After further discussion, a consensus was reached between the two parties.
Su Ming and Zhu Jiuyang quickly convened a meeting to inform all members of the Association about Dugu Bo's appointment as an Honorary Elder.
With an Honorary Elder at the Titled Douluo level, the entire Association began its own internal reorganization. The various factions that had been noisy before all quieted down one by one.
The smaller forces, seeing that the Association now had a Titled Douluo, didn't dare to act out recklessly.
The major forces, seeing that the Titled Douluo was Dugu Bo, were even more afraid to cause trouble, fearing they might inadvertently offend this unpredictable individual.
What kind of person was Dugu Bo?
Impervious to both soft and hard tactics, narrow-minded, even shameless, and feeling no psychological burden about bullying those weaker than him.
Who would dare provoke him?
Let alone provoke him; even those who possessed things Dugu Bo needed wouldn't dare use them as bait, afraid of angering him and facing extermination.
Therefore, no one had anticipated that Dugu Bo would join the Blacksmith Association.
Why would someone who plays with poison get entangled with a bunch of blacksmiths?
It didn't make sense.
One must remember that Dugu Bo was inherently unsociable, rarely interacted with others, and acted entirely on his whims. The only person he had publicly aligned himself with so far was Prince Xue Xing.
Oh, and now there was Su Ming.
Indeed, in the announcement made by Su Ming and Zhu Jiuyang, Dugu Bo joined the Blacksmith Association specifically because of Su Ming, and Dugu Bo did not deny this.
Speaking of Prince Xue Xing, this Heaven Dou Prince was currently in Gengxin City as well.
"Prepare yourself. I have some matters to attend to and will come to pick you up later," Dugu Bo said.
Su Ming, of course, wasn't happy with this.
How could he not know what Dugu Bo was going to do?
To see Prince Xue Xing.
He couldn't let them meet alone; Su Ming needed to be present.
Of course, it wasn't just about Prince Xue Xing speaking ill of him; he genuinely had some matters he needed to discuss with Prince Xue Xing.
He hadn't known how to broach the subject before, but now with Dugu Bo's arrival and their established cooperation, it served as the perfect opening.
"Senior, you are going to see Prince Xue Xing, right? I wonder if I could accompany you."
Dugu Bo stared at Su Ming for a moment.
"You cooperated so happily with Xue Qinghe; he won't look favorably upon you."
"I was also manipulated," Su Ming revealed a helpless expression and spread his hands.
Manipulated?
Dugu Bo sneered.
You, kid, are as sharp as they come. The Blacksmith Association is your home turf, and it was Xue Qinghe who came seeking cooperation initially. How could you be manipulated?
"Let's go."
He didn't refuse Su Ming's request to accompany him.
Su Ming wanting to go there definitely wasn't just about supervision; he probably also wanted to cooperate with Xue Xing.
Prince Xue Xing paced back and forth in his temporary residence.
"Dugu Bo actually has direct cooperation with Su Ming now... why?"
He had received the news half an hour ago and had felt unsettled ever since.
The current political situation in the Heaven Dou royalty was truly unfavorable. Xue Qinghe's circumstances were highly abnormal. He and Xue Beng had pretended for many years, barely managing to preserve their lives and secure an opportunity to secretly observe the situation.
Dugu Bo was their final reliance, the last trump card preventing Xue Qinghe from directly turning against them.
Now that this trump card was being shared with others, Prince Xue Xing felt a sense of insecurity.
"Your Highness, Lord Dugu is here to see you."
Just as Xue Xing was feeling insecure, his greatest backer arrived.
Prince Xue Xing excitedly went out to welcome him.
Then, he saw a detestable child.
"What are you doing here?"
Prince Xue Xing had no pleasant expression for Su Ming.
During this period, he had petitioned the Blacksmith Association not just once, demanding a balance in resources between the two branch associations, but had been refused every time.
The Suotuo City branch didn't even have a single forging master capable of Thousand Refined with Spirit. What was there to learn over there?
Might as well find an old blacksmith at home to learn basic forging.
This was also Xue Qinghe's reason for forcing them to stay in Gengxin City.
If even one of the three forging masters from Su Ming's faction could be sent to Suotuo City, this predicament would naturally be resolved, and they wouldn't need to remain in Star Luo Empire territory.
But Zhu Jiuyang was immovable.
He outright rejected all petitions.
Prince Xue Xing had even once forced his way into Su Ming's forging room, only to be thrown out.
Thinking of this, Prince Xue Xing's gaze towards Su Ming changed; his eyes turned red.
Being forcibly thrown out was the greatest humiliation he had suffered in his life.
This time, should he throw Su Ming out?
Prince Xue Xing had just entertained this thought when he dismissed it himself.
No, finally getting to see Su Ming in person, it was more important to discuss serious matters.
Perhaps he could use Dugu Bo's presence to persuade this kid?
Prince Xue Xing, true to his status as a Prince, had so many thoughts flash through his mind in a short time.
"I heard that Your Highness seems to have some suggestions. I was previously busy with closed-door cultivation and couldn't inquire. I wonder if there's a chance to have a chat with Your Highness today."
This visit was Dugu Bo's to Xue Xing's place, with Su Ming merely accompanying. Yet, upon arrival, Su Ming directly wanted to talk with Xue Xing, leaving Dugu Bo somewhat sidelined.
Dugu Bo glanced at the two of them, not feeling at all that Su Ming was stealing his thunder.
He actually thought this was just fine.
His purpose in coming was twofold: first, to pay a courtesy call, fulfilling the statement he made when Xue Xing arrived in Gengxin City; second, to reassure Xue Xing, so he wouldn't become suspicious and paranoid due to his cooperation with the Blacksmith Association.
In the struggle for the Heaven Dou throne, Dugu Bo, because of his relationship with Xue Xing, stood on Xue Beng's side, so he was somewhat invested. Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't have needed to personally visit to explain at this time.
Now that Su Ming had come along and directly opened negotiations with Xue Xing, he was naturally happy to let it happen.
For someone with social anxiety, having someone actively help him achieve his goal was definitely a cause for happiness.
"This Prince's demand is singular: the safety of my Heaven Dou royal members within Star Luo territory cannot be guaranteed."
"Actually, the Star Luo Empire has also raised similar concerns, repeatedly requesting a reallocation of members," Su Ming said. "Compared to His Highness Xue Beng's ability to recognize the current situation, the Star Luo Crown Prince Dai Weis has clashed with local forces in Suotuo City. I've heard that Brother Xue also intends to dispatch troops to maintain order there."
Hearing Su Ming describe Xue Beng as 'able to recognize the current situation', the corners of Prince Xue Xing's mouth twitched slightly.
It's a persona, damn it!
Xue Beng was originally a good-for-nothing at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. After coming here, his image just became more three-dimensional, upgraded from a good-for-nothing to a good-for-nothing who bullies the weak and fears the strong.
Being deep behind enemy lines, if he still acted recklessly, he would truly die.
"So, does the Blacksmith Association intend to continue ignoring the safety of its members, forcibly maintaining the current situation?" Prince Xue Xing said coldly. "This Prince must speak bluntly. If this continues, neither side will have the heart to learn forging, and the Blacksmith Association will only be held back."
Su Ming nodded.
"As expected of Your Highness, your insight is penetrating."
He affirmed Prince Xue Xing's point, then pointed out the current difficulty.
"The Association also has its own difficulties. Like you, if the branches were located solely within either the Heaven Dou or Star Luo Empires, and the members within were exclusively from the corresponding empire, they would inevitably be eroded from within, ultimately leading to the Association splitting apart from the inside."
(Chapter End)