Chapter 98: Imperial Power Change
"Haha, hahaha, hahahaha!!!"
Xue Xing raised his head and laughed. He watched his elder brother Xue Ye die under the arrow of Glowing Feather Douluo. There was no sadness in his eyes, only a flash of enthusiasm and excitement.
The laughter echoed in the bloody palace square, revealing endless madness.
"Brother, brother, you are defeated by me after all. From today on, the throne of the Tiandou Empire is mine, hahaha!!"
Xue Xing trembled with excitement, his hands raised high and fists clenched, as if he already felt the supreme imperial power falling into his palm.
He imagined the scene of himself ascending the throne and accepting the worship of all people.
For many years, he had endured under the shadow of Xue Ye, madly performing himself as a wise king who assisted his brother, hiding his crazy desire for the throne.
Now that Xue Ye was dead, all obstacles had been cleared. He was only one step away from the throne — no, it was already set in stone.
Xue Xing laughed wildly on the side, immersed in the dream of ascending to the pinnacle of power, while Gu Han and Ning Fengzhi beside him sneered in their hearts.
Gu Han's eyes flashed with contempt and disdain. He thought to himself, "This Xue Xing is really stupid to the extreme, thinking that ascending the throne will be fine, but he doesn't know that he is just a pawn in the hands of the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, being manipulated at will."
But it was better this way. If the other party were wise and sincerely willing to assist Xue Ye in governing the country, they would have no chance to take advantage of it.
Ning Fengzhi narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint smile on his face, secretly thinking:
"Supporting such a fool to the throne is because he is easy to control. Once he sits firmly on the throne, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall can gradually infiltrate and eventually undermine the Tiandou Empire and make it ours."
At this time, Bibi Dong was still a kind-hearted girl after all.
The tragic scene in the palace square before her made her feel uncomfortable, and a sad and pitiful look appeared in her eyes involuntarily.
The blood on the ground, the corpses lying in all directions, the wailing everywhere, and Xue Ye's frozen body all made her feel extremely unbearable.
Bibi Dong recalled the allusions and stories about power struggles that her junior brother had told her, and those cruel scenes overlapped with the scene in front of her.
She knew very well that in the vortex of power, being soft-hearted would only lead to falling into an irretrievable situation.
She took a deep breath, suppressed the reluctance in her heart, and sighed inwardly, "The power struggle is so bloody and ruthless that people caught in it can't help themselves."
Although her heart was full of helplessness and emotion, Bibi Dong understood that as the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, she had already embarked on this thorny road of power and could only continue walking on.
She secretly clenched her fists, her eyes gradually becoming firm, as if declaring to this cruel world that she would no longer be swayed by pity and sympathy but would become the one who controls power.
The two senior sisters and brothers had been together for many years. Gu Han keenly noticed the waves in Bibi Dong's heart. He slightly turned sideways, stretched out his warm big hand, and gently wrapped Bibi Dong's small hand, which was a little white from clenching.
His palm was solid and powerful, as if conveying an invisible strength.
Gu Han turned his head and smiled at Bibi Dong, the smile full of tenderness and encouragement.
At this moment, a warm current passed through Bibi Dong's heart.
In this cold and cruel power struggle, this touch of warmth was particularly precious.
Bibi Dong looked up at Gu Han, and when their eyes met, she saw firm support and trust in his gaze.
At that moment, Bibi Dong realized she was not alone on this thorny road.
She had a close junior brother walking beside her.
The two joined hands, relying on each other's wisdom and strength. They would surely overcome all obstacles and make the entire continent surrender at their feet.
Thinking of this, Bibi Dong's eyes burned with a fiery light. She held Gu Han's hand tightly with her backhand, responding to his heart.
In fact, it was not only Gu Han comforting Bibi Dong, but Bibi Dong was also silently encouraging Gu Han.
Standing in this ever-changing palace, seeing the chaotic and bloody scene in front of him, Gu Han, a young man who had received a great education in his previous life, felt mixed emotions.
This was the first time he took the initiative to calculate others. The lives lost because of his plan were like a heavy stone pressing on his heart, causing him an indescribable guilt.
He was not cruel by nature, but now he took the initiative to participate in and plan this bloody power vortex.
At the beginning, he agreed to Xue Xing's participation in this coup, partly for the Heart of the Sea God placed in the Tiandou Treasury. Even if he was not selected, he had to have this treasure in his hands to feel at ease.
On the other hand, as a disciple of the Pope of the Spirit Hall, he was undoubtedly a core figure of the Spirit Hall.
In his position, he had to do his duty.
