Douluo Dalu: Beginning with Signing in with Yan Lingji

[GodOfReader: This novel is ending soon on my patreon.]
"Father, now that you've agreed for me to be with Zhuqing, how do you plan to handle the marriage contract between Zhuqing and Dai Mubai?" Zhao Ming asked with a smile, taking a sip of tea as he looked at Zhu Zihao. Now that he had revealed his talent and Ziji's strength, it was time to put some pressure on Zhu Zihao.

He wanted to see how far Zhu Zihao would go for such a talented son-in-law.

"Mr. Zhao, rest assured, I will take care of the marriage contract between Zhuqing and Dai Mubai," Zhu Zihao said, taking a deep breath. Zhao Ming was a once-in-a-generation genius, the kind their family had to secure. He couldn't allow the long-standing contract between the Zhu and Dai families to create a rift between Zhuqing and Zhao Ming.

Dai Mubai was originally a disappointment, and compared to Zhao Ming, he was even less significant.

He never really wanted Zhuqing to marry Dai Mubai; it was merely because of the centuries-old agreement between their families. But now, with Zhao Ming in the picture, this rule could be broken.

Zhao Ming was an extraordinary genius with immense backing. Securing such a person could elevate their family to unprecedented heights. Their alliance with the Dai family was originally meant to make both families stronger together.

But with Zhao Ming, they didn't need the Dai family to become powerful. So why not take this chance?

"Take care of it? How? Are you planning to kill Dai Mubai?" Zhao Ming smirked, catching the hint of murderous intent in Zhu Zihao's eyes.

Dai Mubai had to die eventually, but not yet.

Dai Mubai couldn't die, at least not before he and Zhuqing officially broke off the engagement.

Zhuqing was his woman, and he didn't want her to bear the label of being someone else's fiancée. It annoyed him.

"Of course, we'll make sure it's done discreetly," Zhu Zihao said, a cold glint in his eyes.

"That's not the solution I want." Zhao Ming shook his head. "I want Zhuqing to completely be mine. If Dai Mubai dies now, Zhuqing will carry the stigma of being someone's fiancée forever. I don't want that. So, not only should Dai Mubai not die, but you must also protect him."

"What?" Zhu Zihao was taken aback, not understanding Zhao Ming's intentions.

"I want you to take Zhuqing and officially annul the engagement."

"Annul it?" Zhu Zihao's expression turned uncertain.

He had thought of discreetly killing Dai Mubai, thus nullifying the engagement. After all, the emperor wouldn't force his daughter to marry a dead man, and their family held considerable influence.

But annulling the engagement was different.

If they did that, it would mean tearing apart their long-standing alliance with the Dai family. On the Douluo Continent, being rejected in marriage was a huge dishonor, especially for a royal family.

On one hand, there was Zhao Ming, a rare genius; on the other, the Dai family, a partner of a thousand years. He didn't want to lose either.

"Mr. Zhao, I hope you understand that one cannot have both," Zhao Ming said with a grin. "But, uncle, I've already thought of a reason for the annulment. Would you like to hear it?"

"Oh?" Zhu Zihao's eyes lit up.

"Dai Mubai is promiscuous and frequents brothels despite being a prince. How could such a person be worthy of Zhuqing?" Zhao Ming said calmly.

"Indeed." Zhu Zihao nodded. He had always been dissatisfied with Dai Mubai's behavior. As a prince, he could have any woman he wanted, but he insisted on going to such places, tarnishing the royal family's image and bringing disgrace even to the Zhu family.

But this alone wasn't enough for a strong case to annul the engagement.

"Besides, there's something even worse about Dai Mubai..." Zhao Ming sneered and told Zhu Zihao about Dai Mubai's despicable behavior toward Zhuqing.

"What?" Zhu Zihao shouted angrily. He was furious, having never imagined Dai Mubai could stoop so low.

Drugging his own fiancée? How could such a person be considered human?

He had once tried to accept Dai Mubai's habits, but he couldn't tolerate this. This went beyond bad behavior; it was evil at its core. He had almost pushed his daughter into the fire by agreeing to this marriage.

He was the head of the Zhu family, but he was also a father. He could never allow this.

"Zhuqing wasn't harmed, was she?" Zhu Zihao asked, suppressing his anger as he looked at Zhao Ming.

"Of course not. Zhuqing is my woman; I would never let anyone harm her. As long as I am here, no one in this world can hurt her," Zhao Ming said firmly.

"Zhuqing is truly blessed to have you. She must have done good deeds in her past lives," Zhu Zihao sighed. Zhao Ming was talented, strong, and treated his daughter so well. Dai Mubai could never compare.

"Uncle, please don't say that. Meeting her is the greatest blessing of my life." Zhao Ming smiled, his eyes softening. Soon, Zhuqing would be completely his, in every sense.

"Hmm." Zhu Zihao smiled, satisfied, but when he thought of Dai Mubai, his expression darkened.

"He has shown no mercy, so don't blame me for being ruthless. If his son did this to my daughter, I have every right to call off the engagement. Let's see if he dares to object." Zhu Zihao scoffed, referring to the emperor of the Star Luo Empire.

"Uncle, sometimes you shouldn't worry so much about the Dai family's feelings. Remember, the Star Luo Empire was built by both the Zhu and Dai families. So why is it that the throne only belongs to them?" Zhao Ming said calmly.

"Sometimes, taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture may lead the Zhu family to its greatest heights."

"From a different perspective, the Star Luo Empire, or even the entire Douluo Continent, isn't as vast as it seems."

Zhu Zihao stared at Zhao Ming, feeling his heart race.

If anyone else had said this, he might have laughed it off. But coming from Zhao Ming, he couldn't dismiss it.

Zhao Ming was a genius, accompanied by a Titled Douluo-level subordinate.

With such talent and backing, it made sense for Zhao Ming to look beyond the Star Luo Empire.

But the Zhu family still had ambitions within the empire.

And just now, Zhao Ming seemed to hint that he could help the Zhu family reach their peak. Was Zhao Ming implying that he would help them seize control of the empire?

If the Zhu family could become the ruling house of the Star Luo Empire, he would be their greatest hero. Their family would stand unrivaled, and the thought of it made him feel exhilarated.

"My dear son-in-law, are you saying...?" Zhu Zihao asked excitedly, his address for Zhao Ming changing. If he could, he would have arranged the wedding for his daughter and Zhao Ming immediately.

"Why shouldn't the Zhu family be emperors too? After all, the empire was built by both the Zhu and Dai families. Why shouldn't the Zhu family sit on the throne?"

"With me and Ziji by your side, the Star Luo Empire will belong to the Zhu family."

"Well said! The throne should have always been ours," Zhu Zihao declared, his excitement evident. He felt a sense of camaraderie with Zhao Ming. Zhao Ming truly had the Zhu family's best interests at heart.

Zhao Ming would be a peerless powerhouse in the future. With a Titled Douluo supporting him, they already had two such powerhouses. Combining their family's century-long influence within the Star Luo Empire, they had a real chance.

"If the Dai family chooses to act against us, they can't blame me for retaliating," Zhu Zihao sneered.

He agreed with Zhao Ming partly because of the Dai family's recent attempts to weaken the Zhu family's influence. In recent years, they had even brought the Xingguan Sect, the Xu family, into the imperial court to counterbalance the Zhu family.

These developments were unknown to Zhao Ming, but if he knew, he'd be amazed.

In the events of Douluo Dalu 2, nearly ten thousand years from now, the Star Luo Empire's rulers would indeed be the Xu family, wielding the Star Crown Martial Spirit.

However, the Xingguan Sect was far from reaching that level of power now.