Yu Yuanzhen Backs Down

Dugu Bo rubbed his fists and walked toward Yu Luomian, one step at a time.

"I hear you've never thought much of this old man, and today you even set a death trap for my brother! Tell me, shouldn't I kill you?"

His voice was neither loud nor soft, just loud enough for the onlookers to hear.

"Good heavens, isn't that Qin Yuan, the man every major faction has been trying to recruit lately? How is he brothers with Poison Douluo? And Poison Douluo himself admitted it!"

Questions like these rippled through the crowd, but no one offered an explanation.

Dugu Bo had no intention of letting Yu Luomian off easily. He gave him a thorough beating right there in the street.

Yu Luomian was a tough man, though. Despite the pounding Dugu Bo gave him, he never made a sound.

Perhaps his jaw had long since been dislocated, leaving him unable to make one.

As word spread, several Soul Douluo auras soon approached.

The arrivals were none other than the Three Education Commissioners of Heaven Dou Royal Academy and Duke Lei Zhen.

Neither side had rested in two months because of Qin Yuan. Now that Qin Yuan had appeared, Yu Luomian wanted him dead. How could they accept that?

If Dugu Bo had not been so forceful, they might have joined in the beating themselves!

Two more minutes passed before Thunder Douluo finally arrived.

Yu Yuanzhen's aura was overwhelming. The moment he released his Soul Power, he cowed everyone present!

"Enough, Dugu Bo! Yu Luomian is my own brother. However badly he's behaved, it isn't your place to teach him a lesson!"

Fortunately, Yu Yuanzhen had arrived in time. Yu Luomian had not yet been beaten to death.

He still did not know what had happened, but a matter that drew the attention of the Three Education Commissioners and Lei Zhen had to be complicated. At the same time, he was bitterly disappointed in Yu Luomian.

Someone had plainly set a trap for him, yet he had not even realized it!

"Oh?" Dugu Bo hoisted Yu Luomian up and tossed him beside Yu Yuanzhen.

Then he moved with startling speed to stand in front of Qin Yuan, afraid Yu Yuanzhen might harm him.

"Sect Master Yu, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has done itself proud, trying to kill an honored guest of the Lei Clan." Lei Zhen spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile, making no effort to hide the threat in his words.

The Three Education Commissioners stood united, their faces dark as they watched Yu Yuanzhen.

Yu Yuanzhen did not speak at once. He spread out his Spiritual Force and pieced together the gist of what had happened from the onlookers' conversations.

He turned his head slightly and glanced at Qin Yuan behind Dugu Bo.

A high-ranking Spirit Emperor in his thirties had prompted the major factions to rush to his defense. The man must be someone of consequence.

Of course, Yu Yuanzhen kept out of worldly affairs and knew nothing of the recent rumors about Qin Yuan.

The one who tied the bell had to untie it.

Yu Luomian had gone after Qin Yuan, and Qin Yuan had rallied the major factions in response. If Qin Yuan agreed to let it go, a major dispute could be reduced to a minor one.

"Speak. What do you want?" Yu Yuanzhen still carried himself as though he stood above everyone else.

Dugu Bo bristled and stopped concealing the aura of a rank ninety-four Titled Douluo.

"Yu Yuanzhen, is that the attitude you're taking?"

Yu Yuanzhen gave an awkward chuckle, and his tone softened considerably. "It seems I've been cut off from the world too long and failed to notice how it has changed. Poison Douluo, you're formidable. You've reached rank ninety-four in just a few years. Before long, you may well stand on equal footing with me."

After a pause, he turned to Qin Yuan, no longer so arrogant. "Young friend, what do you want? I know what Luomian is like. If he hadn't offended you, you wouldn't have gone looking for trouble with him."

Qin Yuan cupped his hands calmly, showing no sign of being cowed by Yu Yuanzhen.

"Yu Luomian deliberately set up a team under my banner to suffer losses, then detained five of its members. My demands are simple: release everyone he's holding and pay three times the outstanding balance!"

Yu Yuanzhen glared at Yu Luomian as if to say: Those five had better still be alive!

At the same time, he revised his estimate of just how low Yu Luomian could sink.

The deputy sect master of one of the Upper Three Sects had targeted a group of nobodies. How beneath his station!

"You're making demands of me? Heh. Fine, I'll do as you ask. Luo Mian won't trouble you again. From now on, your well water and ours won't mix!" Yu Yuanzhen snorted and dragged Yu Luomian away through the crowd.

Dugu Bo was not worried that Yu Yuanzhen would go back on his word.

Yu Yuanzhen acted openly and prided himself on being honorable. He would scorn such a petty trick.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan also bore the full cost of the damage to the shops along the street.

The Three Education Commissioners and Duke Lei Zhen had come to the scene and stood up for Qin Yuan.

By both courtesy and obligation, Qin Yuan had to treat them properly afterward.

For Lei Zhen, however, it was an unexpected windfall.

He had long wanted to speak with Dugu Bo in private, and today he had finally found his chance.

At another restaurant in Heaven Dou City.

It was mealtime, and Qin Yuan laid out a feast to thank the Three Education Commissioners and Duke Lei Zhen for standing up for him.

Dugu Bo said nothing throughout the meal. He sat beside Qin Yuan, lending him silent support.

Meng Shenji spoke first, admiration filling his eyes. "Mr. Qin, you've accomplished much at a young age. Had I faced pressure from a Soul Douluo back then, I could never have remained as calm and composed as you."

Qin Yuan cupped his hands, declining the credit. "Chief Commissioner Meng Shenji, you're too kind. I could never have remained so composed today without Senior Poison Douluo's support..."

Once the mutual compliments were over, the Three Education Commissioners turned to business.

"On behalf of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, we sincerely invite you, Mr. Qin, to become one of our teachers. You may set your own terms, and the academy will support them."

Lei Zhen, who had been holding back for some time, finally found a chance to cut in. "Mr. Qin, my son has been begging to become your disciple. Now that you've finally returned, you have to give us a definite answer."

Qin Yuan felt a wave of helplessness.

Sometimes, not wanting to join any faction was a headache in itself.

If he took Lei Meng as a disciple, people would inevitably label him a man of the Duke's Mansion. If he accepted the commissioners' invitation and became a teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, they would just as surely label him a man of the Imperial Family.

He intended to turn down both offers, but Lei Zhen and the Three Education Commissioners were all Soul Douluo. He could not embarrass them.

Even with Dugu Bo backing him, he did not want to rely on Dugu Bo's standing for everything. That would only make people resent him.

"First, I'm grateful for your trust, seniors. But I'm used to drifting like an idle cloud or a wild crane. I'm not suited to being bound by rules."

He quickly added, "Still, your generous offers are hard to refuse, and I don't want to turn you away."

"How about this? Whenever you need something, you can give me Commissioned Tasks. As long as they don't go against my principles, I'll accept them. What do you think?"

Dugu Bo added at just the right moment, "My brother has no other hobbies. He likes taking commissions and doing the unexpected, adding a dash of excitement to his life."

He did not know Qin Yuan's real aim was to milk the system for rewards. But his explanation was not wrong. Capable people often had little quirks that outsiders found hard to understand.