Douluo: Starting with an Engagement to Zhu Zhuqing

Chapter 34: Ye Nantian

Fatty kept on shouting, but Dai Yao remained as still as a statue, sitting under the waterfall as if nothing could disturb him.

The onlookers began to look at Dai Yao with increasing disdain.

"What a disgrace! A prince, being insulted so openly, and he doesn't even dare to respond!" someone muttered, disgusted by Dai Yao's silence.

"How could he call himself a noble? He's a disgrace to our entire class! He doesn't deserve the title of a noble!" an aristocratic soul master angrily remarked.

"He's just a one-ring soul master. Of course, he won't accept the challenge from a grandmaster. Avoiding the confrontation to protect himself is the wise choice," some others offered a more understanding perspective, admiring Dai Yao for not rising to the provocation.

Despite all the chatter, Dai Yao remained motionless, ignoring everything around him.

Finally, Fatty couldn't take it anymore. "You coward! You scared little rat! Pitiful creature! Turtle! Bastard without a mother!"

He exhausted every insult he knew, speaking with such passion that his words flowed like a song. For a moment, he felt like the very star of literature, his taunts rich with creativity and variety, never repeating.

As the insults kept coming, the onlookers began to pity Dai Yao. Listening to Fatty's barrage, they grew uncomfortable, and they couldn't imagine how Dai Yao could endure it.

Fatty, completely caught up in his own fury, seemed to be enjoying the experience, finding new ways to insult Dai Yao. The crowd, now interested in his endless creative vocabulary, watched in morbid curiosity, waiting for the next new insult.

But Dai Yao stayed as still as a statue, unmoved.

Fatty's mental state began to crack. His verbal onslaught appeared to have no effect on Dai Yao. His neck grew thick with effort, his face flushed red, and saliva was flying as he continued. Yet Dai Yao remained perfectly still.

Fatty felt light-headed from his exertion. He had been insulting for over ten minutes without pause. It was exhausting, like an endurance test.

He couldn't bear it anymore, collapsing to the ground in frustration. "Fourth Prince! Fourth Prince, I beg you! Will you at least acknowledge me? I've run out of words!"

At that moment, Dai Yao's soul power, drained from his efforts, caused his protective barrier to flicker and disappear. The rushing water cascaded down, sweeping Dai Yao off his feet and into the water below.

Dai Yao resurfaced, his head emerging from the water, and he shouted toward Fatty, "You acknowledge me now! You finally couldn't take it anymore, huh? You want to accept the duel now, don't you?"

Fatty, overjoyed at hearing Dai Yao speak, scrambled to the water's edge as if he were a thirsty traveler finally getting a drink.

"No, I meant if you're thirsty, I can give you water!" Dai Yao replied with a smile.

"Spit—"

Upon hearing these words, Fatty's mind went blank, his head swirling, and before he could react, a mouthful of blood shot from his mouth.

The crowd burst into laughter.

Fatty struggled to get up, glaring at Dai Yao. He muttered, "Don't think that just because you refuse to accept the duel, Second Prince won't find a way to deal with you. Just wait, you'll pay for this."

A commoner soul master was not allowed to insult a noble, let alone a prince. But Dai Yao was no ordinary prince.

To be a prince, one needed the backing of powerful maternal family forces. Dai Yao's mother was an ordinary woman with no strong influence, which made him politically isolated.

In the battle for the throne, it was not just a matter of personal strength but also the strength of one's allies. A prince without any backing had no chance of securing the throne of the Xingluo Empire.

This was one of the reasons why many powerful factions didn't take Dai Yao seriously.

The process of competing for the throne involved not only clashes of personal power but also the support of each prince's faction. A prince without support could be humiliated by another prince's forces without breaking any rules.

Even the Elder Council, which might normally intervene in such matters, wouldn't be able to act. After all, the Second Prince would likely obstruct any such intervention.

Dai Yao, being bullied by the Second Prince, had no hope of support from the council. The First Prince would probably add fuel to the fire, ensuring that no one would step in to stop the bullying.

After the crowd dispersed, the drenched Dai Yao returned to his quarters and sat cross-legged to recover his soul power.

He had kept track of every insult Fatty had hurled at him.

Dai Yao knew he had no means of fighting back—if he had engaged in verbal retaliation, it would have played right into the Second Prince's hands.

The best form of resistance was to remain silent. By focusing on his cultivation and not being affected by Fatty's verbal assault, he disrupted the Second Prince's plan.

Dai Yao kept his silence, pretending to remain unfazed, though his heart was far from calm.

Fatty could insult him all he wanted, but Dai Yao didn't mind. However, when Fatty had insulted his mother, a surge of anger welled up within him, threatening to burst forth. Luckily, the distance between them kept Fatty from seeing the fury in his eyes.

The Emperor of Xingluo was a stranger to Dai Yao. Over the years, Dai Yao had considered him dead.

