Douluo Dalu 2: You are an Evil Soul Master, but also a good person ?

Mingdu, the Imperial Palace.

Inside the grand and majestic hall.

Nearly a hundred officials stood in two lines, divided into civil and military ranks.

The civil officials were responsible for governing the empire, with the Prime Minister as their leader. The military officials, on the other hand, were primarily high-ranking soul engineers. Among them, the head of the Royal Soul Engineering Corps stationed in the imperial city, Xu Jiangnian, was a Rank 9 Soul Engineer who remained neutral in court affairs, serving only the emperor. Additionally, there was the leader of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineering Corps, Qingzhi, also a Rank 9 Soul Engineer.

Beyond these, the other three major beast soul engineering corps were stationed along the empire's borders and could not be gathered on short notice.

At the very front of the hall, two figures stood side by side.

Xu Jiran cast a cold glare at Xu Cheng beside him. Though he felt some regret, he did not waver.

After all, for those who seek great achievements, such setbacks were insignificant.

Beside him, the Prime Minister gave him a reassuring look. Observing the entire court, Xu Jiran saw that at least a third of the officials were on his side. This strengthened his confidence, and a cold smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

What was meant by "destined by fate"? This was it!

Xu Cheng, you are only fit to mingle with a bunch of worthless nobodies.

"His Majesty the Emperor arrives!"

A voice rang out from outside the hall.In an instant, all the officials knelt, except for Elder Kong, Elder Cheng, Jing Hongchen, and other highly respected individuals, as well as a few princes, who only needed to bow.

The Emperor of the Sun-Moon Empire entered from outside the hall.Slowly, he ascended the throne at the very front.

"Rise, my loyal subjects."

The Emperor of the Sun-Moon Empire spoke calmly.

"Alright, let's hear it. What exactly happened today?"

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Inspectorate under Fourth Brother's command suddenly detained me today, intending to subject me to brutal interrogation, trying to falsely accuse me and force a confession through torture. Fortunately, I have evidence stored in a communication soul tool that was not destroyed. The commander of the Imperial Inspectorate, Xu Mochen, was the one who carried out these actions."

"…"

The hall erupted into murmurs.

Everyone knew that the struggle for the throne among the princes was perilous, full of traps and sinister tactics, but the winner would take all.

However, for the Fourth Prince to resort to such means and still be caught red-handed—this was a grave mistake.

"Fourth Prince, what do you have to say?"

The Emperor's voice remained indifferent.

"Your son… accepts punishment!"

Xu Jiran gritted his teeth and knelt.

The Prime Minister, whose faction supported him, had advised him on what to say in court.

Although he felt reluctant, he had great trust in the Prime Minister's political strategies.

"Eleventh Prince, what do you think?"

The Emperor continued.

"In that case, the entire Imperial Inspectorate should be eradicated. The one currently in charge must also die…" Xu Cheng chuckled, but his voice carried a cold edge.

"Xu Cheng! Don't go too far!"

Hearing this, the Fourth Prince stood up and glared angrily at Xu Cheng.

"Heh, if my teacher had arrived a little later today, I might not have come out alive. Whether I lived or died would have been uncertain. I haven't asked for your life yet, so consider yourself lucky," Xu Cheng said coolly. "Besides, the Imperial Inspectorate should not be a tool for some people to abuse their authority. Let me ask you this—aside from myself, have any other members of the royal family been imprisoned there? I suspect that this group of parasites has been using the prison as a way to extort and exploit innocent people."

"Hah…" Xu Jiran took a deep breath and said coldly, "The one in charge is a prince! You have no right to kill him! Other than that, I don't care who else dies."

"…"

On both sides of the hall.

The Prime Minister, Elder Cheng, and others remained silent.

They let the two debate openly.

Yet even in silence, their very presence spoke volumes.

Several military officers glanced at Elder Cheng, standing quietly behind Xu Cheng, exchanging meaningful looks, clearly shaken.

They hadn't expected Xu Cheng to actually win Elder Cheng over.

With Elder Cheng standing behind him, Xu Cheng—who was previously seen as a powerless prince—had suddenly risen to the same level as the Fourth Prince, who had spent over a decade consolidating his faction. This alone spoke volumes about his growing influence.

After all, an otherwise unremarkable prince—who was not widely known to be connected to the Holy Spirit Cult—was now standing on equal footing with the Fourth Prince, who had the backing of a well-established faction. This was an impressive feat.

