Settling Scores

Xuan Qing saw that the mood had turned a little strange and hurriedly changed the subject.

"Yanzi, Old Poison told me that Yu Tianheng was pursuing you, but you turned him down."

Dugu Yan nodded. "That's right! What about it?"

Xuan Qing fought to hold back his laughter.

"N-nothing... I'm just glad you turned him down. Otherwise, you'd have had a boyfriend old enough to be my uncle."

"Pfft!"

The tea Dugu Bo had just sipped sprayed out of his mouth, splattering all over Gu Rong. His eyes widened until they were round as saucers.

With a dark look on his face, Gu Rong wiped his clothes and asked, "What do you mean by that? Yu Tianheng is only around twenty this year, isn't he?"

Xuan Qing shrugged.

"I mean exactly what I said. You all know that Yu Tianheng is closer to that corpse than he is even to his grandfather, Yu Yuanzhen, right?"

Dugu Yan nodded.

"He thinks the world of Yu Xiaogang, but what does that have to do with age?"

Xuan Qing took his time answering, though the smile on his face was a little odd.

"First, let me make two things clear. One, we're sticking to facts and evidence. Two, before I answer you, let me ask a question."

"When was Yu Xiaogang expelled from the clan?"

They all fell into thought.

Gu Rong spoke first.

"I can't remember exactly, but it must have been at least twenty years ago, right?"

Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo nodded, indicating that sounded about right.

"After Yu Xiaogang was expelled, he never stayed for long, even when he returned later, right?"

They all nodded, urging him to continue.

Xuan Qing started doing the math.

"People start forming memories around the age of three, if they're early. Some don't until they're six or seven. Let's say he started remembering things at three, and spent three years building a bond with Yu Xiaogang."

"By then, Yu Tianheng was six, and Yu Xiaogang was expelled from the clan that same year. This happened at least twenty years ago, so here's the question—"

He looked at them and said slowly, "How old is Yu Tianheng now? At least twenty-six. That's absolutely old enough to be my uncle."

"If you want to say that the two of them could cross time and space to build a bond, or that a few kind words he'd merely heard about Yu Xiaogang were enough to create that kind of attachment, then forget I said anything."

Ning Fengzhi frowned. "Doesn't he also have a cousin, Yu Tianxin? He's not even twenty-one this year."

Xuan Qing smiled. "One is your own grandson, and the other is your second younger brother's grandson. Which one would you help?"

The question was too sharp. Ning Fengzhi fell silent.

"On the surface, their talent seems about the same. But as for their age... as long as nobody checks their bones, who knows how old he really is? Who'd be foolish enough to check the bones of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's direct-line grandson?"

"Wouldn't that be like a long-lived man hanging himself—asking for death?"

Everyone except Xuan Qing—even Zi JI, usually so cool and composed—looked like they were struggling to keep a straight face.

Dugu Yan's expression grew darker and darker.

She recalled the details of her time with Yu Tianheng and realized that some things hadn't added up.

For example, Yu Tianheng had seemed unusually mature in his opinions, unlike a young man. He also knew far more about clan affairs than anyone his age should.

She'd thought it was because he'd been raised well. But now that she thought about it... maybe it was because he was older and had more experience.

"Damn it! I almost got fooled by some old man!"

Dugu Yan couldn't help blurting out a curse.

Dugu Bo hurried to comfort her. "It's all right, it's all right. You didn't accept, and that's what matters. Stay away from him from now on. An old bull eating young grass is no good."

Gu Rong stifled a laugh and piled on. "He's not exactly an old bull, though. At twenty-six, he's in his prime. He's just a little old compared to a young girl like you, who's eighteen or nineteen."

Ning Fengzhi shook his head.

"If he'd reached level thirty-nine by the age of twenty, he'd count as a genius. But... reaching level thirty-nine at twenty-six or twenty-seven is a little..."

He left the sentence unfinished, but his meaning was clear. That kind of talent was good among ordinary Soul Masters, but quite mediocre for a direct-line member of a major sect.

Xue Qinghe brought the conversation back on track.

"Brother Xuan Qing, you seem to know the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan quite well. You must have studied them extensively."

Xuan Qing rolled his eyes.

"Use your head, Your Highness. Don't spend all day thinking about schemes and plots. Just put the timeline together."

"Could those two really have crossed time and space to build a bond? If their clan had that ability, why not ask their ancestors or descendants for some good stuff and unite the continent?"

"Why would they use it just to help those two build a bond?"

His words were blunt, but they made sense.

Xue Qinghe was at a loss for words, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled, his expression full of meaning.

"Brother Xuan Qing sees things clearly. In your opinion, which of the Upper Three Sects and Spirit Hall is most likely to run into trouble?"

Xuan Qing thought for a moment, then began to analyze.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wants both the power of thunder and a dragon's physical strength. They've ended up unable to take either path to its extreme, stuck in the middle."

"Their bodies can't match the Tyrant Dragon's, and their control over lightning falls far short of the Thunder Hell Vine's."

