The three Limit Douluos were: the Bear Lord, who had completed 「Spirit-Forging」 and seen his attributes fully evolve into Ultimate Gold; the Scarlet King, who after a year of consuming 「Blue Silver Infernal Delicate Apricot」 had evolved into Ultimate Fire; and...
Long Xiaoyao, who had undergone the 「Soul-Severing」 experiment, turned into an undead, and was now being remotely controlled by Huo Yuhao.
All three possessed genuine Limit Douluo combat power. One could say the deterrent force was maxed out to the extreme.
Huo Yuhao believed that such a display of strength was enough to make the Sun Moon Empire pay 100% attention!
Absolute strength is the best deterrent!
Outside the main banquet hall, Huo Yuhao withdrew his wandering thoughts. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Tianzhen beat him to it:
"Wait... Big Boss, what are you all dazing for? Keep running!"
Xu Tianzhen turned her head to look at the group who had slowed down, speaking urgently.
"Princess Tianzhen, you... aren't worried about His Majesty?"
Huo Yuhao, whose attention had been focused on the hall, looked at Xu Tianzhen's panicked state and suddenly realized something.
"Worried about Father? Why worry about him? My own little life is what's important! What's the use of worrying if I'm dead! So, saving my skin is the priority!"
Xu Tianzhen's expression was frantic, but her words were filled with a blunt sincerity, devoid of any guilt.
As she spoke, she even reached out, seemingly wanting to grab Huo Yuhao and bolt.
This combination of shamelessness and loyalty left Huo Yuhao momentarily stunned.
I thought she was just airheaded... turns out she's actually a bit heartless? No, wait...
Without refusing, Huo Yuhao signaled to Meng and Xiao with his eyes, and the group continued their escape.
As they ran, a brilliant flash of emotional power flickered in the depths of Huo Yuhao's eyes. He asked, seemingly casually:
"Princess Tianzhen, are you really not worried about His Majesty at all? You are his most pampered princess, after all. And your brothers stayed inside too. He usually treats you well, doesn't he? Aren't you worried for them?"
As soon as he finished, he heard Xu Tianzhen let out a light, mocking scoff:
"Pampered? It's only because I'm a princess with no succession rights. I won't fight my brothers for power, so there's no chance of a 'devoted father and filial son' tragedy where my hands get stained with their blood.
"If he really pampered me, why would he agree to my transfer, and tell me news about you the moment you stepped out of the laboratory?
"In the end, this so-called 'Princess' is just a larger bargaining chip. The only reason I haven't been used yet is because there hasn't been anything of equal value worth spending me on.
"As for my brothers... heh, same thing. I'm a princess, not a prince; I can't steal the throne. Plus, since I have Father's 'favor' and can put in a word for them, they naturally try to be nice to me.
"In the Imperial Family, there is no such thing as family affection."
Xu Tianzhen spoke without feeling like anything she said was wrong, pouring out her thoughts in a torrent.
Beside Huo Yuhao, Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen acted as if they heard nothing, concentrating solely on running.
"Do you hate the Imperial Family?" Huo Yuhao continued to probe.
"Hate? Not really. At most, I just don't have feelings for it," Xu Tianzhen shook her head. The playfulness had vanished from her face, replaced by a flat calm:
"The reason I can do whatever I want right now is because of my title as Princess. My food, clothes, and lifestyle all come from the Imperial Family. They raise me so that one day I can be of use.
"It's a fair trade. I've enjoyed the life of a princess and hope to keep enjoying it, so isn't it logical that I'll eventually become a chip for a political marriage?
"This is my fate as a princess. My aunt went through it, and I will too. Most princesses are just chips for alliances. So-called 'favor' just determines the size of the chip.
"But, if possible, I still hope my future husband is good-looking, treats me halfway decent, and doesn't restrict me too much. At least that way I can keep enjoying myself. Being a wealthy madam wouldn't be bad..."
Under the influence of emotional power, Xu Tianzhen spoke her true feelings without any guard. Pausing for a moment, she suddenly turned to look at Huo Yuhao:
"Actually, someone like you, Big Boss, would be a great husband. You're handsome, strong, and have great potential. Most importantly—you're a playboy!
"That way, I wouldn't have to spend too much energy managing your emotions. There will always be other girls making you happy, right?"
"Sigh... looking at it this way, Big Boss, you're practically my perfect husband candidate! How about we get engaged first? Don't worry! After the engagement, we'll each do our own thing. I'll call you Big Boss, you call me Wife—I'm totally fine with that!
"Conveniently, my father already wants us together. We might as well just do it. I'm not ugly, so you aren't losing out!
"Don't worry, I won't care about Miss Meng or that woman Ju Zi. You can play however you want. If you want to get creative, you can even include me; you're so handsome, I wouldn't be losing out either.
"You don't lose, I don't lose—isn't that a win-win?! It's a total steal! Big Boss, why are you hesitating?
"But we need to agree on a few things first. At night, I'll go along with whatever games you want to play, but the daytime belongs to me! You can't interfere!
"Besides that, if we had a child..."
"Stop."
Huo Yuhao, his expression showing a hint
of speechlessness, couldn't help but call a halt.
He didn't know if he had underestimated the effect of emotional power on this Soul Elder princess, or if Xu Tianzhen was just a natural chatterbox.
He had only asked one question, and she had just started yapping everything out on her own...
This was truly absurd.
However, he now had a clear understanding of Xu Tianzhen's specific situation.
Lately, she had been following him around tirelessly every day, through rain or shine.
He had assumed the Emperor sent her to monitor him. Now the case was closed: the girl simply chose him as a patron so she could live a life of freedom in the future...
Huo Yuhao wasn't sure how to describe Xu Tianzhen, but he had to admit, such a personality was quite interesting.
Perhaps... using her as the executor of the plan would be a good choice?
An idea flickered in Huo Yuhao's mind.
Giving Xu Tianzhen a deep look, the light in the depths of his eyes slowly faded.
In the next instant, the emotional power dissipated and the mental shield was lifted. Xu Tianzhen felt a brief moment of daze. The memory of what she just said vanished as if wiped clean by an eraser; she only remembered the fact that they were currently running away.
Beside them, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen hadn't noticed a thing. The group continued their "serious" escape.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao shifted a portion of his mind to the undead Long Xiaoyao.