Heaven Dou City was the most prosperous place on the continent—majestic, solemn, and towering. Built from massive stone blocks, it was incredibly sturdy. The walls bore the marks of time, adding a sense of ancient history to its grandeur. Occasionally, wild grass grew tenaciously at the base of the walls, adding a touch of life to the imposing fortifications.
However, this quiet ancient city seemed a bit too lively today.
"Bastards! You two bastards! Stop! Stop it!" "AHHHHHH!!!!"
Shrill screams echoed from a corner outside the city walls. A crowd of onlookers watched with wide eyes, observing this once-in-a-century "spectacle." Most of the spectators were older men or elderly women who loved gossip; the younger girls had all fled upon hearing the commotion. Some wealthy merchants and high-level Spirit Masters from out of town even took out recording crystals to document this "interesting" moment.
"Whoa, keep screaming! Today, even if the King of Heaven himself showed up, you wouldn't escape this old man's..."
Just as the two burly Spirit Emperor guards were about to say more, their bodies stiffened simultaneously. Under Prince Xue Xing's terrified gaze, they drew their short blades. Their feverish expressions turned dull, as if they had received a specific command. Without hesitation, they swung their daggers down at Xue Xing.
Squelch!
One guard plunged his blade directly into one of Xue Xing's eyeballs.
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!"
Xue Xing's screams were endless as blood sprayed. As the prince collapsed in a pool of blood, the two guards pulled their blades out of him and drove them straight into their own hearts.
Squelch! Squelch!
As crimson blood stained the earth, the onlookers recoiled in fear. "Someone's... someone's dead!!!!"
Back at the Tianxiang Hotel, the morning was beautiful. Fu Ye bathed in the morning sun and stretched with satisfaction.
The fate of those two guards and Xue Xing was, of course, his doing. If they wanted to move against him, they had to be prepared for both ruin and death. As for why he only castrated Xue Xing and blinded one of his eyes instead of killing him? Fu Ye simply felt the man could still provide some entertainment later. After all, he was a character who had been "whitewashed" in the original story's late game; letting him die so soon would be boring.
As for Yu Xiaogang... tsk, his life was currently "full and meaningful."
In a dark, damp cave on the outskirts of Soto City, several blurry figures were swinging steel whips with vigor.
"Brother San, don't be in such a rush to whip him; I just took over my shift!" "Second brother, is the iron whip ready? That Master gave strict orders to make him wish for death for these three months—whip him twenty hours a day and heal his wounds while you do it."
Fu Ye felt he was being quite merciful. He had spent ten thousand gold spirit coins to hire a dozen people to "look after" Yu Xiaogang. They provided all sorts of "massages," stretching his skin and pulling his bones. He hoped Gangzi would work hard to survive through the pain. Fu Ye wasn't a total demon; he'd likely only pull out the man's soul later and hang it on a divine fire lamp for a few million years. He had a gadget in his system that made one second outside feel like ten thousand years inside—perfect for Yu Xiaogang.
High noon, inside the Imperial Palace.
Xue Xing, covered in bandages, lay on the floor below the high platform. Beside him were the lifeless bodies of the two Spirit Emperor protectors. Everyone in the hall held their breath; they knew the person on the throne was on the verge of an explosion.
"Xue Xing! I need a reasonable explanation!"
A furious voice shook the entire palace, laced with the sound of grinding teeth.
"B-Big brother, I..." "Shut up! I am not your big brother! And you, my 'dear' brother, you are truly my 'great' big brother!!"
Emperor Xue Ye flipped the golden tables and chairs in front of him, shattering the spirit fruits gathered by specialists.
CRASH!!!!
"Big brother—" Xue Xing tried to explain, but the enraged Xue Ye kicked him squarely in his old face. The blow reopened his bandaged eye socket, and a stream of blood flowed out.
"Why didn't you just die like they did? Do you have any idea that because of what you did today, our Heaven Dou Imperial family will be a laughingstock for the next ten, or even a hundred years?!"
{Author's Note: (艹皿艹)!!!}
Only Xue Ye's roars echoed in the hall. Xue Xing and the ministers remained silent, knowing this would become an indelible pillar of shame for the empire. After a long time, Xue Ye regained some composure, looking at his brother with a mix of pity and frustration.
"Xue Xing, your title of Prince is hereby revoked. Your authority in the imperial family is demoted to the rank of Earl."
Xue Ye ultimately couldn't kill his own brother; without Xue Xing's secret assistance, he wouldn't have been able to stabilize his power so quickly after taking the throne. But he vowed to investigate this thoroughly. Even if his brother was lecherous, he would never be interested in two men. Someone was working in the shadows! To get two Spirit Emperors and his brother at the same time, the culprit had to be at least a Spirit Douluo or even a Title Douluo!
"Suppress the news of today's events! Then, investigate! I want to see who dares to strike at members of my Heaven Dou Imperial family!"