Mission to Heaven Dou (Please Keep Reading)

Two months later.

Outside Star Luo Imperial City, the vast procession of envoys was ready to depart.

During those two months of preparation, the two empires had held several more private discussions and made arrangements.

By now, their alliance was known throughout the land.

The Star Luo Empire was sending a great many people on this journey. All told, there were several hundred.

Yes, several hundred. That was no exaggeration.

"Zhu Zhuqing, train hard. Once you reach level ten, someone from the residence will take you to hunt for a Soul Ring."

"Remember to be good and wait for me at home."

Dai Xuanyu stroked the obedient Zhu Zhuqing's head.

"Mm-hmm." Zhu Zhuqing nodded meekly.

Her talent was not especially outstanding, so ever since awakening her Martial Soul, she had worked twice as hard.

Fortunately, once she learned she would become the crown princess and her fate had changed,

Zhu Zhuqing had gradually eased off her once reckless training regimen.

She was still a child, after all, with plenty of room to grow.

Over the past two months, away from that cruel atmosphere, the chill on Zhu Zhuqing's young face had gradually begun to thaw.

Dai Xuanyu had discovered the pleasure of watching her grow.

Unfortunately, he could not enjoy it for long. He had to travel to the Heaven Dou Empire as an envoy.

Dai Xuanyu then turned to Zhu Zhuyun and said with trust in his voice:

"Zhu Yun, I'll leave the affairs of the residence to you and Zhu Zhuqing."

"Dai Xuan, the steward, will help you. There's no need to worry."

"If anything comes up that you can't handle, go to my father."

Dai Xuanyu had his reasons for doing this.

Since both girls were his fiancées, he naturally had to treat them equally.

But Zhu Zhuqing was still too young. At thirteen, Zhu Zhuyun was just the right age to start learning the ropes.

As for six-year-old Zhu Zhuqing, it was the perfect time for her to follow Zhu Zhuyun around and learn.

Dai Xuanyu also wanted to give the sisters something to do.

Though they had become his fiancées, their identities could not be made public. In fact, they had to be kept secret.

Even when they accompanied Dai Xuanyu, they had to disguise themselves so no one would recognize them.

At least with Dai Xuanyu around, the sisters had not been too bored.

Now that he was leaving for so long, they would have no playmate. If they stayed in the residence all day, they would have nothing but the drudgery of training.

That was why Dai Xuanyu had made these arrangements.

After all, he did not want his two fiancées to become cold, unfeeling training machines.

"Don't worry, Xuanyu," Zhu Zhuyun said, touched.

The past two months had felt like a dream to her.

Everything had been so easy and pleasant. She no longer had to fear being plotted against or plot against anyone else.

And when she learned of Dai Xuanyu's heaven-defying talent, her heart had raced.

"Young master, the procession is about to depart."

A servant's voice suddenly called from outside the carriage.

"Xuanyu, my sister and I should go. Please be careful on the road." Zhu Zhuyun prepared to take Zhu Zhuqing out of the carriage.

With that, Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing each leaned in from one side and kissed Dai Xuanyu at the same time.

Only then did the two girls alter their appearances and leave the carriage in new disguises.

To anyone watching, they were simply two maids leaving their young master's carriage.

"Let's go!"

After settling into his seat, Dai Xuanyu clapped his hands lightly.

"As you command." An Anbu member answered at once from the shadows.

On this trip to the Heaven Dou Empire, Dai Xuanyu would enroll at Heaven Dou Royal Academy under another identity.

The person he was currently impersonating was that other identity.

It belonged to a real member of a collateral branch of the Dai Family in the Star Luo Empire.

He was thirteen, had inherited the imperial family's White Tiger Martial Soul, and had a Soul Power Level of twenty-five.

That made him a suitable exchange student for Heaven Dou Royal Academy, without drawing undue attention.

Dai Xuanyu could disguise his height with a secret technique.

As for the Dai Family's White Tiger Martial Soul, he could imitate it with his own Evil Eyes Saint King Martial Soul.

It was easy enough for him to conceal some of his Soul Power Level, too.

Thus, Dai Xuanyu played his new role flawlessly.

As for the "fourth prince" in the small Mobile Palace assigned to his royal identity, that was merely a stand-in.

A stand-in really was a useful thing.

Dai Xuanyu still had to appear in person for important matters.

But for minor affairs, he could step away and carry out his own plans.

Heaven Dou, I'm finally on my way.

He pushed open the carriage window and watched the scenery slowly recede, unable to help feeling emotional.

After all that work and such a long detour, he was finally one step closer to the opportunity presented by the Immortal Herb.

Then something occurred to Dai Xuanyu, and a smile tugged at his lips. "I wonder where Tang Hao took Tang San to hide?"

If events had followed their normal course, Tang San should have enrolled at Nuoding Academy by now.

Unfortunately for Tang San, Dai Xuanyu had interfered.

Tang San was a staunch defender of feudal order, but who knew whether some sudden whim might make him loyal only to the Heaven Dou Empire, where he had been born?

If a fully grown Tang San became an obstacle to Dai Xuanyu's future unification of the continent, that would be troublesome.

So Dai Xuanyu had to do something to delay Tang San's growth.

What he did was simple, but effective.

He anonymously reported to Spirit Hall that Tang Hao and his son were hiding in Holy Soul Village.

He had even made the report from within the Heaven Dou Empire, not the Star Luo Empire.

Let Tang Hao puzzle over that.

Tang Hao could rack his brains until the sky cracked and still never imagine that the person who had reported him and his son had no connection to them whatsoever.

With Tang Hao and Tang San out of the way, bringing Xiao Wu over will be as easy as turning my hand.

At the thought of Xiao Wu, Dai Xuanyu's face filled with confidence.

It was as though the moment he met her, he could bring her straight into his fold.

In truth, he could.

Recruiting someone meant finding the right remedy for their particular ailment. Once he found the key, the rest would be easy.

For Yang Wudi, that key was restoring the Breaking Clan, along with the tempting promise of the Immortal Herb that Dai Xuanyu had yet to mention.

For Xiao Wu, it was revenge against Spirit Hall.

Once Dai Xuanyu showed her what he could do and held out the promise of not only taking revenge on Spirit Hall but also bringing her mother back to life,

the choice Xiao Wu would make was plain to see.