Dugu Bo: Xue Beng Is Actually...

The night deepened, and the clamor faded away.

With the "misunderstanding" cleared up, this "kidnapping case" that had caused such a stir in Heaven Dou City ultimately concluded as a farce.

Although Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe still harbored many doubts—especially regarding Xuan Hao's identity and true intentions—they were hindered by Dugu Yan's "testimony." Coupled with Xuan Hao's stubborn, unyielding attitude and his readiness to flip the table at any moment, the two found it difficult to press the issue further. After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, they hurried away.

As for Prince Xue Xing, seeing that his greatest backing had departed, he could only lead the Royal Knights away from the hotel in a dejected, resentful retreat.

The hotel, which had previously been surrounded so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through, soon returned to tranquility.

Heaven Dou City, a secluded mansion.

This was the private residence of the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo.

"Speak."

Dugu Bo dismissed the servants and sat in his Taishi chair. "What exactly is going on? Don't try to fool me with that nonsense about honoring a bet. I may be old, but I'm not senile."

"You are my granddaughter; do you think I don't know your temper? Would you really be kneading shoulders and pounding backs for an eight or nine-year-old brat? Even if you lost a bet, with your personality, you would have been throwing a fit long ago. How could you be this calm?"

Dugu Yan sat opposite him, holding a cup of hot tea, and remained silent for a long time.

"Grandfather, if it hadn't been Xuan Hao today, but someone else, what would our fate have been?"

"Fate?" Dugu Bo let out a cold snort. "I am a dignified Titled Douluo. Who would dare do anything to me?"

"Yes, no one dares to do anything to you. But..." Dugu Yan set down her teacup. "Today, in order to stand up for Xue Beng, you almost came to blows with Xuan Hao. If Xuan Hao hadn't been confident in his own strength, and it had been an ordinary person instead, would they have been crippled by you today?"

"And if... if Xuan Hao truly has a power behind him that is stronger than yours, what would have been the consequences if that fight had broken out?"

Dugu Bo frowned. "Since I dared to make a move, I naturally don't fear the consequences."

"Then do you know why the Imperial family mobilized the Imperial Guards with such fanfare?" Dugu Yan asked.

"Xuan Hao told me that the Imperial family didn't do this to save me, nor to capture him. They were putting on a show for you! They wanted you to believe the Imperial family is loyal so that you would work yourself to the bone for them!"

"And if a fight had really broken out, the Imperial family would have definitely hidden in the background and let you fight alone! If you won, it would be the Imperial family's brilliant leadership; if you lost... or even died, it would be because of your own personal vendetta, and it would have nothing to do with the Imperial family!"

"Bullshit!" Dugu Bo slammed his hand on the table, furious. "That brat is trying to sow discord! While the Imperial family can be underhanded at times, they aren't shameless to that extent!"

"Are they really not?" Dugu Yan looked straight into Dugu Bo's eyes. "Grandfather, think about it carefully. Xue Beng was beaten in the street; why didn't Prince Xue Xing go to anyone else? Why didn't he go to the Royal Knights? Why did he go all the way to the Sunset Forest just to fetch you?"

"How old is Xuan Hao? To bully a child, was it really necessary to summon a Titled Douluo?"

"This..." Dugu Bo was left speechless.

"Because they know this matter is thorny! The other party is not to be trifled with!"

Dugu Yan's voice rose a notch. "They didn't want to risk their own people, so they pushed you out instead! If you win, the Imperial Family regains face; if you lose, it's just the Poison Douluo being outmatched!"

"From start to finish, we grandfather and granddaughter were just fools who were sold out and still helped them count the money!"

"..."

Dugu Bo fell silent.

Although he was not well-versed in political maneuvering, he had lived for so many years, after all, and he was no fool. Before, he had simply been blinded by his own involvement, and coupled with the fact that Xue Beng had once saved his life, he hadn't thought too deeply about it.

Now that his granddaughter had pointed it out so bluntly, and thinking back to the subtle attitudes of the Imperial Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect today...

"Grandfather, why must you insist on getting involved in the affairs of that good-for-nothing Xue Beng?"

Dugu Yan couldn't help but ask, her tone carrying a hint of resentment. "You are a Titled Douluo, a free and unfettered powerhouse. Why must you put yourself in such a passive position for the sake of a playboy from the Imperial Family?"

Dugu Bo sighed. "Yanyan, there are some things... you don't understand."

"I don't understand?" Dugu Yan looked at him stubbornly. "I'm not a child anymore! That Xuan Hao is several years younger than me, and if he can see through this, why can't I? Do you think I have no brains, so you don't tell me anything?"

"I used to think that with you around, no one would dare to scheme against us. But today... I was truly afraid. I'm afraid that one day you'll be sold out, and I won't even know where to go to collect your corpse!"

Dugu Bo sighed, his heart softening as he looked at his granddaughter's stubborn gaze.

"Fine."

Dugu Bo waved his hand. "It won't hurt to tell you. But you must remember, this matter must rot in your stomach; you cannot tell anyone."

"This matter... involves the deepest secrets of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, and even concerns the survival of the Empire."

Dugu Yan immediately sat up straight, holding her breath.

"You only know that Xue Beng is an ignorant playboy, but you don't know that this is actually a mask he has to wear to stay alive."

"Xue Beng... is actually playing the fool."

"Playing the fool?" Dugu Yan was stunned.

"That's right." A sharp glint flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes. "Do you remember the incidents from a few years ago, when the Second Prince and the Third Prince died in succession?"

