"Then what do you suggest? Can you find a woman more outstanding than Hu Liena?" Prince Xue Xing was getting annoyed too, and his tone was sharp.
"We can't find a beauty more talented than Hu Liena, but we can find someone a notch below her and work on looks, bearing, and status. As long as Liu Hao takes an interest and we establish a connection with him, we'll have a chance to draw him into our camp." Yu Yuanzhen stroked his chin in thought.
As the two argued heatedly, Ning Fengzhi remained silent. Only when their exchange slowed did he find an opening to speak:
"You're both far too optimistic. Do you really think someone as powerful as Liu Hao would casually switch allegiances over a woman? If he takes a fancy to a woman from your faction and demands that you hand her over, would you dare refuse?"
The two fell silent. Indeed, Liu Hao was no ordinary powerhouse. He stood at the absolute summit, above even the strongest. How could a woman sway him so easily?
"Then instead of asking Liu Hao to switch allegiances, what if we form a marriage alliance with him, so he'll spare us or at least leave us a place to survive?" After listening to the three discuss the matter at length, Prince Dai Zhao finally voiced his own idea.
"It might work, but the odds are slim. Have you forgotten that Bibi Dong, the pope of Spirit Hall, is also an incomparable beauty? Liu Hao might not have joined Spirit Hall solely for Hu Liena. He could have joined for Bibi Dong as well," Ning Fengzhi analyzed, shaking his head.
At those words, everyone fell silent, their expressions grave, as though they were all considering preparations for the worst.
After all, Spirit Hall had the finest beautiful female Soul Masters on the continent. Whether in looks, bearing, figure, cultivation, talent, background, or anything else, they won hands down.
What was the point of considering a honey trap, then?
"Then why don't we target this Liu Yao? If a honey trap won't work on Liu Hao, why not use it on Liu Yao? He's only a Soul Grandmaster. Surely he'll be easier to handle than Liu Hao?" Prince Xue Xing slapped his thigh, as though he had found a new breakthrough.
"We haven't even established what his relationship with Liu Hao is. Are you sure using a honey trap on him would accomplish anything?" Yu Yuanzhen immediately doused his enthusiasm with cold water.
"One is eleven, the other twelve. They're probably brothers, aren't they?" Prince Dai Zhao guessed.
"What good is 'probably'? We need to be certain!" Yu Yuanzhen snapped before turning to Ning Fengzhi. "Sect Master Ning, why don't you have your subordinates look into exactly how Liu Yao is related to Liu Hao?"
"Exactly. With such a powerful intelligence network, Sect Master Ning can surely find out," the other two agreed.
"Of course I'll continue investigating, but time is pressing. We can't just sit around waiting." Ning Fengzhi rose. "Everyone should go back and look for outstanding girls in your own families, and prepare to attempt a marriage alliance. Against someone as monstrously powerful as Liu Hao, I have no better solution either."
"All right, then. Until next time, everyone."
"Until next time."
Spirit City, the Papal Palace.
After enjoying several hours of massage service, Liu Hao felt refreshed and invigorated.
His only regret was that, in the end, he still couldn't bring himself to forcibly pluck an unripe melon.
He could only blame the excellent upbringing he had received in his previous life. His morals were too solid, his virtue too lofty. Nothing he could do about it~
"That was a great massage. I'll come back again. Bye." Liu Hao waved at Bibi Dong and Hu Liena, then turned and strode away, leaving the two women staring at each other inside the hall.
"Nana, I'm sorry. I thought he would..."
"It's fine, Teacher. Nothing irreversible happened, did it? Just think of it as giving a dog a massage."
"Shh-keep your voice down, Nana. He hasn't gone far yet."
Having only just stepped outside the Papal Palace, Liu Hao naturally heard their exchange loud and clear, but he didn't take it too seriously.
He had already thought it through. With women who cared so much about looks, he couldn't be bothered to slowly grind up their affection. He might as well wait a few months and return after the system had raised his looks to the maximum. Wouldn't they obediently eat their words and admit how good he was then?
With all the time it would take to slowly build their affection, who knew how many beauties less fixated on looks he could win over?
Liu Hao glanced at the sun, which had already begun sinking westward, and flew straight toward Suotuo City without hesitation.
After all, neither of the two beauties he fancied in Spirit City was easy to win over.
Since that was the case, he wouldn't waste any more time.
He would go straight to Shrek Academy and take a look at Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Xiao Wu.
In the original story, neither Xiao Wu nor Zhu Zhuqing was obsessed with looks, so he had a very good chance of winning them over quickly.
Only Ning Rongrong cared somewhat about looks. If she proved too difficult to win over, he could deal with that later. It wasn't a big problem.
Liu Hao covered the journey of over six hundred kilometers and reached Suotuo City in less than an hour.
It was evening by then. After finding somewhere to eat and drink his fill, he headed to the renowned Rose Hotel.
As one of the original story's most famous locations, it was naturally somewhere Liu Hao wouldn't miss. He could look around and broaden his horizons while also asking whether Tang San and Xiao Wu had been there.
If the two had already come and gone, Liu Hao wouldn't waste any time. He would head straight to Shrek.
What Liu Hao hadn't expected was to spot two young people, a boy and a girl, holding hands and hurrying into the hotel just as he reached its entrance.
The boy was ordinary-looking, with long blue hair and a jade-studded belt around his waist.
The girl, however, was adorable. Her long, jet-black hair was arranged in a neat scorpion braid. Beneath slender, curved brows, her large, lively eyes fluttered, and her cherry lips looked luscious and tender. Her slender waist could be encircled with a single hand, and she radiated youthful vitality as she ran. Her pink dress made her look all the more charming.
There was nothing strange about that in itself. This was a couples' hotel, after all, so it was perfectly normal.
The problem was that this cute young girl actually carried the aura of a Soul Beast inside her.
A sweep of his spiritual power confirmed it: a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit.
Did he even need to wonder who she was?
That bastard Tang San! He's been feasting well.
He only regretted that he had lacked strength back then and feared attracting Tang Hao's attention. Otherwise, how could he have let Tang San share a bed and quilt with Xiao Wu at Nuoding Soul Master Academy for so many years?
Now that I'm strong enough, that bastard Tang San still thinks he can keep sleeping beside Xiao Wu?
Liu Hao snorted inwardly and immediately entered the Rose Hotel.
Without wasting time admiring the hotel's lavish interior, Liu Hao headed straight after Tang San and Xiao Wu.
Unexpectedly, the two seemed to have checked in already. They went straight up the stairs without stopping at the front desk.
A hotel attendant, however, saw that Liu Hao was unfamiliar and alone, and stopped him.
"Sir, this is a couples' hotel. May I ask what brings you here?"
"Oh, I'd like to check in. Get me a room, please."
"Uh... sir, are you here alone?"
"Never mind that. Just get me a room, the one next to the couple who just went upstairs."
"..."
The attendant froze for a moment. Has this guy come to our hotel specifically to eavesdrop through the walls?
"I'm sorry, sir. If you're here alone, we can only offer you a standard guest room, not a couples' themed suite."
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