A quiet night passed, and the next morning Yang Yunhai rose early.
After breakfast, to make communication easier, he helped Dugu Yan move her things to the empty room across from his on the first floor.
Unfortunately, thanks to the embarrassment of recent events, he temporarily abandoned any thought of "cooking in a big pot." That would have to wait until later, when time had smoothed things over.
Still, recalling how he'd had to hold his waist afterward, Yang Yunhai turned grief into motivation. He decided he should strengthen his waist, and so threw himself into cultivation with extra effort that day.
That evening, at Shrek Academy—
Xiaogang pushed open the door to his quarters. As usual, he walked toward his desk. But when he arrived, he noticed blueprints laid out across the table, with a sheet of white paper pressed beneath a book.
Curious, he quickened his pace, lifted the book, and picked up the paper.
One glance, and his pupils shrank. He hurriedly sat down, pushed the paper aside, and spread out the thick set of annotated blueprints. The longer he looked, the brighter his eyes became.
"No wonder Heaven Dou Royal Academy has gone into lockdown. To think someone designed such ingenious training programs and equipment. I wonder whose work this is?"
He immediately ruled out Yang Yunhai. Not to mention the sheer number of training programs, even just the equipment designs—such things could not possibly have come from a youngster. The knowledge and experience required were far beyond his reach.
If Yang Yunhai could do this, then what had Xiaogang's decades of research into Martial Soul theory been worth?
"Could it be the three Education Committee members collaborating?" Xiaogang muttered to himself.
After a moment's thought, he rolled up the blueprints, left his room, and went to knock on Flender's door.
The door soon opened. Seeing Xiaogang, Flender asked, "Xiaogang, what is it?"
"Inside. I'll explain there," Xiaogang said flatly, brushing past him.
Once the door was closed, Xiaogang handed over the blueprints. "Take a look."
"What's this?" Flender spread them open. His pupils constricted, and he looked up in shock.
"Xiaogang… did you come up with these?"
"They probably came from Tang San's father," Xiaogang replied evenly. "They're from Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Flender's heart jumped. He immediately understood the reason for the Academy's strict lockdown.
His lips parted. "Xiaogang, you don't mean you want me to build these here, do you? If this gets discovered, it's treason!"
"Why not? We don't need to copy them exactly." Xiaogang's tone remained calm. "These training facilities and devices are clearly for building physical strength. Aside from a few integrated programs, most focus on specific aspects."
"We can reorganize them by focus, incorporate them into our current training plan, and spread them across different grounds."
"And the equipment doesn't need to be built the same way. If theirs are round, we can make ours square. If their slopes are straight, we can make ours curved—or add steps for extra difficulty. We can even add new projects: obstacle courses with pits for jumping, wooden stakes for balance, and so on. The training effect is what matters, not the form."
"With different structures and separate locations, even if someone sees them, what can they say? We can just claim it was our own idea."
Flender's eyes lit up. 'You really do understand plagiarism.'
Xiaogang continued, "And another thing: don't be fooled by how novel these look. After the tournament, they'll leak sooner or later. They're built outdoors—no way the royal family can guard them forever. The military lockdown is just to gain some time and an advantage."
"So if we build them now and don't get caught, it'll be fine. And even if we are worried, we can just dismantle them afterward. Though honestly, I don't think it's necessary."
"Then you take them back and draft some revisions?" Flender asked. "Once you've finished, we can test them first before we decide how to use them."
He wasn't about to put them into practice untested.
"Mm." Xiaogang nodded. After a pause, he added, "Flender, I suggest you pay a visit to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Ask Sect Master Ning to lend us some craftsmen."
"It's only the start of the New Year's holiday. With his help, we should have time to finish."
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was too far. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was closer, and with Rongrong in their team, Ning Fengzhi would eventually find out anyway.
Flender nodded. "Good idea. Safer than hiring outsiders."
Dragging Ning Fengzhi into this would also serve as insurance.
A quiet night passed.
The next evening, in the valley of Heaven Dou Royal Academy—
"Old Guan, come in." Seeing Chrysanthemum Douluo arrive, Dugu Bo waved him in, looking smug.
"You pulled it off?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked.
"Of course! When I act, success is guaranteed." Dugu Bo puffed his chest proudly.
"You didn't sell me out, did you? Didn't say the medicine was from me?" Chrysanthemum Douluo asked sharply.
"How could I?" Dugu Bo denied immediately.
Chrysanthemum Douluo gave a faint nod and followed him inside. Now that the rice was cooked and the meal finished, so to speak, they were family. Exposure didn't matter anymore.
"Teacher." Yang Yunhai rose with a smile.
