Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King

Credits: P Tydd 

Xu Jiawei curled his lips.

During the tournament, Shrek Academy's team had been utterly crushed by Su Yu. Yan Shaozhe had been so intimidated by Hai Bodong that he didn't dare utter a word.

Later, rumors spread that Yan Shaozhe, a Super Douluo, failed to capture even a Soul King-level evil soul master. It was absurd.

And now, Shrek Academy students had been blatantly targeted within the academy itself, with no trace of the perpetrator to be found.

This series of incidents indicated that Shrek Academy had been declining over the years. Their once-dominant power and influence were no longer what they used to be.

However, Xu Jiawei wasn't foolish enough to underestimate Shrek Academy. Mocking them was one thing, but Xu Jiawei still had a clear understanding of their strength.

No matter what, Shrek Academy was not an entity to offend lightly.

Of course, that didn't stop Xu Jiawei from taking pleasure in their misfortune.

"Not many people can come and go freely within Shrek Academy."

"If I count them on my fingers, there are only a handful. Could it be Young Master Su Yu?"

"Didn't he have some minor conflicts with the White Tiger Duke's Mansion?"

"Or… could it be that the White Tiger Duke's Mansion offended another hidden superpower in the past?"

"…Forget it. No point guessing. Either way, this is good news for me."

"No matter who did it, I've got to commend them—brilliant work!"

Xu Jiawei's face was alight with joy.

For a long time, he hadn't moved against Dai Hao primarily because of the Sun-Moon Empire. Dai Hao's outstanding leadership was a crucial part of resisting the Sun-Moon Empire's aggression.

But that wasn't the main reason.

The main reason was that Dai Hao had significant influence and power. Taking him down recklessly could lead to internal turmoil within the empire, which might give the Sun-Moon Empire an opportunity to invade.

That was why Xu Jiawei had been patient, enduring, and waiting.

Was the Star Luo Empire so bereft of talent that only Dai Hao could serve as a general? Of course not.

Others might be slightly less capable than Dai Hao, but the difference wasn't substantial.

If it weren't for concerns about internal unrest, Xu Jiawei would have dealt with Dai Hao long ago.

In terms of overall strength, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion was no match for the royal family.

This recent upheaval, however, was a windfall for Xu Jiawei.

Using a mix of intimidation and persuasion, he easily took control of the White Tiger Legion.

There was no choice—Xu Jiawei represented legitimacy. Unless they rebelled, the White Tiger Legion had no grounds to resist him.

With the White Tiger Legion now under his command, the Dai family's influence had shrunk drastically.

Though Dai Hao still bore the title of White Tiger Duke, he was no longer the force he once was.

"Brother Hao, I hope you can remain well-behaved. I truly have no desire to wipe you out completely," Xu Jiawei murmured.

With military power firmly in hand and Dai Hao's family rendered harmless, they no longer posed a threat.

Xu Jiawei could afford to tolerate a subdued Dai Hao. After all, going too far might alienate others.

No matter what, Dai Hao contributed greatly to the Star Luo Empire. Treating him too harshly could dishearten other loyal subjects.

Xu Jiawei was a smart man. He wouldn't make such a foolish mistake.

But if Dai Hao, even in his current state, still harbored thoughts of reclaiming the throne, Xu Jiawei's blade would not hesitate.

Killing him would merely require crafting a suitable charge—it was just a matter of Xu Jiawei's willingness.

False accusations, if necessary, were always an option.

"Let's hope you have the sense to stay in your place," Xu Jiawei muttered to himself.

...

Shrek Academy.

Yan Shaozhe was furious—yet again.

After all, Shrek Academy had once more become the center of attention, for all the wrong reasons.

In broad daylight, Dai Huabin and Dai Yuoheng had been viciously attacked within the academy.

It was a direct slap to Shrek Academy's face—blatant and humiliating.

The sheer audacity was infuriating, especially since the news had spread across the entire Douluo Continent in no time.

The idea that no one had fanned the flames behind the scenes was laughable.

"Unbelievable, outrageous, infuriating!" Yan Shaozhe fumed.

"To think someone would dare to act with such audacity as if the academy were beneath them!"

Xian Lin'er's expression was equally grim.

Shrek Academy had already been caught in a storm of criticism, and this incident only deepened their disgrace.

"Do you think… it could be the Ice…" Qian Duoduo ventured hesitantly.

They all knew about the information Yan Shaozhe had uncovered.

