Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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Fan Quan nodded. "When this old official saw these results, I was just as surprised as Your Majesty. I never expected that Huo Yuhao would actually be the offspring of the Duke of White Tiger."
Emperor Xu Jiawei quickly retracted the shock from his face; as an Emperor, he could not lose his composure for too long. He took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to the documents in his hand.
There wasn't much content, only a few thin pages.
But in general, it clearly explained Huo Yuhao's situation. He was the child of the Duke of White Tiger and a maid in the mansion. He was ignored from a young age and suffered much bullying. At the age of six, he ran away from home with his mother and disappeared into the crowd from then on.
When he reappeared, he was already at Shrek Academy. And at that time, Huo Yuhao was already an out-and-out Genius. An eleven-year-old Spirit Ancestor with twin spirits, he was highly valued by Shrek Academy and regarded as the hope for the future.
Emperor Xu Jiawei flipped through page by page, absorbing the information. A moment later, he set down the documents and leaned back against his chair.
Complex light flickered within those eyes. He quietly stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Although Emperor Xu Jiawei and the Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao, addressed each other as brothers on ordinary days, as the Emperor of a nation, he was naturally a political creature.
That surface-level friendship was built upon a balance of interests.
To be honest, he did not wish for a Super Douluo to appear in the White Tiger Dukes Mansion.
After all, this Star Luo Empire once belonged to the Dai Clan. It was only when the Dai Clan declined back then that the Star Crown Sect's Xu Clan rose to power. If the Dai Clan became powerful again, the Star Luo throne might change hands once more, which was something Emperor Xu Jiawei absolutely did not want to see.
However, looking at the data, this Huo Yuhao and the Duke of White Tiger's lineage were already estranged. That bullying, that indifference, and those injuries had filled this youth with hatred for that Clan. In Emperor Xu Jiawei's view, this was actually a good thing.
After a long silence, Emperor Xu Jiawei looked toward Fan Quan.His eyes had regained their usual calm and depth.
"Thank you for your hard work, Prime Minister." Fan Quan hurriedly demurred. He bowed slightly, his face showing a hint of exhaustion. "This old official is getting on in years and is not as physically strong as Your Majesty. I am prepared to return and rest, and I hope for Your Majesty's permission."
Emperor Xu Jiawei quickly rose to see him off. "Return and rest early, Prime Minister. The affairs of the state still require the Prime Minister's labor."
Fan Quan nodded and turned to leave.
Emperor Xu Jiawei stood at the door, watching Fan Quan's departing figure, and suddenly laughed. He thought to himself that Fan Quan was indeed a veteran official of three reigns; his ability to read people was truly formidable.
Knowing that he needed to be alone at this moment, Fan Quan took the initiative to excuse himself. This sense of propriety and tact was not something everyone possessed.
He turned back to his desk and sat down. Then, he summoned his personal attendant and ordered, "Go and call the Princess."
Before long, a young girl of seventeen or eighteen entered Emperor Xu Jiawei's study. She had fair skin and a beautiful face, wearing an elegant palace dress. Her entire being exuded a noble temperament. Moreover, the distance of every step she took was nearly identical, as if it had been measured. That was the result of royal etiquette training, a habit carved into her bones. She was Emperor Xu Jiawei's youngest sister, the Princess of the Star Luo Empire—Princess Xu Jiujiu!
Princess Xu Jiujiu walked to the desk, looked at Emperor Xu Jiawei who was buried in paperwork, and asked softly, "Brother, why did you call me here so late?"
Emperor Xu Jiawei didn't waste words. He finished reviewing a memorial, set down his brush, and handed the information regarding Huo Yuhao to Princess Xu Jiujiu. "Take a look at this."
Princess Xu Jiujiu took the documents and looked down. At first glance, she was stunned. An expression almost identical to Emperor Xu Jiawei's earlier one surfaced on her exquisite face.
Then she suddenly looked up at Emperor Xu Jiawei and said in surprise, "He is the son of the Duke of White Tiger?!"
Emperor Xu Jiawei nodded. "Finish reading it first."
Hearing this, Princess Xu Jiujiu lowered her head and continued reading. She skimmed through the pages and quickly read all the content. The expression on her beautiful face shifted constantly. Surprise, realization, contemplation, and finally, it turned into a hint of complexity.
She looked up at Emperor Xu Jiawei, her voice tinged with emotion."I really didn't expect that Zhu Yunqing, the Duchess from the Zhu Clan, would be so envious and petty."
Emperor Xu Jiawei did not respond to his sister's evaluation.
Then, his tone suddenly became solemn."Jiujiu, go and make contact with this Huo Yuhao. With such talent, he is guaranteed to be a Super Douluo in the future."
Princess Xu Jiujiu smiled, a flash of understanding crossing her bright eyes.
"Don't worry, brother," her voice was light and confident, "I have experience in befriending such people."
As a princess of the royal Clan, winning people over was not unfamiliar to her. Princess Xu Jiujiu turned and left, her footsteps gradually fading away.
In the study, only Emperor Xu Jiawei remained. He leaned back against his chair, looking at the closed door, his eyes shimmering with complex light.
A moment later, he murmured to himself, "Although he is a few years younger than Jiujiu... if it works out, they would be a good match."
Clearly, in Emperor Xu Jiawei's heart, it wasn't just as simple as having Princess Xu Jiujiu befriend Huo Yuhao.
If the two could eventually become a couple, that would be even better!
...
The Star Imperial Auction House was the largest auction house in Star Luo City, and its 'master' behind the scenes was the Star Luo Royal Clan.
As night fell and the lights came on, the outside of the auction house was bustling with heavy traffic and people coming and going.
According to today's schedule, Shrek Academy did not have a match. So in the evening, Wang Yan brought everyone to participate in this auction specifically for Spirit Tools. Speaking of which, the teachers and students of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department basically looked down on spirit tools. They believed in their own strength and felt that the Spirit was the foundation, while spirit tools were merely unorthodox paths.
However, the teacher Wang Yan was an exception. He was optimistic about the development of spirit tools and believed it was the trend of the future. At this moment, in the auction house's private box, Wang Yan looked at Huo Yuhao with a complex expression, a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Yuhao, this malevolent blade devours its master and has a notorious reputation. I'm afraid it really is a bit sinister; you were somewhat impulsive."
Just now, Huo Yuhao had purchased the Devouring Spirit, the malevolent blade ranked ninety-ninth on the Carving Knife List, for the price of one hundred thousand gold coins.
That blade was pitch black all over, emitting a strange aura. It was said that all its previous masters had met violent ends, making it a well-known cursed weapon.
With Huo Yuhao's mental force in the Spirit Abyss Realm, he hadn't seen anything unusual about this carving knife just now. But his teacher Electrolux reminded him that this carving knife was not simple; it was forged from Life Gold and was a rare treasure.
Hearing his teacher say this, memories in Huo Yuhao's mind immediately surfaced.
He thought to himself, could this be the Life Guardian Blade recorded in the history of later generations?
It was very likely!
After all, teacher Electrolux's judgment would definitely not be wrong.
So he immediately made up his mind and bought it.
Huo Yuhao looked at Wang Yan and said, "Don't worry, Teacher. I am not a reckless person. Since I dared to buy it, I naturally have a way to deal with the evil Spirit within it."
The impression Huo Yuhao gave everyone had always been one of being steady and reliable.
So hearing him say this, Wang Yan felt somewhat relieved and said nothing more.
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.