Jin Hao's Plan

Dugu Yan then asked:

"Were you really just here to apologize?"

"Not to settle scores with Lingling and me?"

Jin Hao replied:

"Of course. I was also deeply disgusted by what Xue Beng did, and to be honest, I know that what he did had something to do with me as well."

"Xue Beng saw that my other two younger brothers had died unexpectedly, so he thought he saw hope. He wanted to compete with me for the throne, and in his haste, he did something like this. No matter what, I had to come and apologize to you two."

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were both stunned when they heard this. Neither of them had expected him to take responsibility upon himself like that.

As a result, Dugu Yan, who had still held a trace of hostility toward Jin Hao, no longer knew what to say.

In the end, she could only say to Jin Hao:

"It's fine. Like you said, Xue Beng was the one with wild ambitions. It has nothing to do with you."

At this point, Ye Lingling spoke as well:

"That's right. It has nothing to do with you. Xue Beng did it all himself, and now he has also died in an accident. His Majesty has prepared compensation for our families too, so you didn't need to come all this way to apologize to us."

Hearing this, Jin Hao said:

"Since neither of you minds, I won't say anything more. It seems to be noon already, so let me treat you both to lunch."

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling found it difficult to refuse Jin Hao's offer. After all, they had just said it had nothing to do with him, yet rejecting his invitation to a meal would have seemed inappropriate.

Thus, the three of them left the Primary Academy and headed outside.

Along the way, as Jin Hao looked at Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling beside him, he began considering how to earn their trust—especially Dugu Yan's trust. Only then would he have a way to reach Dugu Bo's Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

While Jin Hao was still thinking about this, the group arrived at a Restaurant near the Primary Academy.

After ordering their dishes, they sat down in a Private Room.

Once all the dishes had been served, Jin Hao said:

"The food is all here. Let's eat."

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling did not stand on ceremony and began eating.

As they ate, Jin Hao continued thinking about how to build a good relationship with Dugu Yan, or perhaps with Dugu Bo behind her.

After considering many methods, Jin Hao came up with two. The first was the same as in the original story: tell Dugu Yan that she had been poisoned because of her Martial Soul, then draw out Dugu Bo behind her and carry out the rest of his plan. The second was to use visiting Oscar at the Primary Academy as an excuse to frequently come here in the future. While Dugu Yan had yet to graduate, he could build a relationship with her at the Academy. Once they became close enough, he would eventually have a chance to reach the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

After thinking this through, Jin Hao glanced at Dugu Yan and decided to pursue both methods at once.

He only needed to visit the Primary Academy frequently in the future and build a good relationship with Dugu Yan. Jin Hao also remembered that the original story had mentioned that the poison in her body usually flared up on rainy days. When such weather came, he could find Dugu Yan and subtly point it out, then wait for her to tell Dugu Bo.

In the end, he should be able to reach the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Of course, this was the ideal outcome, and it was only because Jin Hao did not wish to eliminate Dugu Bo and instead wanted to recruit him into his own camp that he intended to proceed this way.

But if something unexpected happened, or if he could not reach the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Jin Hao was prepared to show Dugu Bo what the strength of a Level 98 Super Douluo truly meant.

Having settled these matters in his mind, Jin Hao said nothing more and simply ate with the two girls before him.

The meal soon ended. Afterward, Jin Hao said to them:

"Alright, now that we've finished eating, I won't escort you back to the Academy. We know each other now, so we're friends from now on. If you run into any trouble in Heaven Dou City in the future, come find me. As long as I can, I'll help you solve it."

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling did not refuse. From their time with Jin Hao, both of them felt that he was a decent person, at the very least far better than Xue Beng and the noble youths they had known before.

So Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling both said to Jin Hao:

"Then we'll have to trouble Your Highness in the future."

After saying that, the two of them left.

Jin Hao did not linger either. He prepared to return to the Prince's Residence and continue cultivating.

However, what Jin Hao had not expected was that just as he arrived outside the gates of his residence, he saw an envoy from the Imperial Palace.

The man immediately stepped forward upon seeing Jin Hao and said:

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Jin Hao nodded and asked:

"Why did Father send you to find me?"

Upon hearing this, the man immediately replied:

"Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered you to enter the Imperial Palace at once. Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School has arrived and requires your presence."

Jin Hao was taken aback upon hearing this. He wondered what the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School wanted. Then he recalled that in the original story, Qian Renxue had taken Ning Fengzhi as her master. Now that he had replaced Xue Qinghe's identity, the information did not show that the original Xue Qinghe had yet become Ning Fengzhi's disciple. Could this meeting with Ning Fengzhi be the same as in the original story, with Ning Fengzhi taking him as a disciple?

After thinking this over, Jin Hao nodded to the man.

"I understand. I'll head to the Imperial Palace immediately."

After saying that, Jin Hao boarded a Carriage once more and hurried toward the Imperial Palace.

On the way, Jin Hao considered the matter of becoming Ning Fengzhi's disciple. He had no objections to it. Xue Qinghe's master—what does that have to do with me, Jin Hao?

With Ning Fengzhi as his teacher, he could also build a good relationship with Ning Rongrong in the future. Naturally, Jin Hao had no designs on Ning Rongrong, but he did not want her going to Shrek Academy and becoming an additional source of support for Tang San. When the time came, he could lure her to Heaven Dou Royal Soul Master Academy instead.

Furthermore, with Ning Fengzhi as his teacher, he would openly have two Title Douluo backing him in the future. The petty schemes of certain Kingdoms would no longer dare to be used against him.

Even if they came for him, there were people protecting him who could deal with them. But if it happened too many times, there would be a risk of exposure, so this arrangement was just right.

As he considered these matters, Jin Hao's Carriage arrived outside the Imperial Palace. After getting down, he walked into the Imperial Palace, ready to meet his new master.