"Your Highness, what brings you here?"
At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, a woman with pale blue-green hair and a fitted purple qipao smiled at the young boy walking through the academy gates.
The boy still had a blade of grass between his lips.
"An informant reported several incidents of bullying at the academy, with children of the powerful pulling the strings. I've decided to investigate personally."
Xue Qianren spat out the blade of grass, then spoke to Dugu Yan with a mysterious look.
Judging by her appearance, Dugu Yan was only about twelve, and still looked rather young and unseasoned.
"Bullying? The powerful?"
Dugu Yan thought for a moment, and her expression immediately turned odd.
Was there any shortage of powerful people bullying others at their Heaven Dou Royal Academy?
At Heaven Dou Royal Academy, where practically every student came from a powerful family, bullying was an everyday occurrence.
"Your Highness, did Xue Ye arrange for you to investigate?"
Dugu Yan chose her words carefully. She somewhat suspected that Xue Ye had sent Xue Qianren here to pave the way for him.
After all, her grandfather had said that the boy before her stood a considerable chance of stealing Xue Qinghe's place and becoming the next Heaven Dou Emperor outright!
"No, Dad sent me."
"She told me to rack up political achievements for her."
Xue Qianren looked utterly candid.
"Uh..."
The corner of Dugu Yan's mouth twitched, and she felt somewhat doubtful. Heaven Dou Royal Academy was a tangled web of competing powers, an enormous headache!
Even Xue Ye had to weigh his sacrifices before making a decision, and now he was saying the crown prince had sent a child plunging straight into it?
There was absolutely no way they were truly father and son!
Dugu Yan inwardly ranted!
"Your Highness, you may not understand how deep the waters beneath Heaven Dou Royal Academy run..."
Dugu Yan glanced at the growing crowd gathering around out of curiosity, then signaled with her eyes for Xue Qianren to follow.
"Your Highness, you may not know this, but Heaven Dou Royal Academy has been a gathering place for the powerful since ancient times."
"At least a third of the people at court studied at Heaven Dou Academy."
"The powerful run rampant here, and scions of great families are everywhere. The big fish eating the little fish has long been the norm."
Somewhere out of sight of others, Dugu Yan leaned against a tree trunk and kindly analyzed the situation for Xue Qianren.
"But... does something being done since ancient times make it right?"
"Does being the norm necessarily make it reasonable?"
"If there's nothing wrong with Heaven Dou Royal Academy, this hub that supplies talent to the empire, then why is our Heaven Dou Empire so much weaker than the Star Luo Empire?"
"It's wrong. The world shouldn't be like this!"
Xue Qianren shook his head earnestly, his eyes lighting with a gleam that made Dugu Yan's heart beat faster.
"Your Highness..."
"Heaven Dou's great families have intertwined branches and deeply entrenched roots. Tug one hair, and the whole body moves."
"One careless step, and you'll bring the flames down upon yourself."
"As an heir to the throne, you can't consider lofty principles alone."
Dugu Yan spoke softly, her gaze complicated.
The fact that Heaven Dou's court had done nothing about a problem even a child could recognize was enough to show just how complicated this matter was.
"My dad told me to rack up political achievements for him. If I disobey, that's unfilial."
"As the imperial grandson, if I watch the people's suffering without doing anything, that's inhumane."
"If I'm both unfilial and inhumane, how could I, Xue Qianren, have the face to call myself a member of the imperial family?"
"I know the darkness, but if every one of us refuses to light a candle to protect ourselves, then true light will never appear!"
Xue Qianren spoke earnestly, his words ringing with conviction.
"As a member of the imperial family, I should establish a heart for heaven and earth, and secure a life for the people!"
Xue Qianren lifted his head, his resolute red eyes meeting Dugu Yan's.
"Senior, although I don't know who you are, thank you for your kindness. My mind is made up."
Xue Qianren turned and walked away without hesitation!
This world has no room for good people...
Dugu Yan stared blankly after Xue Qianren's retreating figure, while waves kept surging in her heart.
Establish a heart for heaven and earth, and secure a life for the people...
Dugu Yan pressed a hand to her chest. In this gray world, how dazzling that ray of light was!
"Your Highness, wait for me!"
Dugu Yan pressed her lips together, then resolutely chased after Xue Qianren.
She was the granddaughter of Poison Douluo Dugu Bo. When had she ever needed to bow to the whims of the powerful?
Even if matters truly reached the point of no return, she could at least protect this young prince of benevolent, righteous character, rather than let him become a sacrifice to power!
"Achoo!"
"Xue Qinghe" rubbed his nose. With his cultivation, he naturally couldn't fall ill. He suspected that little brat was bad-mouthing him again!
"Well now, senior, don't you recognize me?"
"To tell you the truth, I'm the Heaven Dou Empire's fourth prince, Xue Beng."
"For us to meet by chance like this, it must be fate bestowed by heaven!"
"Senior, would you care to go out for a drink with me? Just the two of us..."
With a bright red little flower between his lips, Xue Beng blocked Dugu Yan's path.
Yes, his uncle had told him not to provoke Dugu Yan, but as a wastrel, surely there was nothing wrong with teasing her a little!
"Get lost!"
Dugu Yan's expression chilled. What a disgusting creature!
They were both members of the imperial family, and both held flowers or grass between their lips, yet that young prince was countless times better than him!
"Tsk, why such a temper, senior? In all of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, from the legitimate daughters of great families down to talented commoners, who would dare speak to me like that!"
Xue Beng rubbed his hands together, looking Dugu Yan up and down mockingly.
"Don't think you're so special just because you're Poison Douluo's granddaughter. If I tie you up and take you to my residence, your grandfather will have no choice but to meekly accept it!"
Xue Beng threatened her, drool unconsciously trickling from the corner of his mouth. As he spoke, even he began to find the idea genuinely tempting.
Should I give it a try?
Dugu Yan's eyes were icy. Just as she was about to teach this fool courting death a lesson, she suddenly spotted the boy returning in the distance!
In an instant, the ice and snow melted away!
Dugu Yan smiled radiantly and waved at Xue Qianren as he jogged back!
"Hiss..."
Xue Beng retreated two steps, utterly spellbound for a moment!
"Woman, you're playing with fire!"
"Boys, tie her up!"
Xue Beng's body trembled violently, and a shuddering sensation suddenly rose in his heart!
Could this be love?
Xue Beng's eyes were bloodshot, and he panted like an ox. His desire to possess Dugu Yan had reached its peak!
At that moment, he was completely unaware that his Swan Martial Soul had abruptly appeared behind him, trembling on the verge of collapse!
"Yes, Your Highness!"
His lackeys exchanged glances, each itching to act.
They had taken plenty of liberties whenever they had helped Xue Beng abduct people before!
And compared with their previous targets, Dugu Yan was simply the finest of the lot!
"You're courting death."
Jade-green poison gas instantly appeared around Dugu Yan!
She withdrew her gaze from Xue Qianren and turned to stare coldly at the group.
Before you continue