Chapter 119: Incestuous? How Interesting!
Before Yuhao could refuse, Xu Tianran looked at Ju Zi and introduced her again.
"Ju Zi is my confidante. She is currently researching under your senior brother Xuan Ziwen, and is one of his students. You two can communicate more in the future."
Apart from the fleeting glimpse of Huo Yuhao when he first appeared in Mingdu, Ju Zi had already noticed this highly anticipated young man when he first broke the Soul Engineer's record.
However, because Huo Yuhao spent a long time receiving instruction from Kong Deming, and the rest of the time was either spent on Soul Guidance Device research or cultivation, this was truly her first time meeting Huo Yuhao.
Ju Zi stepped forward.
"Hello, your soul guidance lathe and flight control system are astonishing in research. I hope we can exchange more ideas on soul guidance devices in the future."
She already knew about Huo Yuhao's background. Her perception of Huo Yuhao, as the bloodline of White Tiger Duke Dai Hao, was very complex.
On one hand, she wanted to hate Huo Yuhao because of White Tiger Duke Dai Hao, but on the other hand, due to the news from the previous competition, she felt that Huo Yuhao was a similar existence to herself.
Although White Tiger Duke was his father, the two were sworn enemies. Perhaps the two could become allies with a common goal of revenge.
(Huo Yuhao: He is already dead, sister. Your revenge, like Huo Yuhao's, is a joke.)
"Alright." Huo Yuhao gave Ju Zi a perfunctory handshake.
As for the Soul Guidance Lathe and flight control system, he still didn't know what "shape" those guys from the Illustrious Virtue Hall had tinkered them into.
Xu Tianran explained, "Yuhao probably doesn't know this yet, but your Soul Guidance Lathe research has truly opened up a brand new path for Soul Guidance Device manufacturing for the Empire. If it weren't for the Empire's limited resources, the number of Soul Guidance Devices could definitely achieve explosive growth."
In fact, the Sun Moon Empire did not lack metal resources. However, besides resources, the engraving of core arrays was also one of the limiting factors. Although the manufacturing efficiency of Soul Guidance Devices had greatly improved, it still took time for Soul Engineers to engrave core arrays.
Otherwise, if the Sun Moon Empire were to mass-produce Soul Guidance Bombs in the next few years, the original three Douluo Empires wouldn't even be able to catch up; they would simply give up and wait for the Sun Moon Empire to overtake them.
After a few more simple exchanges,
Out of respect for Xu Tianran, Ju Zi also made a preliminary acquaintance with Huo Yuhao, though it was merely a verbal greeting.
In Ju Zi's eyes, the current Huo Yuhao was an untouchable existence, with too formidable a background to offend. Even Crown Prince Xu Tianran was fully promising to win Huo Yuhao over.
Moreover, some time ago, the White Tiger Legion, which was the western army of the Star Luo Empire on the Mingdou border, suffered heavy losses. She believed that Huo Yuhao had a hand in it.
Although she didn't know how White Tiger Duke Dai Hao was doing, she presumed it wasn't good, because the Star Luo western army had changed leadership; it was no longer the White Tiger Duke.
Connecting this with Huo Yuhao not returning with the main force of the Royal Soul Engineering Academy, she already had some suspicions but dared not confirm them.
Ju Zi was still unaware of the news of White Tiger Duke's death. Some information was restricted to the Sun Moon Empire's royal family, as Xu Jiawei had sealed the news.
The reason the Sun Moon Empire had not announced it was simply waiting for an opportune moment. Once the Mingdou Mountain Range stabilized, the Empire would release the news to boost national morale.
Huo Yuhao had no particular feelings about Ju Zi, who would later be known as 'Goddess of War.' Anyway, he wasn't Huo Yuhao, and he wouldn't be drugged and have his seed borrowed by her later. They were just nodding acquaintances, and there wouldn't be much interaction in the future, so why should he care?
As for Xu Tianran's calculations, he understood them clearly; he merely wanted to use Xu Tianzhen and Ju Zi to draw closer to him.
This meeting was uneventful. Xu Tianran did not manage to win Huo Yuhao over, but he was patient. Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, maintained his distance from beginning to end. It was a first meeting where nothing was truly achieved, yet both parties expressed their attitudes.
