area51novel Chapter 120 If the flowers bloom, the butterflies will come.
Chapter 120 If the flowers bloom, the butterflies will come.
Chapter 120 If the flowers bloom, the butterflies will come.
After several days of travel, Dai Youheng finally arrived at the capital of the Star Luo Empire, escorted by Shattered Star Douluo and Nebula Douluo.
With the magnificent city gate in sight, Shattered Star Douluo slowed his pace and asked, "You Heng, would you like to return to the White Tiger Duke's Mansion first, or come directly with us to the palace to pay homage to Her Highness the Princess?"
Without any hesitation, in order to maintain her "devoted" persona, Dai Youheng immediately put on a face that showed a deep-seated, urgent and burning infatuation. Her acting was perfect, and she blurted out, "Of course, I should go see Princess Jiujiu first! A day apart feels like three autumns. These past few days, I have been thinking about her every moment."
This undisguised confession caught the attention of both well-informed Title Douluos.
Man Yi couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head, her tone carrying a hint of elder-like teasing, "You—there's no need to rush like this. You've traveled a long and dusty journey, and you intend to meet His Highness looking like this? I'm afraid the palace guards will stop you before you even get close, mistaking you for a refugee."
Upon hearing this, Dai Youheng pretended to realize something and looked down at his slightly dusty robes, a sheepish smile on his face. "Your Majesty is right. It was Youheng who was inconsiderate and offended the princess. I will go back to the Duke's mansion to freshen up and then pay my respects to the princess in the best possible condition."
"Okay, go ahead." Shattered Star Douluo nodded.
Dai Youheng turned around, his naivety vanishing, replaced by a faint, cold smile.
Watching Dai Youheng's retreating figure, Shattered Star Douluo and Manyi exchanged a glance, both seeing a complex emotion in each other's eyes.
"His talent and temperament are both top-notch, and what's even more rare is his unwavering devotion." Shattered Star Douluo spoke slowly, his voice tinged with emotion. "Such a talent, if Princess Jiujiu can firmly hold his heart, it's tantamount to holding a future sword for the royal family. The Dai family is ultimately a thing of the past; they should have long since relinquished their ambitions!"
With a deep gaze, Man Yi continued, "Indeed, although the White Tiger lineage relinquished the throne back then, the military power and resources they held have always been a thorn in the side of the royal family. On the surface, the two sides are harmonious, but inwardly they are wary of and hinder each other. In the long run, this is definitely not a blessing for the empire. If Dai Youheng can truly become a bridge connecting the royal family and the Dai family, and even in the future, he can completely integrate the remaining power of the Dai family into the imperial system, making Xingluo truly a united entity, that would be the greatest asset in resisting the Sun Moon Empire."
The dialogue between the two Douluo clearly reveals the political landscape of the Star Luo Empire's upper echelons and their deep expectations for Dai Youheng. He is not only Xu Jiujiu's pursuer, but also a key pawn that may break the domestic power balance and achieve centralized power.
The two then entered the palace to report back to Xu Jiujiu, and gave a full account of what they had seen and heard in the Star Dou Great Forest, especially Dai Youheng's true level and the "truth" that he "hid his strength only to return to her side as soon as possible".
Inside the palace, after listening to Manyi's report for a long time, the jade hand that had been calmly playing with an exquisite soul tool suddenly stopped.
"Peak level 52? He—he had been hiding such strength all along?" Her voice was filled with undisguised shock.
This news surprised her even more than Dai Youheng's absorption of a 30,000-year spirit ring despite being of a higher level. It meant that his amazing performance in the competition was far from his full potential!
When Man Yi spoke with a touch of regret about Dai Youheng's willingness to give up the unlimited resources of Shrek Academy's inner court and his promise of a 100,000-year soul ring in order to hide his strength and avoid being forcibly detained, all so that he could return to Xingluo and be by His Highness's side, she remained silent for a long time.
She waved her hand, asking the two Douluo to step back.
Inside the empty, magnificent palace, only she remained. She slowly walked to the window, gazing in the direction of the White Tiger Duke's mansion. For the first time, a complex emotion flickered in her usually calm, wise, and calculating eyes.
An indescribable emotion quietly grew in her heart. Was it surprise? Was it emotion? Perhaps it was both.
She couldn't help but recall the illegitimate son of the past who only knew how to follow behind her, offering trivial acts of concern, possessing mediocre talent, and whom she considered a nuisance. This contrasted sharply with the exceptionally talented, deep-thinking young man of today, who could even resist the temptation of a 100,000-year-old spirit ring in order to return to her side.
"He endured all this for my sake?" This thought surfaced uncontrollably.
Reality is often so ironic.
The 100% sincerity that her predecessor offered back then was worthless in her eyes, and only deserved the label of "simp".
But now, this young man's carefully designed "deeply affectionate performance," which is mixed with countless calculations, is automatically filtered through a thick layer of genuine emotion because she sees the other person's immense value.
His strength makes his "devotion" precious; his potential makes his "sacrifice" touching.
She sighed softly for a long time, a softness she herself was unaware of. She touched her smooth cheek and found it slightly warm.
"Dai Youheng—" she murmured the name, her eyes no longer filled with scrutiny and exploitation, but with a subtle curiosity and a hint of excitement that she herself might not even be aware of.
If the flowers are in full bloom, the butterflies will come.
That's just how reality is.
When you have no value, even the most sincere heart will be trampled upon. But when you possess sufficient strength and value, even a mere insincere performance can be interpreted as deeply moving affection.
If the soul of the former self, which has long since vanished, knew of this situation, I wonder what it would think?
Perhaps all that will remain is a bitter sigh. It turns out he was wrong from the start. The path to the princess's heart is never paved with sincerity, but rather solidified with strength and self-worth.
At this moment, Youheng returned to the Duke's mansion with ease.
The atmosphere in the White Tiger Duke's mansion was even more oppressive and somber than when Dai Youheng left. The once-leading military family of the empire was now shrouded in an invisible gloom.
As soon as Dai Youheng stepped into the mansion, he encountered two of his most familiar "brothers" in the corridor.
Dai Yueheng stood in the courtyard, his right hand empty, his once handsome face now bearing a lingering gloom and resentment.
A person dressed in researcher's attire was beside him, using various tools to measure the size of his severed hand, seemingly preparing to make a soul-guided prosthetic limb. Sensing Dai Youheng's gaze, Dai Yueheng raised his head and looked at him with a complex expression, containing scrutiny, jealousy, and an undisguised sense of loneliness.
He was once a genius of Shrek Academy's inner court and the future heir of the family, but now his future is ruined and he can only rely on cold soul tools to make up for his deficiencies.
In the pavilion not far away, Dai Huabin resembled an empty shell devoid of a soul. He slumped on a stone bench, staring blankly at the fish swimming in the pond. His former arrogance had vanished, replaced by a lifeless and decadent despair.
His cultivation was severely hampered by the damage to his soul's origin, making it difficult to advance and even causing it to decline. In his despair, he didn't even want to return to Shrek Academy.
Zhu Lu silently stayed by his side, draped a coat over him, and looked at him with heartache in her eyes.
Unlike Dai Youheng's calculated "infatuation" with Xu Jiujiu, Zhu Lu's companionship with Dai Huabin was truly unwavering.