If I Don't Fight Back, Will That Do?

The next day at noon, Heaven Dou Royal Hotel lobby.

"That's him!"

With one arm wrapped in bandages and hanging at his side, Xue Beng spotted Xuan Hao coming down the Steps and shrieked as though he had seen his father's killer, pointing at him. "Uncle! Mister Dugu! That little bastard broke my arm! He even insulted the Imperial Family!"

Prince Xue Xing followed his finger. When he saw the silver-haired boy holding a little girl's hand, looking utterly harmless, he froze.

This... this was a "boy"?

He was clearly still a toddler who had not even been weaned!

"Xue Beng..." Prince Xue Xing's mouth twitched as he lowered his voice. "Are you sure it was him? This child looks... at most eight or nine years old, doesn't he?"

"Uncle! You can't judge a book by its cover!" Xue Beng panicked. "This brat is downright bizarre! One glare from him and I dropped to my knees! And he's terrifyingly strong! Don't let his appearance fool you!"

Dugu Bo, standing beside them, looked alternately green and pale. His dark green eyes were full of speechless disbelief.

He was a dignified Titled Douluo. Xue Xing had urgently dragged him here, claiming he had run into a troublesome opponent and needed him to lend his presence.

And what was the result?

He had been brought here to bully a child under ten?

If word got out, would he have any dignity left? Could he still hold his head up among the Titled Douluos?

"Xue Xing." Dugu Bo gave him a cold glance. "Are you having fun at this Old Man's expense?"

"This..." Prince Xue Xing looked equally embarrassed, sweat beading on his forehead. "Please calm down, Mister Dugu. I... I was fooled by the child's appearance as well. But Xue Beng's arm really was broken by him, and this child truly is rather strange..."

"Since you're already here, could I trouble you to test him a little? At least find out which family he belongs to, so we know what we're dealing with."

Dugu Bo rolled his eyes.

Test him? How? Walk up and slap him?

If this got out, how could he continue to hold his head high in the Spirit Master World?

Still, he owed Xue Xing a favor. Dugu Bo sighed and could only step forward reluctantly, his cold eyes locking onto Xuan Hao.

"Boy."

With his hands behind his back, Dugu Bo assumed the pose of an unfathomable Senior Expert. "I heard... you look down on this Old Man's poison? You said my poison was garbage?"

Xuan Hao, who had been about to take Na'er out for a feast, stopped in bafflement. He stared blankly at the strange old man before him, whose hair, eyebrows, and even fingernails were all green.

"Who are you? Do I know you? Have we met?"

Dugu Bo's face darkened as he snorted. "This Old Man is Dugu Bo! Titled—Poison!"

"Dugu Bo? Poison Douluo?" Xuan Hao tilted his head and thought for a moment, then turned to Na'er. "Na'er, have you heard of him?"

Na'er shook her head blankly. "Nope. Gege, does he sell poison?"

"Pfft—"

Someone among the watching hotel guests failed to hold back a laugh.

Dugu Bo felt his blood pressure shoot through the roof. He turned and glared furiously at Prince Xue Xing.

Didn't you say this brat declared my poison a joke?!

He doesn't even know who I am!

Cold sweat poured down Prince Xue Xing's face as he guiltily avoided Dugu Bo's gaze.

He had only said that to stir up Dugu Bo's anger and make him act... Who could have known this brat would be so disrespectful that he had not even heard of the Poison Douluo?

Dugu Bo took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger.

This brat was not playing by the rules!

If he had been even a little arrogant and mocked him a few times, Dugu Bo could have gone along with it and attacked under the excuse of "teaching an ignorant junior a lesson."

But the boy wore such an innocent expression, as if he were asking, Who are you? Where am I? What am I doing? How was Dugu Bo supposed to make a move?

Still, since he was here, he could not just slink away in disgrace.

"Ahem."

Dugu Bo coughed twice and pointed at Xue Beng beside him. "Since you do not know this Old Man, we can set that matter aside for now. But yesterday, you beat up a prince in the street and broke the Fourth Prince's arm. Do you admit it?"

"I do." Xuan Hao nodded without hesitation.

"Since you admit it, apologize." Dugu Bo put on an air of being perfectly reasonable. "He is a prince, and you did strike him. Apologize, and we'll let the matter rest."

Xuan Hao blinked at Xue Beng. Without another word, he gave a slight bow and spoke sincerely.

