"Pfft..."
A snicker broke the silence in the great hall.
It had come from none other than an elderly official at the head of the civil servants.
Watching the Black World's Dai Mubai on the Sky Screen get scolded by his teacher for skipping class—and then talk back—he couldn't help shaking his head.
"This is the emperor of another world?"
"He's five and still playing hide-and-seek?"
"He's utterly hopeless!"
The military officers around him wore looks of even greater disdain.
The Star Luo Empire valued martial prowess.
The competition within the imperial family was especially brutal.
In their world, a five-year-old still playing in the mud had already been all but eliminated.
"Thank goodness."
A burly Titled Douluo rumbled:
"Thank goodness our world's emperor is the White Emperor of Heaven."
"Otherwise, if we had a king like that, the Star Luo Empire would've fallen long ago."
Up on the high platform.
Zhu Zhuqing's cool gaze rested on the Sky Screen, deep disgust flashing in her eyes.
She turned to the calm-looking man beside her, her tone instantly turning tender, almost ingratiating:
"Mu Bai."
"You in that world are such a disappointment."
"You're practically useless."
"The palace elders told me that when you were five, you'd already beaten your Soul Master instructor until he was black and blue."
At that.
Xiao Wu's eyes widened, and her pink rabbit ears sprang upright.
"What?"
"Brother Mu Bai was already that strong at five?"
Ning Rongrong looked just as surprised, even stopping the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda she'd been idly turning in her hands.
"Really?"
"Beat a Soul Master at five? He hadn't even awakened his Martial Soul yet!"
They knew their man was ridiculously strong.
But a record like that at the age of five still went beyond anything they could imagine.
Seated upon the imperial throne, Dai Mubai basked in the admiring gazes of the women around him, his spirits soaring.
He drew Zhu Zhuqing a little closer and gently caressed her smooth, delicate shoulder.
"That was a long time ago."
Dai Mubai's voice was calm:
"Dai Mubai in that world was born into the imperial family but didn't understand its cruelty."
"He thought he could live in peace by running away."
"But he didn't realize that only power lasts forever."
His words made the women's eyes sparkle with admiration.
Qian Renxue couldn't hold back any longer.
She strode over on her long, white-stockinged legs and squeezed straight into Dai Mubai's arms, pressing her voluptuous body against his chest.
"That was so well said, Your Majesty."
"How could that good-for-nothing compare to you?"
"When you were five, I bet you were already thinking about how to conquer the world—and how to... conquer us, too?"
Qian Renxue's voice carried a natural allure, and her gaze was as tender as silk.
"Sister Xue'er, you're shameless!"
Seeing this, Xiao Wu immediately protested. She darted into Dai Mubai's arms from the other side and clung to his arm, pouting:
"Brother Mu Bai, I want a hug too!"
"That Dai Mubai from the Black World looks disgusting. I like the Brother Mu Bai we have now!"
In that moment.
The lofty White Emperor of Heaven was surrounded by a bevy of stunning beauties, their soft, fragrant bodies filling his arms.
Their delicate touch, their intoxicating fragrance.
As for the performance of that "other self" on the Sky Screen.
Dai Mubai couldn't be bothered to comment.
How could sparrows understand the ambitions of a swan?
That Dai Mubai was nothing but a pig raised in a pen.
Just then.
The images on the Sky Screen shifted again.
This time, it was no longer a scene of carefree play.
[Black World: The Arrogance of Power!]
On screen.
Dai Mubai was still five years old.
Perhaps in a foul mood, he was throwing a tantrum in his bedchamber, smashing the precious porcelain in the room to pieces.
A pretty young maid had only trembled while serving tea, spilling a few drops onto Dai Mubai's shoe.
It should have been a minor mishap.
But a flash of fury burst from the little Dai Mubai's Evil Eyes.
"You useless wretch!"
"Are you blind?!"
Though only five, he pointed at the maid—who was much taller than he was—and cursed her out.
Then.
He actually raised his foot and planted it on the maid's shoulder, his face twisted with a vicious arrogance far beyond his years.
"Lick it clean!"
"If you don't, I'll break your legs today!"
The scene froze on the maid's horrified, humiliated face. She had no choice but to kneel, her lips trembling as she leaned toward the boot stained with tea.
Boom!
As this scene appeared.
The Black World, which had been relatively lighthearted, fell silent at once.
At Heaven Dou Camp.
The soldiers and commoners who had been praising his "childlike innocence" now had smiles frozen on their faces.
This...
This was childlike innocence?
This was blatant abuse of power!
That maid was a person too!
Over a few drops of tea, he was making her lick his boot in public?
A chill shot from the soles of everyone's feet straight to their scalps.
However.
The silence lasted only a moment.
Before long, someone broke the awkwardness.
"Ahem..."
A noble of the Heaven Dou Empire cleared his throat and hurriedly made an excuse:
"Actually... this is normal."
"Royal authority comes first, after all."
"Dai Mubai was a prince, a person of noble status. The maid dirtied his shoe, which was already a grave offense."
"Making her lick it clean was an act of royal mercy. At least he didn't have her executed, right?"
As soon as he said this.
Quite a few people chimed in.
"That's right, that's right. That's the Star Luo Imperial Family. They have strict rules."
"He's just a child. It's normal for him to have a temper."
"This shows Dai Mubai was born with the authority of a ruler!"
Hearing this.
Dai Mubai, whose expression had darkened, finally relaxed.
He'd been taken aback when he first saw the scene.
After all, it really didn't look good.
But he hadn't expected these people to be so "considerate," stepping in to make excuses for him.
"Looks like being strong really is the only rule that matters."
Dai Mubai congratulated himself silently.
If he were just an ordinary Soul Master, he'd probably have been condemned by everyone.
But he was a Titled Douluo!
A senior member of the allied forces!
Who would dare criticize him?
Yu Xiaogang gave a slight nod, his expression unchanged:
"To wear the crown, one must bear its weight."
"Mu Bai went a little too far, but under a feudal monarchy, such things can't be helped."
"Don't judge a prince by the standards of an ordinary person."
Tang San stood off to the side.
He looked at the arrogant little Dai Mubai on the screen, then at Boss Dai beside him, so full of confidence.
He did feel that something was wrong.
After all, in his previous life he'd been a disciple of the Tang Sect. Though the jianghu had its own rules, this kind of humiliation was still rare.
But now, they were all in the same boat.
"Teacher is right."
Tang San spoke in a clear voice:
"A five-year-old has yet to develop a sense of right and wrong."
"This only shows that there was a problem with the education at the time. We can't blame Mu Bai himself."
"Besides, it's all in the past."
Before you continue