vncnus Chapter 75 The Long-Lasting Temptation: Dai Youheng Turns the Tables
Chapter 75 The Long-Lasting Temptation: Dai Youheng Turns the Tables
Chapter 75 The Long-Lasting Temptation: Dai Youheng Turns the Tables
After saying that, she fell silent, only gazing at Dai Youheng with her beautiful and shrewd eyes, waiting for his response, waiting for the light of longing and excitement to appear in his eyes, waiting for him to eagerly pledge his loyalty.
However, Dai Youheng's reaction once again surprised her.
Instead of immediately expressing his opinion excitedly, he slowly put down his teacup, making a very soft clinking sound.
He raised his eyes, calmly looking directly into Xu Jiujiu's calculating eyes, and asked in a steady tone, accurately grasping the core of the matter.
"Her Highness's kindness and generosity are truly touching. However, I, Youheng, am still unclear about one thing: the royal family has gone to such lengths to support me, helping me to obtain the dukedom and control the Western Legion—so, what exactly are the specific benefits for me?"
He tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely perplexed. "After all, even if I were to assume that position, the Western Legion would still be a legion of Star Luo, subject to the Empire's command. And I, it seems, would merely be relegated to a different location, continuing to serve the Empire. What Your Highness meant by 'belonging to me,' besides a seemingly prestigious but actually burdensome and restrictive title and military power, what else could I truly obtain?"
These words, spoken with a calmness bordering on coldness, instantly tore away the veil of warmth and patriotism that had been hidden in his words for so long, pointing directly to the most fundamental exchange of interests: "You want me to be your puppet, so what real benefits can I get?"
Xu Jiujiu's smile froze slightly. She hadn't expected Dai Youheng to be so direct, even "greedy," in demanding specific benefits.
This was completely contrary to her expectations that the other party should be extremely grateful.
But she quickly readjusted her expression, sneering inwardly. He was indeed still that illegitimate son who only longed for her, only now he was better at hiding it and better at bargaining.
Fine, since he wants a more "real" promise, then give him one he can't refuse.
She leaned forward again, this time even closer to Dai Youheng, the faint scent of royal incense wafting around her.
She gazed into Dai Youheng's eyes, her red lips parted slightly, her voice lowered, carrying a hint of ambiguous warmth, as she threw out what she thought was her final, and most lethal, bargaining chip, word by word.
"Youheng, why do you ask a question you already know the answer to?" Her eyes sparkled with allure, her tone becoming incredibly seductive. "What were you doing running to the palace every day all those years ago? Have you forgotten the feelings you repeatedly expressed to me?"
She paused for a moment, noticing a slight shift in Dai Youheng's eyes, and felt a surge of triumph. Finally, she revealed her true intentions. "Actually, after all this time, how could I not be moved by your sincerity? It's just that my brother previously refused. I promise you, on the day you officially inherit the title of Duke of White Tiger and firmly sit on the throne of the Western Legion—"
"That is the day when I, as a princess of the Star Luo Empire, dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, with the blessings of the royal family and supreme glory, will marry you in grand style and become the mistress of your ducal mansion!"
"Isn't this the biggest benefit?" She breathed softly, her eyes filled with confidence, as if she could already see Dai Youheng stunned by this huge "surprise" and completely reduced to her subservient future.
The fragrant aroma of tea still lingered in her nostrils, but a completely different wave had been stirred in Dai Youheng's inner world.
Xu Jiujiu's words, which carried a seductive and condescending tone, were like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, but they failed to stir the ripples he expected. Instead, they made him see the cold, icy rocks of ambition at the bottom of the pool.
If he were the same boy who was blinded by love in the past, his heart would probably be pounding like a drum, his face flushed, and he would be so overwhelmed by this sudden "favor" that he would want to immediately confess his feelings, swear allegiance, and offer up the entire ducal mansion and even his soul, just to win a smile from the princess.
But Dai Youheng's soul has already been transformed. In his eyes, Xu Jiujiu's beauty is nothing more than superficial, pleasing to the eye, but far less alluring than absolute power and supreme authority.
A honey trap? His face remained as calm as still water.
Did Youheng decide to turn the tables on him?
