The icy spearheads pointed straight between his eyes, and an air of murderous menace filled every corner of the bedchamber.
The captain leading the guards was a burly middle-aged man with a fearsome saber scar across his face. His Soul Power fluctuations were formidable; he was a Soul Saint-level expert.
He stepped forward, keeping his spear raised, and spoke in a voice as hard as iron:
"Your Highness, First Prince, forgive the offense. The marshal's residence is no place for you to run wild. Please surrender and come with us."
"Surrender?"
Dai Weisi gave a low chuckle, as though he had just heard the greatest joke in the world.
He did not even glance at the guard captain. He merely turned his head slightly and spoke to Shi Mo, who stood behind him, silent as a mountain:
"Make them kneel."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Shi Mo answered and took a step forward.
With that single step, heaven and earth changed color.
A terrifying pressure erupted from Shi Mo with a boom!
It was not directed at any one person. Like a tsunami blotting out the sky, it swept across the entire marshal's residence in an instant!
"Crack... clang!"
In the courtyard, the legs of the dozens of elite guards went weak. They dropped to their knees with a series of thuds, unable to raise their heads.
The guard captain in the bedchamber bore the brunt of it. Despite his Soul Saint-level Soul Power, he felt as though an invisible mountain had crashed down on him. Every bone in his body groaned, and his knees slammed into the floor hard enough to crack the solid tiles.
The marshal's wife and Second Aunt fared even worse.
They felt as though a giant invisible hand had seized their hearts in a crushing grip. Struggling to breathe, their faces pale as paper and their legs shaking like sieves, they collapsed to the floor.
Both were Soul Masters, so naturally they could tell just how terrifying this pressure was.
This... this power was even more formidable than that of their own Zhu Xiaotian, who commanded the army and killed with decisive resolve!
A Titled Douluo?
Their minds went blank. How could such a figure be following the First Prince, whom they had regarded as a stray dog driven from its home?
Just then, outside the gates of the marshal's residence, a figure stepped down from a carriage and hurried inside.
Grand Marshal Zhu Xiaotian had just returned from court and was still pondering the shifting winds there that day.
The change in Dai Weisi and his bold declaration of a "seven-day agreement" had made even him break into a cold sweat. He was considering which side the Zhu Family should take to protect itself during this change of imperial power.
Suddenly, a surge of Soul Power shot skyward from the inner courtyard. The familiar, heart-stopping pressure made his expression change dramatically!
"A Titled Douluo?!"
Zhu Xiaotian was horrified. With no time to think, he instantly summoned his Martial Soul, and eight Soul Rings-two yellow, two purple, and four black-flared into view. Formidable Soul Power burst from his body, resisting the invading pressure as he shot toward its source like lightning.
With a bang, he smashed through the courtyard gate from outside.
The sight before him made his pupils contract sharply.
His elite guards were kneeling all over the ground, and his wife and sister-in-law were deathly pale.
Dai Weisi, the prince who should have been down on his luck, stood there at ease, holding his daughter's hand. An old man in gray stood in front of him.
"Elder Brother, you're finally back!"
At the sight of the man she could depend on, Second Aunt seemed to have found a life-saving straw. She scrambled over to him, pointed at Dai Weisi, and shrieked:
"It was him! This fool who doesn't know the meaning of death dared bring someone into our residence to run wild! He even injured our people!"
"Quick, have someone seize him!"
"The man with him really is powerful, but this is Star Luo City. Surely we don't have to be afraid of him!"
"Shut your mouth!"
Before she could finish, an angry shout rang out like a thunderclap, choking off the rest of her words.
He shoved his sister-in-law aside and, without so much as looking at the guards kneeling on the ground, stared fixedly at Dai Weisi, his gaze complicated to the extreme.
The scenes from court rapidly intertwined and collided in his mind, finally forming an answer that made his heart pound with fear.
In just a few short days, the heavens had changed.
The next moment, under the disbelieving gazes of his wife and Second Aunt, Zhu Xiaotian, who commanded the armies of the Star Luo Empire and wielded power throughout court and country, strode up to Dai Weisi. He straightened his robes and bowed deeply to the "stray dog" they had just been insulting at will.
"This old minister greets Your Highness, First Prince!"
His manner was respectful to the extreme.
"Your Highness, you have honored us with your presence, yet I failed to come out and welcome you. This old minister has failed to keep his household in order and caused Your Highness alarm. My wife is foolish and has given great offense. I hope Your Highness will forgive her."
He turned, his sharp gaze sweeping over his wife and sister-in-law.
"Why aren't you coming over to apologize to His Highness, the First Prince?!"
Zhu Xiaotian's attitude was like a resounding slap across the faces of the marshal's wife and Second Aunt.
Dai Weisi looked at him coldly, with no intention of telling him to rise. He merely pulled Zhu Zhuyun a little farther behind him.
"Grand Marshal, there's no need for pleasantries."
"I originally came here today for one thing alone: to take my fiancée with me."
"But..."
He changed the subject:
"As things stand, Marshal, I need you to make a promise to my face."
Marshal Zhu bent even lower, a fine sheen of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.
"Please quell your anger, Your Highness, please quell your anger. This is no place to talk. Please come to the reception hall, and this old minister will certainly give you a satisfactory explanation."
Dai Weisi glanced at the marshal's wife, whose face had gone completely bloodless. The corners of his mouth curved up, and he nodded.
In the reception hall, the maids tremblingly served fragrant tea, then hurried away at a wave from Marshal Zhu.
Shi Mo remained standing behind Dai Weisi. The faint pressure that seemed to come and go made the atmosphere in the entire reception hall frighteningly heavy.
Zhu Xiaotian spoke:
"Your Highness, what happened today was truly unavoidable. The winds at court suddenly shifted, and this old minister... this old minister resorted to such a measure only for the sake of the hundreds of lives in the Zhu Family."
"This old minister had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. I did not know Your Highness had such a powerful expert at your side. Had I known you had such backing, how could I have..."
He did not continue, but his meaning was already clear.
What?
The marshal's wife and Second Aunt stood attending to the side. When they heard this, it was as though they had been struck by lightning.
They might not yet fully understand the details of what had happened at court, but they understood what the marshal meant.
They had misjudged him. They had treated the future emperor like a mud dog they could trample at will!
At the thought of the bitter, vicious, and filthy things they had just said, the two women felt the world spin around them, and a tide of regret and fear swallowed them in an instant.
Dai Weisi picked up his teacup but did not drink. He merely used the lid to gently stir the tea leaves.
"From now on, the Zhu Family will support His Highness, the First Prince, with all its strength!"
Marshal Zhu spoke with absolute conviction. It was both a declaration of his position and a gamble.
"Your Highness is the true future of the Star Luo Empire! It is the Zhu Family's honor that Yun'er can marry Your Highness!"
He also mentioned the seven-day agreement:
"In the duel between Your Highness and His Highness, the Second Prince, within seven days, the Zhu Family will personally attend to lend Your Highness its support and serve as the most impartial witness!"
"Once Your Highness has secured victory, the Zhu Family will be the first to support Your Highness's ascension to the throne!"