Snowy Night: He's Here to Wreck the Place!

"I..." The Teacher was speechless, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

"This is a personal grudge between me and Dugu Bo."

Xuan Hao shifted Dugu Yan on his shoulder, his gaze instantly sharpening. The Dragon Might that hadn't fully dissipated pressed down on the Teacher again:

"If you don't want to die, get out of the way."

"Or do you want to end up like Yu Tianheng, lying there soaking up the sun?"

The Teacher glanced at Yu Tianheng, who was still unconscious in the distance, then at Xuan Hao's golden Vertical Pupils devoid of any emotion, and finally recalled the terrifying dragon roar from earlier.

"Gulp."

He swallowed hard, his long sword slowly lowered, and his feet involuntarily shuffled to the side, clearing the path.

His life was more important than his duty.

"That's more like it."

Xuan Hao smiled in satisfaction, carrying Dugu Yan and holding Na'er's hand, he strode away amidst the awestruck and fearful gazes of the teachers and students.

"Oh, right. If Dugu Bo comes looking for her, tell him to find me at the Heaven Dou Royal Hotel. I'll be waiting there."

Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Education Committee.

"What?!"

Chief Meng Shenji leaped up from his chair, his usually well-maintained old face now filled with shock and disbelief. The teacup in his hand fell to the ground. "You're saying Dugu Yan was kidnapped? In the academy? And carried away in broad daylight?"

"Y-yes, Chief."

The Teacher's face was ashen as he recounted the entire incident, "That young man named Xuan Hao said he had a personal grudge with Dugu Bo, knocked out Yu Tianheng, and then... then he carried away student Dugu Yan."

"Xuan Hao..."

Meng Shenji's brow furrowed, feeling his blood pressure surge.

Where did this Devil King come from?

Yesterday he beat up Prince Xue Beng on the streets of Heaven Dou City, and today he comes to the academy to kidnap Dugu Bo's granddaughter?!

Second Chief Bai Baoshan's expression was grim. "No matter the personal grudge, Dugu Yan is a student of our Heaven Dou Royal Academy! She was kidnapped on our grounds! If that Old Poison, Dugu Bo, finds out, won't he tear the academy apart?!"

"Chase! Go after them!!"

Meng Shenji waved his hand, "Pass down the order! All teachers in the academy, mobilize! You must bring the person back!!"

"Also! Send someone to the palace immediately to report to His Majesty! This matter is too big, we can't handle it!"

"No! I will go meet His Majesty personally!"

Outside the academy, in the dense forest by the official road.

Xuan Hao carried the unconscious Dugu Yan and held Na'er's hand, walking leisurely towards Heaven Dou City.

"Swish--"

A black shadow appeared from the shade of the trees like a ghostly shadow, blocking the way.

"I say, little ancestor, are you done throwing a tantrum?"

Ghostly Shadow, dressed in a black robe, looked at Dugu Yan on Xuan Hao's shoulder. Even his eternally unchanging zombie-like face couldn't help but reveal a hint of helplessness. "Forcing a prince to kneel this morning was one thing, but now you've actually gone to their academy to openly kidnap someone? Do you really think this Heaven Dou City is your backyard?"

"Yo, Elder Ghost, you're finally willing to come out?" Xuan Hao was not surprised, greeting him with a smile, "This isn't kidnapping, this is... inviting a guest."

"Inviting a guest?" Ghostly Shadow's mouth twitched. "You knock someone unconscious and carry them back to invite them?"

"Oh, the details aren't important." Xuan Hao waved his hand, saying with a matter-of-fact expression, "That Old Poison came knocking on my door. Although he didn't make a move, his killing intent was palpable. If I don't do something, wouldn't that make me seem easy to bully?"

"Moreover, I've already completely offended that old guy. With his vengeful personality, he'll definitely find an opportunity to make a move against me. There are a thousand days to be a thief, but how can there be a thousand days to guard against a thief?"

"That old guy is skilled in poison. What if one day, when you're not paying attention, he poisons me or Na'er with some underhanded trick? I won't even have a place to cry."

"Since that's the case, it's better to strike first and capture his granddaughter as a bargaining chip. If he dares to mess around, I'll make sure he has no descendants."

Ghostly Shadow's eyelids twitched as he listened.

Although he felt that this kid's methods were a bit rogue, he had to admit that the logic was sound.

"Fine, you have a point."

Ghostly Shadow shook his head helplessly, "However, with your stunt, those old guys at Heaven Dou Royal Academy must have exploded. Those three Spirit Douluo members of the Education Committee are not to be trifled with. They are probably already on their way."

"With your short legs, you'll probably be caught before you even reach Heaven Dou City."

"Don't I still have you, old man?" Xuan Hao chuckled, getting close with great familiarity, "Elder Ghost, I know you're fast. Can you give us a ride? If those three old men catch up, we'll have to argue with them, which is too troublesome."

