Chapter 60: Xu Jiujiu's Calculation"Safe... Good! So good!" Xu Jiujiu's lips curved into a meaningful smile. "Brother Emperor, this might not be a bad thing for our Imperial Family; instead, it's a great piece of news!""Oh? How do you mean?" Emperor Xu Jiawei asked, puzzled.Xu Jiujiu calmly analyzed, "Dai Hao has four sons. The legitimate sons, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, now have bleak futures, almost half-crippled, and are difficult to entrust with great responsibilities. The illegitimate son, Dai Luoli, is still young, and his talent is said to be the worst among all his brothers, with a simple and timid nature, making him unsuitable for cultivation. Thus, in the future, only one person will be qualified and capable of inheriting the White Tiger Duke's title and the Western Group Army's military power."She paused, then slowly uttered the name, "Dai Youheng."A glint flashed in Emperor Xu Jiawei's eyes; he immediately understood his sister's meaning.Xu Jiujiu continued, a hint of confident control in her tone, "Everyone knows that Dai Youheng is deeply infatuated with me, even willing to die for me. Previously, I disdained him because he was merely an illegitimate son, of no help to our great cause. But if he can become the future White Tiger Duke, his value will be entirely different."Her smile turned cold and realistic. "I don't need love anyway; what I need is a marriage that can completely control the Dai Family and alleviate your worries, Brother Emperor. An infatuated, easily controllable Dai Youheng, sitting on the Duke's position, is far better than those two legitimate sons, Dai Yueheng or Dai Huabin, who harbor grudges against our Imperial Family! By then, the White Tiger Dukes Mansion, and even the five hundred thousand Western Group Army, will indirectly fall under the control of our Xu Family through Dai Youheng!"Thinking of this, Xu Jiujiu immediately made a decision. "Brother Emperor, please immediately send someone to Shrek Academy at the fastest speed. I will personally write a letter, using the most sincere and caring words, to summon Dai Youheng to return to Star Luo City immediately! Just say... I heard that his brothers were seriously injured, and I am worried, so I specially invite him back to the capital for a discussion, to jointly strategize, and I will offer him conditions he cannot refuse."Her eyes shimmered with a determined glow, as if she had already seen the future of that "simp" Dai Youheng, who would obey her every command, becoming the most important chess piece in her hand to control the Dai Family.However, she did not know that the infatuated illegitimate son she believed in had long since been replaced by a cold and dangerous soul. Her calculations, perhaps from the very beginning, were destined to fail.Dai Youheng sat on Xiao Bai's main body, galloping. The journey that would normally take several days was completed in less than half a day under Xiao Bai's furious pace, leaving the Extreme North Land. As expected of a fierce Spirit Beast, even if it wasn't a speed-type, it was hundreds of times faster than Youheng currently. Even if Youheng activated his external Spirit Bone, he would still be far inferior to it.Xiao Bai placed Dai Youheng outside the Ice Frost Forest.Snow Empress once again instructed Xiao Bai not to run around and to stay in the Ice Frost Forest during this time, as they would be back soon.Then, Dai Youheng stood in place, orienting himself. Red and blue lights intertwined and flickered behind him as his ice fire lotus wings unfurled. With a gentle flap, his figure transformed into a streak of light, speeding southward.The sensation of flight was exhilarating, and the speed far surpassed traveling on the ground. In less than half a day, the outline of a massive, bustling city covered in ice and snow appeared on the horizon.Ice Sea City.This city, due to its proximity to the Ice Frost Forest and the outer reaches of the Extreme North Land, became the last supply station and resting place for many Spirit Masters before hunting for spirit rings.The city was quite large, with Spirit Master teams carrying spirit tools and exuding formidable auras visible everywhere on the streets.Dai Youheng retracted his lotus wings in an uninhabited area outside the city and walked in. He did not rush to find his target but first found a lively tavern, sat down, ordered a common ale, and seemingly casually listened to the idle chatter of the surrounding Spirit Masters.Taverns were always places where information converged, especially in cities near Spirit Beast habitats, where people from all walks of life gathered, mostly discussing hunting, harvests, trade, and some illicit dealings.He patiently sat for nearly an hour, his mental force quietly spreading out, capturing various fragmented pieces of information.Soon, a few phrases caught his attention: "Old Viper," "underground warehouse," "good stuff," "clearly marked prices"... These phrases were whispered by someone who looked like a high-level Spirit Master, talking to another person who appeared to be a merchant.Dai Youheng calmly noted down the name "Old Viper" and the location "underground warehouse." He put down his drink and left the tavern.He seemingly casually strolled around the city, particularly near shops selling spirit tool materials and potions in the back alleys. He subtly questioned several shrewd-looking shopkeepers, asking "where one could find special 'helpers'" and vaguely mentioning the name "Old Viper."One of the shopkeepers sized him up. Perhaps sensing the formidable spirit power fluctuations within him, or perhaps swayed by the few gold coins he quietly handed over, he finally lowered his voice and gave him an address: an abandoned warehouse in the west of the city.Following the address, Dai Youheng found the seemingly unremarkable, even somewhat dilapidated, warehouse.Two men, appearing lazy but with sharp eyes, guarded the warehouse entrance. Dai Youheng wasted no words, directly releasing a trace of Spirit Ancestor-level spirit power fluctuations, while concisely stating, "Looking for Old Viper, to discuss a business deal."The guards looked him over, sensed his not-to-be-underestimated spirit power, exchanged glances, and one of them nodded, then turned and went inside to report. A moment later, the man came out and gestured for Dai Youheng to follow him in.Passing through the warehouse piled with discarded wooden crates, and pushing open a hidden secret door, a downward staircase appeared. A cacophony of noise, hawking, and an indescribable oppressive atmosphere rushed forth. A sizable underground black market unfolded before his eyes.What slightly surprised Dai Youheng was that deep within this black market, he saw a familiar mark—a uniquely shaped black mandrake flower. This was the symbol of the "Mediocrity Alliance."The Mediocrity Alliance, a massive black organization headquartered in the Sun Moon Empire, whose influence spanned many black markets across the continent. Its president, Shangguan Weier, was even known for operating gray industries such as brothels, human trafficking, and intelligence trading. He hadn't expected their reach to extend to Ice Sea City in the northern border of the Heaven Soul Empire.Dai Youheng walked directly to the most seemingly legitimate stall, which bore the Mediocrity Alliance mark. He was greeted by a thin, shrewd-eyed middle-aged man with a small mustache, a typical merchant's appearance."Customer, what do you need?" The merchant scrutinized Dai Youheng. Although Dai Youheng appeared young, the calm, cold temperament and the faintly emanating spirit power fluctuations made him wary.
