A Pack of Overachievers, Are You Letting Anyone Live? (Seeking Follow-ups and Encouragement)

On the day of the grand wedding, the hall was filled with guests.

Fang Xuan, the groom, felt somewhat at a loss as he looked at the sea of people before him.

The most critical issue was that he barely recognized anyone present, save for a few individuals from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy he had met before.

Then there was Tang Yuehua, though she preferred quiet and was not in the crowded area, having gone to the back to find Ye Lingling instead.

As for Ye Qinru, she was off bickering with Dugu Bo; she had swindled quite a few good things out of him.

If only she had taken him along, Fang Xuan thought, I can't handle this ghostly scene on my own.

Just as Fang Xuan was nursing a headache, a figure walked toward him.

Fang Xuan turned his head to look, feeling that the person before him was somewhat familiar, yet he could not recall who they were.

However, since the visitor was a guest, he greeted them very politely.

"Hello there. I haven't been in Heaven Dou City for long and don't know many people. May I ask who you are?"

"Just call me Xue Qinghe."

Xue Qinghe offered Fang Xuan a polite smile. He had come in disguise this time; otherwise, he feared he wouldn't have been able to get this close to Fang Xuan.

"Qian—! Your Highness the Crown Prince, please forgive my lack of manners."

Fang Xuan had nearly blurted out the person's real name.

If he remembered correctly, the real Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had long since died, and the person standing before him now was Qian Renxue in disguise.

"There is no need to be so nervous. Only Xue Qinghe has come today, not the Crown Prince."

"After all, you are the protagonist of this wedding banquet today."

Xue Qinghe had heard the first syllable Fang Xuan started to utter, but she didn't pay it much mind.

She had come this time, first, to show her support, and second, because she wanted to observe Fang Xuan from up close once more.

Their last meeting had been too hurried, and looking at him now, it seemed he didn't remember her.

That was fine, though; they could just get to know each other again. There would be plenty of opportunities for them to interact in the future; there was no need to rush.

"Your Highness is too kind. Why don't you go to the backyard and take a seat? Senior Dugu and the others are over there."

He truly couldn't handle this person; he had to invite the big shots to step in.

"No need. I have other matters to attend to and will be leaving shortly."

"The position of Crown Prince is not an easy one to sit in; it requires capable ministers to assist."

After leaving behind these meaningful words, Xue Qinghe departed.

Fang Xuan watched her retreating back, his mind involuntarily beginning to calculate.

So, I've been targeted. But that's fine. Establishing a connection with Spirit Hall early on will make my future actions against Tang San much more convenient.

He was determined to kill Tang San, and since Spirit Hall happened to have a grudge against that side, they could serve as the blade in his hand.

However, figuring out how to wield this blade would require careful planning.

As guests arrived one after another, Fang Xuan gradually grew accustomed to the scene.

It was just a matter of saying what people wanted to hear, he was well-versed in such tactics.

Yet, after greeting people for so long, he hadn't seen a trace of Dugu Yan.

Dugu Bo is here, so where did she run off to?

Just as Fang Xuan was wondering about Dugu Yan's whereabouts, he saw her appear in the distance, leading Yu Tianheng toward him.

However, it seemed there were quite a few people following behind them.

Damn it! With this lineup, they aren't planning to settle a private score, are they? Using the excuse of teasing the newlyweds to beat me up?

It wasn't impossible; after all, he had snatched away her best friend, so giving him a beating to vent her frustration seemed quite reasonable.

Hm? No, the aura coming from that burly man over there is incredibly strong!

A Titled Douluo!

In this life, Fang Xuan had only ever seen one Titled Douluo, and that was Dugu Bo, yet the aura of the person before him seemed even stronger than Dugu Bo's.

This attire... it's someone from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

Yu Yuanzhen?!

Damn! To give me such face—they actually invited him out.

Fang Xuan was stunned. He was just getting married; inviting Yu Yuanzhen out felt like they were holding him in a bit too high regard.

"Old Thunder Dragon, why are you here? What's this? Looking to back up your grandson?"

Dugu Bo had sensed Yu Yuanzhen's aura and came running out from the backyard.

The appearance of two Titled Douluo immediately drew the attention of everyone present.

Seeing Dugu Bo appear, Yu Yuanzhen laughed.

"Old Poison, it's been a long time. I trust you've been well."

"I'm doing just fine. I'll still be alive long after you're dead."

Dugu Bo's attitude toward Yu Yuanzhen was far from friendly.

To be precise, he was very dissatisfied with seeing Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan acting all lovey-dovey over there.

"I was wondering why this brat disappeared early in the morning. I thought she'd come here, but it turns out she went to find that boy."

"Once this is over, I'm going to skin that kid alive!"

Right now, Dugu Bo couldn't find a single thing he liked about Yu Tianheng.

He had just been discussing with Ye Qinru whether he should just marry Dugu Yan off to Fang Xuan instead.

In any case, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had a good relationship, so he assumed there wouldn't be any conflict.

As for Yu Tianheng, he was simply ignored.

"Heh, don't get so worked up. I didn't come here to argue with you today; I came to deliver a congratulatory gift and a betrothal gift."

As he spoke, he pulled a beautifully wrapped box from his robes and tossed it toward Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo reached out to catch it, opened it, and his pupils instantly constricted.

"A spirit bone!"

"That's right. This is a nine-thousand-year-old skull spirit bone. Consider it the betrothal gift I am presenting to you on behalf of my grandson, Yu Tianheng."

The guests were shocked upon hearing this.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family is truly generous. They start off with a spirit bone."

"Are you kidding me? Stop this arms race! The 'Seven-Day Kneeling Talk' hasn't even passed yet, and now you're using a spirit bone as a betrothal gift? How are the rest of us supposed to survive?"

"We can't stay in Heaven Dou City anymore; it's too damn competitive! Can you leave us a way to live, or at least go ruin some other track? Think about us poor bachelors for once!"

The crowd wailed. The bar for marriage proposals in all of Heaven Dou City had just been raised by several levels.

Is this even something a normal person can play? The capital was already competitive enough; couldn't you big shots just play these games in private instead of being so high-profile?

Fang Xuan stood in the crowd, listening to the complaints of those around him, and felt quite amused.

Finally, I get to eat some popcorn and watch the drama.

But he didn't get to enjoy it for long before Yu Yuanzhen pulled out another box and tossed it to him.

"Catch, kid. This is a congratulatory gift for you on behalf of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family."

"This spirit bone is a bit inferior to the one I gave the old poison-master—it's only six thousand years old. I hope you understand; after all, my grandson's lifelong happiness has to come first."

Fang Xuan was a future genius, while Dugu Bo was an established powerhouse.

A genius needed time to grow and could potentially die young, whereas a powerhouse required no such considerations—they could be utilized immediately.

The weight of each was clear at a glance.

Of course, he could handle both, but he didn't want to make it too obvious; it was better to leave a good impression first.

"I... I don't mind."

Fang Xuan laughed awkwardly.

Wait, no? You could have just given it to me later; I'm not in a rush.

He was halfway through enjoying the show when the drama suddenly landed on his own head. What kind of situation was this?

The other onlookers nearby were also left dumbfounded.

The gifts are part of the arms race too?!

Screw this! A bunch of try-hards!

Just as the crowd was buzzing with discussion, movement came from the distance once again.

"Oh, it's quite lively today. I didn't expect even the old lightning dragon to come out for a stroll."