41 Ch.40: Dugu Family

Dugu Xin, using the token's authority, had summoned all the retainers of the prestigious Dugu family overnight to convene in the grandeur of the ancestral hall. Positioned high on the patriarch's seat, he exuded an air of supremacy. Four seasoned men sat among the attendees, one in a deep crimson robe leading the rest who were draped in white, purple, and green robes respectively. The green-robed old man looked at Dugu Xin sitting in the position of patriarch, and loudly reprimanded, "Who dares to sit in the position of patriarch."

Dugu Xin glanced at it faintly, and then the soul power burst out, and an aura that belonged to the soul king appeared, and the monochrome phosphor serpent emperor also appeared behind him and let out a faint roar towards the four old men. The Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor belongs to the top poisonous martial souls, and has a natural restraint for most poisonous martial souls, and Dugu Xin's mutated, adding an even greater suppression and as Dugu Xin's aura erupts, it instantly suppresses the audience.

Dugu Xin's icy snake pupils looked towards the green-robed old man, and then the green-robed old man subconsciously entered the battle state, forcing the martial soul out, and a Shadow Demon Spider appeared behind him, and the six spirit rings, yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, and black shone under his feet. The green-robed old man was stared at by Dugu Xin, feeling like a great enemy, as if he was stared at by a poisonous snake hidden in the shadows, and he shuddered.

He couldn't help but be shocked in his heart 'This... How is this possible, he is just a soul king, how can his breath be so powerful, and it is actually just a simple glance that actually makes me feel a sense of crisis.' The head old man frowned slightly, and then carefully looked at Dugu Xin's appearance, and his eyes couldn't help but become a little kind. Then he quickly hid the love in his eyes and said coldly, "Zhu Laosi, this should be our young patriarch, don't be rude."

Zhu Laoshi, in response, let out a cold snort, retracting his martial soul. He spoke with a frosty tone, "Young Patriarch, I don't oppose your ascension, but with Patriarch Dugu Bo absent for a year and a half in pursuit of his ninth spirit ring, external forces are stirring. The Golden Eagle Family, the Wind Dao Family, and the City Lord's Mansion are eyeing the Dugu family. Relying solely on the token won't deter their encroachment. I propose that the four clan elders, alongside the young patriarch, strategize to stall these adversaries until the patriarch's return."

Rising from his seat, Dugu Xin advanced steadily towards Zhu Laoshi. His monochrome Phosphor Serpent Emperor raised its head in tandem, its icy eyes fixed upon Zhu Laoshi. Dugu Xin's soul power surged, propelling him into a state of martial soul possession. His cold, serpentine gaze expanded as his domain encompassed the surroundings, suppressing all life and draining its vitality, leaving everything drained of color. Fixated on Zhu Laoshi, he uttered in a frosty tone, "The Dugu family has never entertained notions of shared governance. It has always stood united with one voice, even if it means facing annihilation."

Under this overwhelming force, Zhu Laoshi instinctively took a step back, stunned by the effects of Dugu Xin's domain, even as a Soul Emperor. Anger and frustration flushed his face crimson as he contemplated raising his hand, only to be restrained by the elder in red, who shot him a scolding glare. "Zhu Laoshi, what are you thinking?" the elder reprimanded sternly.

Under the piercing gaze of the red-clad elder, Zhu Laoshi had no choice but to suppress his animosity. Grudgingly, he muttered, "I apologize, Young Patriarch. I was momentarily misguided."

Surveying the room, Dugu Xin addressed the clan elders, his voice cool and composed, "Gentlemen, what are your thoughts on my temporary position as patriarch?"

The elder in red smiled faintly, bowing respectfully to Dugu Xin. "I, Hillis, will heed the young patriarch's command," he declared.

The white-clad elder followed suit, coldly affirming, "I, Ouyang Qi, will abide by the young patriarch's orders."

The purple-clad elder offered a brief nod, stating calmly, "I, Xi Leng, will follow the young patriarch's lead."

Finally, Zhu Laosi, sensing the current, reluctantly offered his obedience, "I, Zhu Laoshi, will comply with the young patriarch's wishes."

Despite his outward compliance, Zhu Laoshi couldn't conceal the malice lurking behind his eyes, which did not escape the keen perception of Dugu Xin, honed by his Beast Intent. With a meaningful glance directed at Zhu Laoshi, Dugu Xin pondered, 'No wonder the Dugu family is facing gradual erosion. Internal troubles seem to rival those from the external world.'

Dugu Xin surveyed the dire state of affairs within the Dugu clan, realizing that the situation was even more dire than he had initially anticipated. As the turmoil on the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire continued to escalate, the price of medicinal resources soared, and the Dugu family's supply convoys were repeatedly ambushed. Each attack targeted the precious medicine, leaving devastation in their wake. Observing the ineffectual response from the Dugu clan, he sensed the impending suppression of the Dugu family's Novus City pharmacy. Despite efforts to establish a new medicinal materials supply line, attempts were short-lived, swiftly discovered and demolished by rival families. The original medicinal suppliers were gradually absorbed by the remaining three dominant forces—the Golden Eagle Family, the Wind Dao Family, and the City Lord's Mansion. It became evident that the Dugu family had entered a weakened state not witnessed in a millennium.