Dugu Yan nodded.

"Those were not accidents at all." Dugu Bo sneered. "In this Imperial Palace, how could there be so many accidents? And they all happened to be the princes who were both intelligent and talented."

"Many people suspect that it was the First Prince, Xue Qinghe, who did it."

"Xue Qinghe?" Dugu Yan's eyes widened. "That gentle, refined, and kind-hearted Crown Prince?"

"You can know a person's face, but you cannot know their heart." Dugu Bo shook his head. "Beneath that generous mask, there may hide a heart more venomous than a scorpion's. To kill one's own brothers for the sake of the throne, and to do so without leaving a single trace—such a person... is truly terrifying."

"Prince Xue Xing saw through this, which is why he had Xue Beng deliberately act like a playboy, causing trouble every single day. He did it just to make Xue Qinghe view him as a good-for-nothing with no threat, thereby keeping his life."

"And the reason Prince Xue Xing is so determined to protect Xue Beng is also at the behest of His Majesty."

"His Majesty's behest?" Dugu Yan was even more bewildered.

"The Imperial Art of Governance..." Dugu Bo sighed. "The Second Prince and Third Prince are already dead. If something were to happen to Xue Beng, the only remaining heir to the throne would be Xue Qinghe. At that point, the only obstacle standing between Xue Qinghe and the throne... would be His Majesty himself."

"Who can guarantee that a man who would kill all his brothers for the throne wouldn't commit regicide to ascend early?"

Dugu Yan felt a chill run through her entire body.

She had never imagined that deep within the magnificent, golden Imperial Palace, such chilling conspiracies and bloodshed were hidden.

"Therefore, Xue Beng cannot die, and he cannot be cast aside."

Dugu Bo continued, "Once something happens to Xue Beng, His Majesty, the Imperial Clan, and even the civil and military officials would feel immense fear and distrust toward Xue Qinghe."

"Who would dare to serve a monarch who wiped out his own brothers before even ascending to the throne? Who would dare entrust the future of the empire to him?"

"At that point, no matter how talented Xue Qinghe is, for the sake of the empire's stability, His Majesty would be forced to depose him!"

"Otherwise, the members of the Heaven Dou Empire's Imperial Clan, along with those regional princes who hold fiefs and command armies, would never accept it. They might even unite and rebel under the banner of 'Qing Jun Ce,' because they wouldn't dare gamble on whether Xue Qinghe would turn his blade against them once he took the throne. By then, the Heaven Dou Empire would surely fall into turmoil, or perhaps even fracture."

Dugu Bo looked at Dugu Yan and said earnestly:

"This is why I had to step in. It is not just to repay a favor to Prince Xue Xing, but for the sake of the peace of the Heaven Dou Empire."

"If the Heaven Dou Empire were to fall into civil strife over the succession, it would be severely weakened. The Star Luo Empire, which has been watching like a tiger eyeing its prey, would certainly seize the opportunity to strike. When that happens, the flames of war will spread, and the people will suffer."

"Although your grandfather is a recluse and dislikes involving himself in these power struggles, I cannot stand by and watch the world fall into chaos."

Dugu Yan pursed her lips. Although she understood her grandfather's sense of justice, she still felt aggrieved.

"But Grandfather, even for the sake of the greater good, we shouldn't be so passive as to be used as a pawn. This time, Xuan Hao didn't have malicious intent, but what if something like this happens again and the other party really wants to fight you to the death?"

"You are a Titled Douluo, not a watchdog for the Imperial Family."

A flash of gratification crossed Dugu Bo's eyes as he patted Dugu Yan's head. "Don't worry, Grandfather knows what he's doing. I was careless this time and got a bit carried away by Prince Xue Xing's persuasion. With this lesson learned, it won't be so easy for them to use me as a pawn in the future."

"However..."

Dugu Bo's expression turned grave, and he warned her with extreme seriousness:

"Everything I have told you tonight—about Xue Beng feigning ignorance and the suspicions regarding Xue Qinghe—you must keep buried in your heart! You must not let it slip, not even in your dreams!"

"Once this leaks out and Xue Qinghe realizes that Xue Beng is merely pretending, he will likely choose to take a desperate risk and move to eliminate Xue Beng immediately!"

"By then, to uphold the legitimacy and bottom line of imperial power, His Majesty and the Imperial Clan will never be able to tolerate a Crown Prince who is so ruthless and dares to strike right under their noses!"

"That will be the moment when the world truly turns upside down!"

Dugu Yan nodded solemnly. "I understand, Grandfather. I will never speak of this."

"Mm." Dugu Bo sighed. "In truth, His Majesty's own thoughts are conflicted. By making Ning Fengzhi the Teacher of Xue Qinghe, he was undoubtedly hoping to use the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to keep the Crown Prince in check."

"After all, both palms and the backs of the hands are made of flesh. Although His Majesty favors the highly capable Xue Qinghe in his heart, believing him more capable of safeguarding the empire than Xue Beng, the act of harming one's own kin is, ultimately, a great taboo for an emperor—it chills the heart."

"Therefore, the current situation is very delicate."

"Xue Beng must stay alive, and he must remain a good-for-nothing. If he were to reveal astonishing talent and cause His Majesty to waver in his choice of heir... then this Heaven Dou Empire would likely be drenched in blood."

Dugu Yan felt her heart racing with fear. She lowered her head in silence, saying nothing more.

She suddenly felt that compared to this royal family filled with bloodshed and schemes, the noble students at the academy who fought over petty jealousies were simply adorable in their innocence.