"Sisi is dead?"
Zhou Qing was slightly stunned, but after a brief moment of thought, he wasn't particularly surprised.
With the sharp eyes of that old fox, Lord Xiao, how could he not have seen through Sisi's personality?
No ordinary woman would be attracted to that fat face and big ears.
It was money.
Power.
Status.
Those were the things Sisi truly valued—and exactly why Ma Xiuno had once said she was "too ambitious."
If she truly had talent in cultivation, why would she still be stuck in a backwater place like Nuoding City in her twenties?
She would've long since moved on to a larger city for development.
Compared to Su Yuntao, who had a good chance of becoming the next head of Nuoding's Spirit Hall branch, the position of Nuoding's city lord naturally carried more status, more power, and more wealth.
It's just a pity—
Her abilities didn't match her ambitions. In the end, she became nothing more than a scapegoat.
"…So that's what happened," Xiao Chenyu said. "That's why she had to wait for my father to die before she could marry him."
"I'm leaving."
Though Sisi's fate could be seen as self-inflicted, Zhou Qing once again realized the cruelty of this world. Even for commoner spirit masters, life was fragile and powerless.
No matter what one wanted to accomplish in this world—strength was indispensable.
"Wait! Zhou Qing! Qing-ge! Could you help me talk to my father?" Xiao Chenyu finally revealed his true intention. "I… I really don't want him to take that risk!"
Zhou Qing turned back and gave Xiao Chenyu a deep, thoughtful look.
Unlike his father, who schemed ambitiously, Xiao Chenyu himself wasn't that ambitious. He simply wanted to act like a local emperor in a small place like Nuoding City.
"I don't have that much sway. The only advice I can give you—steal that soul bone and toss it outside the city. And make sure a lot of people see it happen."
To Zhou Qing, Xiao Chenyu's idea of persuading the city lord—his father—was absurd. No way would Lord Xiao listen to a six-year-old.
If they truly wanted to end this crisis, the only way was to get rid of the soul bone before things got further out of control.
Of course, doing so would also confirm that the entire soul bone auction had been staged by the city lord—and might even drag Romanyak into the scandal.
But—
You can't have both the fish and the bear's paw.
Xiao Chenyu stood in silence for a moment, then gritted his teeth and left Nuoding Academy.
The moment he stepped outside, he could feel the predatory gazes of foreign spirit masters who had arrived in the city.
Fear. Panic.
But still, he forced himself forward, walking quickly along the busy main street toward the Xiao Estate.
Only when the estate's gates were in sight did Xiao Chenyu finally break into a run. He dashed inside and ordered the guards to lock the gates behind him.
"Whew—"
Now that he'd relaxed, he realized he was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through.
"Young Master, why are you back?" the steward of the Xiao family rushed over after hearing the report. "Right now, Nuoding Academy is much safer than the Xiao Estate."
"I need to speak with my father," Xiao Chenyu wiped his sweat and didn't let the steward follow. He went straight to find the city lord, who was still recovering.
After losing an arm, Lord Xiao had suffered a serious blow to his vitality. His strength as a Grand Soul Master had been reduced to a fraction of what it was. He hadn't even gone back to his office lately and had remained home to recover.
That injury had only solidified his resolve—to end this situation before rumors spread too far and caught the attention of higher powers.
Only then could he prove his value and earn a promotion, making the sacrifice of his arm worthwhile.
At this moment—
The city lord was fast asleep in bed.
Xiao Chenyu tiptoed into the room, and upon seeing his father sleeping soundly, he quietly made his way to the nearby wardrobe and began searching through it.
No sign of the soul bone.
Drawers—
Nothing.
Bedside cabinet—
Nothing.
Under the bed—
Still nothing.
So he carefully lifted the blanket covering his father, trying to see if the soul bone was hidden there.
Still no luck.
"Where the heck is it?" Xiao Chenyu put the blanket back and started thinking about possible hiding places.
He had decided to follow Zhou Qing's advice—to get rid of the soul bone.
As precious as it was, it wasn't worth the chaos it had already caused. If it meant he couldn't one day become the city lord, then the small increase in power the bone could offer wasn't worth it.
For someone like him, who might never even reach the Soul Elder stage, it was better to be a little tyrant in a small city.
"What are you looking for?"
Xiao Chenyu froze.
"F-Father?!" His body trembled as he turned around. A chill ran down his neck. "When… when did you wake up?"
"I've been awake since the moment you entered," Lord Xiao said coldly, eyes dark. "You're looking for the soul bone."
The heavy tone made Xiao Chenyu afraid to even raise his head, but then he remembered his father's injury and mustered a bit of courage. He raised his voice slightly:
"Yes, Father. Everyone in the city says you staged the auction. That you only wanted to take the soul bone from the vice city lord, and never actually planned to sell it."
"So what?" Lord Xiao's voice turned frigid. "You'd steal from your own father because of some commoners' gossip?"
"Did you forget what I told you? Ignore the foolish thoughts of the rabble. As long as we avoid offending people with backing, it doesn't matter what the rest think!"
He never took commoner spirit masters seriously. Even losing an arm didn't change that—he believed it only happened because those three caught him off guard while he was in motion.
Only those from powerful clans or major sects were truly dangerous.
"That's not it!" Xiao Chenyu finally cried out, nearly shouting. "I'm just worried for your safety! Someone already broke into our home and hurt you—what happens next? I'm scared something worse will happen!"