"Zhu Zhuqing greets Master-Uncle," Zhu Zhuqing said politely.
"Greetings, Senior," Dugu Yan followed.
"Good, good. No need for formality." Chrysanthemum Douluo's smile was radiant.
But then Yang Yunhai spoke: "Teacher, could you give me some of that medicine? Colorless, tasteless—I could really use it when traveling and facing enemies."
Dugu Bo froze. Chrysanthemum Douluo froze too, then shot Dugu Bo a glare. Dugu Bo immediately turned his head away.
"That wasn't my concoction," Chrysanthemum Douluo said dryly. "The recipe came from this one beside me."
Yang Yunhai nodded and turned to look at Dugu Bo.
"Ahem." Dugu Bo coughed awkwardly. "We'll talk about that later. Since Old Guan is here today, let's discuss business."
He strode toward the table. "Come, sit down."
"Very well." Chrysanthemum Douluo followed.
Yang Yunhai curled his lip but went along, bringing Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan.
"Last night Tang Hao came again." Dugu Bo went straight to the point, explained the situation, and added, "I've already told the three Education Committee members and asked them to inform Emperor Xue Ye. He'll assign men to secretly monitor the academies in Heaven Dou City."
"Old Guan, have your people watch Shrek Academy too. If a large group of craftsmen suddenly enter, it means they've started building."
"If someone sneaks into our academy one night, and soon after another academy takes in a load of outsiders, that's too coincidental."
Chrysanthemum Douluo nodded. "Because of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Xue Ye probably won't act openly. But he'll remember. Our job is to make sure the matter comes to light at the right time."
"When the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is dealt with, that will be the perfect moment."
Dugu Bo nodded. "Good. I can also take the chance to deal with Xiaogang and Liu Erlong. They've already cut ties with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but leaving them around could be trouble."
"Cut the weeds but leave the roots, and spring will bring them back," he sneered.
Chrysanthemum Douluo shook his head. "Liu Erlong can die. But Xiaogang should be spared—crippled instead."
Crippled Martial Soul, castrated too. Dugu Bo snorted. "That crazy woman really is a nuisance."
Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't comment further. Instead, he turned to Yang Yunhai. "Xiao Hai, you might want to make contact with Xue Qinghe. Her true identity is Qian Renxue, granddaughter of Grand Worship Qian Daoliu. She represents the Worship Hall, and she and Bibi Dong are bitter enemies."
All three—Dugu Bo, Dugu Yan, and Zhu Zhuqing—were shocked.
Yang Yunhai frowned. "Teacher, you're saying we should stand with the Worship Hall, support Qian Renxue?"
"If leaving Spirit Hall were an option, I'd gladly leave," Chrysanthemum Douluo said gravely. "But Spirit Hall is far stronger than outsiders realize. There are already more than ten known Titled Douluo, and in the Worship Hall alone, seven are above rank 95. And that's only what's known—there are hidden ones even I don't know about."
"But you can be sure—there are more."
"So strong?!" Dugu Bo exclaimed.
"Spirit Hall has long wanted to destroy the two empires. The only reason they haven't is lack of troops," Chrysanthemum Douluo said coldly. "They control many soul masters, but the empires command armies of millions. That's not so easy to overcome."
Dugu Bo nodded slowly. Even a Titled Douluo could be cut down if surrounded once his soul power was exhausted.
"That's why Bibi Dong values you so much," Chrysanthemum Douluo added.
Dugu Bo straightened proudly. His poison was indeed a weapon of war.
Then he turned to Yang Yunhai. "Xiao Hai, after the tournament ends, you should find a way to stay in Heaven Dou City. That way, you'll always have a retreat."
Yang Yunhai nodded. "To be honest, I've been thinking the same. Going to Spirit City and putting myself in Bibi Dong's hands isn't what I want."
"I already have some ideas for how to remain here, though I'll wait and see how things unfold before acting. As for Qian Renxue, I'll need to meet her myself and decide whether she's really worth investing in. If she's just another Bibi Dong, we may need to think about starting our own path."
'What does Qian Renxue look like? Is she pretty?' Both Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan found the same thought flashing through their minds.
Given her status as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, surely she wouldn't fancy Yunhai… surely this wouldn't turn into an "old cow eating young grass" situation. Their hearts eased slightly.
"Mm. It's early yet. We'll decide later," Dugu Bo said.
Then he looked at Chrysanthemum Douluo, raising a brow. "Old Guan, since it's New Year, let's have a drink tonight."
"Alright," Chrysanthemum Douluo agreed with a smile.
"I'll head back to cultivation." Yang Yunhai rose to his feet.
Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan followed suit.
(End of Chapter)
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