movements. The moment they leave Heaven Dou City, we'll make our move."
On the Sun Moon Continent, Wu Qi awaited Hunter.
Hunter had assumed that the other party had encountered great trouble on this continent, or faced a situation that was difficult to handle.
He was furious when he learned from Wu Qi that he was to take Zhao Chenggong and Wu Qingtian back to the Douluo Continent using spatial means.
"I put aside my work and spent a long time getting here. You're treating me like a carriage?"
Traveling tens of thousands of miles just to take away two insignificant people—to send someone like him, Quasi-God, is beyond using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!
Wu Qi chuckled dryly and explained, "These two are important talents I've discovered; bringing them back will be useful to me. Besides your spatial abilities, I can't think of a faster or safer way."
Hunter glanced at the two and said, "A Soul Master of level ten or so and a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, what kind of talents are they?"
Even if you control a lot of resources, you can't waste them like this.
Wu Qi straightened his expression and said, "This is a one-time exception; there will be no next time."
Hunter cursed the other party inwardly for being unreliable, but given Wu Qi's noble status, he had no choice but to obey.
"Bringing three people at once is a bit stressful for me. This trip will take several days or even longer, so please be mentally prepared."
Wu Qi nodded, adding, "Try to go to Heaven Dou City first."
He didn't know if Dugu Bo and the others had dealt with Sea Horse Douluo and his group. If not, he could clean up the mess.
Furthermore, he had already decided to groom Wu Qingtian as the Gathering Righteousness Sect's successor, so naturally he had to send him to the sect for training.
Heaven Dou City, Dugu Bo and his group's plans did not disappoint Wu Qi.
Early that morning, Dugu Bo deliberately revealed his whereabouts when leaving the city, and bumped into Sea Horse Douluo.
Sea Horse Douluo said enthusiastically, "Brother Dugu, it's been a while since we last met. You're the host this noon."
Before he could finish speaking, Dugu Bo interrupted him, his expression slightly anxious, "I have important business to attend to and must go on a long journey. Brother Sea Horse, don't wander around for a while. Stay in Heaven Dou City and await His Majesty's orders."
Without waiting for a reply, Dugu Bo hurriedly left the city.
Sea Horse Douluo was immediately overjoyed.
According to the intelligence he had gathered, Ning Fengzhi had already left the city last night, Dugu Bo had also left the city this morning. It seemed that the previous intelligence was correct, and the two of them had indeed gone to the border for inspection.
With the Titled Douluo forces no longer present in Heaven Dou City, it is the perfect time to make a move.
Out of caution, and to ensure that Dugu Bo and Ning Fengzhi were far enough away that they could not possibly turn back to provide support, Sea Horse Douluo waited for two whole days.
Meanwhile, during this period, Sea Horse Douluo received a major task from Xue Qinghe: to arrange for the group of Soul Master from Sea God Island to leave Heaven Dou City.
We'll reunite with him once he succeeds.
Even if the Heaven Dou Empire later discovers that this matter is related to Sea God Island, so what?
Back then, the Spirit Hall dispatched many Titled Douluo, but they still couldn't gain an advantage against Sea God Island. With Sword Bone Douluo and Dugu Bo alone, there was no way they could defeat Sea God Island.
Not to mention, most of the Heaven Dou Empire tied down by the Star Luo Empire, making it impossible for them to open up new battlefields.
In Sea Horse Douluo's view, he had condescended to do so many things for the Heaven Dou Empire, so what did taking the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud matter? It was just the reward he deserved.
After some self-encouragement, Sea Horse Douluo gradually calmed down and no longer felt uneasy or anxious about the impending theft.
According to the Duke Connor, the Imperial Family Treasury has two entrances.
One of the rooms connected to Xue Qinghe's study made it virtually impossible to access the treasure vault from there.
The Imperial Palace was heavily guarded; at the slightest sign of trouble, the Royal Knights stationed outside the city would rush to the emperor's aid. While Sea Horse Douluo was indeed Titled Douluo, he dared not truly engage the elite Royal Knights in battle.
The Heaven Dou Empire has no directly subordinate Titled Douluo, yet it has been able to stand firm on the continent for many years. It's hard to say that there aren't any powerful figures in the Royal Knights who can rival Titled Douluo.
The other entrance/exit was much less heavily guarded than the Imperial Palace, and it was the only chance.
Sea Horse Douluo didn't know how big the Empire Treasury was, but judging from the distribution of the entrances and exits, the two places were several miles apart. One could imagine how big the underground labyrinth was and how many treasures the Heaven Dou Royal Family had hidden!
But he never doubted whether Duke Connor's location of the treasure vault was true or false.
The so-called other exit was a relatively deserted corner within Heaven Dou City. No one lived there; there were only a few collapsed houses, making it resemble an abandoned street.
However, there were many guards patrolling the area, which further solidified Sea Horse Douluo's resolve.
He didn't wait until dark; instead, he decided to act during the day.
Firstly, he was not familiar with the terrain of Heaven Dou City.
Sneaking in at night could certainly delay being discovered by the guards. However, his vision would be obstructed in the dark, and if he wandered around the city, he would be in trouble if he got surrounded.
Secondly, the guards will be more vigilant at night, making it less easy to succeed; it's better to act during the day and catch the guards off guard.
The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.
Xue Qinghe, Dugu Bo, Ning Fengzhi, and others sat together in the hall.
With Dugu Bo's strength, he could easily conceal his aura from being detected by Sea Horse Douluo.
This was a trap they had set; how could they possibly leave Heaven Dou City?
Sea Horse Douluo's whereabouts had long been discovered, and guards frequently came to the Imperial Study to report.
"I was worried he wouldn't act easily, but I didn't expect him to be such an impatient fellow," Dugu Bo snorted.
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly, "Sect Master Dugu, do as I say, and none of us will be exposed. As for His Majesty, it's best not to get involved in this matter, lest that guy resort to desperate measures."