"Hmph! Xu Cheng, have you forgotten? You colluded with evil soul masters and slaughtered innocent Sun-Moon Empire citizens!"

Finally, Xu Jiran could not hold back any longer and played his trump card.

The entire hall fell silent.

Everyone stared at Xu Cheng in shock.

What did he just say? Evil soul masters?!!

This… this…

Seeing the stunned expressions of the court officials, Xu Jiran smirked triumphantly, looking at Xu Cheng with an air of victory.

"What evil soul masters? Be careful, or I'll accuse you of slander," Xu Cheng said, displeased.

"Ridiculous! You are a Holy Son of the Holy Spirit Cult, are you not an evil soul master?!" Xu Jiran raised his voice, as if eager for the entire court to hear.

However, behind him, the Prime Minister shook his head slightly.

He had warned him not to reveal this card under any circumstances. Yet, provoked so easily, the boy had…

Sigh—if he weren't his own grandson, and if this power struggle didn't affect his family, he would have abandoned him.

Did he really think the Holy Spirit Cult was universally seen as evil?

What a joke! How naive!

In the face of true power, everything else was irrelevant!

Especially for these nobles (the ruling class). To them, if evil soul masters slaughtered commoners, what did it matter? Unless they specifically targeted the nobility, there would be no widespread outrage!

Moreover, Zhongli Wu was exceptionally cunning. In recent years, the Holy Spirit Cult had maintained a low profile, avoiding conflict with the Sun-Moon Empire's aristocracy. For the past century, they had been quietly expanding without drawing attention. As a result, most people had no real understanding of how powerful the Holy Spirit Cult had become.

For example, before revealing himself, Grand Worshipper Long Xiaoyao had been completely unnoticed as a member of the Holy Spirit Cult.

And just as the Prime Minister feared—The entire court went wide-eyed in shock.

The Holy Spirit Cult… Holy Son!

This previously obscure prince was certainly good at keeping secrets!

Naturally, if Xu Cheng had been the first to claim he was connected to evil soul masters, most would have doubted him.

But now that his opponent, Xu Jiran, had declared it publicly, it was hard not to believe.For a moment.

Everyone in the hall looked at Xu Cheng with different eyes. Some even began reconsidering which side they should support.

"You say the Holy Spirit Cult consists of evil soul masters?"

Xu Cheng's lips curved into a smile."Of course! The Holy Spirit Cult is evil soul masters! Isn't it obvious?!" Xu Jiran raised his voice further, enjoying the growing murmurs of discussion behind him, feeling more and more pleased.

"Oh…"

Xu Cheng nodded, then spoke lightly, "Elder Long, someone is calling you an evil soul master."

Xu Jiran: ???

The entire court fell silent, curiously looking at Xu Cheng.What was this about?

And… who was Elder Long?

Did the Sun-Moon Empire even have a powerhouse named Long?

Then, in the next moment—A terrifying pressure suddenly engulfed the entire hall.

Countless officials turned pale, horrified as they gazed at the sky outside the palace. A moment ago, it had been clear and bright. Now, dark clouds had gathered, creating an ominous, oppressive atmosphere.

A gentle wind rose, heralding an impending storm.

A figure cloaked in black slowly descended from the sky, stepping into the hall.A breeze lifted the hood of his black robe, revealing the face of a middle-aged, handsome man in his forties.

"Long Xiaoyao…"

Kong Deming's pupils contracted violently, his voice filled with disbelief.

"You… actually joined the Holy Spirit Cult!!!"

The court fell silent.The legendary Rank 99 Limit Douluo—Long Xiaoyao—had chosen a side.

And he was not alone.

Five more black-robed figures followed him, each radiating power at the level of a Super Douluo.Even the Emperor's eyes flickered with astonishment.

"So, Xu Jiran… What exactly is the connection between the Holy Spirit Cult and Evil Soul Masters?"

Xu Cheng smiled.

"N-No connection…"

Under the suffocating presence of six supreme powerhouses, Xu Jiran's face turned pale, and his body trembled.

None of his Rank Eight Soul Engineers dared step forward.

"Everyone, tell me—does the Holy Spirit Cult have any ties to Evil Soul Masters?"

Xu Cheng addressed the court.

"Of course not! How absurd!"

"Impossible! A complete fabrication!"

"Right! We have never heard of any such connection!"

A wave of affirmations swept through the hall.

Xu Cheng turned to Xu Jiran and the Prime Minister, smiling.

Their faces burned red with humiliation.

(End of Chapter)