Heaven Dou City.
Huo Yuhao asked curiously, "Well? Is Ji coming?"
"He is. I told him Chen Xin wanted to challenge him. How could he not come?"
Li Chen answered with a smile.
Meng Hongchen finished cleaning the shop's shelves, then neatly arranged the Soul Tools on them.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead, looking puzzled.
"Li Chen, why are we having Grandpa and Ji Juechen come here? Only people from this era would treasure this junk. Aren't we spreading ourselves too thin?"
Beside her, Xiao Hongchen was equally confused.
The Soul Tools they were selling were all low-end models. Besides, the Soul Tools had safeguards against disassembly.
Xue Ye's craftsmen who tried taking them apart would surely learn that soon enough. If they forcibly dismantled a Soul Tool, its Core Magic Array would self-destruct. They would gain no useful information whatsoever.
Li Chen closed the door and shook his head with a chuckle.
"I'm having Hall Master Jing and Ji come here not because these Soul Tools are important, but because we need Xue Ye and the others to believe they're important."
Understanding dawned on Huo Yuhao.
"The Sun Moon Sect's official line right now is that we don't have any Soul Tools capable of mass destruction."
"That's also why they aren't joining forces to attack us for now. Given that, something like the Thunder Hand Cannon must be one of our sect's prized weapons."
"If we don't even send a Titled Douluo to oversee a partnership involving our prized weapons, someone like Ning Fengzhi will soon suspect we have things far more powerful than the Thunder Hand Cannon."
Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen exchanged a look, suddenly understanding.
"Brilliant!"
Meng Hongchen was stunned.
Li Chen's tactic of assigning Titled Douluo to guard junk was something the Heaven Dou Empire's people would never imagine. They would only become even more eager to buy this pile of scrap.
The principle was rather like the capitalists in Li Chen's previous life hiring top celebrities to endorse products, then fleecing consumers.
"So you all need to take this a little more seriously, too."
Li Chen reminded them,
"Putting on an act takes more than lip service. Xue Ye must have people watching us right now. Without bringing over a couple of powerful experts, we won't fool them so easily."
Li Chen stepped outside.
"I completely forgot I had a date with Dugu Bo. I'll leave things here to you for now."
Xiao Hongchen stood at attention and saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Meng Hongchen's gaze, however, held a trace of resentment.
"What does he mean, a date with the Poison Douluo...? I was planning to go shopping with Li Chen tonight... Hmph."
Huo Yuhao let out an amused chuckle.
He had long since grown used to Li Chen's frequent bouts of madness.
Sunset Forest, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Dugu Bo alternated between scratching his head with both hands and pacing back and forth.
"The Sun Moon Sect's people have no manners! We agreed on the evening three days ago, and now three whole damn days have passed. Are they messing with me?"
Dugu Bo's initial joy had turned into agitation, and that agitation had now become suspicion.
Was that brat from the Sun Moon Sect making a fool of me?!
Just then,
Footsteps sounded. Dugu Bo looked up and saw that Li Chen had arrived.
"You brat, you finally showed up! You're three whole days late. Are you messing with me?!"
Li Chen smiled. "Of course not. Elder Kong deliberately spent these three days observing you. It was a test."
"A test?" Dugu Bo asked urgently. "Forget it, I don't care what you're testing. Do you actually have a way to cure the poison?"
"Yes, old geezer, I do."
Li Chen coughed twice, clearing his throat.
"But first, let's discuss the terms."
"There are terms, too?"
Dugu Bo immediately had a bad feeling.
"Of course there are. Otherwise, wouldn't it sound like a scam?"
Dugu Bo nodded. "Fair enough. Go on, what are your terms? Let me make this clear first: if it's something I can't do, forget it."
"It won't be."
Li Chen said bluntly,
"The terms are simple. You'll serve as a pawn for the Sun Moon Sect and monitor the Heaven Dou Empire. You're on good terms with Prince Xue Xing, so you can use that connection to gather intelligence on the empire."
"You'll report everything that happens in the Heaven Dou Empire to us, big or small. You can use the Soul Guide Communicator you have to send your reports. I'll teach you how."
Dugu Bo froze when he heard that.
"What?! Your Sun Moon Sect... what exactly are you planning?"
An inexplicable unease stirred within Dugu Bo.
Monitor the Heaven Dou Empire? Only a hostile faction would say something like that!
"What we're planning is none of your concern. You only need to tell me whether you'll do it."
Dugu Bo sneered. "Brat! I'm no saint, but I know how to repay a kindness!"
"Prince Xue Xing once saved my life. Asking me to exploit that connection to steal intelligence on the Heaven Dou Empire is asking me to betray a friend! I may be an old poisoner, but I can't do that!"
Dugu Bo's face was livid.
If someone couldn't even show gratitude, how were they any different from an animal?!
A certain Three felt called out yet again.
Li Chen spoke calmly. "Let me correct you on one point. Prince Xue Xing saved you, not the Heaven Dou Empire."
"I can promise not to kill Xue Xing in the future. That way, you won't be betraying his trust."
Although the Poison Douluo was stubborn on this point, it was actually a good thing for Li Chen. Someone like that would respect certain principles rather than go back on his word.
"Well..."
Dugu Bo hesitated. "From what you're saying, does your Sun Moon Sect intend to wage war against the Heaven Dou Empire someday?"
Li Chen scoffed.
"Old poisoner, an innocent man becomes guilty merely by possessing a treasure others covet. Spirit Hall has hunted you for so long. How do you still not understand that?
"Do you think that now the Sun Moon Sect has emerged and revealed its strength, Xue Ye will leave us alone in the future? Will Spirit Hall?"
Li Chen walked to the edge of the Yin Yang Well, its waters reflecting his cold expression.
"They won't. Sooner or later, there will be a war on this continent. Either we die, or they do."
As Dugu Bo watched the bespectacled boy before him, a chill seeped into his bones.
He opened his mouth, but could find no way to refute him.
Thinking it over, it really was true!
What had he, the Poison Douluo, ever done wrong?
Hadn't Spirit Hall still tried to force him to join? When he refused to submit, they sent Chrysanthemum Ghost to kill him!
"You're right. Once you're caught up in this world, your fate is no longer your own..."
Dugu Bo sighed.
Li Chen turned around. "So, have you made up your mind? You'd better hurry. You should know that the decision you make now is a bet on which side will win in the future."
"If you bet wrong... you, your granddaughter, and your entire Dugu Family will be reduced to ashes."
Dugu Bo looked at Li Chen, fear showing in his eyes.
He realized that the Sun Moon Sect's power was definitely far greater than it appeared!
Otherwise, how would this brat dare claim they could stand against both Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire?
Dugu Bo thought for a moment, then suddenly sneered.
"Brat, aren't you afraid that after telling me all this, I'll go straight to Xue Ye, expose you, and have you all arrested?"
"Hahahahaha!"
Li Chen burst out laughing.
Dugu Bo asked in confusion, "What are you laughing at?"
"Haha, go right ahead. See whether Xue Ye believes you now."
Li Chen was utterly unconcerned. "Old poisoner, Xue Ye can't do without our Soul Tools anymore. You're welcome to try. Even if he knows you're telling the truth, he'll pretend it's a lie."
"As for you, old poisoner, Xue Ye will throw you out of the Heaven Dou Empire as proof of his commitment to maintaining relations with our sect."
Dugu Bo fell silent.
He knew Li Chen was right.
Dugu Bo let out a long sigh and nodded. "Fine. I agree."
Li Chen wasted no time and immediately tossed a booklet to Dugu Bo.
Before you continue