A Forced Kiss on Meng Hongchen, Grandpa Comes Knocking!

Sun Moon Empire, the Prince's Mansion of Xu Tianran.

Inside the grand and luxurious main hall, the atmosphere was unusually oppressive.

"Xu Tianyao, you are too presumptuous!"

A cold, rage-filled voice echoed through the hall.

Xu Tianran, seated in the main chair, had a gloomy expression, his gaze like a torch fixed upon the youth kneeling below.

"Do you even know what you have done?"

"Do you have any shred of dignity left as a royal prince!"

This was one of the very few times Xu Tianran had truly lost his temper.

Even when facing political enemies in the imperial court, he usually kept his emotions well-hidden.

But at this moment, the fury in his eyes was not concealed in the slightest.

In the center of the hall.

Xu Tianyao knelt there obediently, head bowed, not saying a word.

Standing beside Xu Tianran was an old man with white hair dressed in red robes.

The old man's expression was equally grim, and a terrifying, daunting aura emanated faintly from his body.

This person was none other than the Hall Master of Mingde Hall, Jing Hongchen.

Clearly, today's events had truly ignited the wrath of this titan of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tool world.

Seeing that Xu Tianyao remained silent, Xu Tianran let out a cold snort before turning his head to look at Jing Hongchen.

The anger on his face vanished by more than half.

"Hall Master Hongchen, this matter was indeed Tianyao's folly."

"Our mother passed away early, and I have been busy with state affairs, neglecting his discipline, which led to such a mischievous temperament."

"After today, I will certainly restrain him strictly and provide Hall Master Hongchen with a satisfactory explanation."

His tone was quite sincere, and his posture was very humble; for a noble prince to go this far was already quite rare.

Yet, Jing Hongchen's lingering anger had not yet dissipated.

Thinking of what that brat had done, he wished he could drag him back and give him another sound beating.

However, facing Xu Tianran, he could not easily lash out.

Among the various princes, Xu Tianran possessed the strongest influence, the most ruthless methods, and the deepest foundations; he was almost universally regarded as the most likely successor to the throne.

Mingde Hall had always maintained neutrality.

Jing Hongchen did not wish to offend Xu Tianran, but he could not allow the Red Dust Family to be humiliated either.

In the end, he could only glare coldly at Xu Tianyao.

"Since Your Highness has said so, I naturally believe you."

"However, I will still report this matter truthfully to His Majesty."

"As for how to handle it, that will be for His Majesty to decide."

Having said this, Jing Hongchen cupped his hands, turned, and swept his sleeves as he departed.

Not until that red-robed figure had completely vanished outside the hall did the atmosphere inside soften slightly.

Xu Tianran leaned back against his chair, silent for a long time.

Then, he cast a faint glance downward.

"He's gone."

"What are you still kneeling for?"

"Get over here!"

Hearing this, Xu Tianyao felt as if he had been granted an amnesty.

He sprang up from the ground with a nimble leap.

Then, with a face full of smiles, he scurried over behind Xu Tianran to knead his shoulders and pound his back, his expression fawning and his movements so practiced it was heartbreaking.

"Imperial Brother has worked hard."

"Let me loosen up your muscles."

Watching this display, the corner of Xu Tianran's eye twitched slightly.

This brat was becoming increasingly adept at playing the sycophant.

Xu Tianyao was his own younger brother, born of the same father and mother.

Back then, the Empress had passed away shortly after giving birth to Xu Tianyao and his sister, Xu Tianzhen.

Because of this, Xu Tianyao had been raised almost entirely by Xu Tianran.

There was a vast age gap between the two.

Furthermore, because Xu Tianyao was far too young to control his mother's faction at the time, all the resources and connections left behind by the Empress were ultimately absorbed by Xu Tianran.

It was precisely for this reason that Xu Tianyao never had the qualifications to participate in the brutal struggle for the throne from the very beginning.

He was enfeoffed as a Prince early on.

This allowed him to keep his life and preserve the brotherly bond between them.

Xu Tianran watched him coldly, clearly unimpressed by his act.

"You are becoming increasingly lawless."

"Do you know what the Red Dust Family means to me?"

"Do you even know what Mingde Hall means to the Empire?"

"And yet, you actually dared to go and provoke them yourself."

"Is this how I taught you? You never let me have a moment's peace!"

Hearing the reprimand, Xu Tianyao immediately put on a pitiful expression.

"Imperial Brother, wasn't I just trying to help you?"

"Help me?"

Xu Tianran raised an eyebrow. Good grief, so it was his fault now.

"Yes!"

Xu Tianyao said righteously, "I was thinking of winning over the Red Dust Family for you."

"Who knew they wouldn't give me any face at all?"

"I am a Prince of the Empire, yet they actually dared to chase me all the way to the Imperial Palace to demand an explanation."

"It is simply outrageous!"

"Do they have any respect for the hierarchy between ruler and subject left in their eyes?"

The more Xu Tianyao spoke, the angrier he became, as if he were the one who had been wronged.

Xu Tianran felt the veins on his forehead throbbing.