A thought flashed through his mind like lightning, instantly illuminating a deeper and more magnificent path. He had long intended to use him as a puppet, to control the Duke's mansion, and thus to restrain the Western Legion and consolidate imperial power.
Why can't he turn this seemingly alluring trap around?
Xingluo Kingdom - Xu Family -
A cold, hard plan was rapidly taking shape in his mind.
If one day in the future, the direct heirs of the Xu family of the Xingluo royal family, including that high and mighty emperor, and even the beautiful princess in front of us, all perish due to various "accidents".
At that time, as the legitimate husband of the Empire's only princess, Xu Jiujiu, and also with the bloodline of the White Tiger Dai family, the founder of the Star Luo Empire ten thousand years ago, wouldn't he become the most legitimate heir in the Empire's legal system?
The Star Luo Empire originated from the Dai family! This is not a usurpation; in some ways, it is even a restoration of order!
At that time, in the court, those factions loyal to the current royal family may struggle, but those lurking in the shadows of history...
Those forces that always remember their former master and hope that the Dai family will regain control of the world, can they all be used by him?
The power generated by combining righteousness and authority with strength will be beyond imagination.
His martial spirit is the Evil Shadow Demon Tiger, the king of beasts, destined to rule! The Golden Gang Evil-Repelling Body he cultivates is the majestic and domineering way of the emperor, which requires the world's fortune to nourish his invincible physique!
His Rebellious Heavenly Demon Pill Martial Soul can mass-produce Title Douluos who obey him, creating a terrifying force with absolute loyalty!
With such talent and ability, if one is content with merely the title of duke and living a secluded life, wouldn't that be a waste of his potential, a betrayal of this extraordinary opportunity and his own ambitions?
He had a strong premonition that his path to godhood was not simply a matter of arduous cultivation and accumulation, but was inevitably closely related to the mortal world and the position of the ruler of all under heaven.
The only one to be wary of is Tang San from the God Realm, who seems to always look down on Douluo Continent and prefers to stir up trouble on the continent. But as he thought of this, Dai Youheng suddenly recalled the promise made by that mysterious and grand voice when he descended to this world: within five years, Tang San would not be able to directly interfere in the affairs of this world!
As if he had taken a reassuring pill, Dai Youheng's last trace of doubt disappeared.
Five years may not be a long time, but for him, it is a golden window of time to make strategic plans!
If that's the case, why not take a gamble? Why not go all in?
Sweep across the six directions, dominate the eight wastelands, unify the world, and challenge for the supreme godhood!
By then, with a solid foundation and the momentum in his favor, having condensed his divine body, what would he have to fear even if the Sea God himself came? He would have enough power and confidence to contend with him!
A thousand thoughts, in reality, arise in the blink of an eye. In the depths of Dai Youheng's gaze as he looked at Xu Jiujiu, a fleeting ambition, both icy cold and burning like magma, vanished so quickly that the confident princess could not even catch it.
He accepted the challenge.
Moreover, if we're going to play, let's play bigger! However, the players in this game are not up to this self-important princess to decide.
Even the most beautiful and dazzling princess on the chessboard is just a piece that can be discarded at any time.
Thinking of this, a faint trace of panic, a sudden revelation of his innermost thoughts, and a surge of suppressed elation deliberately appeared in the deepest part of his eyes.
Then his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, as if he had swallowed with great difficulty. His voice was deliberately slowed down, carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible quality of trembling from intense longing. Every word was like carefully measured bait.
"Your Highness, are you truly serious?"
The tone and expression perfectly captured the passionate lover who had suddenly obtained what he had longed for, and the barely suppressed excitement and unbelievable longing were portrayed vividly.
Seeing this, the smile on his lips, which seemed to say he had everything under control, became even more profound and captivating, and the last bit of doubt in his heart vanished.
See, in the end, it still couldn't escape my grasp.
She seemed to have already seen a bright future where she could control Dai Youheng and then firmly grasp the most elite legion and the most influential ducal mansion of Xingluo in the hands of the royal family.
Little did she know that the promise she had just made so casually was not a shortcut to consolidating power, but a Pandora's box that was deep and dark, capable of devouring her and even the entire Xingluo Xu Clan royal family.
What will be released from the box is an ambitious tiger that will devour anyone it chooses and has its sights set on conquering the world.