"Not enough."
Seeing the confidence on Qian Renxue's face, Chu Chengzhou shook his head.
She was excellent in most ways—just a bit too confident.
Confidence is good; overconfidence isn't.
Spirit Hall's strength was unquestionable, but in the original timeline, when Qian Renxue launched the Heaven Dou palace coup, she brought only two Titled Douluo—and bottom-tier ones at that: She Long and Ci Xue. If a Worship Elder had anchored the operation, Tang San and company wouldn't have ruined it.
"Not enough how?" Qian Renxue asked.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect knows my rough strength. Those elders you mentioned are ordinary elders, right? Without a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, three sub-95 Titled Douluo plus ten Spirit Douluo still aren't enough—for me alone.
"If I'm present and the old man Xue Ye still dies, I can't explain to my father-in-law how it happened."
The Dark-Gold Dreadclaw Bear (Xiong Da), Titan Giant Ape (Xiao Ming), and Dark Devilgod Tiger (Xiao Hei) he'd summoned all had Titled-level combat power. Xiong Da could one-shot a Title with a burst of Dark-Gold Dreadclaw. Xiao Ming had a full hundred thousand years and a domain—enough to match a 96th-rank Titled Douluo like Jiangmo. With those three plus himself—a fast, hard-hitting, tanky archer—the "assassin team" Qian Renxue described wouldn't make waves.
If he was guarding and Xue Ye still died to that lineup, Ning Fengzhi would suspect collusion.
Qian Renxue fell silent, then asked, "What lineup could 'accidentally' kill Emperor Xue Ye with you present?"
"No sneak attacks? Five 95th-rank Titled Douluo—Chrysanthemum/Ghost caliber—no Fusion Skill—plus a pile of sub-nine-ring lackeys." He spread five fingers. "Two to pin Xiao Ming, one for Xiong Da, one for Xiao Hei, one for me."
That was current power. A few months later, Xiong Da and Xiao Hei might be stronger. At equal years, both would edge out the Titan Giant Ape by species.
Qian Renxue's expression darkened. Spirit Hall could field five 95s, but most at that level were famous. Heaven Dou and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would notice. Identities would be traced. And five 95s… wasn't he rating himself too highly? Also, eight-ring experts were now "lackeys"?
She exhaled. "Those two corps are only beginning to form. It'll take months. I'll refine the plan—today was advance notice."
"Good." For a coup, the plan must be airtight.
A better plan flashed in his mind. On paper the assassins were after him; if their strength was "insufficient," then just strengthen them—and they needn't all be Spirit Hall.
If he went to Star Luo City first and made a scene—say, killed Crown Prince Dai Weisi or Emperor Dai Yutian—the Dai clan would spend whatever it took to break into Heaven Dou to hit him. Slap the Star Luo Empire enough times and even saints lose their temper.
Before Star Luo moved, if "unknown" experts asked to join, the Dai clan wouldn't refuse. A knife is a knife—who cares where it's forged if it's sharp when used?
When the ruckus drew most experts in Heaven Dou City, Spirit Hall's joined forces could slip in and delete Xue Ye. Whether Star Luo liked it or not, the blame would stick. Even if Star Luo refused the unknowns, it didn't matter—strike together and the pot still lands on Star Luo's head.
Goal achieved; blame shifted. Perfect.
If he did that, he'd first ship Xiao Wu and the others to Sea God Island—no worries at home.
—
After the meal, he and Hu Liena left the hotel. She dragged him into a teahouse, booked a private room, had him throw up a spirit power barrier, then pinched his waist with frosty eyes. "Talk. How long were you going to hide my senior sister from me?"
"Ow—Nana, mercy!"
"Hmph. Speak."
She was upset for two reasons: he'd hidden it, and it looked like her senior sister, Qian Renxue, might also fall into this scoundrel's hands someday.
"We properly met over half a year after we left Slaughter City," he said sheepishly.
"Do Xiao Wu and the others know?"
"Not yet."
"Will my senior sister be your fifth wife?"
"Probably not?" The numbering depended on formal commitments. Little Rabbit was First; Little Witch, Second; Big Kitty, Third; Little Fox, Fourth. Qian Renxue hadn't even agreed to be his girlfriend. Fifth should be Big Sister Tang Yuehua. If he stopped… recruiting, Qian Renxue would be Sixth.
"My senior sister's that beautiful and you have no designs?" Hu Liena stared.
"Nana, is that really how you see me?" he said, trying for solemn. She nodded. He fell silent. Fine, he had designs—the little angel just hadn't agreed. The last time he stole a kiss in an illusion, he'd eaten a black eye.
"Also, what's the deal between my teacher and my senior sister? Isn't my teacher the former Pope's disciple? How are they husband and wife?"
He thought, then shook his head. What the Secret Room Douluo did back then—she didn't need to know. Bibi Dong would rather it be forgotten, not pitied, least of all by her disciple.
Her curiosity cooled. Fair—if even she, the disciple, didn't know, how would he?
—
Barak Kingdom, Slaughter City's official entrance. A burly, black-robed figure arrived. White light burst from him, turning to a blood-colored domain as killing intent flooded out. Black-armored warriors bowed as he walked in—Tang Hao had come to check on his good son, Tang San, and warn the local snake not to play tricks.
Soon, he hovered over the inner city.
"???" It was deserted—nothing like his memory. He spread his spiritual power. Tang San was safe, seated near the inner gate. He relaxed—then anger spiked. His son came to train, not retire. Fewer than two dozen degenerates in the whole inner city? How to train?
