"Whew!"
Xue Ye drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart. "Qinghe, tell me, how should this matter be handled?"
"Father, I believe the most urgent thing is to save Imperial Uncle's life. We have to hand over the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud," Qian Renxue said.
"Just hand over our nation's supreme treasure like that?" Xue Ye raised an eyebrow, seemingly pondering the matter.
"Father, we have no choice."
"Beiming Yuan has a Peerless Douluo backing him. Even if we refuse, the outcome won't change. When that happens, not only will we fail to save Imperial Uncle, we'll also offend him again."
"And as for me, I believe we could try to win Beiming Yuan over."
Qian Renxue spoke.
"Win him over?" Xue Ye frowned. "That boy has already developed such deep enmity with our Heaven Dou. How could we possibly win him over?"
"It would indeed be difficult."
Qian Renxue nodded, then changed tack. "But even if we can't win him over, we mustn't offend him."
"Cruel as it is, that's the reality. Beiming Yuan alone is nothing to worry about, but we must take the Peerless Douluo behind him seriously."
"So I want to use this opportunity to offer the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud as compensation, first resolving the enmity between him and the empire, then trying to win him over and befriend him as circumstances allow."
Xue Ye looked thoughtful. After pondering for a while, he nodded. "Very well. I'll leave this matter to you. Make sure it's resolved smoothly. Peace comes first."
After learning that Beiming Yuan had a Peerless Douluo behind him, Xue Ye no longer had any thoughts of revenge. Only fear remained.
But he was an emperor, the sovereign of a nation. He couldn't show it and could only keep it buried in his heart.
He didn't even hope to establish a connection with the Peerless Douluo behind Beiming Yuan. He only wanted this matter to be resolved smoothly.
Xue Xing's life wasn't important, but the Peerless Douluo's forgiveness had to be taken seriously.
Trading one supreme national treasure for both was already a great bargain.
After all, if the Heaven Dou Empire ceased to exist, what good would a supreme national treasure be?
"Yes, Father. I'll do my utmost!" Qian Renxue nodded.
Xue Ye nodded slightly and once again looked down at Prince Xue Xing, who was kneeling before him. "Xue Xing, you bear full responsibility for this matter."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"From this day forward, you are not to leave the palace without my command."
"But... Your Majesty, what about the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and the other matters..."
"Qinghe will handle them for the time being." Xue Ye looked at Xue Xing and said coldly, "You will rest in the palace for a while."
"Yes..."
Prince Xue Xing answered, bitterness filling his heart. This so-called "for the time being" was merely a euphemism for being "banished to the cold palace."
Beiming Yuan really is my lucky star, lending me a helping hand, Qian Renxue thought with delight, though she maintained a calm expression.
Xue Ye remembered something else and said sternly, "And Xue Beng-tell him he is not to leave the palace for the time being either."
The "surprise" Xue Xing had brought him was frightening enough. If Xue Beng stirred up any more trouble, he really would be scared to death.
Heaven Dou City had been unsettled lately. It was better to keep a low profile.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Prince Xue Xing acknowledged the order.
"All right, go see the imperial physician." Xue Ye waved a hand. "That Peerless Douluo's ice attribute is extraordinarily powerful. Although she let you go, that ice element may already have left unavoidable hidden dangers in your body."
Even at this distance, he could still sense cold air seeping from Prince Xue Xing's body, and it was terrifyingly cold.
That alone showed how powerful the Peerless Douluo was.
Prince Xue Xing was only still able to kneel there because he was forcing himself to endure.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I take my leave!" Prince Xue Xing struggled to his feet and, forcing himself to endure the agony in his body, left with difficulty, his legs somewhat numb.
Watching Prince Xue Xing's retreating figure, Xue Ye snorted coldly. "He doesn't even know to keep his eyes open. All he ever does is cause me trouble."
"Please calm your anger, Father. Imperial Uncle was acting for Heaven Dou's sake too."
"Mm..."
Meanwhile, somewhere outside Heaven Dou City stood a luxurious, opulent building. From top to bottom, it radiated two words: filthy rich.
This was the headquarters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Douluo Continent's Upper Three Sects.
"Uncle Jian, what did you make of that Peerless Douluo today?" Ning Fengzhi asked Sword Douluo beside him in the great hall.
Sword Douluo recalled the ice element that had chilled even his soul. "Very powerful," he said gravely. "I can't see through her."
"I never imagined there was an ice-attribute Peerless Douluo in the world. Beiming Yuan called her 'Xue'er.' A female Peerless Douluo? Who is she?"
Ning Fengzhi recalled the experts recorded throughout the Douluo Continent's history, but found no one whose characteristics matched hers.
Female experts were rare to begin with, and those with the ice attribute were rarer still, practically nonexistent.
"Judging by what Beiming Yuan called her, their relationship is no simple one. They're definitely not superior and subordinate, or even friends. They're more like family," Sword Douluo analyzed.
"Family doesn't seem quite right either. His tone was more like he was speaking to... a lover? Living off a woman?" Ning Fengzhi was startled by his own guess.
Sword Douluo shook his head. He didn't understand.
"Dad, Grandpa Jian!"
Just then, a voice rang out from outside the hall. A tall man dressed in black armor and robes led Ning Rongrong inside.
He was Bone Douluo Gu Rong, one of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's two guardian Douluos.
"Rongrong." Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo, who had been discussing matters, looked over at the sound of her voice, gentle smiles appearing on their faces.
"Sect Master, Rongrong told me what happened today. Does that young man called Beiming Yuan really have a Peerless Douluo behind him?"
Bone Douluo looked at Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo, though he was mainly asking Sword Douluo.
"There's no mistake. Dugu Bo was there too. He was completely unable to fight back and nearly lost his life at her hands," Ning Fengzhi said.
"She is a Peerless Douluo. The pressure she gave me far surpassed that of my late father." Sword Douluo nodded, his expression certain.
"So it's true..." Bone Douluo's pupils contracted, and towering waves surged in his heart.
He had been stuck at level ninety-five as a Titled Douluo, never even reaching the rank of Peak Douluo. He hadn't expected the sect to have already encountered a Peerless Douluo.
"What's the background of that young man called Beiming Yuan?" Bone Douluo asked.
Sword Douluo shook his head.
Ning Fengzhi shook his head as well, then said, "Uncle Gu, I also wanted to ask you whether you know of any family surnamed Bei, or Beiming."
"I've never heard of such a family either." Bone Douluo also looked puzzled. "Both surnames are rare to begin with. As far as I can remember, this is the first time I've encountered them."
"Same here."
Sword Douluo spoke.
"But there is some good news."
Ning Fengzhi suddenly smiled. "At least we can be certain they aren't from Spirit Hall, nor do they belong to either empire's imperial family."
"A hidden sect or family is possible, though."
"Mm." Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo nodded. Their own guesses were leaning in that direction too.