A Week Later
Today is the day Dugu Bo arrives at the STGT sect for the feast. Ning Fengzhi, quick in his actions, successfully invited Dugu Bo.
Inside the main hall, Ning Fengzhi was discussing matters with his sect elders, while Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo sat leisurely at their seats.
The arrival of a Title Douluo requires meticulous preparation and attention from everyone, but these two were exceptions. After all, they were far stronger than Dugu Bo.
Ning Fengzhi, seated at the head of the table, was filled with joy as he discussed his plans with the elders.
"Sect Leader, we will surely have another guardian for our sect starting today," one elder said happily.
"Yes, inviting His Majesty Dugu Bo was the only hurdle. Now that we have succeeded, there is no need to worry. Given how talented and good-natured Ning Yue is, who would decline this offer?" another elder said, speaking proudly of Xie Yue.
"Indeed, it's a done deal. Hahaha."
"Haha."
"Haha."
The other elders also laughed happily. For them, it was a joyous occasion. After all, as STGT sect elders of direct lineage, they lacked offensive power. The more powerful their sect guardians, the safer they would feel.
This was not the only advantage. From then on, they could also expand their influence and amass more wealth by boasting the presence of three Titled Douluo-level guardians.
Seeing their joyful reactions, Ning Fengzhi smiled as well.
"It's better if we don't bring Ning Yue directly before we elders discuss it with His Majesty Poison Douluo," Ning Fengzhi suggested.
His suggestion was accepted by everyone, as they also felt the need for caution. Testing the waters before disclosing Xie Yue's talents was wiser than making hasty moves.
Ning Fengzhi had already discussed this with Xie Yue. When Dugu Bo arrives, Xie Yue need not be present. Ning Fengzhi and the others would first speak with Dugu Bo, gauge his thoughts on his granddaughter's marriage, and only then bring up Xie Yue.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Ning Fengzhi had also made plans with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo for unforeseen situations.
Once Dugu Bo steps inside the sect... he would leave as Xie Yue's grandfather-in-law.
Soon, night fell.
The main hall was lively as nearly seven people were seated around a large round stone table. These seven were the most loyal and informed elders of the STGT sect, particularly regarding Xie Yue and Hu Liena.
While other elders were also loyal to the sect, Ning Fengzhi had his own assessment of them. Those he had a low opinion of were often sent out of the sect for various reasons, such as presiding over major business ventures.
As the old saying goes, "Where there are people, there is politics."
This saying suggests that human interactions, especially in groups, often involve power struggles and competition for advantage. It implies that politics, in a broad sense, is an inherent part of human nature and can arise in any social setting.
No matter how harmonious a group might seem on the surface, there are always undercurrents of rivalry and jockeying for position—a constant reminder of the timeless truth that politics is an inevitable part of human interaction.
Naturally, the STGT sect was not without these undercurrents. But Ning Fengzhi knew how to handle them effectively.
The elders were talking among themselves, but as they sensed someone approaching the entrance, they quieted down and turned toward the main door.
At the entrance, Ning Fengzhi was walking with Dugu Bo, who wore green-black armor. Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo followed behind them leisurely.
Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo powerhouse, so even though Ning Fengzhi was the sect master, he had to show courtesy. Ning Fengzhi went to greet Dugu Bo directly. Their statuses were equal, but strength was not.
However, the same was not true for Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo. While Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo, he was only at level 90, while Chen Xin (Sword Douluo) was level 96, a Super Douluo. He could defeat nearly ten Dugu Bos. So, was there a need to show courtesy to Dugu Bo? Naturally, the answer was no.
A Super Douluo with a world-class martial soul was in a completely different league from Dugu Bo, so Ning Fengzhi didn't insist on showing Chen Xin this formality.
Nevertheless, Chen Xin took the initiative to accompany Ning Fengzhi to greet Dugu Bo at the sect entrance. Naturally, this was because today's matters were related to his beloved disciple, Ning Yue. As a master, he was concerned about everything regarding Xie Yue and wanted to ensure nothing went wrong. Thus, he showed Dugu Bo some respect. Gu Rong tagged along with Chen Xin since he had little else to do.
Dugu Bo was flattered by the two Titled Douluos' actions and was in a good mood. When he was still a Soul Douluo, he admired both Chen Xin and Gu Rong. Now, after being stuck at level 90 for over five years, he also understood the talent gap between them and himself.
"Elders, welcome our guest, His Majesty Poison Douluo!" Ning Fengzhi announced joyfully as he entered the hall.
The elders also greeted Dugu Bo enthusiastically, sharing in the joy of the occasion.
