The Prince's Order

The sun had already sunk behind the mountains.

Outside one of the courtyards at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, more than a dozen guards from Prince Xue Xing's Manor stood on both sides of the stone steps, each wearing the manor's emblem on their chest.

The middle-aged steward at their head held a scroll of orders, his expression growing increasingly impatient.

"Three Education Committee members, you've delayed since morning. It's time to give His Highness the Prince an answer."

The three Education Committee members stood before the courtyard gate, refusing to yield the way.

"Dugu Yan is a student of the Royal Academy."

The lead committee member said gravely, "She only fought someone a few days ago, and the Soul Power in her body has yet to fully settle. If she is sent out of the academy now and something happens, who will take responsibility?"

"Prince Xue Xing's Manor will naturally take responsibility."

The steward extended the order in his hand.

"The order is here. Dugu Yan must leave with me today. Are the three of you planning to defy it?"

"I already said it. I'm not going."

Dugu Yan stepped out from behind the three committee members, her dark green hair falling over her shoulders as a layer of jade-green Soul Power gathered in her right hand.

Though she had not released her martial soul, the manor guards around her still instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons.

The three academy students she had poisoned a few days ago had yet to fully recover.

Seeing the poisonous glow in her palm, the steward's eyes gained a trace of wariness.

"Miss Dugu, His Highness is merely concerned for your safety."

"Concerned for my safety, so he sent these people to block my residence?"

Dugu Yan sneered.

"If you don't get lost, I'll make them lie down and be carried out alongside the last few."

The steward from Prince Xue Xing's Manor darkened.

The guards behind him all stepped forward half a pace, while Soul Power began to stir within the three committee members as well.

Just as the two sides were locked in a standoff, the hurried sound of hoofbeats suddenly came from the mountain path below.

An academy guard hurried up the stone steps.

"Education Committee members, a carriage from Spirit Hall has arrived at the foot of the mountain!"

The steward frowned. "What are people from Spirit Hall doing here?"

The guard caught his breath, his voice still clearly panicked.

"At the front of the carriage... sits Poison Douluo."

"What?"

The poisonous glow in Dugu Yan's palm instantly vanished.

The steward froze for a moment before delight appeared on his face.

"Poison Douluo has returned!"

He no longer cared to pressure the three committee members and immediately turned toward the foot of the mountain. The manor guards hurried after him, and the people blocking the stone steps soon cleared away completely.

Dugu Yan raised her Soul Power and leaped past the others in pursuit.

Around the bend in the mountain road, the Holy Son's carriage was slowly approaching along the broad road before the stone steps.

Jiang Mo held the reins, his Coiling Dragon Staff resting horizontally at his side.

Dugu Bo sat on the other side, his dark green hair continuously whipping in the mountain wind.

The steward from Prince Xue Xing's Manor smiled from far away.

"Poison Douluo, you've finally returned!"

The carriage came to a stop.

The steward hurried forward and bowed.

"His Highness has been sending people to search for you these past few days. The Fourth Prince only went to fetch Miss Dugu because he feared someone might harm her while you were away."

"Everything that happened these past few days was a misunderstanding."

Dugu Bo leaped down from the carriage without even looking at him.

The steward's smile stiffened somewhat, but he still followed two steps closer.

"Poison Douluo, the Prince has already arranged a banquet at the manor and is only waiting for you..."

Dugu Bo turned around and personally pulled open the carriage door.

Qian Renyuan stepped out from inside the carriage.

The black-and-gold Holy Son insignia glimmered with a cold light in the twilight.

The steward's remaining words caught in his throat, and his steps came to a halt.

"Grandfather!"

Dugu Yan rushed down the mountain path and went straight to Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo grabbed her shoulder, his Soul Power swiftly sweeping through her body. Only after confirming that Dugu Yan was uninjured did the tension in his expression, which had lasted for days, finally ease.

"Did they touch you?"

"No."

Dugu Yan shook her head. "The three education committee members kept stopping them. They didn't dare make a move inside the academy."

Dugu Bo nodded, but the chill in his eyes did not fade.

Only then did Dugu Yan look toward Qian Renyuan.