Jiang Nannan had allegedly been ambushed, only to be saved by someone afterward.

It was almost certain that her saviors were from the Ice God Palace, as Jiang Nannan was a commoner with no ties to any other powerful faction.

The investigation suggested that the attackers might have been associated with the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

Could it be that the Ice God Palace had retaliated against the White Tiger Duke's family to avenge Jiang Nannan?

From a motive standpoint, the Ice God Palace had reasons to act.

Moreover, it all seemed logical.

Adding to that, the person behind the act was even able to block Elder Mu's perception, which made this guess about 80% likely to be correct. After all, there were very few who possessed such power, and the Ice God Palace perfectly fit the criteria.

But was it enough to confidently assert that the culprit was the Ice God Palace?

Yan Shaozhe coldly asked, "Do you have any evidence?"

"The Ice God Palace isn't some ordinary power. Do you have solid proof?"

"No, but the speculation makes sense," Qian Duoduo shook his head and replied.

"No matter how reasonable the guess is, it's useless if we can't prove it. They can simply deny it outright," Yan Shaozhe continued. "Even if we confirm it's the Ice God Palace, what can we do about it?"

"Though it's frustrating, the Ice God Palace isn't a force we can afford to provoke right now."

Yan Shaozhe clenched his fists, feeling stifled. Of course, he'd already considered this possibility himself. But so what? Without evidence, how could he make the claim?

Based on mere speculation?

The Ice God Palace wouldn't take such accusations lying down. They could outright deny it and even turn the tables, questioning Shrek Academy's intentions for framing them.

With their unreasonable style, it wouldn't be surprising if they demanded an apology from Shrek Academy instead.

Without absolute certainty, Yan Shaozhe had no intention of provoking the Ice God Palace. His impotent fury stemmed from the fact that there was nothing he could do.

Hearing Yan Shaozhe's words, both Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er fell silent. They had to admit that they couldn't afford to offend the Ice God Palace.

"Let's be honest if the Ice God Palace did take action, it would make sense. But why are they spreading it everywhere? Are they deliberately trying to embarrass our academy?" Qian Duoduo said, displeased.

"If they had only acted within Shrek Academy, we could have turned a blind eye. After all, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion started it, so they brought this on themselves."

"And as for what happened within the academy, while it tarnishes Shrek's reputation, as long as not many people know, it's not a big deal. We do need the Ice God Palace, so some flattery isn't shameful."

"But for the news to spread so widely, causing a major hit to Shrek's image—how could we not feel upset?"

"It may not have been them who spread it," Yan Shaozhe shook his head. "I heard from the teachers that there are many spies from other forces near our academy, even some from the Body Sect. Perhaps it was their doing."

"We don't have any enmity with the Ice God Palace, so they wouldn't have a reason to target us."

Theoretically, Yan Shaozhe believed the Ice God Palace had no motive to tarnish Shrek Academy's image. He felt their interactions so far had been fairly amicable—not deep friendships, but at least no hostility.

On the other hand, the Body Sect did have significant grievances with Shrek Academy.

Hearing this, Qian Duoduo and Xian Lin'er seemed to ponder.

Indeed, the Ice God Palace had no reason to slander Shrek Academy. It was possible that some other force learned of the incident and, with malicious intent, fanned the flames until the story became widespread.

"No matter what, we must clarify the situation and minimize the negative impact. And as for the Dai brothers—this whole mess started because they hired assassins. They deserve what they got," Xian Lin'er said firmly.

"I suggest we expel them. Shrek Academy cannot harbor such disruptive elements."

"You're right, Lin'er. If they hadn't ignored academy rules and tried to assassinate Jiang Nannan, none of this would have happened," Qian Duoduo agreed.

After a moment of deliberation, Yan Shaozhe nodded. "I agree with your suggestion. Expel them both."

No way was he afraid of dealing with those two troublemakers, especially since even the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, had recently run into trouble himself. Yan Shaozhe no longer saw the White Tiger Duke's Mansion as a significant threat.

"But we also need to resolve the fallout from this incident as quickly as possible. If necessary, we should create another sensational event to divert public attention and bury this story," Yan Shaozhe suggested.

Hearing this, Qian Duoduo grinned mischievously after a moment's thought. "Leave it to me. I'll make sure it's handled smoothly."

His eyes sparkled with devious intent.

"Alright, I'm counting on you," Yan Shaozhe replied.