However, Dugu Bo felt a little uncertain about Ning Fengzhi's true intentions. While he had suspected that Ning Fengzhi invited him under the pretext of a feast to discuss something, perhaps related to his relationship with the royal family, seeing their overly joyful reactions made him wary. After all, was it really necessary for them to be this happy just because of his arrival?
'Let's wait and see; Sect Master Ning will eventually speak,'Dugu Bo thought in his mind as he responded to the elders' greetings.
Soon, everyone took their seats, and the feast began.
The food was abundant, diverse, and rich in spiritual nourishment. Ning Fengzhi had spent a large sum of money and natural resources on this feast alone. After all, satisfying the guest first would ensure a good mood for the guest—especially if the guest was Titled Douluo Dugu Bo.
During the feast, Ning Fengzhi mostly conversed with Dugu Bo, while the other elders occasionally voiced their opinions or flattered Dugu Bo when necessary.
Throughout their conversation, Ning Fengzhi subtly gathered the information he sought.
It was confirmed that the BLTD sect had secretly contacted Dugu Bo about a marriage arrangement. However, they had not yet convinced him, as Dugu Bo cared primarily about his granddaughter's opinion.
But Dugu Bo had also not outright rejected them, instead allowing the BLTD sect's leader's grandson a chance to impress his granddaughter, as long as no despicable means were used.
Ning Fengzhi was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. Although Dugu Bo proudly shared the information, Ning Fengzhi could sense something in Dugu Bo's tone that suggested there was more to the situation. His instinct were screaming at him that there was a big opportunity or a secret hidden. However, he couldn't quite pinpoint the feeling exactly.
If Xie Yue had been present, he would have explained the reason behind Dugu Bo's openness toward the BLTD sect. After all, Dugu Bo was nearing the end of his life. While he respected his granddaughter's wishes, he also wanted to ensure her safety before passing. It was a desperate action of a loving grandfather.
Since Ning Fengzhi was unaware of Dugu Bo's poisoning, even with his honed instinct as a sect leader, he couldn't accurately deduce the real reason behind Dugu Bo's actions.
After all, who would suspect that the great Poison Douluo was poisoned by his own poison?
Putting aside his instincts, Ning Fengzhi continued to probe for more information. Dugu Bo generously shared details about his granddaughter and his desired grandson-in-law.
Dugu Bo didn't feel the need to hide these things from Ning Fengzhi, knowing that, sooner or later, Ning Fengzhi would discover his relationship with the BLTD sect. Moreover, he saw it as an opportunity to let Ning Fengzhi know his situation and the reason for choosing his side in advance.
Dugu Bo was well aware of the competition between the top three sects. He had rejected Ning Fengzhi's invitation to join his sect years ago. But now that he was considering the BLTD sect, what would Ning Fengzhi think?
The thought was sure to chill Ning Fengzhi's heart, so Dugu Bo made sure to clarify that BLTD sect was competing fairly.
"It's not my fault I have a granddaughter, is it?" Dugu Bo said with a laugh. "The BLTD sect found a breakthrough to lure me to their side. It's your fault for not having a son to compete for my granddaughter. Haha!"
"Yes, yes... Fengzhi is not such a petty person. I understand, Your Majesty. It's a fair loss, a fair loss. Haha!" Ning Fengzhi replied with a laugh as he clinked his wine glass.
But inside, his thoughts were different: "Who said I've lost...? Who said I don't have a son?"
Ning Fengzhi still didn't mention Xie Yue outright. He wanted more assurance. He was very careful about anything related to Xie Yue and Hu Liena. They were the hopes for the STGT sect's future brilliance.
So, he continued probing Dugu Bo, learning more about his granddaughter and testing his opinion about her. He also had something related to his disciple, Xue Qinghe, to consider... Ning Fengzhi needed to be extra cautious with the marriage proposal.
As the feast drew to a close, Ning Fengzhi and the two Titled Douluos finally felt confident that everything was in order and the marriage plan could proceed without issue. With a proud smile, Ning Fengzhi finally spoke:
"Your Majesty, would you like to meet my children before you leave?" Ning Fengzhi asked, his smile overflowing with confidence.
"Oh, yes, certainly. I've also heard about the beauty of Sect Master Ning's little daughter..." Dugu Bo began, but suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
"Children?" Now Dugu Bo was genuinely curious and somewhat doubtful.
"Sect Master Ning, do you have other children besides Rongrong?"
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AN: This chapter is just the draft I wrote before. I am posting it since I am going to take a leave. There won't be anymore chapter for nearly Two months. But If I get the mood to write, I will update the book in between.(-_-メ)
And I moved the last ' Author Notice' to Auxiliary. So if any new readers were curious, you can read it there.