Dugu Xin's grandfather who had led the Dugu family's rapid rise to dominance under the banner of a Titled Douluo, had nearly achieved the feat of controlling Novus City if he had tried harder. The family's business flourished under his command, surprising many. However, his fight with the elder from Spirit Hall led to his own poison taking his life. This skirmish dealt a heavy blow to the other three families, prompting Dugu Bo, Dugu Xin's father, to assume the role of patriarch at the age of 31. Initially, Dugu Bo's strength was just sufficient to hold the family's ground, but he voluntarily ceded certain territories to the other factions, allowing them to vie for supremacy. This strategy steered the Dugu family through a perilous period and provided Dugu Bo with the time to strengthen himself. Eventually, Dugu Bo's resurgence to the Soul Saint stage restored a delicate equilibrium among the four major forces in Novus.

With Dugu Bo's increasing strength and promotion to Titled Douluo, the other families in the city became restless, trying to gain as many benefits in Dugu Bo's absence. The Dugu family's prominence escalated, and yet, recent encounters proved that the family was unable to mount effective resistance. The other three forces could no longer restrain themselves. With his exceptional group combat abilities, none dared to provoke the Dugu family. Now, with Dugu Bo's sudden disappearance and Dugu Xin, aged only 16 years, having reached the level of Soul King and emerging victorious in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, it was apparent that the other three major families would never allow Dugu Xin the chance to develop. Dugu Xin surmised that within one or two months, the Golden Eagle Family and the Wind Dao Family would launch a full-fledged assault on the Dugu family. The City Lord's Mansion, on the other hand, was likely to remain aloof, potentially worsening the situation.

'Hmph, damn profiteers. If it were my father who returned, they would have cowered and begged for forgiveness. But it is what it is. For now, I should see how to deal with the Golden Eagle Family and the Wind Dao Family. The City Lord's Mansion is useless now that we will move to the Sunset Forest, so I guess I should permanently deal with them to avoid any further trouble.'

As the patriarch, Dugu Xin grappled with the realization that the family lacked a robust Spirit Douluo-level powerhouse to help him suppress the other families. Meanwhile, the other three major families boasted each level 79 Spirit Saints, and the City Lord's Mansion even had a level 81 Spirit Douluo, leaving Dugu Xin uncertain of how to defend the family's legacy. 'I don't have much that I can work with. Ideally, I can help Hillis break through and reach level 80 Spirit Douluo. As for the rest of the elders… I need to keep an eye on Laoshi, as for the other two. I will see their stance in the next few days and will go from there.'

As he contemplated these weighty matters, a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Boy, with internal and external troubles, it seems you have a serious headache," remarked Great Elder Hillis, as he strolled into the room. He settled down beside Dugu Xin and continued in a cold tone, "Your father is not here, and you shouldn't have returned. You should find a secure place to focus on your cultivation until you possess the strength to return and restore the Dugu family."

Dugu Xin responded resolutely, "I will not abandon my family. Not when I still have the will to fulfill my dream." His words were cut short as Hillis rudely interjected, his tone laced with anger. "You foolish boy! You are still young. You should not sink with an old, sinking ship like us."

Hillis continued, "With your exceptional talent, achieving the realm of the Spirit King at such a young age, even obtaining the Titled Douluo like your father is within your reach. Now that you've returned to the clan, the Golden Eagle Family, the Wind Dao Family, and the City Lord's Mansion will stop at nothing to take your life. The City Lord's Mansion even invited a Titled Douluo to come, even if your father were to return now, it would be useless."

Hillis' words caused Dugu Xin's mind to race. 'A Titled Douluo. This makes things much more complicated than I thought. I need to know the origin of the Titled Douluo, if they are from Spirit Hall, I can use the elder token of the Chrysanthemum Douluo to get him to stay out. But if that's not the case, I can only hope that Father, Elder Lightning Lord, and Spirit Bone will intervene.'

Dugu Xin stood up, determination blazing in his eyes as he declared, "If I lack the courage to stand by my family, if I simply run away, even with a title, I am nothing but a coward. As the heir of the Dugu family, I have never shied away from a fight, let alone death. Besides, I have a method to deal with the Titled Douluo once the time comes."

Hillis, seemingly exasperated, retorted, "You obstinate boy! Why can't you understand that a prudent man knows when to yield? And what methods could you have to deal with a freaking Titled Douluo? We don't even have someone at the Spirit Douluo level."

However, upon witnessing Dugu Xin's resolute gaze, a memory surfaced, and Hillis softened. A faint smile crossed his lips as he remarked, "You are so much like your mother, just as stubborn, just as strong."

Perplexed, Dugu Xin inquired, "Mother? Father never really spoke too much about her."

Hillis fell silent for a moment, then, a burst of soul power illuminated the room. Seven rings of yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, and black materialized under Hillis's feet, resonating with his poison-flamed Tiger martial soul—a mutated martial soul, similar to Dugu Xin's mother.

Hillis's eyes glinted with fury as he spoke with an edge, "If it weren't for Dugu Bo, how would my precious sister have perished? If that scoundrel hadn't disappeared, I would never have emerged from seclusion."

A pause ensued, followed by a moment of solemn reflection. Hillis then recounted, "Since your mother's passing, I haven't visited you much. I cannot forgive Dugu Bo, nor can I forgive your mother for what she did before she left our father. If only I had stopped them from falling in love, or your mother hadn't..." His voice trailed off as he grappled with the weight of his memories.

After a pause, his demeanor softened, and he regarded Dugu Xin with affection. "You and your mother are indeed so similar, both strong and unwavering." Extending his hand, Hillis gently caressed Dugu Xin's cheek, his eyes brimming with tenderness. However, before Dugu Xin could refute him and ask questions, at that moment, commotion erupted outside the Dugu compound. A group of shadowy figures emerged.