3 Days Later
In the hall of Ning Fengzhi's residence
Xie Yue and Ning Fengzhi sat on the sofa facing each other. After discussing some small matters, Xie Yue brought up the topic of Dugu Bo.
"WHAT?! You want to study poison-making under him?" Ning Fengzhi raised his voice slightly upon hearing Xie Yue's words.
He wasn't worried or doubtful about Xie Yue's interest in poisons. After all, it was he who gave Xie Yue the books from Yang Wudi. And Yang Wudi's books not only contained knowledge about medicine and alchemy, but they also covered poison-making since medicine and poison are closely related.
It was natural for someone studying medicine to be interested in poison-making. Xie Yue would naturally share that interest, as his hobby was medicine.
So, Ning Fengzhi wasn't suspicious about Xie Yue having bad intentions, like poisoning his adopted father. He never even considered that possibility.
From the day he adopted Xie Yue and Hu Liena, Xie Yue had never shown any rebellious tendencies. He had always been obedient and filial to Ning Fengzhi and the two Douluos. So, how could Ning Fengzhi doubt his motives?
Would anyone believe that the six-year-old, chubby Xie Yue had bad intentions from the start? He had always been a well-behaved child. No one would suspect him of hiding his thoughts so well for so many years, unless he were an old wolf in sheep's clothing.
Naturally, Ning Fengzhi had never doubted Xie Yue, trusting his upbringing. Although Ning Fengzhi was a meticulous and cunning person, he couldn't possibly think of something as unbelievable as the reincarnation of an old fox.
Therefore, he had let his guard down around Xie Yue, which allowed Xie Yue to gain his trust.
However, what concerned Ning Fengzhi now wasn't Xie Yue learning poison-making, but who Xie Yue had mentioned.
"Moon, you know we can't let others know about you, right? Coming into contact with Dugu Bo will bring unexpected risks. He's not like your teacher Tang Yuehua; he will easily see through your cultivation. I can't take that risk," Ning Fengzhi said sternly.
Ning Fengzhi had always been careful not to let anyone know about Xie Yue and Hu Liena. Over the years, only he knew how many people had to be dealt with to cover up loose ends. Although Xie Yue had been careful when traveling, people with little insight could still guess something based on his behavior and growth, which could raise suspicions. So, Ning Fengzhi had been cleaning up Xie Yue's mess for more than three years, even eliminating many innocent people.
Now, Xie Yue was asking him to take even more risks. Once Dugu Bo had negative thoughts, solving the situation wouldn't be easy. Dugu Bo was a Title Douluo, not someone who could be subdued or killed easily.
"Father, you're worrying too much. It's not like His Majesty Dugu Bo has any reason to harm me. He doesn't belong to any of the upper three sects and is a lone Soul Master. Although he has some contact with Prince Xue Xing, it's limited to friendship and doesn't involve the royal family."
"And most importantly, I heard he has a granddaughter..." Xie Yue stopped mid-sentence as he saw Ning Fengzhi's face light up.
"Moon... you mean...?" Ning Fengzhi said, his voice full of excitement.
"Yes, Father. If Dugu Bo accepts me as his grandson-in-law, there's a possibility he will join our sect. At that point, our sect will have another guardian," Xie Yue said, looking into Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
Since Xie Yue had not gotten to see Dugu Yan, he had adjusted his second plan to ensure his success.
Initially, he only wanted Ning Fengzhi to contact Dugu Bo so he could study under him. Xie Yue was confident that, with his abilities, he could get close to Dugu Bo as his medical student. Although he couldn't have Dugu Bo as a master since he already had one, taking him as a teacher was not a problem.
But that plan had many uncertain outcomes. Whether Dugu Bo would spare him once he learned the value of the Immortal Grass was still questionable. Their relationship wouldn't be as close as Master-Disciple, so greed could easily overcome those small feelings.
So, to ensure his safety, Dugu Yan was still an essential part of the plan.
After thinking it over, Xie Yue decided to arrange a marriage contract with Dugu Yan through his family. Then, he would take his time to corrupt her into becoming his plaything. Once that happened, he wouldn't need to worry.
He knew that once he became engaged to Dugu Yan, he would lose the chance to have Qian Renxue as his sugar wife. But to ensure the success of his plans, he had no other option but to use Dugu Yan as his shield.
As for Qian Renxue... he would have to set aside thoughts of marrying that proud woman. There was no other choice; strength was more important than carnal pleasure.
Having made up his mind, Xie Yue wasted no time and came to meet Ning Fengzhi. If he delayed too much, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan might interfere. Yu Tianheng must have already joined the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy to capture Dugu Yan's heart.
