Niu Gao spoke up, stroking his beard. "Alliance Master, let this old man accompany you to Suotuo City."
Yang Wudi cut in, "No, I should go. The Cola project has been running smoothly for two months now, I can step away for a while."
Lu Feng chuckled and shook his head. "No need. It's more important for all of you to oversee the Alliance's key branches and consolidate our gains. Don't worry, I won't be in any danger. This trip to Suotuo City is discreet, and the Star Luo Empire will also assign experts to guard me in secret."
Not to mention, he still had two Title Douluo Experience Cards tucked away. Even if Qian Daoliu himself showed up, Lu Feng had his Absolute Invincibility Potion as a last resort. Who could possibly threaten him? And now, his own strength wasn't anything to scoff at either.
Using the Title Douluo Experience Card didn't just grant him temporary power, it stacked on top of his existing abilities.
Niu Gao nodded reluctantly. "You're right, of course… but this old man still can't help worrying."
Bai He smirked. "Old Rhino, you just don't want our Alliance Master gone for so long. Ever since the Blade Douluo made his earth-shattering debut, no one dares provoke the Merchant Alliance anymore, let alone our leader."
Niu Gao's frown melted into a grin. "Ah, true, true! With the Blade Douluo watching over our Alliance Master, what use is an old man like me?"
Bai He turned to Lu Feng, admiration gleaming in his eyes. "Alliance Master, your charisma is truly unmatched. You visit Nuoding City once, and somehow recruit a Title Douluo to our cause."
"Who said I only recruited one?" Lu Feng remarked casually, sipping his tea.
Bai He: "..."
Niu Gao: "..."
Yang Wudi: "..."
Ye Wuying: "..."
The room plunged into dead silence.
Every elder's eyes bulged, their faces frozen in shock.
After a few breaths, Yang Wudi finally managed to speak, his voice trembling slightly. "Alliance Master… are you saying there's a second...?"
Lu Feng smiled cryptically. "This matter is far too significant. Allow me to keep some suspense for now, you'll find out in due time."
His words were vague, but the elders understood: he was confirming it.
The Spirit Hall ruled unchallenged because of one, Qian Daoliu.
The Hao Tian Sect remained the "Number One Sect under Heaven" despite going into seclusion, and even after Tang Hao killed the Spirit Hall's Pope, they avoided retaliation. Why? Because the mere legend of Tang Chen's power still lingered.
The Sea God Island became a sacred land revered by all because of one, the Sea God Douluo, Bo Saixi. After the Spirit Hall's failed invasion, no one dared provoke it again.
And now?
The moment the Merchant Alliance revealed its Blade Douluo, everything changed.
Contracts surged. Debt-ridden factions rushed to repay, with interest. Hostile forces either retreated in fear or came crawling with gifts.
The emperors of both empires, even Spirit Hall's Pope Bibi Dong herself, sent personal letters seeking strategic alliances.
Morale among the Merchant Alliance's ranks skyrocketed. Productivity and efficiency soared.
And now… Lu Feng was implying they had another Title Douluo in reserve.
Two Title Douluo under the Merchant Alliance's banner?
The sheer scale of what that meant, the upheaval it would cause across every major power was beyond imagination.
The elders were speechless, their minds reeling. Then, like a tidal wave, elation crashed over them.
Their gazes locked onto Lu Feng, brimming with something beyond respect, something closer to awe.
"This matter is of utmost importance, all elders must keep it strictly confidential for now," Lu Feng instructed solemnly.
"By your command, Alliance Master!"
The elders clasped their fists in unison, their voices thunderous with conviction.
"Elder Bai He, any updates on Yu Xiaogang's recent movements?"
Lu Feng had previously tasked Bai He with closely monitoring Yu Xiaogang.
This man was a critical piece in draining Tang San's protagonist aura.
Though detestable, he couldn't be killed, not yet. His death now would only martyr him.
For a schemer like Yu Xiaogang, who clung to reputation and manufactured prestige as his ladder to power, the true punishment wasn't death. It was exposure, a public unraveling of his facade, just like Tang Hao had suffered. That would break him far worse than any blade.
Besides... there was something else.
