Xu Jiawei's Conditions
Huo Yuhao got off the bed, pointed towards the sofa beside him, and gestured for Xu Jiawei to sit down.
Xu Jiawei did not stand on ceremony and casually took a seat.
Looking at Xu Jiawei, who appeared calm and composed in front of him, behaving as though they were old acquaintances or even family members, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but secretly praise him.
As expected of the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire. His bearing and magnanimity were indeed far beyond those of ordinary people.
However, regardless of Xu Jiawei's status or position, Huo Yuhao didn't really care.
After all, throughout the entire Douluo Continent, there were only a handful of people whom he considered worthy of being his opponents.
Unfortunately, Xu Jiawei wasn't among them.
"Have you sent anyone to search for Dai Hao's body?"
Huo Yuhao took the initiative to break the silence and ask.
"No."
Xu Jiawei shook his head and answered calmly.
His expression remained indifferent, as though Dai Hao were nothing more than an insignificant person who had nothing to do with him.
Hearing Xu Jiawei's answer, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He asked with some interest:
"Then how did you dare to raid the White Tiger Duke's Mansion?"
Previously, Huo Yuhao had assumed that Xu Jiawei had already discovered Dai Hao's body and confirmed his death before daring to send people to ransack the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
However, judging from the current situation, it seemed that His Majesty the Emperor was considerably bolder than he had initially imagined.
One had to understand that neither Dai Hao nor the White Tiger Duke's Mansion was an ordinary existence.
For generations, the Dai family had held considerable influence within the Star Luo Empire. Thousands of years ago, they had even occupied the imperial throne before eventually losing their position to the Xu family.
The Xu family, represented by Xu Jiawei, had inherited the throne and established its authority over the empire.
Furthermore, Dai Hao himself was not only an extremely powerful Soul Master but also a renowned military commander who controlled a substantial portion of the Star Luo Empire's military forces.
Under normal circumstances, Xu Jiawei should have had considerable reservations before daring to openly move against the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
"I had no other choice. Between you and Dai Hao, I still know which side I should choose."
Xu Jiawei looked directly into Huo Yuhao's eyes and spoke in an unusually calm manner.
Huo Yuhao tilted his head slightly before letting out a chuckle.
"Your Majesty, have you made a mistake?"
His way of addressing Xu Jiawei had changed from His Majesty the Emperor to something considerably less formal.
He continued:
"I am the young master of the Noumenon Sect. I have nothing to do with your Star Luo Empire. Even if you choose to stand on my side, I won't necessarily work for you."
"I never expected you to work for me. I, Xu Jiawei, still have enough self-awareness to understand my own position."
Xu Jiawei shook his head and replied with a bitter smile.
During the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, he had indeed considered recruiting Huo Yuhao into the Star Luo Empire.
At that time, he had even entertained the thought of secretly sending someone to assassinate Huo Yuhao if the latter refused to join their side.
However, he eventually abandoned that idea.
Later, when he heard news about Huo Yuhao again, the latter had already accomplished something that was almost impossible for an ordinary Soul Master.
Despite being pursued by both Shrek Academy and the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy, Huo Yuhao had successfully killed a Titled Douluo.
A Soul Master who hadn't even reached the Soul Sect realm when he first attracted their attention had managed to kill a Titled Douluo.
What kind of terrifying talent was that?
Later, Xu Jiawei received news that Dai Hao had personally gone to assassinate Huo Yuhao.
However, several days passed without any news of Dai Hao's return.
Although there was no direct confirmation, Xu Jiawei had already begun to suspect that Dai Hao had also fallen into Huo Yuhao's hands.
By that point, Xu Jiawei had finally understood something.
Huo Yuhao's rise was already unstoppable.
After reaching that conclusion, he decided to personally visit him.
"I want to place myself under your command."
"What?"
Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. He looked at Xu Jiawei with a strange expression before asking:
"Your Majesty, are you joking with me? You are the Emperor of an entire empire. How could you possibly place yourself under my command?"
"Even if I cannot personally serve under you, I still hope that you will spare the Star Luo Empire in the future. As long as you are willing to agree to this, I am prepared to pay any price."
Xu Jiawei spoke with a serious expression.
He had already foreseen that Huo Yuhao's influence would continue to grow in the future. Furthermore, he had investigated the relationship between Huo Yuhao and the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
Considering everything that had happened, he firmly believed that once Huo Yuhao became even more powerful, he would never allow the White Tiger Duke's Mansion to escape unscathed.
There was even a considerable possibility that the entire Star Luo Empire would eventually become involved in the conflict.
This was precisely why he had decided to raid the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
However, even after taking that step, Xu Jiawei still couldn't completely put his mind at ease.
Therefore, he had personally come to seek an assurance from Huo Yuhao.
"This is your real purpose."
The corners of Huo Yuhao's mouth curled upwards as he spoke with a faint smile.
Having his true intentions exposed, Xu Jiawei smiled awkwardly but didn't attempt to deny it.
As the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiawei was undoubtedly an ambitious individual. Furthermore, he possessed considerable personal strength and political influence.
It was precisely because of these qualities that he had managed to maintain his position as emperor.
However, Huo Yuhao's sudden appearance had forced him to reconsider many of his previous ambitions.
Even so, Xu Jiawei was certainly not someone who would willingly place himself beneath another person without a very good reason.
At that moment, Xu Jiawei suddenly seemed to remember something.
His expression changed slightly before he spoke again.
"Actually, if you want the Star Luo Empire to become your supporter, I can agree to that. However, I have one condition."
Huo Yuhao wasn't particularly interested in conquering the Star Luo Empire.
Although the Star Luo Empire was undoubtedly a powerful nation, possessing several powerful Titled Douluo-level experts and considerable military strength, Huo Yuhao didn't consider it particularly important.
In terms of soul guidance technology, the Star Luo Empire had also made considerable progress. Although it couldn't compare with the Sun Moon Empire, its overall strength in this field was still impressive compared with the other two empires on the continent.
However, Huo Yuhao simply didn't care.
After all, the forces under his control had already surpassed what the Star Luo Empire could offer.
Not to mention the powerful soul beasts under his command. Di Tian, Xiong Jun, and the others were undoubtedly among the strongest existences on the Douluo Continent.
As for the Noumenon Sect, with the assistance of the Heaven and Earth Creation Pill, its overall strength would undoubtedly rise tremendously. It wouldn't be long before it regained its former glory and potentially replaced Shrek Academy as the most influential force on the continent.
Therefore, conquering the Star Luo Empire wasn't something Huo Yuhao particularly desired.
Nevertheless, he was still somewhat interested in the condition Xu Jiawei had mentioned.
"Tell me. What is this condition?"
"Let Jiujiu marry you."
Xu Jiawei looked directly at Huo Yuhao and calmly stated his condition.
Hearing those words, Huo Yuhao blinked several times.
For a moment, he seemed unable to process what he had just heard.
Then, his expression became rather strange as he blurted out:
"Clam?"
Seeing his reaction, Xu Jiawei couldn't help but smile.
"You must have met Jiujiu before. Not only is her appearance exceptionally beautiful, but she can also be considered one of the most outstanding beauties on the continent. Her figure is equally impressive, and her cultivation talent is even greater than mine."
It seemed to be the first time Xu Jiawei had witnessed Huo Yuhao displaying such an expression.
He couldn't help but find the situation amusing and continued with a smile:
"So, what do you think? Are you willing to agree?"
Huo Yuhao immediately shook his head.
"Your calculations are quite impressive, aren't they?"
He looked at Xu Jiawei speechlessly before continuing:
"Forget it. I promise that I won't make a move against the Star Luo Empire in the future. However, there is one condition: your empire must not interfere with my affairs or stand in my way."
Having said that, Huo Yuhao stood up from his seat.
His intention was obvious. He was clearly seeing his guest off.
Of course, Xu Jiawei wasn't so oblivious that he couldn't understand the meaning behind Huo Yuhao's actions.
Besides, after hearing Huo Yuhao's promise, his objective had already been achieved.
Xu Jiawei also stood up, a smile appearing on his face.
However, before leaving, he couldn't resist asking one more question.
"Are you really not going to consider it? To be honest, my younger sister admires you quite a lot. When I previously mentioned this matter to her, she actually said that she was willing to get to know you better."
Huo Yuhao's eyes twitched.
He silently pointed towards the door.
The meaning behind his gesture couldn't have been clearer.
Xu Jiawei chuckled at his reaction.
Although he had never interacted with Huo Yuhao personally before tonight, he had always felt a certain degree of apprehension towards the young man.
After all, Huo Yuhao was someone who could kill without batting an eyelid.
Even during an important and highly anticipated event like the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, he had dared to kill Dai Yueheng in front of countless spectators.
Such courage was certainly not something an ordinary person possessed.
However, after their conversation tonight, Xu Jiawei discovered that Huo Yuhao wasn't nearly as frightening as he had originally imagined.
On the contrary, there were certain aspects of his personality that seemed rather childish, traits that were unique to someone of his age.
But then again, Xu Jiawei suddenly realized something.
Huo Yuhao was still just a young man.
A MESSAGE TO MY DEAR READERS ❤️
First, I sincerely apologize for my five-month absence. I had to take a break due to my examinations and some personal challenges that made it difficult to continue updating.
But guess what? YOUR AUTHOR IS BACK! 🎉
To everyone who has stayed and waited, thank you so much for your patience and support. I hope you'll continue this journey with me.
Also, don't forget to check out my Patreon for 30+ advanced chapters if you'd like to read ahead.
Thank you for your understanding, and welcome back to another exciting journey! ❤️