"Thunder Hell Vine?"

Everyone looked puzzled. It was the first time they'd heard that name.

Zi JI explained, "It's a very unusual Soul Beast that cultivates by absorbing lightning. A century ago, it could only leave things to fate; it might spend ten thousand years and still not reach a hundred years of cultivation."

"After a hundred years, it can draw lightning down and cultivate on its own. Before it reaches ten thousand years of cultivation, you could say it's weaker than a weed."

Xuan Qing added, "But once it breaks through ten thousand years, it can definitely defeat a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast without a special bloodline. They have only two goals in life: conquer lightning, or perish in it."

"Moreover, they'll absolutely self-destruct by six or seven hundred thousand years at the latest. It's never been otherwise. If they realize they can't win, they'll detonate without hesitation. You could call them calm madmen."

Zi JI nodded and recited a saying. "Hell Vine: ten thousand tribulations. Heaven won't keep it; earth won't take it."

Everyone was stunned. This Soul Beast was extreme, but immensely powerful.

Returning to the subject, Xuan Qing continued his analysis. "The biggest problem with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is that it can only accommodate seven Soul Rings."

Ning Fengzhi smiled bitterly. Everyone knew that, but it was also their greatest problem. He was destined never to reach level eighty.

Xuan Qing looked at Xue Qinghe. "The Clear Sky Sect has sealed its gates, but isn't that also a chance for them to recuperate? By the time they emerge again, those Soul Douluo elders from back then might have broken through to Titled Douluo."

"As for Spirit Hall..."

He paused.

"The Pope has done a decent job, but her ambition is too great. She'll definitely start a war within twenty years."

"If I had to put it bluntly, Spirit Hall represents commoners and wandering cultivators, while the other side is made up of the noble classes of the Seven Great Sects and the Two Great Empires."

Ning Fengzhi pressed him. "Who does young friend Xuan Qing think will win?"

Xuan Qing looked at him, the corners of his mouth lifting in a mocking smile.

"Do you have a Peerless Douluo? If Qian Daoliu is willing to take the field, he really can't kill an entire army in one go, but who among you can stop him?"

"If he can't do it in one go, he'll do it twice. If twice isn't enough, then three times. It'll just take a little longer."

His words were cruel, but realistic. The deterrent power of a Peerless Douluo was simply too great.

Xue Qinghe asked a pointed question. "Who do you want to win?"

Xuan Qing didn't answer. He stood up instead.

"If there's nothing else, I'm heading back to Heaven Dou City. After all, I've never been there before."

Dugu Yan suddenly spoke up.

"There is one thing. Because of that incident three days ago, our Soul Fighting match against the Shrek Seven Devils never happened. Tonight, at the Great Soul Arena, our two teams will face off."

Xuan Qing looked utterly speechless.

"Is that Yu Xiaogang really brain-dead? He still dares to fight?"

Ning Rongrong asked softly, "Why do you say that?"

Xuan Qing pointed at Dugu Yan.

"She's a level-forty-four Soul Ancestor, and not one of the other six members of her team is below level thirty-five. What about your Shrek team?"

"Four Soul Elders and three Soul Grandmasters. You're already far behind just in terms of levels. That's a hard gap no amount of tactics can make up for."

"Lastly, in return for the meal, let me offer you some advice: stay away from them."

Ning Rongrong was confused. "Why?"

Xuan Qing looked at her, his tone serious.

"Birds of a feather flock together. If I'm not mistaken, Sect Master Ning sent you out to temper your character, not to turn you from the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect into a loyal supporter of Shrek."

"You might not have noticed it yourself, but Shrek has already started to matter more to you than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

Ning Rongrong's face went pale. She wanted to argue, but no words came.

Xuan Qing looked at Ning Fengzhi.

"Sect Master Ning, keep your daughter away from Yu Xiaogang. That man is a master at brainwashing people. Do you think he'd have to work hard to manipulate a young girl?"

"Even Flender can keep her completely under control."

Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong's faces darkened completely.

They remembered how Ning Rongrong had praised Shrek to the skies in her letters, never mentioning any of its flaws.

Having no flaws was the biggest flaw of all. It meant she'd been brainwashed and couldn't see the problems.

Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath and made up his mind.

"Rongrong, after tonight, you're coming home with me. No—go withdraw from the academy now."

Ning Rongrong panicked. "Dad, I..."

"Enough!"

Ning Fengzhi rarely lost his temper with her, but this time he did.

"There's nothing to discuss."

Gu Rong didn't say anything this time, either.

He knew this had become serious. No matter how much he doted on Ning Rongrong, this had crossed the line.

Ning Fengzhi looked at Xuan Qing.

"Young friend Xuan Qing, why not accompany us for a while? Then we can all return to Heaven Dou City together."

Xuan Qing thought it over, then nodded.

"All right. I'll treat it as a free show."

Ning Fengzhi paid for the meal, and everyone set off for Shrek Academy.

The mood on the way was a little heavy, but Xuan Qing remained calm.