Heaven Dou City, Imperial Palace
Inside the grand and solemn great hall, an elderly man dressed in a golden-red robe and wearing a radiant golden crown sat upon a gilded throne. His face was as calm and aged as the ancient moon.
This man was the most respected figure in the entire Heaven Dou Empire.
Emperor Xue Ye.
When he saw Ning Fengzhi walking into the hall alongside "Xue Qinghe" with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo following closely behind, Emperor Xue Ye's expression subtly changed.
He understood: Ning Fengzhi had come to hold him accountable.
And the reason? He knew it all too well.
Meng Shenjis report had explained the situation clearly.
At that moment, the grief in Emperor Xue Ye's heart—caused by his fourth son Xue Beng's death from a falling meteor—suddenly felt much less painful.
That unfilial son deserved his end.
If his actions had driven a wedge between the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the imperial family, then even a hundred deaths wouldn't be enough to atone.
"Your son greets you, Father Emperor."
"Ning Fengzhi pays his respects to His Majesty."
Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, bowed respectfully, and Ning Fengzhi also maintained proper decorum.
However, the same could not be said for the two Douluo behind him.
Sword Douluo crossed his arms coldly, and Bone Douluo let out a snort of disdain—clearly showing no intention of paying respects.
In the past, although both were aloof, they still knew to salute the emperor.
Seeing their current attitude, Emperor Xue Ye felt not only humiliated but inwardly cursed Xue Beng again.
That useless fool! Not only did he cause trouble in life, but even in death, he brings me problems!
Of course, Emperor Xue Ye wouldn't risk a fallout with two Title Douluo over such minor disrespect.
Still, if he didn't at least say something, what dignity would an emperor have?
Fortunately, Ning Fengzhi stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, please do not take offense. Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone have always been extremely protective of my daughter. Upon learning that Prince Xue Beng tried to harm her, they've been unable to contain their anger."
With this statement, Ning Fengzhi offered Emperor Xue Ye an out—and also issued a subtle warning.
These two powerful Douluo are angry. It would be wise if His Majesty handled things with tact.
Having ruled for decades, Emperor Xue Ye easily picked up on the subtext.
Still, Xue Beng was his son. Foolish as he was, he was dead now.
So the emperor instinctively wanted to sweep this matter under the rug.
He didn't respond directly. Instead, he turned to "Xue Qinghe", his crown prince.
"Crown Prince, what are your thoughts on this incident with Xue Beng?"
"Xu Qinghe" bowed respectfully, then spoke with a deep and steady tone.
"Father, in my opinion, Fourth Brother's actions were outrageous and reckless. Not only did he insult the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, but he also brought shame upon the dignity of our Heaven Dou Imperial Family."
"Though he has perished in a divine punishment from the heavens, his crimes cannot be ignored."
"Moreover, I suspect someone must have been manipulating him from behind the scenes. That person must be found and publicly punished."
As for who the "manipulator" was, that would be up to Qian Renxue to decide.
Beside her, Ning Fengzhi remained silent, his face calm with a faint smile.
Even without saying a word, his lack of objection was the clearest form of support.
Seeing this, Emperor Xue Ye had no choice but to suppress his desire to downplay the situation.
Still frowning, he asked, "Aren't you blowing this out of proportion?"
Qian Renxue shook her head. "Father, I'm doing this not only to appease my teacher, but also for another, even more critical reason."
"And what might that be?" Emperor Xue Ye asked, puzzled.
Qian Renxue asked calmly, "Does Your Majesty know what else Fourth Brother did, beyond insulting my teacher's daughter?"
Emperor Xue Ye replied, "From what Meng Shenji reported, he also offended a gifted young teacher… Does that person have some special identity?"
In recent years, Emperor Xue Ye's health had declined. He had withdrawn from active governance and didn't review many reports.
Although Meng Shenji had personally delivered a message about the incident, the memorial concerning Qi Lin still sat unread on his desk.
"Xu Qinghe" shook her head slowly. "That genius teacher is named Qi Lin. At just thirteen years old, he has already reached Soul King—rank fifty-eight."
Before she even finished her sentence, Emperor Xue Ye exclaimed in disbelief, his face filled with shock.
"What!?"
"A fifty-eighth rank Soul King at thirteen!?"
"How is that possible!? How could such a genius exist in this world!?"
Seeing his reaction, "Xu Qinghe" nodded solemnly. "Though hard to believe, it is the truth."
"Qi Lin's talent is unmatched across the continent. Yet Fourth Brother claimed he would break his legs. Had a meteor not fallen from the sky, he might have already acted on that threat."
"If we don't offer a proper apology, Qi Lin might grow cold toward our Heaven Dou Empire."
Though Emperor Xue Ye had grown muddled with age, he wasn't a fool.
He clearly understood the significance of a thirteen-year-old Soul King.
The more he thought about how Xue Beng had provoked such a genius, the more he wanted to drag that idiot back from hell just to slap him a few times—then send him back.
After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and looked at the crown prince.
"Crown Prince, what do you think we should do to earn this Qi Lin's forgiveness?"
"Xu Qinghe" smiled slightly and said, "Father, nine others accompanied Fourth Brother to trouble Qi Lin. Though they are now dead, they each left behind families and connections."
"To show our sincerity, I suggest we deal with their families based on their past misdeeds. Strip their titles, dismiss them from their posts—or execute them if necessary."
"In addition, we should grant Qi Lin a noble title as compensation, strengthening his bond with our Heaven Dou Empire."
"Of course, the rank must not be low."
Emperor Xue Ye nodded approvingly.
"You speak wisely. Let it be done."
"As for the noble title… What rank do you think is appropriate?"
He pondered for a moment before smiling. "How about making him a Marquis?"
Emperor Xue Ye hesitated. "Isn't that a bit too high?"
"Xu Qinghe" replied, "If not for concerns about exhausting the higher ranks, I'd have suggested Duke."
Emperor Xue Ye twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth.
"Marquis it is, then. That's already quite generous."
"Xu Qinghe" added, "I heard that Qi Lin was born in Nuoding City, on the empire's frontier. That place must hold sentimental value to him. Father, why not grant him Nuoding as his personal fiefdom?"
Emperor Xue Ye raised an eyebrow.
Nuoding?
Just a small, insignificant town.
He waved his hand decisively.
"Granted!"