Lu Feng had sensed traces of draconic bloodline within Yu Xiaogang. When experimenting with his own Dragon God bloodline, he'd felt a peculiar pull, as if something could be absorbed from the man. That was worth investigating later.
Bai He responded promptly, "I was just about to report. Our spies confirmed that after you revealed your spirit rings and defeated Yu Xiaogang's disciple, the public realized his theories were fundamentally flawed. Even the dean of Nuoding Spirit Master Academy recognized his 'Grandmaster' title was unearned and politely... encouraged his departure."
A sneer crept into Bai He's voice. "The man feasted on the academy's resources, enjoyed lavish benefits, yet looked down on everyone. He refused to teach ordinary students, obsessed only with scouting 'geniuses' to take as disciples, solely to inflate his own reputation. Utterly self-serving."
"Now that he's been expelled, he's out of options. His last resort is Shrek Academy. Before, he avoided it, too rural, too impoverished for his tastes. But because of his desperate times he even went there" Bai He shrugged. "Luckily for him, Shrek's dean, Four-Eyed Owl, is notoriously sentimental."
Lu Feng nodded.
Just as expected. Yu Xiaogang was still fated for Shrek Academy.
Beneath the halo of a protagonist's plot armor, even scum like him stumbled onto paths of fortune.
But not on my watch.
After further discussions, the elders dispersed to their duties.
Then—
A streak of white shot through the air.
"Big Brother!"
Little Bai Xiangrong, her pristine wings fluttering, crashed into Lu Feng's arms like a tiny comet.
He barely had time to rise before catching her slender frame, stumbling back into his chair with an oomph.
"Easy there, Xiangrong. Been keeping happy lately?"
"No!" She pouted, her lower lip jutting out.
"Oh? What's wrong?" Lu Feng chuckled.
"I missed you! You were gone forever, no one played with me!"
Her small arms tightened around his neck, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"How could no one play with you? There are so many kids at the Merchant Alliance Academy," Lu Feng said with a chuckle.
The Merchant Alliance Academy was one of Lu Feng's proudest projects, a network of schools funded with top-tier resources and staffed by the most capable instructors.
Children of Alliance members attended for free, while talented commoners could enroll through scholarships or interest-free loans, provided they worked for the Alliance for three years after graduation.
And talent wasn't limited to martial souls. Business acumen, sharp memory, even a knack for research, all were valued. The Alliance needed every kind of genius.
"Playing with them is boring. I only want to play with you." Bai Xiangrong puffed her cheeks. "Big Brother… do you not want me anymore?"
"How could I ever not want you?" Lu Feng ruffled her hair, his voice softening. "You'll always be my most precious little sister. Always."
He wasn't just humoring her.
Years of companionship had forged a bond deeper than blood.
Bai Xiangrong's amber eyes searched his face, then lit up when she found no lies.
With a sudden giggle, she scrambled onto his lap, standing on his thighs to loom over him. Tipping her head coyly, she grinned. "I've grown taller than you now~!"
Lu Feng laughed. "So you have!"
"And when I grow up for real—"
"I know, I know. You'll take me flying."
"Not just that!" She jabbed a tiny finger at his chest. "I'm gonna marry you!"
"..."
Lu Feng blinked, then burst into laughter. "Alright, alright. We'll talk when you're older."
Looking at her now, this porcelain-doll of a girl, all mischief and spark, he could already see the stunning beauty she'd become.
In original, Tang San had "kindly" arranged Bai Xiangrong's marriage to Ma Hongjun, a man whose vices mirrored Dai Mubai's. And while Ma Hongjun ascended to godhood, she was left behind to wither and die.
Bullshit.
If Ma Hongjun had truly loved her, a god could've found a way. Two or three centuries were more than enough to scour the world for spirit herbs, even if the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well was the only source, new ones would've grown by then.
The truth? He didn't try hard enough.
A man who hopped between brothels, who fell in "love" with every new face, didn't change. Not really. His so-called "reformation" was temporary, a performance while he still needed Tang San's favor. Once he grew powerful enough? Once the novelty wore off?
The real Ma Hongjun would've resurfaced.
But this time—
That bastard won't lay a finger on my sister.
If I become a god, I'll drag her into divinity with me, by any means necessary.
Even if I have to shatter the heavens to do it