For the grand ambition of the Spirit Hall, to gain absolute dominance on this continent, he had to be ruthless.
In this power struggle, if the Spirit Hall did not take the initiative, it would surely collapse among the major forces, just as in the original novel.
On this continent, Tiandou and Xingluo were full of conflicts, and the Spirit Hall was stuck in the middle. The hatred it suffered could be imagined. If it didn't want to be defeated by the so-called Son of Fortune and all the forces on the continent in the future...
Then before that, it must first step on all the forces on the continent.
Moreover, he knew very well that to make the continent truly peaceful, it needed unification.
Only by unifying the entire continent would the killing between countries disappear, leaving only livelihood conflicts that could be slowly resolved.
Gu Han knew the importance of unification, and it was impossible to peacefully unify the entire Douluo Continent. He could only use powerful force to sweep the world like the Qin Dynasty in his previous life.
Even though he had many reasons in his heart, he still couldn't get rid of the guilt. However, Gu Han suppressed it and whispered in his heart:
"Everything is for the Spirit Hall, for the future of the continent to be completely peaceful, for the glory of the Spirit Hall..."
At this time, in the palace, the imperial guards under the crown prince's command had been completely annihilated, and only Meng Shenji, Zhilin, and Bai Baoshan—the three Education Committee members—survived.
However, their soul power had been completely sealed by Glowing Feather Douluo, their bodies tightly bound by ropes, forced to kneel before Gu Han and others.
Xue Xing stared at these three with special status, his thoughts racing. He had the intention of recruiting them, trying to add strong and colorful strokes to his orthodoxy.
Thinking of this, Xue Xing slowly said:
"The three members of the Education Committee are highly respected, and I admire you very much."
"As long as you are willing to point out the crime of Prince Xue Ye leading troops into the palace with treasonous intent, I will forgive your past. Not only will your positions in the Tiandou Royal Academy remain unshakable, but I will also confer you the title of first-class marquis of the Tiandou Empire, and you will continue to serve Tiandou and cultivate talents for Tiandou."
Faced with Xue Xing's recruitment, the three members of the Education Committee snorted coldly, lowered their heads, and refused to say a word.
Xue Xing saw their silence, and a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes. Then he increased the stakes.
"If you three serve me, your families will become stronger and continue to enjoy wealth and glory in the Tiandou Empire."
"But if you don't..." Xue Xing's eyes became fierce, "I'm afraid your families will be implicated. When the time comes, your family will be disgraced, and your relatives will suffer. It's all up to you."
"I guess the three members of the Education Committee don't want to bring disgrace to their families because of their own reasons, right?"
After hearing Xue Xing's recruitment, Gu Han originally thought that if the three surrendered, he would send someone to secretly recruit or assassinate them.
But Xue Xing's last words made Gu Han's mouth twitch, and he looked at Xue Xing with a strange expression.
However, among everyone present, only Gu Han, the time traveler, could catch this obvious trap.
Below, Meng Shenji and the other two had complicated feelings.
Originally, they helped Xue Ye in maintaining royal orthodoxy, hoping to gain a reputation for loyalty and righteousness and get credit for following the dragon.
But they never expected the forces Xue Xing sought support from would be the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Spirit Hall.
Now that the situation was over, Xue Xing threw out a condition that was like a double-edged sword.
On one hand, there was the guarantee of their academy status, the marquis title, and family prosperity — tempting offers.
On the other hand, the threat of collective punishment on their families was like a high-hanging sharp blade that could fall at any moment.
Under such coercion and inducement, the bottom line in the hearts of the three who only came for fame was broken.
The three looked at each other. They had been together for many years and could see each other's inner thoughts.
At this time, insisting on disobedience would not only risk their lives but bring disaster to their families.
Between life and death, the three gave up loyalty, comforted by the fact that Xue Xing was still a legitimate royal family member.
After considering, Meng Shenji sighed and pretended helplessness, "Oh, forget it, we promise you."
Seeing this, Xue Xing immediately showed a smug smile and ordered his men to untie the three.
"A man of insight is a hero. Don't worry, as long as you do as I say, you will have wealth and glory."
Then Xue Xing turned his gaze to Gu Han and the others, seeming eager to take credit, perhaps without even realizing it himself.
Gu Han and Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly, a trace of disdain flashing deep in their eyes, but they did not show it.
These three members of the Education Committee might occupy some place on the mainland, but in the eyes of the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, where Titled Douluo sit, they were just bigger ants.
If they knew what was interesting, they could be given some benefits. If not, they were just bigger ants to be killed at will.
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(End of Chapter)