"Remember all that? You may go." Ning Fengzhi gave a faint, refined smile.
"Yes." The young man respectfully took his leave.
"Fengzhi." A powerful, resonant voice seemed to come from every direction, making the hall tremble. "Are you trying to pair up mandarin ducks at random?"
Ning Fengzhi looked helpless. "Uncle Jian, it's nothing like that. Rongrong is still young."
"So you do remember that Rongrong is still young! I haven't even had my fill of the joys of grandfather and granddaughter, and you're already going to marry her off? You only have this one daughter, and I only have this one granddaughter!"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin sat down with an air of swagger. "That boy Long Yue from the Divine Realm Empire does have talent, but he hasn't even shown his Soul Rings. Who knows whether he was just spouting nonsense?"
"The people of the Divine Realm Empire shouldn't speak nonsense in front of the emperor." Ning Fengzhi raised a hand to explain, then took out his glasses and set them on his nose.
"Hmph!" Sword Douluo was thoroughly displeased.
"Uncle Jian." Seeing that Sword Douluo still did not believe him, Ning Fengzhi explained helplessly, "I'm only creating an opportunity for them to get acquainted. I have absolutely no intention of forcing them together."
"I don't see any need for them to get acquainted." By now, Sword Douluo was clearly speaking out of pique.
"Uncle Jian, you and Uncle Long spoil Rongrong far too much. That girl already runs wild at home, without regard for heaven or law. Meeting Soul Masters her own age from elsewhere, especially those from an overseas continent, will broaden her horizons."
"Then I want to meet that boy too." Sword Douluo relented. "Let me see what his character is like. If he's suitable, arranging a childhood betrothal wouldn't be out of the question."
"Huh?" Ning Fengzhi was dumbfounded.
Hey, hey! Come on, who was it that just came charging in to interrogate me?
"What are you gaping at?"
Sword Douluo's hair and beard were snowy white, yet his face was as smooth and delicate as a baby's. He gave a mischievous smile.
"I can protect Rongrong for a time, but not for her entire life. Besides, Soul Masters with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul are supposed to find powerful Soul Masters as spouses."
Since Soul Masters with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul had no offensive power whatsoever, they generally sought Battle Soul Masters as spouses.
Ning Fengzhi, for instance, had wives and concubines who were all Battle Soul Masters at the Soul Emperor or Soul Saint level.
That, however, was the objective reality.
"Then let's invite the Divine Realm Empire's Diplomatic Mission over before the exchange tournament. You can also take a good look at that Long Yue."
The Diplomatic Mission's residence.
"A ball in Seven Treasure City? Isn't that an invitation from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? One of the Three Ancient Sects."
Long Yue sprang out of the pool in the back courtyard, used a Soul Skill to draw the water off his body, and rubbed his hair dry.
"Are you going?" Joander asked. "It's fine if you don't. The exchange tournament is coming up soon, after all. I heard there are a few people at the Four Elements Academy..."
"Clay chickens and earthen dogs." Long Yue put on his clothes, his powerful muscles stretching the fabric taut, and spoke with overbearing arrogance. "Do I really need to conserve my strength for that bunch of trash?"
"It never hurts to be cautious."
"That's only necessary against opponents on the same level. Or rather..." Long Yue gave a chilling smile. "If Tang San were my opponent, I'd take it seriously too."
Joander heard the malice in Long Yue's words and smiled as well. "It starts at seven tonight."
Joander left, and Long Yue bounded over to Qilin Douluo Tong Yu's room. "Senior brother, want to come to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's ball with me?"
"No."
Tong Yu looked as though he were resting with his eyes closed. "Once the Diplomatic Mission leaves Heaven Dou City, I'll head to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. I don't want to stir up any trouble at this point."
Ever since arriving in Heaven Dou City, Qilin Douluo Tong Yu had behaved like an unmarried young lady, never stepping beyond either the outer gate or the inner door, as though he intended to stay holed up in his room until the end of time.
"Senior brother!" Long Yue casually grabbed Tong Yu's shoulder. "The Blood-cry Crowned One spends all his time in antique shops and won't even attend the Heaven Dou Emperor's banquets. You stay in your room without going out. Don't you get bored?"
"No." Tong Yu shook his head. "I'm used to it. Besides, with the way I look, wouldn't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Titled Douluo remember me after just one visit?"
"All right, all right."
Unable to persuade Qilin Douluo to come, Long Yue could only go out for a stroll on his own, planning to head straight to Seven Treasure City when it was time.
There was little of interest in the southern part of Heaven Dou City. Long Yue wanted to find the Strength Clan and do some forging, but Sima Lanxiao had warned him not to stir up trouble, so he had to abandon the idea.
Long Yue wandered aimlessly until someone suddenly called to him from behind.
"Brother Long."
Xue Qinghe's gentle, refined face appeared behind Long Yue. He reached out and patted Long Yue's shoulder, speaking with warm familiarity. "What a coincidence."
In truth, it was no coincidence at all. Snake Lance Douluo had been monitoring the Diplomatic Mission the entire time, waiting for Long Yue to step outside.
Whenever Long Yue went out, Snake Lance Douluo would notify Qian Renxue.
Since Long Yue possessed a god-level Martial Soul-or so Qian Renxue had previously guessed-she had been looking for opportunities to spend more time with him, so she had instructed Snake Lance Douluo to handle this task.
On the Douluo Continent, only the Angel Clan's princess would have a Titled Douluo watch the gate.
"I was wondering who it was! The eldest prince." Long Yue slung an arm around Xue Qinghe's shoulders with easy familiarity. "No wonder the magpies were calling when I left today. I was bound to run into someone important! But are you princes always this free?"
Snake Lance Douluo followed a short distance away, secretly guarding Qian Renxue. At the sight of Long Yue's rude gesture, the Titled Douluo's heart kept twitching.
Hey, hey! Don't you people from the Divine Realm Empire have any sense of boundaries or manners?
Qian Renxue stiffened, quite unused to Long Yue getting so handsy with her.
But Long Yue's expression was perfectly natural, and Qian Renxue had to maintain her identity as Prince Xue Qinghe, so she could only pretend nothing was wrong.
"I'm not all that free. I just finished some business and happened to run into you on my way back."
Qian Renxue silently placed her hand on the back of Long Yue's, hoping he would hurry up and take it off her shoulder.
Long Yue lowered his arm, only to give Qian Renxue a nudge with his elbow. He raised his eyebrows and smiled brightly.
"Xuezi, I'm an outsider and don't know Heaven Dou City very well. Recommend a few sights for me."
"Xue... Xuezi?" Even wearing Xue Qinghe's face, Qian Renxue struggled to keep her expression composed.
"Oh~ You think it sounds too much like the Xue Family of your Heaven Dou Imperial Family, right?" Long Yue looked as though he understood. "Then Qingzi or Hezi works too. Pick one."
"...But I'm older than you."
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth, doing her best to maintain the eldest prince's refined, easygoing manner of treating worthy men with courtesy.
"Brother Long, just call me Brother Xue."
Qian Renxue wanted to correct the way Long Yue addressed her.
"Calling you Brother Xue would make us sound like strangers!"
Long Yue put his arm around Qian Renxue's shoulders again and shook his head with easy familiarity.
"Calling you Old Brother Xue would make you sound old. I'll stick with Xuezi."
"..." The corner of Qian Renxue's mouth twitched.
Smack-
Snake Lance Douluo covered his face. Even following behind them, he could hardly bear to watch... Do you people from the Divine Realm Empire really like draping your arms over other people's shoulders that much when you talk?
Before you continue