But what Xue Xing had not expected was that he had been wrong about all of it. Although Dugu Bo bore a poison-related title, he was a man of his word. He had not yet sunk to the point of agreeing to something and then secretly striking a lethal blow.
Xue Beng's fatal wound had been inflicted by the Porcupinefish Douluo Jin Hao had sent.
When the Porcupinefish Douluo first arrived, he found Xue Xing and a group of guards stationed inside and outside Xue Beng's room. Although these people were nothing more than worthless rabble in Pufferfish's eyes and could be dealt with easily,
Porcupinefish Douluo also remembered that Jin Hao had told him to handle things cleanly. If he forced his way in and killed Xue Beng, it would provoke a thorough investigation by Xue Xing and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. It might even give Xue Xing the chance to bring up Xue Beng's attempted molestation of Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, something that had already seemed settled beyond dispute.
So Pufferfish waited for an opportunity. He had originally thought he would have to wait several days, but not long after he began waiting, Xue Ye's imperial decree arrived. Everyone present, including Xue Xing, went to the front courtyard to receive it. In those few minutes, Pufferfish entered Xue Beng's room and left that fatal wound inside his body.
The whole thing took less than ten seconds, so no one noticed.
Meanwhile, Jin Hao had already returned to the Prince's Residence. When he got back, he found that Pufferfish had returned as well, so he asked,
"How did it go?"
Pufferfish nodded, indicating that everything had been taken care of.
Jin Hao was satisfied to hear that. All four princes of the Heaven Dou Empire had now died at Spirit Hall's hands, leaving only him, the impostor. Jin Hao refused to believe that anyone would still compete with him for the position of crown prince.
Then Jin Hao began cultivating. All he needed to do now was pretend that he knew nothing and act like someone who had devoted himself to cultivation after his Martial Soul had just mutated.
Meanwhile, when Xue Xing heard the Healing Spirit Master's scream outside, he knew that the man had died. He now had something more important to do: enter the palace and plead for punishment.
Although Xue Xing and Xue Ye had tacitly regarded Xue Beng as the heir to Xue Xing's princely title, and Xue Xing had loved his nephew as though he were his own son, Xue Beng was ultimately still Xue Ye's son. Now that Xue Beng had died, punishment was unavoidable when Xue Xing met Xue Ye.
Inside the Imperial Palace, in the Imperial Study, Xue Ye was writing a letter to Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Naturally, it concerned Xue Qinghe's safety. He wanted Xue Qinghe to take Ning Fengzhi as his master, allowing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to serve as Xue Qinghe's support and its two Titled Douluos to protect Xue Qinghe as he grew.
As he wrote, Xue Ye thought of his son who had found fortune amid disaster. It was as though Heaven had seen the empire weakening by the day and sent him a great safeguard to turn the tide.
Then he thought of his other unfilial son, who had actually done such a thing and caused the Imperial Family to offend both a Titled Douluo and a top Soul Master family.
Fortunately, Xue Xing understood how to weigh the situation and had calmed the Titled Douluo's fury. When the time came, the Imperial Family would only need to pay some price to appease the Ye Family.
Just as Xue Ye was about to finish the letter, a figure barged in without any announcement.
Xue Ye immediately looked up and saw the hurried Xue Xing. His anger rose further as he shouted at him,
"Did I not order you to remain confined at home? Why have you come here without announcing yourself? You are becoming more and more unruly!"
Xue Xing immediately dropped to his knees and said,
"Your Majesty, this subject has come to plead for punishment. Xue Beng, he..."
Before Xue Xing could finish, Xue Ye said,
"My decree already stated that once Xue Beng recovers, he is to go to your fief and never return. I have also made your punishment clear, so do not say another word to me."
Hearing this, Xue Xing understood that Xue Ye had misunderstood him and thought he had come to complain about the decree.
So Xue Xing said,
"Your Majesty, this subject has not come to plead for punishment over what Xue Beng did. Just now, Xue Beng died. There was a fatal crack in his internal organs, and he died from massive internal bleeding. It was discovered too late, and he could not be saved."
"This subject failed to keep watch over the prince and has come to plead for punishment!"
After those words were spoken, the Imperial Study fell silent.
Xue Ye's initial impatience turned into shock and disbelief.
Although Xue Ye did not particularly like Xue Beng, he was still his son. How could he have simply died like that?
"Xue Xing, what are you talking about? You are lying to make me lessen Xue Beng's punishment, aren't you?"
"Not long ago, I received word that Xue Beng merely needed rest and would recover in two months at most. How can you now say that he is dead?"
Xue Xing replied,
"Your Majesty, every word this subject has spoken is true. Xue Beng has indeed died."
Then Xue Xing recounted how Xue Beng had vomited blood, how the crack had been discovered, and how Xue Beng had later bled from all seven orifices before dying.
Finally, Xue Xing also told Xue Ye his suspicion that Dugu Bo had done it.
After hearing such a detailed report and seeing Xue Xing's expression, Xue Ye understood that Xue Beng had truly died. He had lost another son.
Moreover, based on Xue Xing's report, Xue Ye also believed that Dugu Yan was the culprit, while Dugu Bo had deliberately acted during the detoxification to ensure Xue Beng's death. Otherwise, that fatal wound would not have gone unnoticed.
Though that was what he believed, Xue Ye did not dare do anything to Dugu Bo. Instead, he would have to speak to Dugu Bo politely. If he offended Dugu Bo and Dugu Bo acted against the Heaven Dou Empire, the losses would outweigh the gains.
I can afford to lose a Titled Douluo as a friend, but I cannot afford to gain a Titled Douluo as an enemy.
So Xue Ye said to Xue Xing,
"You did well to make that Healing Spirit Master take the blame. Xue Beng is dead, but it has nothing to do with Dugu Bo and his granddaughter. It was entirely caused by that Healing Spirit Master's failure to discover it."
"The prince died under your watch, which is a grave crime. But fortunately, you handled the matter correctly and prevented the Imperial Family from becoming enemies with a Titled Douluo, so I will not impose any further punishment. Return and remain confined for half a year. If you dare take even one step outside your residence during those six months without my decree, an even harsher punishment will await you. Do you understand?"
Xue Xing nodded upon hearing this. Although his half-year confinement would cause the noble officials he had painstakingly gathered to disperse, it no longer mattered to him. Xue Beng was dead, so there was no use keeping them around. If they remained and someone reported that he intended to rebel, that would be even worse.
Then Xue Xing left the Imperial Study and returned home to remain confined.
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