"I'm sorry, Fourth Prince. I hit too hard yesterday. I didn't expect you to be so fragile. My apologies."

"..."

Dead Silence filled the hall.

Dugu Bo was completely dumbfounded.

That... that was it? He apologized just like that?

No, this was not how the script was supposed to go!

Shouldn't he have stubbornly declared, "He doesn't deserve an apology," or said, "He attacked first," then resisted with an unyielding look on his face?

With him being this cooperative, how was Dugu Bo supposed to continue?

The line he had painstakingly prepared—"Since you refuse to appreciate kindness, don't blame this Old Man for bullying the young"—was now completely wasted!

"Um... is there anything else?" Xuan Hao straightened and glanced at the still-stunned Dugu Bo, then at Prince Xue Xing, whose Facial Expression looked constipated. "If not, I'm taking my Younger Sister out to play. It's mealtime, and we're hungry."

Dugu Bo opened his mouth, only to realize that he had nothing to say.

The boy had admitted to hitting him, apologized, and even done so with such "sincerity."

If Dugu Bo kept pressing the matter, he would truly become an unreasonable old thug.

Just as Dugu Bo was about to find himself a way out and leave with the others—

"An apology? And that's it?!"

Xue Beng suddenly jumped out, pointing at Xuan Hao and roaring with a twisted expression. "You think an apology is enough to make this go away?! My arm is broken!"

"I want you to kneel! Kowtow and admit your mistake!!"

The moment those words left his mouth, Dugu Bo's face darkened.

Idiot!

Couldn't he quit while he was ahead? Did he have to push things this far?

Xuan Hao stopped walking.

He slowly turned around. A flash of chilling killing intent appeared in his previously calm sky-blue eyes.

"Kneel?"

Thud!

With just one glance, Xue Beng seemed to have all the bones drained from his body. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor, trembling violently beyond his control. A suspicious wet stain even spread across his crotch.

"Enough!"

Prince Xue Xing knew he could not let Xue Beng humiliate himself any further, but he also knew that if they failed to regain their dignity today, everyone in their group would be utterly disgraced.

Besides, they had already offended him beyond repair. They could only see this through to the bitter end.

"Boy, assaulting a prince is a grave crime!"

Prince Xue Xing stepped forward and stood in front of Xue Beng. "Even if you apologized, you cannot be absolved of this crime!"

"A grave crime?" Xuan Hao raised an eyebrow. "The Crown Prince personally said yesterday that this matter ended there and need not be pursued. What, Prince Xue Xing? Are you treating the Crown Prince's words like a fart?"

Prince Xue Xing's face darkened. "Qing He is magnanimous, but as a member of the Imperial Family, I cannot tolerate such a thing!"

"Fine." Xuan Hao sighed and spread his hands helplessly. "Since you insist on treating the Crown Prince's words like a fart, then let's say I farted too."

"Since apologizing won't do, let's settle it another way."

Xuan Hao pointed at Xue Beng on the ground. "I beat him up yesterday, so now let him beat me up. I won't fight back. Will that do?"

"Once he hits me back, we'll be even."

"This..."

Prince Xue Xing hesitated and looked at the increasingly large crowd of onlookers around them.

This was a way to regain their dignity. They could vent their anger while making the Imperial Family appear fair and impartial, not one that bullied others with its power.

"Fine!"

Prince Xue Xing gritted his teeth and kicked Xue Beng. "What are you staring at? Get up! He's letting you hit him back. Don't tell me you're too scared?!"

A vicious gleam flashed through Xue Beng's eyes.

He won't fight back?

You brought this on yourself!

He struggled to his feet, circulated the meager Soul Power within him, and gathered it in his uninjured left hand. Gritting his teeth, he charged viciously at Xuan Hao.

"Die!!"

However—

Just as his fist was about to touch Xuan Hao—

Xuan Hao did not even move. Only his eyes changed in an instant.

The sky blue faded, replaced by a pair of cold, majestic Crimson Gold Vertical Pupils that seemed to have come from ancient primordial times!

"Bzzz—"

Xue Beng felt all the Soul Power in his body freeze instantly. His Martial Soul let out a mournful cry and retreated into his body, while every bit of strength in him vanished beneath that gaze.

His fist stopped in midair, trembling, yet unable to come down no matter what.

That terror seeped into his bones.

"What's wrong? Hit me." Xuan Hao looked at Xue Beng expressionlessly.

"I'm standing right here. Hit me."

"Hit me!"