Upon hearing this, Lei Long's pupils contracted, realizing that the other party already knew about the assassination attempt on Yu Tianheng, and that he was the mastermind behind it.
But he still gritted his teeth and denied it. " Yu Tianheng, don't make false accusations! I've been in the military camp recently and have never sent anyone to assassinate you!"
Yu Tianheng sneered, "Whether you admit it or not is irrelevant. What matters is that I believe you did it, and you must give me an explanation."
"Otherwise, you'll treat me the same way I treat you. You sent Soul Master to assassinate me, didn't you? Too bad, those five aren't idiots. They knew that if they killed me, they would all die too, so they immediately surrendered to me and are now serving under me."
Lei Long was furious. No wonder Li Wuji and his group left shortly after returning, making an excuse. At first, he thought they were going to lay low, but it turned out they had become traitors and defected to Yu Tianheng's side.
" Lei Long, to be honest, you underestimate me too much. You think you can kill me by sending a few Four-Ring Soul Master? Do you really think I'm made of clay? To be frank, even if those five really joined forces against me, they would only end up being wiped out. But I'm different. If I wanted to send someone to kill you, I would directly send a Six-Ring Soul Emperor to kill you in one blow, leaving no trace of trouble," Yu Tianheng said.
Upon hearing this, Lei Long felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that Yu Tianheng, as the young patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, possessed both the ability and the audacity. Even if the matter were discovered later, with a Titled Douluo grandfather protecting him, his marshal father couldn't do anything to Yu Tianheng. He would have died in vain. Thinking of this, Lei Long could only lower his head and say, " Yu Tianheng, I admit defeat. What do you want?"
Yu Tianheng thought for a moment and said, "The debt of one million Gold Soul Coin shall be paid off within six months. If you don't pay by then, don't blame me for being impolite."
"Okay." Lei Long gritted his teeth and agreed.
"By the way, what's your relationship with Xue Qinghe like?" Yu Tianheng asked.
Lei Long was taken aback, then said, "His Highness the Crown Prince is high and mighty, but he has been trying to win over my father, so he can still say a few words to him."
That's perfect...
Before Yu Tianheng could finish speaking, he saw someone walking towards Dugu Yan.
Yu Tianheng quickly regained his composure and looked in Dugu Yan's direction, intending to see what the newcomer wanted to do.
The man walking towards Dugu Yan was a distinguished nobleman, dressed in a black robe and holding a glass of red wine. He appeared to be around twenty-five years old, but was considered the oldest among the younger generation.
He approached Dugu Yan, set aside his wine glass, and then bowed gracefully, his movements fluid and elegant. "May I ask, with all due respect, to invite you, beautiful lady, for a dance?"
At court banquets in the Heaven Dou Empire, it's perfectly normal for men to invite women to dance. However, generally speaking, they all have their own dance partners and rarely invite strangers to dance to avoid unnecessary trouble. Of course, there are also those who don't care.
This nobleman's son was one of them.
This man, Pei Xiu, is a top nobleman from the Heaven Dou Empire. He comes from a distinguished family, is naturally a womanizer, and enjoys hunting for beautiful women. He has often sought targets at occasions like court banquets, and Dugu Yan, who is beautiful yet arrogant, has become his target today.
Upon receiving the invitation, Dugu Yan glanced at the other person, her expression icy, and directly refused. "Sorry, I can't dance, and I don't want to dance with you."
After saying that, she was about to leave, but Pei Xiu wouldn't let it go and turned around to block Dugu Yan's way.
He teased, "Miss, wait a minute. You can learn if you don't know how. I happen to be a pretty good dancer; I can teach you."
Dugu Yan came from a distinguished family and had a prominent background, so she was naturally arrogant and proud. She was only somewhat agreeable to Yu Tianheng; she didn't care about the feelings of others. She loudly proclaimed:
"Are you deaf or blind? Can't you see I'm not going to bother with you? If you don't get lost, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xiu's face instantly turned ashen.
The snickers from the surrounding guests only fueled his anger and embarrassment.
He decided to teach Dugu Yan a lesson, to make her remember what happens when she offends him.
Pei Xiu, as an upper-class nobleman of the Heaven Dou Empire, had attended many similar banquets. He knew the children of those great nobles of the empire and could confirm that Dugu Yan was never among them. Since she wasn't there, she must be an insignificant figure, at most the daughter of a minor nobleman. With his status, he could manipulate her however he wanted.
Even after the banquet, it would be a trivial matter to try to steal it and play with it at will.
Dugu Yan saw the greed and malice surging in Pei Xiu's eyes, as if she were not a person, but a collectible waiting to be sold, and a surge of anger rose in her heart.
"Court death!"
A verdant poisonous mist rose around Dugu Yan, and the snake-shaped pattern on her forehead shimmered with an eerie light. The Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul instantly possessed her, and a half-foot-long verdant snake condensed at her fingertips. Its eyes were blood-red. With a flick of her jade hand, the snake transformed into a streak of light and streaked away, leaving behind a trail of chilling poisonous mist.
Pei Xiu's pupils contracted sharply, and he hastily erected a Soul Power shield. However, the green serpent pierced through the barrier and bit his wrist. The moment its fangs pierced through, the dark purple panel visibly began to bluish-green. "You... how dare you!"
He staggered backward and collapsed to the ground, his blood, mixed with venom, flowing onto the carpet and instantly leaving charred marks. The banquet hall erupted in screams as guests scattered like frightened birds, leaving only Pei Qianjue writhing and convulsing in the poisonous mist, veins bulging on his forehead.
His screams, tormented by the deadly poison, quickly alerted the guests on the second floor.
On the second floor, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe frowned. "What's going on? Why is it so noisy? Send someone over to check it out."
The accompanying guard nodded and immediately went to inspect it.
A moment later, the guard returned and reported, "Your Highness, a conflict occurred in the hall earlier. Young Master Pei Xiu was poisoned by a woman with a snake-like Martial Soul and is screaming in pain."
"What!" Before Xue Qinghe could speak, a gray-haired man shouted and strode over, accompanied by another young man.
This person was Pei Xiu's father, Pei Ye, the Blood Moon Grand Duke, one of the five Grand Dukes of the Heaven Dou Empire.
The young man standing behind him was Pei Ye's eldest son, Pei Han. As Pei Ye grew older, he felt increasingly powerless, so he transferred most of the family's power to his eldest son Pei Han. This is why Pei Han was qualified to enter the second floor to discuss state affairs with the Crown Prince and other ministers. However, Pei Han was ultimately too young and needed his father's company and assistance in making decisions.
As for the youngest son Pei Xiu, he stayed on the first floor to eat, drink, and have fun with a group of noble children, but he never expected this to happen.