It had only been two months since the start of Heaven Dou Academy, so there was still time. But if Xie Yue delayed too long, the dragon would completely devour the snake. He couldn't allow that to happen... so he acted decisively.
Listening to Xie Yue, Ning Fengzhi laughed heartily.
"Moon, I didn't expect you to think like this. Your mind is always so meticulous," Ning Fengzhi said excitedly. Strengthening his sect had always been his goal. Now that he had a chance to recruit another powerful individual, how could he not feel excited and happy?
He had also tried to recruit Dugu Bo before, but that stubborn old man had refused, causing Ning Fengzhi's hopes to fall.
Still, he continued trying. Though Dugu Bo was the weakest Title Douluo in single combat, his might in group battles was unmatched. For this reason, Dugu Bo was sought after by many clans.
After laughing heartily for a while, Ning Fengzhi composed himself. Although he was happy, he still controlled his emotions and asked Xie Yue with concern in his voice,
"But are you sure, Moon? Although I heard Dugu Bo's granddaughter is talented, she's still nowhere near your level. It would be a pity to marry her considering your talent."
"Father, for our sect, sacrificing a little is nothing to me. And we also know that after Bibi Dong became pope five years ago, the Martial Soul Hall has been showing some ambitions. If we don't strengthen our sect as much as we can before the storm, we may not survive the ordeal in the future," Xie Yue sighed as he spoke. His expression was one of someone willing to sacrifice everything for the sect. But only he knew what he was really thinking.
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's heart moved, and he felt a sense of pride in his upbringing. After all, his efforts hadn't gone to waste. But there was also a hint of loss in his heart...
He wasn't feeling lost because of Xie Yue's sacrifice. Although moved, it wasn't the source of his discontent.
What troubled him was his inability to optimize Xie Yue's marriage. Although Dugu Bo was a good choice, the future needed more preparation. If it weren't for the threat from the Spirit Hall, the two Sword and Bone Douluos would have been enough to protect the sect in this generation.
What Ning Fengzhi had hoped for was to choose an excellent woman for Xie Yue—someone who had the potential to become a Title Douluo in the future. This way, when his daughter eventually took over the sect, it would remain strong, and Ning Rongrong would have an easier time presiding over it.
He wasn't sure he could recruit other talented children with words in the future, as he had done with Xie Yue and Hu Liena. He believed his luck had already run out in finding these two. Marriage, therefore, remained the best and easiest method to acquire more powerful and talented Soul Masters.
And the marriage candidates were limited to Xie Yue and Hu Liena. He had no other candidates.
Since Xie Yue and Hu Liena were both so talented, it made sense for them to marry someone of similar talent—they deserved it. In that case, their sect would eventually have four Title Douluos.
Xie Yue's and Hu Liena's arrival had given Ning Fengzhi hope for the future of his sect. Not only were they exceptionally talented, but they would also bring their partners into the sect.
If luck permitted, Xie Yue could even marry more than one wife. Although the chances of that were slim, as strong women rarely liked to share their husbands, what if...? If Xie Yue married a benevolent wife, she might allow him to marry another.
This was the problem in this world—while a man could marry more than one wife, it didn't apply to talented women.
If needed, Xie Yue could have many potential Soul Saint-level wives, but a Title Douluo-level wife would be out of reach. He could only marry one person if he wanted an exceptional wife.
Considering all this, Ning Fengzhi felt a little lost. He didn't want to waste the opportunity of Xie Yue's marriage on Dugu Yan.
But now, did he have any other choice? No.
Although Ning Fengzhi wanted to plan for the future, things weren't going as he wished. With the Spirit Hall showing dangerous ambitions, he could only focus on the present. Surviving was the most important thing.
"Alright, Moon... Father will take care of this matter. I'll send an invitation to Majesty Dugu Bo and invite him to our sect for a feast. I'll discuss everything with him then," Ning Fengzhi said as he concluded.
"It's best if we invite him sooner, Father... If we delay too much, unexpected situations may occur," Xie Yue said meaningfully.
"Yeah, I understand," Ning Fengzhi replied. He knew exactly what Xie Yue was implying. Old Fox Yu Yuanzhen, knowing that Dugu Bo had a granddaughter of marriageable age, would certainly not miss this opportunity.
Since the Clear Sky Sect had gone into hiding, Ning Fengzhi only had the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan as his rival. And the leader of that clan also had two grandsons of marriageable age. Without a doubt, they would try to compete for Dugu Yan as well.
If Ning Fengzhi wanted to secure Dugu Bo's loyalty, he had to act quickly.