They had been apart for several days. She had originally thought that, the next time they met, she would make sure Qian Renyuan saw how much she had improved. She had not expected to see him again under such circumstances.

"Your Highness."

Suppressing the complicated emotions in her heart, she took the initiative to lower her head in salute.

Qian Renyuan nodded lightly.

The steward of the Prince's Estate stood nearby, a thin layer of sweat already beading on his forehead.

"Holy Son."

The steward barely forced out a smile.

"This is an internal matter of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Please do not let Spirit Hall interfere."

Qian Renyuan ignored his explanation and merely asked Dugu Yan, "Do you want to go to the Prince's Estate?"

"No."

"Then you will not go."

The steward hurriedly raised the writ in his hand.

"This is a writ personally issued by Prince Xue Xing!"

"Miss Dugu is no longer safe staying at the academy and must temporarily reside at the Prince's Estate. Even if Poison Douluo returns, he should first discuss this with His Highness the Prince..."

Qian Renyuan glanced at the writ.

"Give it to Dugu Bo."

The steward hesitated for a moment, but still handed over the writ.

Dugu Bo caught it with one hand. Dark green poisonous mist seeped from between his fingers, and the gold-edged writ rapidly blackened. The prince's seal on the paper lasted only a moment before it, along with the entire writ, turned to ashes.

The ashes fell from Dugu Bo's palm and scattered on the mountain wind.

The steward stared blankly at his now-empty hand.

"Your Excellency Dugu, this was a writ from the prince!"

"Prince Xue Xing saved you back then. How could you..."

"I repaid that debt long ago."

Dugu Bo cut him off. "Go back and tell Xue Xing that Yanyan does not need his protection."

The steward's lips moved a few times as if he wanted to say more, but a layer of dark green poisonous fog had already appeared beneath Dugu Bo's feet.

The two guards closest to him staggered back several steps. Their weapons collided in their hands, producing a burst of chaotic clattering.

Qian Renyuan looked at the steward.

"It is not fully dark yet. If you head down the mountain now, you can still make it back to the Prince's Estate to report."

"If you wait for Dugu Bo to see you off, I'm afraid no one will dare collect your corpse along the way."

The color rapidly drained from the steward's face. He hurried down the mountain with the Prince's Estate guards. The formation that had been so orderly just moments ago now had even its footsteps in disarray.

The three education committee members descended the stone steps.

"Thank you, the three of you, for what happened today."

Dugu Bo returned their salute, a rare gesture from him.

The leading education committee member waved his hand.

"She is a student of the academy. We could not simply stand by and watch the Prince's Estate forcibly take her away."

He turned to Dugu Yan. "Yanyan, pack your things and leave with Grandpa."

But Dugu Yan did not agree immediately. "Grandpa, I want to remain at the academy."

Dugu Bo frowned. "Xue Xing already has his eyes on you."

"That is precisely why I cannot let him scare me away."

Dugu Yan raised her head.

"I still need to stay here and cultivate. If I run away every time they come, how will I remain at the academy in the future?"

Dugu Bo was about to say something else when Dugu Yan had already turned to Qian Renyuan.

"Your Highness, may I stay?"

"You may, but until Dugu Bo has dealt with Xue Xing, you are not to leave the academy alone."

Dugu Yan immediately agreed. "I'll remember."

The lead education committee member spoke again. "It is late. If Your Highness the Holy Son does not mind, you may enter the academy and rest for the night."

"I only came today to handle the Dugu Clan's private affairs."

Qian Renyuan turned and walked toward the carriage.

"I'll enter the academy after the Heaven Dou Imperial Family formally extends an invitation."

Dugu Bo gave Dugu Yan a few more instructions before getting back into the carriage.

The wheels turned, and the carriage headed down the mountain road toward Heaven Dou City.

That night, the Holy Son's carriage entered Dugu Bo Estate.

Not long after Qian Renyuan had taken a seat, an attendant from the Crown Prince's residence delivered an unsigned invitation.

There was only one line on it.

At midnight tonight, the west gate of the Crown Prince's residence.

At the bottom was the private seal of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.