The thumb ring was carved entirely from the finest imperial green jade.
Upon it was a white swan with wings spread wide, poised as if ready to take flight. Every feather was vividly detailed, lifelike to the extreme.
With just a single glance, one could feel the overwhelming nobility of royalty and the deep historical weight it carried.
Emperor Xue Ye stared at the thumb ring in his hand. A clear pang of heartache crossed his face, yet he still handed it over to Devil Bear Douluo.
Suppressing his pain, he explained with forced magnanimity.
"This thumb ring has been passed down through generations of my Heaven Dou imperial family. It has accompanied me for decades. By all accounts, it is a national treasure—priceless."
As he spoke, he glanced at Dai Tianfeng, then at Devil Bear Douluo, whose eyes were already beginning to glaze over. His tone shifted.
"I believe it should be enough for this brother to eat and drink here at Feng Ran Pavilion for more than a month."
"Today, I bestow it upon you, brave warrior, solely to make a friend."
Eat and drink for over a month!
These four words struck Devil Bear Douluo's not-so-bright mind like a thunderclap!
His bear-like eyes widened instantly, locking onto the emerald thumb ring, unable to move even a fraction.
National treasure?
Priceless?
He didn't understand any of that!
He only understood one thing—
This item could buy him a full month of food!
A whole month! Daily pork hocks! Buddha Jumps Over the Wall! All without spending a single coin of his own!
Was there anything more wonderful in this world?!
No!
The very next second, Devil Bear Douluo moved with unbelievable speed.
A massive, fan-like hand shot out like lightning, snatching the thumb ring from Emperor Xue Ye's palm.
He brought it right up to his eyes, examining it again and again, grinning so widely that drool nearly spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"Hehehe… good stuff! Truly good stuff!"
Not far away, Dai Tianfeng nearly twisted his nose out of shape from sheer rage.
He slammed the table, pointed at Emperor Xue Ye, and roared furiously.
"Xue Ye! You old bastard!!"
"You're a damned cheater!"
Dai Tianfeng was truly livid.
He never imagined that old Xue Ye would actually use an ancestral treasure just to pry out his secrets!
Wasn't this the same as publicly paying for his dirty laundry?!
Despicable!
Shameless!
Absolutely obscene!
Faced with Dai Tianfeng's furious outburst, Emperor Xue Ye not only failed to get angry—he smiled instead, as though a great injustice had finally been avenged.
He calmly straightened his dragon robe, which had been slightly wrinkled by the earlier commotion, and spoke leisurely.
"Brother Dai, that's not a fair thing to say."
He clasped his hands behind his back, striking the posture of a wise elder lecturing a naughty child.
"I merely wish to befriend this brave warrior. How can that be called deception?"
"And besides…"
Emperor Xue Ye glanced at the thumb ring now being cherished like a treasure by Devil Bear Douluo. His heart was still bleeding, yet his tone remained light and airy.
"If a mere material object can resolve misunderstandings between Brother Dai and me, and strengthen the diplomatic ties between our two empires, then it's worth it."
Worth your grandmother's leg!
Dai Tianfeng had already greeted the ancestors of the Heaven Dou imperial family up to the eighteenth generation in his heart.
"Your Excellency Devil Bear!" Dai Tianfeng quickly interjected. "Didn't you just say I'm an honored strategic partner of Spirit Hall? Please don't let certain ill-intentioned individuals sow discord between us!"
At this moment, Dai Tianfeng could only pray silently that Devil Bear Douluo was as loyal as he imagined—and wouldn't sell him out.
As soon as he finished speaking, Devil Bear Douluo's bleary eyes snapped wide open.
He slapped his chest hard, producing a booming sound like a war drum. The bowls and chopsticks on the table rattled.
"Don't worry!"
Devil Bear Douluo declared righteously, his face practically shouting I get it!
"I, Devil Bear, always act with loyalty and righteousness! How could I be bought over by a mere thumb ring?!"
Whoosh!
With lightning speed, he stuffed the priceless thumb ring straight into his storage spirit tool.
The motion was smooth and practiced, as if he had done it countless times before.
Dai Tianfeng: "???"
Emperor Xue Ye: "!!!"
After that, Devil Bear Douluo used the same bear paw that had just hidden the thumb ring to hook Emperor Xue Ye around the neck.
The force was so great it nearly snapped the old emperor's bones on the spot.
Turning his back to the petrified Dai Tianfeng, Devil Bear Douluo began conspiratorially whispering in a voice he thought was very quiet—
But which the entire restaurant could hear clearly.
"Brother! From today on, you're my blood brother from another father and mother!"
"Come, let me tell you—old fox Dai Tianfeng didn't come here seeking opportunities at all!"
"Instead, it was his useless son, that kid Dai Mubai. You know him, right?"
Devil Bear Douluo's voice was filled with disdain.
"That brat first insulted the senior's divine envoy. Later, I don't know what got into him—he got bold enough to lead people in trying to rob the senior's restaurant!"
"When Dai Tianfeng found out, he was scared out of his wits! Didn't dare say a word!"
"He immediately rolled over from Star Luo City, knelt before the senior, and kowtowed in apology!"
"The kowtows were loud and clear! I felt pain just listening! His forehead was almost smashed open!"
Emperor Xue Ye's face was flushed red from being choked, his neck on the verge of snapping—
But!
The moment he heard such explosive gossip, all physical discomfort vanished!
It was replaced by a boundless joy called schadenfreude.
His eyes widened, sparkling with excitement and curiosity, devoid of even a trace of imperial dignity.
Suppressing his lack of breath, he asked with immense enthusiasm.
"Is… is that really true, brother?!"
"How could it be false?"
Devil Bear Douluo found him extremely agreeable. He slapped his thigh and casually grabbed Bone Douluo's wine bowl, downing it in one gulp.
Bone Douluo stared at his suddenly empty bowl, opened his mouth—
Then swallowed the words he wanted to curse.
Forget it. It's a bear. No point arguing.
Devil Bear Douluo wiped his mouth and continued even louder.
"And this time, Dai Tianfeng even brought half of the Star Luo Empire's national treasury!"
"He also brought the Dai Family's supreme national treasure—two hundred-thousand-year spirit bones—as compensation!"
"And guess what happened?"
At this point, Emperor Xue Ye completely abandoned all pretense.
Like the most loyal straight man in a comedic duo, he eagerly leaned forward.
"What happened?!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Devil Bear Douluo burst into hearty laughter.
"The senior didn't even glance at those scraps of metal!"
"And as for those two hundred-thousand-year spirit bones…"
Reverence and fanaticism flooded his bear-like face.
"The senior didn't even look at them! He casually tossed them to the two young girls working in the shop, saying it was employee welfare for good performance!"
Hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye slowly—very slowly—wiggled free from Devil Bear Douluo's iron grip.
He rubbed his nearly broken neck.
He touched his now-empty thumb.
The heartache over losing half the treasury?
Gone.
The humiliation of being mocked by Dai Tianfeng?
Also gone.
At this moment, the Emperor of Heaven Dou felt refreshed, clear-headed, and supremely satisfied—every pore in his body radiating comfort.
He slowly turned around and looked at the petrified Dai Tianfeng.
All the grievance, anger, and humiliation that had weighed on him for so long vanished completely.
In their place appeared a dazzling smile.
Emperor Xue Ye cleared his throat.
When he spoke again, it was in the exact same tone Dai Tianfeng had used earlier—
"No way?"
"No way?"
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