After Huo Yuhao pushed Xu Tianran away, Xu Tianzhen, with her hands behind her back and her feet Warp, leaned toward Ju Zi, curious.
"Sister Ju Zi, you're so strange today. Is something on your mind?"
It seemed that ever since Ju Zi saw Huo Yuhao earlier, she had become distracted. This discovery made Xu Tianzhen's heart flutter.
"Sister Ju Zi, that Huo Yuhao is so handsome, you didn't fall for him, did you?"
Xu Tianzhen knew that her brother had special feelings for Ju Zi, and if...
Incestuous? How interesting!
If Xiao Hongchen were to see this scene now, he would surely think that Princess Xu Tianzhen had been possessed by something.
After all, her public image was known for being willful and unruly, but now, by all appearances, Xu Tianzhen had nothing to do with willfulness or unruliness.
"What are you saying? It's just his identity that I find a bit hard to accept."
At this, Xu Tianzhen understood. She knew a little about Ju Zi's past, so she wasn't surprised.
The fact that Huo Yuhao was the White Tiger Duke's illegitimate son had spread everywhere after the competition, and Ju Zi had a grudge against the White Tiger Duke. Such emotions were perfectly normal.
If she didn't feel conflicted upon seeing Huo Yuhao, the White Tiger Duke's bloodline, that would be truly strange.
However, she still comforted her, saying, "I think you're overthinking it, Sister Ju Zi. Doesn't Huo Yuhao also have an irreconcilable hatred for that White Tiger Duke? What does it matter if he's of his bloodline? Sister Ju Zi, you're getting too hung up on it."
In fact, in a way, Xu Tianzhen felt that Ju Zi might be able to team up with Huo Yuhao to take on that White Tiger Duke. Although her name meant 'innocent,' she wasn't truly innocent.
Hearing these words, Ju Zi nodded expressionlessly, not saying much more.
Was she getting too hung up on it? Perhaps.
Her father had once told her as a child that in the process of growing up, one should not fear the hardships along the way. Huo Yuhao was someone who had experienced more hardships than herself; he had now become a dragon and a phoenix.
Ju Zi didn't feel she was qualified to team up with Huo Yuhao, whether it was because of her identity, status, talent, or even her own psychology; none of it allowed her to do so.
He grew up relying on his mother, and after his mother's death, he risked his life to come to the Sun Moon Empire. He possessed unparalleled talent but also an unspeakable history of suffering.
He had now become a prodigy attracting countless eyes, and he dared to directly confront White Tiger Duke Dai Hao, declaring an irreconcilable enmity in front of hundreds of thousands of people. He had achieved what she could not.
And what about herself? If she had such talent, could she have done what Huo Yuhao did?
Ju Zi knew this was impossible. Even if she put herself in his shoes, she couldn't do it, because she knew that deep down, she didn't have that driving force to face hardship and setbacks directly.
From beginning to end, what she pursued was a peaceful and stable life. If it weren't for the blood feud, she wouldn't have joined Crown Prince Xu Tianran's faction, nor would she have wanted to leverage power to take revenge on the Star Luo Empire. That warm life of ordinary people supporting each other was actually what she had always pursued.
Marrying a good cook or returning to an ordinary life, spending her life with a common person...
Instead of becoming a political tool in the future, with all her aspirations turning into bubbles, living as she is now, solely on obsession and hatred.
Xu Tianzhen said many heartfelt words. Although she thought incestuous might be exciting, she couldn't betray her imperial brother, could she?
Besides, Huo Yuhao was really handsome, and he was very talented. Could she...
Ju Zi had no idea what this unruly princess Xu Tianzhen was thinking. She cast aside those thoughts from earlier, no longer dwelling on them.
Regardless, since she had already embarked on this path, there was no need to turn back. No matter what, she had to avenge herself on White Tiger Duke Dai Hao and end that disgusting war.
Although the Sun Moon Empire currently appeared prosperous on the surface, it was actually in a state of intense internal conflict, with public war sentiment stretched to its limit.
This is how centralized empires are: while constantly pushing their people forward, they are also inevitably swayed by public opinion; neither side has a choice.
And the original three Douluo Empires were no better off than the Sun Moon Empire; it could be said that war could break out at any moment.
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End of Chapter