Lord Xiao's expression softened at those words.
"So… you were planning to throw the soul bone out of the city?"
"Yes." Xiao Chenyu gritted his teeth and admitted it—without mentioning Zhou Qing's suggestion. "Father, if we let it go, spirit masters will fight over it elsewhere, and Nuoding will return to peace."
Lord Xiao was actually pleased to hear this—his son had learned to think.
But still, he refused.
Throw it away?
That soul bone had cost him a million gold soul coins (even though he'd only ended up paying 600,000 privately). He couldn't just discard it.
The Xiao Estate wasn't wealthy enough to waste 600,000 gold like that.
More importantly—he had already absorbed it.
"You absorbed it?!" Xiao Chenyu gasped. That meant there was no turning back.
Unless—
No. That was unthinkable.
He was the city lord's son. If his father died, he'd be reduced to a minor noble—not a city lord's heir.
"Relax, my son. Trust your father."
Lord Xiao reassured him. "I've already made arrangements with nearby city lords. As long as I resolve this within six months, the upper ranks of the Heaven Dou Empire will take notice of my abilities. In two or three years, we'll be able to move to a larger city."
"Your grandfather once made a similar gamble, starting from a small town and rising to Nuoding's city lord. And I only inherited that position because he worked tirelessly to build connections with higher-ups in bigger cities."
"I used to be like you—timid, afraid of failure. But in the end, your grandfather was right. Now, I'm simply showing you what he did."
"One day, you'll have to make a gamble of your own—to secure greater rights and status for your descendants. Just know, in bigger cities, it may take three or four generations before the next gamble can be made."
"The bigger the city, the more complicated the game…"
Xiao Chenyu sat frozen, his mind buzzing, unable to react.
So his grandfather had once been nothing more than a small-town mayor?
Then in the future, how long would it take for him to build a legacy that allowed his great-grandchildren to climb even higher?
When he returned to Nuoding Academy, escorted by the steward and estate guards, the noble's "confidence" had returned to Xiao Chenyu's face.
And then—
He was immediately beaten up again by Xiao Wu, who had just returned from the Nuoding Guild.
"Ahhh! Xiao Wu-jie! I was wrong! I'll never act smug in front of you again! Please spare me!"
Flung into the flowerbed again, Xiao Chenyu sobbed uncontrollably. He didn't dare complain, only begging Xiao Wu not to single him out again.
And that fleeting trace of confidence was wiped out by pain.
"Hmph. You used to bully the working students all the time. I'm just getting revenge for them!" Xiao Wu snorted, then stood on the moral high ground. She turned to the onlookers like Wang Sheng and shouted, "Tell me—was I right to do this?"
"Yes!"
"Xiao Wu-jie is amazing!"
"Teach him a lesson now, or we won't get the chance once he graduates!"
The working students clapped and cheered. Only Wang Sheng and a few close friends were less enthusiastic, merely going along.
Because they understood something more clearly—
Xiao Wu wouldn't always be there to protect them. In the end, working students and commoners had to rely on themselves.
Still—
Watching Xiao Chenyu get beaten did feel satisfying.
Hearing the cheers, Xiao Chenyu clenched his teeth but didn't dare say a word. He knew that if he said anything, he'd only be beaten worse.
This Xiao Wu didn't play fair!
And lately—for some reason—her strength had become terrifying. Without even using her spirit or soul skills, she could easily overpower him one-handed…
Could a two- or three-level difference in spirit power really make that much of a difference?
"See? Everyone's had enough of you. So Xiao Wu-jie beating you is just justice being served!" Xiao Wu smiled smugly. "And I advise you—don't rely on your city lord daddy's name to bully others anymore. As long as you're in Nuoding City, I'll always find a way to make you pay."
But aren't you the one bullying people now?
Xiao Chenyu stared at her, full of resentment.
But his resentment quickly turned into terror.
Because Xiao Wu raised her fist again and coldly said, "Don't give me that look. Or I'll personally adjust your face to something more appropriate."
Xiao Chenyu trembled:
Am I going to live under the shadow of this demon forever?
No. Absolutely not!
Father… Your plan… it better succeed!
Meanwhile, this entire scene had been witnessed by Zhou Qing and Tang San, who had just returned from blacksmithing.
"I think Xiao Wu's going a bit too far. Sure, Xiao Chenyu used to be a bully, but lately he's stayed away from the working students. No need to keep picking on him," Tang San frowned.
You can help someone for a while—but not forever.
He kept that lesson close to heart. Why had Xiao Wu forgotten?
"She probably got a little carried away after completing her second soul ring refinement," Zhou Qing sighed. "Among the four of us, the 'oldest' one, Xiao Wu, might actually be the most childish—impulsive, energetic, acting on whims."
But Zhou Qing had also noticed a change in Xiao Chenyu—
Looks like… he's been persuaded by his father after all.
Sigh… In the end, I'm not like these pampered nobles. They've never truly experienced how hard life is for the commoners, and they never will.
And I… I shouldn't get too close to them either.
So in the future—aside from cultivating to become a Titled Douluo, maybe even surpass level 100—what else do I want to do?
Zhou Qing didn't notice the hint of confusion in his own eyes.
But Tang San, who was always watching Zhou Qing closely, noticed it clearly—once again.