The two exchanged knowing smiles, each recognizing the mischief in the other's eyes.

Elsewhere...

"A Duke in the Dou Ling Empire woke up in a pigsty—Is this the corruption of human nature or the collapse of morality?"

"A Crown Prince of the Heavenly Soul Empire is revealed not to be the biological son of the royal family. The Marquis is suspected of wearing a green hat for nineteen years!"

"A Duchess in the Star Luo Empire and her 100 lovers—is she a noblewoman or a courtesan?"

"The crown prince of the Sun-Moon Empire is a eunuch?"

"A 100,000-year-old soul beast did something unimaginable to a human."

...

Looking at the messages sent from the Ice God Palace, Su Yu was utterly speechless.

What in the world is all this nonsense?

Somehow, the entire Douluo Continent was now flooded with wild rumors.

From a Body Sect elder's concubine secretly being involved with his son to a marquis being caught red-handed by his wife while visiting a brothel late at night—the focus was chaos, pure and simple.

The citizens of the three nations on the Douluo Continent were overwhelmed by the sudden flood of juicy gossip, eagerly devouring every last detail.

Who even remembered Shrek Academy's disgrace anymore?

Compared to these shocking stories, the scandal involving Shrek Academy seemed utterly insignificant.

"Well played, Shrek Academy. Truly underhanded tactics," Su Yu muttered, smacking his lips. He had considered how Shrek might turn the situation around, but he hadn't expected them to resort to such a low tactic.

That said, the method was undeniably effective.

People, after all, loved gossip, especially about nobles.

The more scandalous and outrageous the rumors, the more they lapped it up.

And as for the truth? Who cares?

Even if you tried to clarify, no one would believe you.

As the saying goes, "Spreading a rumor takes a moment; dispelling it takes a lifetime."

This was the most insidious aspect of their strategy.

However, Su Yu had to admit that Shrek Academy had been smart. They hadn't offended the royal families of the three major empires.

Even if the emperors of these nations suspected something, they wouldn't hold Shrek Academy accountable for such trivial matters.

After all, the rumors only involved lower-ranking nobles, like dukes. None of it touched the emperors' interests.

Su Yu guessed that this whole farce had likely been orchestrated by Yan Shaozhe or Qian Duoduo.

One was reserved, the other cunning—this kind of scheme suited them perfectly.

"You two know how to manipulate public opinion. What talents," Su Yu sighed, realizing that even on the Douluo Continent, there were those who understood how to play this game.

Shrek Academy had successfully turned the tables.

Su Yu estimated that even if the news about the death of the Xuanwu Sect's leader came out now, it wouldn't cause the same level of uproar as before.

"This just makes things easier for those scoundrels in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion. With these rumors flying around, the criticism they face will surely decrease," Su Yu muttered to himself.

It felt a bit unsatisfying.

As far as Su Yu was concerned, anyone with the surname Dai, as long as they were descended from Dai Hao, deserved to be eliminated.

The only one who had escaped this fate was Huo Yuhao, simply because his surname was Huo, not Dai.

"Huo Yuhao, you'd better keep your surname as Huo. Otherwise, you're done for too."

Su Yu's eyes turned cold. When he took action, he wasn't one for mercy.

If Huo Yuhao dared to change his surname back, Su Yu would make sure he left no descendants.

There was no other reason—just being a Dai was reason enough to die.

"And Dai Mubai? That one definitely won't escape."

"When the time comes for me to ascend to the God Realm, I'll make sure to settle the score with him as well."

Su Yu sneered coldly. From their ancestors onward, the Dai family had never been anything good.

If he was going to deal with the Dai family, he might as well finish the job in one go.

The only reason he hadn't wiped them out entirely yet was that he wasn't done playing with them. Taking things step by step was far more entertaining.

Originally, he wouldn't have acted against the Dai family so soon. But they'd dared to ambush Jiang Nannan.

Did they think his people were fair game for just anyone?

If he didn't teach them a lesson, others might start thinking Su Yu was easy to push around.

A flash of cold light passed through Su Yu's eyes as he glanced at the piece of paper in his hand again. One of the rumors caught his attention.

"The crown prince of the Sun-Moon Empire is a eunuch?"

Su Yu wasn't sure if this was a coincidence, but he knew that if someone caught wind of it, there'd be a breakdown.

Lies didn't hurt nearly as much as the truth.

Wouldn't you agree, Xu Tiannan?