But his mother, though of humble birth and looked down upon by the nobles, was a woman of great honor in Dai Yao's eyes. He would not allow anyone to tarnish her name.

Yet, his current strength was not enough to take on Fatty, let alone the Second Prince. It would be foolish to confront him now, especially with the Second Prince's backing.

Dai Yao wasn't alone anymore. He also had Zhu Zhuqing to think about. He couldn't afford to let his personal struggles put her in danger. He carried not just his own fate but also hers.

"Just wait, Fatty. I'll make you pay for your actions today," Dai Yao swore to himself.

In the following days, Fatty became infamous. He earned the nickname "Academy Composer," and whenever his name was mentioned, people shuddered in fear—even the Second Prince was somewhat surprised by the extent of Fatty's reputation.

After the Second Prince acquired his "nuclear weapon"—Fatty's title of "Academy Composer"—whenever he encountered a hostile faction, there was no need for him to take action personally. Just the mention of Fatty's title would cause the enemy to lose their will to fight before the battle even began.

In an instant, the Second Prince's faction became the most powerful force in the academy.

In stark contrast, Dai Yao's reputation had plummeted.

He had become the laughingstock of the Xingluo Royal Academy.

Dai Yao, known as a coward and weakling, was now the subject of ridicule throughout the academy. The Second Prince actively spread defamatory rumors about Dai Yao, and when the First Prince learned of it, he was also pleased and joined in spreading these negative stories about Dai Yao.

With the push from both princes, Dai Yao became the object of disdain for everyone in the Xingluo Royal Academy. Occasionally, some students would visit his training area just to see the so-called famous person.

"So, this is the legendary weakling Dai Yao? He's a prince, and yet he's such a coward," a new female student chuckled after glancing at Dai Yao, who was in a meditative state.

"Neither the First Prince nor the Second Prince looks down on you, but you have a chance to become the consort of the Fourth Prince!" another girl teased.

"Go away, go away," the female student muttered in annoyance, "I wouldn't even look at a man like that."

"Haha, but there are some benefits to men like him. If you tell him to go east, he won't dare go west," the other girl continued teasing, listing the "virtues" of Dai Yao.

Suddenly, a flame shot forward, pushing the two women away.

"Do you think the Fourth Prince would look at you? Have you even looked at yourselves in the mirror? You're all a bunch of twisted pumpkins! Who would look at you?" a fiery red figure appeared before them, speaking with an aggressive tone. The yellow soul ring around her flared with an immense pressure.

"You..." The two girls were somewhat defiant, unwilling to back down.

"What? Still not leaving? Do you want me to make you?" Feng Wutong shouted angrily, hands on her hips, her aura radiating with confidence and vigor.

The two women shot a venomous glare at Feng Wutong. Upon seeing her glowing yellow soul ring, their expressions changed dramatically, and they quickly retreated.

"Hmph, a pair of big-breasted brainless women. Is mocking others for fun a hobby?" Feng Wutong muttered to herself in dissatisfaction.

Such incidents occurred every day. Even as an observer, Feng Wutong found it unbearable, let alone Dai Yao, who was at the center of it all. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

"I can't let him suffer alone. I have to help him," Feng Wutong made up her mind.

...

A few days later.

Sensing something unusual in the surroundings, Dai Yao opened his eyes.

"Mm?"

Before him stood a tall and imposing man, draped in a red cloak, his figure like a spear piercing the air. He stood motionless, exuding an overwhelming presence, like a mighty lion in the grasslands.

"Who are you?" Dai Yao asked.

"Ye Nantian," the man replied simply with three words, yet the weight of his voice seemed to still the very air around them.

Dai Yao's eyes narrowed. He had heard of Ye Nantian's reputation. As the third most untouchable figure in the academy, he was also the spiritual leader of many commoner soul masters. Every one of his actions was closely watched by countless people.

"This may not end well," Dai Yao thought to himself. He then asked, "Your Excellency's arrival is an honor. May I know the reason for your visit?"

Ye Nantian scanned his surroundings, noticing Dai Yao sitting beneath the waterfall, struggling against the powerful currents of water. He inwardly nodded, thinking, Seems like Wutong wasn't lying. This kid really is someone special.

He spoke, "You've been occupying Feng Wutong's training ground. Losing to you was her own defeat, but she is one of us, a commoner soul master. That doesn't mean we have no other capable souls. Today, I've come to teach you a lesson."

Though he said this, his thoughts were more complicated.

When Ye Nantian learned that Dai Yao had taken over Feng Wutong's training area, he initially wanted to give him a lesson. However, after hearing about the scene at the cafeteria where the Second Prince had humiliated Dai Yao, and after hearing Feng Wutong explain the situation, he had decided to let it go.

But Wutong had persistently asked him to help guide Dai Yao. He couldn't refuse any longer and had come today to meet this young man.

If he wants me to guide him, he'll need to prove himself worthy, Ye Nantian silently thought.

(End of Chapter)

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