Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Just a few days ago, his father was still discussing with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo at home—
Whether they could form an alliance with the mysterious and powerful Demon Suppressing Douluo through marriage.
After their discussion, his father had intended to marry off a fairly attractive collateral-line cousin to Demon Suppressing Douluo.
But now, it seemed they had overestimated themselves. That cousin's appearance, compared to the woman standing before them now, was like a firefly trying to outshine the sun and moon—completely incomparable...
Zhao Ling, of course, was unaware of what Ning Fengzhi was thinking at this moment.
If he knew that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan wanted to rope him in through marriage, he might've just said bluntly to Ning Fengzhi:
"Why bother with all the trouble? If you promise that the moment you have a daughter, you'll betroth her to me from the cradle, I won't mind people calling me a cradle-snatcher."
After returning home by carriage, Zhao Ling led Xiao Rou and Xiao Wu off the vehicle.
Oddly, Ning Fengzhi's carriage didn't leave immediately after.
He lifted the curtain and looked at Zhao Ling with a complicated expression, which puzzled him.
Zhao Ling muttered inwardly in annoyance: Hey, Ning Fengzhi, could you not stare? I get that I'm good-looking now, but I'm male and straight. I'm not interested in your type.
Just as he was ranting in his head, Ning Fengzhi spoke meaningfully:
"Demon Suppressing Douluo, I'll be leaving now. But I hope you'll remember this: my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has always trusted in your character, and we are willing to stand by you through thick and thin. Farewell."
Wang Defa??? (a slang equivalent of "What the hell??") Zhao Ling stared dumbfounded as Ning Fengzhi's carriage disappeared down the road, completely confused.
What's going on? Why would Ning Fengzhi say something so cryptic?
Frowning in confusion, Zhao Ling began to ponder.
Could something have happened in the Heaven Dou imperial city while I was away?
While he was thinking, Xiao Wu was already excitedly staring at the huge mansion in front of them.
"Wow, this house is enormous! It's probably thousands, even tens of thousands of times bigger than the one Mom and I lived in! Hey, Uncle Ling, is this really your mansion?"
Zhao Ling snapped out of his thoughts at her exaggerated reaction: "Of course it is."
But when Xiao Wu called him "Uncle Ling," his mouth twitched, and he glared at her.
"Xiao Wu, don't call me Uncle Ling, okay? 'Brother Ling' sounds so much better, don't you think?"
Xiao Wu turned her head away proudly and said with a smug tone:
"No way. You said yourself you and my dad were life-and-death brothers, and you called my mom 'sister,' so of course I should call you Uncle Ling—otherwise, I'd seem rude."
Zhao Ling retorted with dissatisfaction: "So calling me Uncle Ling is polite? You're a hundred-thousand-year soul beast! Who knows how much older you actually are than me..."
"I don't care. I'm calling you Uncle Ling. Uncle Ling, Uncle Ling…" Xiao Wu repeated it several times, almost turning Zhao Ling's hair gray with frustration.
Zhao Ling's eyes rolled slightly, then he suddenly thought of a way to deal with Xiao Wu. A sly smile formed at the corner of his lips.
"Xiao Wu, do you want some carrots? If you call me Brother Ling, I'll buy you all the carrots you want."
Xiao Wu's eyes instantly lit up. She asked cautiously, "Really? No matter how many carrots I want, you'll buy them for me?"
"Of course! Your Brother Ling always keeps his word. I never lie," Zhao Ling replied confidently.
Immediately, Xiao Wu leapt from Xiao Rou's arms onto Zhao Ling's shoulder and affectionately rubbed her head against his cheek.
"Brother Ling is the best! Xiao Wu loves Brother Ling the most…"
Zhao Ling couldn't help but laugh. Sure enough, the best way to handle this girl is with carrots.
So Zhao Ling decided he'd go to the market first thing in the morning and stock up on carrots for her.
After coaxing Xiao Wu, Zhao Ling led Xiao Rou and her into the mansion.
The deeper they went, the more Xiao Rou and Xiao Wu looked like bumpkins entering a palace. And who could blame them? The prince's residence where Xue Ye had settled Zhao Ling was basically half a royal palace.
Even though Xiao Rou had once wandered through the human world, she'd only visited small towns. The more advanced a city, the higher the chances of running into Titled Douluo—and for her safety, she had always stayed away from big cities.
Now, she was willing to follow Zhao Ling into Heaven Dou City purely because neither she nor her daughter sensed any malice from him. At worst, he was just a bit lustful.
If it were any other man, Xiao Rou might have been disgusted. But Zhao Ling? She just couldn't bring herself to dislike him. His looks and charm were just too irresistible.
As Zhao Ling was about to guide Xiao Rou and Xiao Wu into the courtyard, they encountered Butler Qian. Seeing that the butler looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated, Zhao Ling raised an eyebrow.
He glanced at Xiao Rou and smiled gently: "Xiao Rou, wait here for a moment. I need to deal with something."
"Okay…" Xiao Rou nodded. She knew as the master of the estate, Zhao Ling must have things to handle now that he was back. She wasn't in a hurry anyway.
Zhao Ling followed Butler Qian to a large tree and asked with confusion, "What happened?"
The butler then recounted everything that had happened after Zhao Ling left with Bo Saixi.
"Master, three nights after you left the Heaven Dou imperial city, several assassins infiltrated the palace and tried to kill Crown Prince Qinghe. Fortunately, the royal guards risked their lives, and the prince survived."
Zhao Ling frowned slightly. He hadn't expected someone to target Xue Qinghe so soon after birth.
But then again, it wasn't surprising. In ancient China on Blue Star, hundreds or even thousands of crown princes existed, but only a few made it to the throne. Most perished prematurely.
In the original story, Xue Qinghe was fated to die young. That fate arriving early was strange—but it prompted Zhao Ling to ask:
"Did they catch the assassins? Did they confess who sent them? Don't tell me… they said it was me?"
The butler nodded with a serious expression.
"Two of the attackers were killed in the fight. One was captured alive. After intense interrogation, he claimed it was you who sent him.
"Although His Majesty Xue Ye doesn't believe this, the court officials are all submitting memorials demanding your dismissal as a royal protector. They claim your disappearance from the capital at such a critical moment is proof of your sinister intentions."