He flew straight to a blood-red hall. Time to ask the King of Slaughter whether he was sabotaging Tang San's chance at a hundred straight wins and the Killing God Domain.
"Halt!" guards barked.
"Move. King of Slaughter, come out!" Tang Hao's killing intent crushed the steps. The guards formed ranks.
"Hmph. Ants." He sneered.
A tall, pale man in a blood cloak stepped out. "Pay respects to the King of Slaughter!" the guards chorused.
"Stand down," the King said. The man before him was a matured Killing God. He wasn't sure he could win; sending men was sending heads.
"Haotian Killing God, this is my Slaughter City. Not your place to run wild."
"King of Slaughter," Tang Hao said bluntly, "my son came to train. There are barely any degenerates. Explain."
"Hmph. You've got nerve. I haven't even pursued your son's responsibility—that was already giving face to a Killing God."
Oh? Tang Hao arched a brow. So this mess was his son's doing?
"Before your son came, Slaughter City produced two new Killing Gods. One cleared a hundred wins in under a month. The inner city never had many degenerates. Then your son killed everything that moved. Now there's no one left. And you question me?"
Tang Hao grimaced. He knew Chu Chengzhou had become a Killing God before Tang San—but not that it took under a month. Two Killing Gods meant two hundred matches, nine heads per match—eighteen hundred dead. And that was just in the arena. Add the bodies outside…
With numbers already low, if his son kept reaping, emptiness made sense. He straightened. Was this his son's fault? No—it was Slaughter City's fault. Too few degenerates, too weak. Ptoo. Disgraceful.
Half an hour later, near the inner gate, Tang San—seated cross-legged in the street—saw a crowd of Spirit Masters shuffling in: skin-and-bones, malnourished, like they'd overindulged and never refueled. He brightened. The fortieth win—no, more—was in sight. As long as they could breathe and register, it counted.
Obviously Tang Hao's work. With Spirit Hall strong, his boy shouldn't be "retiring" here. Not enough degenerates? Simple. Three-legged toads are rare; two-legged men are everywhere in the outer city.
After some "friendly" persuasion, many "volunteered" to enter the inner city. There were outer-city rules, but the King of Slaughter, wary of Tang Hao's power, looked away.
King of Slaughter (daunted, yielding): All (pseudo) rights of interpretation belong to this great king.
—
Three days later, Chu Chengzhou took Tang Yuehua, mounted Xiao Hong, and flew toward the eastern seas.
Excuse for taking Big Sister out? Household prerogatives. The spoken reason to Xiao Wu and the others: Big Sister Yuehua had helped him remove the sequelae of the Killing God Domain and helped Zhu Zhuqing refine the Dark Devilgod Tiger bead; by courtesy, he should help her hunt a ring. She was two full cycles older and a generation higher—not some pretty young miss—so they thought nothing of it, even urging him to secure her the most suitable ring.
Heaven Dou City sat northeast, closer to the eastern seas than the western. As for a northern sea—none. Near the pole, it was icebound year-round.
Xiao Hei could fly and looked flashy, but as a mount Xiao Hong was better. After refining the Ten-Headed Fierce Sun Serpent core, the Fire Phoenix was both stronger and faster.
Though they left late, they reached the eastern coastline a little past noon.
"You're taking me to sea to hunt a ring?" Tang Yuehua was surprised.
Not Sunset Forest, not Star Dou, but the sea.
"Huh? Didn't I say?" He blinked.
Tang Yuehua: "…"
"Fine, I forgot. Not the point. Follow my plan and you'll become the continent's most dazzling genius," he said lightly. An all-red ring configuration would be even more outrageous than his. A single first ring would scare many off—though some might think of farming the 'boss' for a spirit bone.
"Me? The most dazzling?" she pointed at herself.
He nodded. "Lie back and let your man take you flying."
For sea-ring hunting, Xiao Wu's Tailwind Ear external bone skill, Ears Hear Eight Directions, was ideal: a god-tier scouting range. But bringing Xiao Wu meant a scene. For a peaceful life, he brought only Tang Yuehua.
His spiritual power was strong; even without a dedicated sensing art, his range was decent. Wild hundred-thousand-year sea beasts rarely hid their aura—if one passed within ten li, even deep below, he would likely feel it.
Perhaps luck was poor. Half a day, a thousand li out, still no hundred-thousand-year aura. With dusk falling, he found an empty islet, pitched a tent, and settled for the night.
After dinner, he summoned the Sky Azure Tree (Xiao Qing) to keep watch and ducked into the tent with Tang Yuehua.
"After a day of searching, what kind of first ring are you looking for me?" she asked, baffled. First rings topped out around four hundred years; the shallows should have those. Why go to the deep sea?
"I don't know. Leave it to fate."
The ocean was vast. Who knew which hundred-thousand-year beast they'd meet? But an imperfectly matched hundred-thousand-year first ring was still leagues better than a perfectly matched four-hundred-year one.
"Leave it to fate? I give up," she sighed.
"You don't think I'm just getting you an ordinary first ring, do you?"
"Huh? Aren't most first rings around four hundred years? Most don't even reach that."
"Heh. If it were ordinary, why all this trouble? Sunset Forest is crawling with low-years."
"Then why bring me here?"
"You'll see. Beyond what you dare imagine."
"Beyond what I—hey, what are you doing?"
"Loving you, of course."
On the empty islet, the tent soon hosted another kind of battle.
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on most of my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle