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As a dominant figure at the Tian Dou Royal Academy, Xue Beng's debauchery was well-known.
Usually, he avoided offending people he couldn't afford to, like Yu Tianheng and Huo Wu. The former belonged to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, while the latter had a volatile temper and would resort to violence without considering his status.
His debauchery was merely a facade; he couldn't be that foolish.
Therefore, when encountering these two, Xue Beng would either keep his head down or reluctantly greet them.
However, the four commoner soul masters who recently joined the Tian Dou Royal Academy's first team were easier targets.
Commoner soul masters tended to be cautious, so by grossing them out enough, Xue Beng could inevitably push them out of the Tian Dou Royal Academy, thereby annoying his good brother.
Competition within the royal family was fierce, with several of the Tian Dou royal princes meeting untimely deaths in recent years. It was only with the help of Prince Xue Xing that Xue Beng, disguised as a debaucher, managed to survive.
However, Tang San believed that Qian Renxue might be aware of this but had other considerations.
In all honesty, if all the princes of the Xue Ye Empire were dead except for Xue Qinghe, anyone would find it suspicious. Even without substantial evidence, speculation would run wild.
And once the results were investigated, clues would be easier to uncover.
Furthermore, Xue Xing had befriended a Titled Douluo, who currently protected him and Snow Avalanche, making it difficult for Xue Qinghe to take action.
The Poison Douluo was quite knowledgeable about toxins. Although he didn't recognize the celestial herbs in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he was well-versed in ordinary pharmacology.
He could sense toxins.
This was why Prince Xue Xing was still alive. Otherwise, he would have been the first target for Xue Qinghe.
After all, the Xue Ye Empire was different from the Star Luo Empire. Upon the emperor's death, even his brothers had a chance to ascend the throne.
Why wouldn't Xue Qinghe want to eliminate him if he could?
However, for Xue Qinghe or Qian Renxue, the priority was proving themselves to gain control of the Tian Dou Empire rather than seeking assistance from the Martial Soul Hall.
Therefore, Qian Renxue believed that she needed to minimize seeking help from the Spirit Hall as much as possible to prove herself to Bibi Dong.
From this perspective, Qian Renxue was just a girl who grew up in a cold, violent environment, longing for her mother's love.
Environment shapes people, after all.
"Are you daydreaming?"
Seeing Tang San seemingly lost in thought, completely ignoring his words, Xue Beng's expression darkened.
Though his debauchery was a facade, he was still a prince. Ignoring his words completely, as if they were insignificant, took some nerve!
"Sorry, I was thinking about something else just now." Tang San's attention returned to Xue Beng in front of him. "I wonder what brings Prince Snow Avalanche here?"
"Hmph!" Xue Beng's mood worsened. Tang San's question implied that he hadn't listened to a word just now. "I heard that a few commoner soul masters have joined the Tian Dou Royal Academy's first team. So I came to see what skills you guys have."
Facing Xue Beng's arrogance, Tang San remained calm. "Please wait a moment."
With that said, he led Xiao Wu and Guang Ling towards the courtyard where Dugu Yan was.
"Tang San, what's the matter?" Dugu Yan opened the door, puzzled to see Tang San.
"I want to confirm two things. Your grandfather is Poison Douluo, right?"
"Yes."
"And the Poison Douluo is a guest of Prince Xue Xing, correct?"
"That's right."
Dugu Yan didn't understand why Tang San was asking these questions. "What's going on?"
"Xue Beng has come to trouble me, so I hope you can help, Captain. Though I could fight back, Xue Beng's status is there. As commoners, it would be troublesome for us if we were to engage physically."
In short, Tang San hoped that Dugu Yan would intervene.
In Tang San's view, relying solely on fists to solve problems would only dull the mind, and before gaining momentum, this would attract countless troubles.
"That Xue Beng who doesn't seem like a prince at all?" Dugu Yan sneered. "To dare to provoke our Captain, he's truly blind. Let's go! Watch how I teach him a lesson!"
When Xue Beng saw Tang San and the others returning with Dugu Yan, he immediately realized that this trip might have been in vain.
After all, his arrogance stemmed not only from his debauchery but also from his status as a guest of Prince Xue Xing and the Poison Douluo.
But now, Dugu Yan had come!
The Poison Douluo wouldn't turn a blind eye.
These commoner soul masters newly joined the Tian Dou Royal Academy's first team, indicating exceptional talent. The three education commissioners would certainly be interested. Without the support of the Poison Douluo, his uncle would have no chance against the three commissioners. If this matter reached his father's ears without the Poison Douluo's support, his father's impression of him would plummet even further.
For him, Dugu Yan was much more useful than the Crown Prince's decree given to Tang San by Xue Qinghe.
But, was he supposed to just watch as Xue Qinghe gathered all the outstanding talents? He couldn't accept that!
Moreover, this Tang San, who shared the same name as that renowned martial soul theorist, actually used his brain instead of resorting to violence at the slightest provocation. He even found Dugu Yan... This proved that he had some understanding of himself, Prince Xue Xing, and the Poison Douluo, and he was aware that his audacity was primarily due to the Poison Douluo's strength.
And the Poison Douluo doted on his granddaughter.
So, he went directly to Dugu Yan.
His meticulous thinking, is this what a commoner soul master should possess? If such a talented individual were to be recruited by his good brother, would he still have a chance to seize the throne? Plus, by offending him this time, he might have to rely on Xue Qinghe's power for retaliation afterward!
In a moment of contemplation, Xue Beng pondered many things, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He smiled awkwardly at Dugu Yan, "Sister Dugu, it's been a while. Are you doing well lately?"
"I'm fine, why? I heard from my captain that you're here to cause trouble for him?" Dugu Yan's attitude remained polite. Even though she didn't like Xue Beng, the fact that Prince Xue Xing owed her grandfather a life debt meant she had to maintain some semblance of respect.
"Captain?" Xue Beng was surprised. He hadn't expected this Tang San to replace Huo Wu as the captain right away. Was he even more powerful than Huo Wu? Didn't he hear that his martial soul was just Blue Silver Grass, and he was an auxiliary type...
Wait a minute!
Could it be that this Tang San is the renowned martial soul theorist?
A Blue Silver Grass martial soul, able to replace Huo Wu as the captain, must have at least reached the Spirit Sage level in strength, and he's only twelve...
No mistake!
Absolutely no mistake!
Although the Spirit Hall had concealed the identity of the martial soul theorist extremely well, without any leaks, this person was undoubtedly the theorist.
Damn it, I've offended him!
"I have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer. I'll take my leave." Xue Beng's face was embarrassed. After saying this, he hastily left with his henchmen, fearing that Dugu Yan might come after him.
(End of chapter)