"You..."

Ghostly Shadow sighed, his black robe rolled up, and a gentle soul power enveloped the three of them.

In the next second, he turned into a black phantom and instantly disappeared from the spot.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.

The atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

The floor was littered with fragments of shattered premium porcelain. Several attendants knelt in a corner, trembling, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Scoundrel! Utter scoundrel!!"

Emperor Xue Ye paced back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back, his chest heaving violently. His usually majestic face was now covered in a livid rage.

"That's a prince! My son! He represents the face of the Heaven Dou Empire!"

Xue Ye suddenly stopped, pointing a trembling finger at Xue Qinghe, who stood below with his head bowed. "It's one thing to be beaten, to be inferior in skill, I accept that! But you tell me, kneeling? Kowtowing?!"

"In broad daylight, in the lobby of the Heaven Dou Royal Hotel! In front of so many people, to kneel and kowtow to some immature brat?!"

"Xue Beng is shameless, but I still have dignity! The Heaven Dou Imperial Family still has dignity!!"

"He has completely disgraced the imperial family! How can I hold my head up in front of my subjects from now on? How can the Heaven Dou Imperial Family stand among the two great empires?!"

Xue Qinghe kept his head down. Although he felt disdain for Xue Ye's fury in his heart, he maintained an appearance of sincere fear and deep distress.

"Imperial Father, please calm your anger."

After Xue Ye vented his frustration, Xue Qinghe slowly spoke, "Although Fourth Brother's actions were absurd and lost face, the situation at the time... truly left him no choice but to kneel. That youth's background is truly mysterious, and his temperament is extremely extreme."

"Sect Master Ning and Sword Douluo Your Excellency were also present. Even Sword Douluo Your Excellency directly stated that the youth had an extraordinary aura, and was likely backed by a hidden Titled Douluo."

"If I had intervened forcefully at the time, once the opponent was provoked, it could have triggered a battle of Titled Douluo level... the consequences would likely have been far more severe than losing some face."

"It would be unwise to, by any chance, provoke an enemy as powerful as Clear Sky Douluo for the empire."

Upon hearing the words "Clear Sky Douluo," the rage in Emperor Xue Ye's eyes momentarily subsided.

He took a deep breath. Although reason told him Xue Qinghe was right, he couldn't swallow the feeling of humiliation.

"Are you saying that my prince was forced to kneel, and we just let this matter go?!"

Xue Ye slammed his palm onto the imperial desk. "If this gets out, where is the majesty of my Heaven Dou Empire?!"

Just as Emperor Xue Ye was still agonizing over the issue of "face"...

"Report--!!"

A hurried and somewhat flustered sound of footsteps broke the heavy silence of the Imperial Study.

A eunuch scrambled in, his face ashen.

"Your... Your Majesty! Meng Shenji, the Chief of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, requests an audience! He says... he says it's a matter of utmost urgency!"

"Meng Shenji?"

Emperor Xue Ye frowned. "Why isn't he staying at the academy? Let him in!"

A moment later.

Meng Shenji, sweating profusely and looking flustered, strode into the imperial study. Without even bothering to perform a full bow, he said urgently:

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

"Just now! That... that young man Xuan Hao, who injured the Fourth Prince, has broken into Heaven Dou Royal Academy!"

"What?!"

Xue Ye and Xue Qinghe exclaimed in unison.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Xue Qinghe's eyes. This kid... he's that fast? He went to cause trouble right after dinner?

"What is he doing there?" Emperor Xue Ye asked in a deep voice. "Does he think injuring the prince wasn't enough and he wants to cause more trouble at the academy?"

"No... it's more than just causing trouble..."

Meng Shenji swallowed, his voice trembling. "He first killed Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan in a single move, and then... then, in front of the entire academy's teachers and students, he forcibly abducted Dugu Yan... the granddaughter of the esteemed Dugu Bo!"

Emperor Xue Ye felt his vision go black, his body swayed, and he almost fell onto the dragon desk.

"What did you say?!"

Xue Ye's voice sharpened, changing its tone. "Ab... abduction?! At Heaven Dou Royal Academy?! Abducting Dugu Bo's granddaughter?!"

"Y-yes!"

Meng Shenji nodded bitterly. "That young man said... he has a personal grudge against the esteemed Dugu Bo, and he also left a message: if he wants his granddaughter back, he should go... go find him at the Heaven Dou Royal Hotel."

The imperial study fell into a deathly silence.

Xue Qinghe lowered his head, appearing shocked, but in reality, the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Good heavens.

This was no longer a matter of being "bold to the point of recklessness."

This morning he forced a prince to kneel and kowtow, and this afternoon he went and kidnapped the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo.

Is this kid tired of Heaven Dou City being too quiet and wants to poke a hole in the sky?

Is this the disciple that woman taught?