Going There is Troublesome.

At the same time when Aiden left Suotuo City.

"Lord Bo, may I have a moment of your time?" - sounded the voice of a youth in his twenties. He was clad in black and wore a mask with a drawing of a claw. It should belong to a dragon, albeit the claw was the only thing visible. It held a roman numeral.

Number eleven. XI.

"Eleventh? You are here again. What is it?" - after curing poison and having a tremendous breakthrough, Dugu Bo became slightly more relaxed. His power no longer threatened people around on a daily basis and nor it brought him periodical pain.

"First, Sovereign sent you a letter. Please receive." - the young man shifted to the side of the Poison Titled Douluo.

"No matter how many times I see it, your arts are surely remarkable."

"You jest, Senior. Who among the Numbers that visited you doesn't know your level of poison shift?" - answered the Eleventh humbly.

Dugu Bo only shook his head and unfolded the letter. He didn't read long, not because he was amazing at reading fast, but because there was nearly nothing to read. His brows twitched in irritation.

"Little Monster, I say, are you a miser? A beggar? Don't you have money?" - he complained aloud.

Eleventh stood still without moving. A bird escaped the nearby tree. Eleventh followed it with a glance. Poor creature didn't make it far.

"Eleventh, did he leave any verbal message?"

"Yes."

Dugu Bo sighed. Seems like he wronged Little Monster.

"He said: you will know in due time."

"Fuck! You little... would it kill you to write a bit more? Do you lack ink? Or don't have money to buy a paper? What does it even mean, damn!" - he threw the brief note away. It drifted on the wind and fell inside the pool. - "Whatever. When I see him again. I'll give your Sovereign a proper spanking!"

Eleventh smiled under the mask. He heard it quite a lot of times already.

Water didn't dissolve it fast enough. Eleventh turned to the side to not see the neat calligraphy, which stated one simple word.

"Agree."

* * *

Several days after the battle at Silvers City. Heaven Dou Imperial Academy entrance. Aiden.

"Well, they know how to choose a place to build the Academy, that is for sure." - said Yu Xiaogang.

"Rong Rong, are you sure this is the place?" - whispered Oscar at her.

"Naturally I'm sure. Do you think I won't know? One of the residences of my clan is nearby, I played here as a kid. Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is situated outside the city. And everything here belongs to them." - she flung her hair to the side and declared proudly, giving a glance at Aiden for some reason.

The latter ignored her. He only looked at the vast mountain range surrounded by a dense forest. Far away a blue clear lake reflected light from the scorching sun in its zenith.

"The entrance is at the end of this road. It is close." - said Rong Rong.

But before any can move Aiden walked closer to Yu Xiaogang and the duo walked to the side, creating enough distance for a private talk.

"I want to know the answer. Why?" - Aiden didn't mince the words.

"Why we don't go to Erlong?" - Yu Xiaogang saw the silent nod of the youth in front of him. - "It is not about facilities or resources. We need backing."

Aiden twitched his brows but found no words to reply. That is because Yu Xiaogang was absolutely on point. However, there are many variables. First, Aiden personally has a force behind him. Although their strength is lacking for now, the information network is already up and running. And information is power.

Next is Tang San with his father and now Dugu Bo. The latter reached 96 level. That is not something your average Titled Douluo can scoff at. In terms of backing, they have two monsters as backing, and soon even Liu Erlong will breakthrough. It is a matter of weeks, perhaps a month or two at most. And when she does, she will be something else entirely.

But Yu Xiaogang had no idea about this. He only knew Tang Hao, that is all.

'Tell his about Dragon Claw? No, this is my private matter. Ah, whatever, let them bump into the arrogance of royalty head-on.'

"Do you realize, that the overseer of Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is a member of a Royal family? His character is nothing great believe me. He greatly dislikes commoners. You are willingly going into the den of arrogant people who live by the law of nobility. They have power and powerful ancestors. Do you think any of us will have enough resources and a proper atmosphere to grow there?"

Yu Xiaogang frowned.

"Some adversity is necessary."

"Adversity? Beating the shit out of arrogant but weak descendants of clans and nobles is not adversity. It will only bring no end of struggle and public outrage. We will waste all our time and resources on cleaning up these shitheads instead of proper learning and cultivation."

"I'm your teacher, Aiden, I demand some respect."

"Did I say something wrong or insult you? I'm merely saying that you are making a mistake thinking everyone is appreciative of talents. In this world, talents are sought to serve the purpose of the powerful. If they can't, they are stomped on and exterminated before they can grow. I repeat it again, Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is a domain of royalty. They will tear Shrek team apart and demand servitude. Do you really expect them to accommodate us and after seeing our potential to just wave goodbye when we are leaving? What fairytale is this? Do you think they won't want to know the arts I taught? Do you think they won't want talents to be fully under their control? Under their rule? Yu Xiaogang, I lived nearly a third of your life, but believe me, I saw enough shit to see what will happen if we stay there. We either bow to their control or leave. We need our own turf with our own decision making at the top. Even knowing all this do you still want to go?"

"We came all this way here. So at least we need to have a look." - sighed Yu Xiaogang. He never thought so deeply into the matter. And one thing brought him unsettling feeling. The thing that Aiden is rarely wrong and his reasoning was sound enough to take seriously and to see as a warning.

"I won't play in these games. I'm going to aunt Erlong. When you are thrown out or disrespected with their demands to the boiling point, you know where to go." - waved Aiden his hand and turned around. - "One more thing. When they come to drive you out, don't stay. Tell my name. He won't touch you."

"Who won't touch us?"

"You will see." - Aiden tilted his head a bit and rubbed a little earing. Slight smile flashed for a moment on his face.

'Looks like I was right in one thing. All those provocations from the novel were a deliberate setup. Well, whatever. People are on the move, no one will get hurt.'

He preferred to act according to his own volition and thoughts. It was only partly because he knew the novel and the future. He believed that royalty as rulers can't be trusted. They act and think differently.

It is not wrong on their part. Their position entails having a certain mindset.

The mindset that can't be trusted.

He turned around and under flabbergasted faces of most walked away.

"Aiden will join us later. Let's go." - announced Yu Xioagang and stepped forward.

They moved. Bing'er stood still.

They walked, she turned around and followed Aiden out.

"I'll go with you. That way we can at least come back together."

"As you wish. But I think they will come to us. Not the other way around." - Aiden was surprised by her choice but didn't show it outwardly. She has done too many weird things right from the start of their interaction to be amazed now.