The next second, unable to endure it any longer, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Xu Tianyao by the collar.

He hauled him directly in front of his face, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Winning them over?"

"When did I ever teach you to win people over like this?"

"Running into someone's home and forcibly stealing their granddaughter's first kiss."

{Shock me first}

"And then beating their grandson until he was black and blue."

"Is this your way of winning people over?"

The more Xu Tianran spoke, the more absurd he found it.

A dignified Imperial Prince.

Actually acting like a street thug.

Xu Tianyao immediately shifted his gaze, feeling guilty.

Seeing his reaction, Xu Tianran understood everything.

"Speak."

"Did you fall for their granddaughter?"

"In all these years, this is the first time I've seen you lose your composure like this."

Hearing this, Xu Tianyao's face flushed slightly, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As a transmigrator, he knew better than anyone just how dangerous the man before him was.

Xu Tianran appeared gentle, but in reality, he was one of the most terrifying people on the entire Douluo Continent.

Even though they were brothers, Xu Tianyao dared not be the least bit presumptuous in front of him.

Because he knew very well that his fate remained firmly in Xu Tianran's hands.

"Imperial Brother."

Xu Tianyao said with a solemn expression, "I am a Prince of the Sun Moon Empire, a future Prince of the realm."

"Is it wrong for me to like the granddaughter of a subject?"

"In my opinion, they are simply ungrateful."

"Once you ascend the throne, Imperial Brother, you must deal with them for me!"

Xu Tianran was stunned for a moment.

Then, as if thinking of something, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Tianyao."

"You handled this matter very foolishly."

"However, I do like the sound of that."

He slowly stood up, his gaze deep as he looked out at the night sky beyond the window, and spoke slowly. (Three years remained until Xu Tianran would be assassinated, losing his legs and his ability to father children.)

"Rulers and subjects, fathers and sons."

"Under imperial power, all living beings are subjects."

"As heirs to the throne, we are naturally superior to all officials."

"Our will is the law."

His calm words were filled with an innate dominance and coldness.

This was Xu Tianran, a man destined to become an emperor.

He then reached out and gently ruffled Xu Tianyao's hair.

His gaze softened in a rare display of affection.

"Since you like that little girl."

"Then your imperial brother shall decide for you."

"As long as you awaken a sufficiently excellent Martial Soul tomorrow."

"I will personally petition our father and request an imperial decree for your marriage."

"I will ensure you get your wish and win the beauty."

Upon hearing this, Xu Tianyao was overjoyed.

"Many thanks, Imperial Brother!"

Everything was exactly as he had anticipated.

Xu Tianran needed the Red Dust Family, and he needed the support of Mingde Hall.

Marriage was undoubtedly the most stable bond.

Furthermore, he truly liked Meng Hongchen, that girl with skin like ice and jade, so lively and adorable.

If he could become a son-in-law of the Red Dust Family, no matter how the future situation changed, he would at least be secure and worry-free with the support of Mingde Hall.

Even if his Martial Soul awakening did not go smoothly and his talent was merely average.

Relying on this connection, he would still be able to enter Mingde Hall and gain access to the most advanced soul guidance technology on the entire continent.

This was the future he had planned for himself.

Watching his younger brother's delighted expression.

Xu Tianran could not help but smile; perhaps only in front of Xu Tianyao.

Could he feel a shred of the warmth that truly belonged to family.

"Alright."

"Go back and rest."

"Tomorrow morning, you must accompany me to the palace to see our father."

"All the empire's high officials will be in attendance."

"Do not embarrass me."

Xu Tianyao patted his chest and promised loudly.

"Don't worry, Imperial Brother!"

"I will definitely show them what I, Xu Tianyao, am capable of!"

With that, he ran out of the courtyard in high spirits, not stopping until his figure had completely vanished.

The smile on Xu Tianran's face slowly faded as he took a secret letter from his sleeve.

He slowly unfolded it, and when he saw the contents, his eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Holy Spirit Cult..."

His low voice echoed in the room, heavy with meaning.

On the other side, after returning to his quarters, Xu Tianyao could not sleep at all.

His mind was filled with fantasies about tomorrow's Martial Soul awakening.

As a member of the Sun and Moon imperial family, he knew the power of his own bloodline better than anyone.

Take the inherited Martial Souls, for example: the Sun Martial Soul, the Silver Moon Martial Soul, and the Purple Imperial Heaven-Destroying Dragon Martial Soul.

Regardless of which one he awakened, as long as no malignant mutation occurred, he would at least have the potential to become a Titled Douluo in the future.

For ordinary soul masters, their worry was that their Martial Soul would be too weak.

But for the children of these top-tier families, what they feared most was a mutation of their Martial Soul.

After all, the cautionary tale of that "Divine Master" was still fresh in the memories of countless people.

This was Douluo Continent, a world where bloodline theory was paramount.

Thinking of this, Xu Tianyao looked at the night sky outside the window and slowly clenched his fists. "Please, do not let me down; I must awaken my Martial Soul normally!"