A Villain Racking His Brains Is No Match for a Fool's Bright Idea

What if two Dai Youhengs, both illegitimate sons of the White Tiger Duke, appeared at the same time? That would certainly be a major incident, enough to alarm the empire's highest authorities.

When that happened, devouring the other man would be the least of his concerns. Whether he could escape unscathed would be a problem in itself. He would most likely be captured and studied as some evil entity, duplicate, or unusual Evil Soul Master.

In truth, Youheng had considered underhanded methods, such as using his low presence to launch a surprise assassination. But that simp was never alone. He was either at home, at the Imperial Palace, or on his way to the Imperial Palace.

He could hardly launch a brazen attack and kill someone in the Duke's Mansion, the Imperial Palace, or the middle of the street.

Then there was poison. Dai Youheng had even put that plan into action. He never cared whether his methods were despicable, only whether they worked.

Unfortunately, that simp's martial soul turned out to be highly resistant to poison. Ordinary poisons had no effect on him, and those that would work were not something money alone could buy at an ordinary pharmacy.

"Much as I hate waiting, I can't rush this." Dai Youheng muttered under his breath, his fingers unconsciously tapping the window frame. "That fellow's like a turtle with its head tucked into its shell. He either hides in the Duke's Mansion or circles around the Imperial Palace. There's simply no opening to strike."

The Snow Empress's voice was tinged with gravity as well. "It is troublesome indeed. The waters of Star Luo City run deep, and a Titled Douluo's spiritual perception is far from ordinary. Your low presence is not flawless invisibility. Once an expert of that caliber deliberately probes you, there's no guarantee they won't notice something amiss. Two Dai Youhengs appearing at once would be far too shocking."

"It looks like I can only keep lying low and wait for an opportunity." A cold gleam flashed in Dai Youheng's eyes. "Or wait until he leaves Star Luo City and heads back to Shrek Academy. But if he goes back, he'll probably travel with the brothers Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin. They'll certainly have experts from the Duke's Mansion escorting them. If I wait until he enters Shrek, there'll be even more experts there, along with the Level 99 Limit Douluo Mu En and the level 98 Peak Douluo Xuan Zi."

He felt rather troubled. What he needed was a perfect opportunity, one no one would notice, allowing him to devour the other man completely without leaving any trouble behind. It truly was no easy thing to find.

Yet that opportunity actually arrived quite soon.

In Star Luo City, atop the upturned eaves of a luxurious inn opposite the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

Dai Youheng sat beside the Snow Empress, who had manifested as a spectral soul. Thanks to his outrageously low presence and her being nothing more than an invisible soul, the two sat brazenly on a rooftop in a bustling district, yet seemed to blend into the background. Not a single passerby or guard spared them a glance.

The Snow Empress propped her smooth chin on one hand, her exquisite face filled with disbelief and a speechlessness bordering on disgust. She watched the dejected simp Youheng below, standing at the entrance to the Duke's Mansion after the palace guards had coldly turned him away for the umpteenth time.

"I have lived for hundreds of thousands of years," the Snow Empress said, sounding dazed, as though her entire understanding of the world had been overturned. "I have seen no shortage of lovesick souls, obsessives, and even fools whose desires drove all sense from their heads. But someone who takes 'simping' this far, who persists so relentlessly and has no self-respect whatsoever-this truly is a first since heaven and earth were cleaved apart!"

She turned to look at Youheng beside her. "Over these past two months and more, aside from eating and sleeping, has he spent even a single hour seriously cultivating? He's either staring blankly toward the Imperial Palace, preparing useless gifts to curry favor, or writing love poems so sickeningly sentimental they make one's hair stand on end! He spends all his time at the Duke's Mansion, at the Imperial Palace, or on his way to the Imperial Palace! Is there really no room in his head for anything but that princess?"

Youheng gave a derisive laugh, his tone mocking. "Who knows? Perhaps he thinks that as long as he clings tightly to Huo Yuhao's future golden thigh, any effort he makes now would be wasted. Wouldn't waiting for whatever scraps the man casually tosses him in the future be easier and more pleasant than painstakingly cultivating himself?"

He paused, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. According to his memories from his previous life, Huo Yuhao had seemingly gone straight to the Divine Realm after becoming a god, without offering any help even to his original companions among the Shrek Seven Devils.

Where exactly did this simp get the confidence that Huo Yuhao would forcibly interfere in an imperial princess's marriage for a brother he had acquired so cheaply? From that trifling bit of care he had shown him in childhood, which might even have had an ulterior motive?

"Lean on a mountain, and the mountain falls. Lean on a person, and the person runs. Only strength of your own is an eternal truth," Dai Youheng concluded quietly. This was an iron law he had firmly believed in both before and after transmigrating.

"Oh? Youheng, look down there." The Snow Empress's gaze suddenly sharpened, and she pointed toward the gates of the Duke's Mansion.

The gates stood wide open, and a group of servants was busily loading several large, finely crafted trunks onto two luxurious carriages. The brothers Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin stood at the entrance, apparently giving their final instructions.

"Are they... going on a long journey? With that much luggage?" The Snow Empress raised an eyebrow.

Dai Youheng said, "Counting the days, Shrek Academy's vacation should be ending soon. It's a long journey from here to Shrek City, so setting out ten days or a fortnight early is normal enough. But where's that simp? Isn't he a student at Shrek Academy too? Why isn't he with them?"

Just as the two were wondering, Dai Yueheng's voice drifted faintly up from below, carrying a hint of resignation. "Huabin, are we really not going to wait a little longer for Youheng? Father told us brothers to travel together so we could look after one another."

At those words, undisguised contempt and impatience immediately appeared on Dai Huabin's face. "Big Brother! I told him yesterday that we were leaving first thing this morning, on time!"

Dai Huabin curled his lips in disgust. "And that useless idiot said he wanted to spend a few more days with Princess Jiujiu. He told us not to bother with him, and that he'd make his own way back to the academy later! Who wants to wait around and travel with that disgrace? It's just as well he isn't coming. We'll have some peace!"

Hearing this, Dai Yueheng could only sigh helplessly, his face filled with the frustration of seeing iron fail to become steel. "Ah, with Youheng pestering her like this, how could he ever catch Princess Jiujiu's eye? Honestly..."

He still held a faint trace of brotherly affection for this illegitimate younger brother, after all, and could not help feeling some regret at the sight.

Up on the rooftop, the Snow Empress was utterly stunned, an extraordinary array of expressions crossing her exquisite face. She slowly turned toward Dai Youheng beside her, her voice carrying an incredulous delight. "So, Youheng, our opportunity has arrived, just like that?"

Dai Youheng was also stunned for a moment before an exceedingly complicated, speechless smile appeared on his face.

He shook his head and said with feeling, "Truly, a villain racking his brains is no match for a fool's bright idea."

"I spent these past few months racking my brains for a way to get him alone. I even considered creating an accident to lure him out. And yet, for that woman's sake, he actually chose to give up his safest option-traveling with his family's party."

"Heaven truly... is on my side!"