Chapter 47: Dean Flender, You Have No Right to Refuse!
Dugu Feng mused quietly to himself—Flender still had his uses.
Soon, Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, and even Tang Hao would appear here.
That would inevitably tie together the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Clear Sky Sect.
If Dugu Feng wanted to become the Poison King and strengthen his clan, he would one day have to confront both factions.
Since that was inevitable… he might as well plant a trap early.
And Flender, sensing opportunity the moment he saw him, had instantly tried to draw the Dugu Clan into partnership.
An opportunist to the bone—exactly the kind of man Dugu Feng could use.
Suppressing a smirk, Dugu Feng said softly, "Little Snake, give Dean Flender a hundred thousand gold soul coins."
Both Little Snake and Flender froze.
But Little Snake, obedient as ever, pulled out the bag of coins without hesitation.
Flender's cunning eyes flicked back and forth, greed running deep through their amber sheen. He wanted to take the gold—but didn't yet understand Dugu Feng's intention.
He hesitated, glancing for guidance toward the young master.
"Take it, Dean Flender," Dugu Feng said coldly. "You have no right to refuse.
We will cooperate—but not yet. Someone will come for you in due time."
Flender's heart skipped a beat. So the Dugu Clan has set their sights on me?
Considering the way Dugu Feng had probed about the Dai family earlier, it was obviously tied to a larger power struggle.
He clenched his jaw. He wasn't new to this game.
After all, he'd angered Spirit Hall's Zhao Wuji and still lived comfortably. The Blue Lightning Clan's young master was practically his friend.
And who in their right mind turned down a bag of gold this heavy?
With a decisive motion, Flender's fingers—like an eagle's talons—snatched the money.
"Ha! I like your courage, Dean Flender. Until next time."
Dugu Feng turned, leaving the shop with Little Snake.
My money comes with strings, Flender.
Watching their retreating figures, Flender's heart darkened.
The Dugu Clan's reputation preceded them. He could feel it—venomous eyes now marked him.
He had seen Dugu Feng fight. A mere youth, yet already as cruel and composed as his father.
His humble Shrek Academy might have a Soul Emperor or perhaps a Soul Sage, but compared to the Dugu Clan's might, they were ants before an elephant.
"Well," Flender muttered bitterly, rubbing his hands over the weight of gold, "since they've set their sights on me, refusing isn't an option. Let's hope it brings more luck than trouble."
A hardened survivor, Flender had clawed his way from poverty into dealings with nobles, sects, and academies alike.
He wasn't the type to shy away from risk.
In fact, a glimmer of pride flickered across his face—being noticed by the Dugu Clan was, in a way, an honor.
After all, they controlled part of the Grand Battle Arena's profits and boasted a Titled Douluo—Jade Phosphor Douluo himself.
Two days later, Dugu Feng strolled through Suoto City, waiting for summons from Old Scorpion.
This city was still quiet—Ning Rongrong, Dai Mubai, Tang San, and Xiao Wu hadn't yet arrived. Even Shrek Academy was barely forming.
Boring, really.
That night, he and Little Snake slipped out through the north gate, clad in black, vanishing into the darkness.
Meanwhile, at the top of the Grand Battle Arena, in a luxuriously decorated suite, two sisters lay upon a silken bed, dressed in light nightclothes. Their postures were formless, casual, and maybe a bit too close.
"Elder Sister," Zhu Zhuqing muttered, frowning, "do I really have to go to that Shrek Academy here in Suoto City?"
Zhu Zhuyun sighed. "Your engagement to Dai Mubai... Father never approved. But what can he do? The boy's six years younger than the crown prince—he has no claim to power, and marrying you is just dragging you into danger.
But the deed is done. Your only real chance to survive now lies in the Heaven Dou Empire.
If you achieve something noteworthy, that's good. If not, stay in Heaven Dou—don't go back."
Her younger sister's face darkened. "Just because the Dai Clan has a Titled Douluo, the whole Zhu Family bends its knee? If only we had one too—"
"Shh!" Zhu Zhuyun glanced around, helpless. Her sister was absurdly fearless with her words.
"Titled Douluos aren't something you or I can dream of challenging, Zhuqing.
But wasn't it always your dream to become a female Titled Douluo? If you really achieve that, our Zhu Family's status across the continent will skyrocket.
Look at the Dugu Clan—why do they act so arrogant, fearing no one? Partly for their poison, yes—but mostly because of the Jade Phosphor Douluo behind them."
She chuckled softly.
Though she herself benefitted from her engagement to the royal family, that didn't dull her private ambitions. Any soul master, deep down, longed for that level of power.
Titled Douluo outranked any queen or princess-consort.
"I understand now," Zhu Zhuqing said resolutely. "I will become one. I'll start training harder from today onward."
Seeing her determination, Zhu Zhuyun smiled and joined her sister in cultivation.
Silence fell across the suite.
Far away, in the dark wilderness north of the city, icy winds swept the treetops.
Perched on a swaying branch, Dugu Feng sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation. Suddenly, his spiritual senses twitched.
Ah, the sisters have started cultivating again.
"Good, good. They're almost as diligent as my pet snakes now—training over twelve hours a day.
But twelve hours? That's not enough. That means they waste the other twelve."
He moved his fingers slightly. "Energy cores, give them a little reward. Strengthen their meridians so they can handle thirteen hours of training. Within a year, increase that to eighteen.
Aside from food and sleep—every other moment must be for cultivation. The diligent mustn't slack.
My energy beads need to evolve faster."
He glanced at his wrists, where the two Nine-Segment Emerald Snakes coiled lazily.
Their eyes widened innocently, as if protesting, We haven't been slacking!
Dugu Feng smirked approvingly.
Inside the opulent chamber, the Zhu sisters had sunk completely into their meditation.
They couldn't feel it, but the energy beads within their bodies were quietly siphoning the soul power they produced.
The process was slow, seamless—undetectable.
Then, a faint stream of heat flowed from the beads, merging into their own soul power, soothing their meridians.
Zhu Zhuqing felt the smooth surge of power running through her veins.
Still only a one-ring, level sixteen Soul Master, her cultivation speed was already impressive. But recalling how effortlessly Dugu Feng had defeated her, she found a new wave of determination.
She drove her power through every channel in her body relentlessly.
Progress came swiftly, intoxicatingly.
She finally stopped only when faint numbness spread through her limbs.
Looking aside, she realized her sister was still meditating.
A shaft of sunlight pierced through the window—so bright it stung her eyes.
"How long… have I been training? It's already morning!"
She shook her head with a self-deprecating smile.
"Maybe I pushed myself too hard... guess I got carried away."
She lay back down, unaware of the subtle green light pulsing gently within her abdomen.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10