Negotiations

Once she had sorted out her thoughts, everything suddenly became clear.

Qian Renxue showed a sincere smile and held out her hand.

"Thank you, Tang Feng. If you hadn't hit the nail on the head, I might have spent another decade or more in the Heaven Dou Empire, like a child playing house."

"That would have wasted not only my youth, but my talent as well."

"Let's introduce ourselves again. My name is Qian Renxue!"

"The young master of Spirit Hall!"

"My Martial Soul is the Six-Winged Angel, and my Innate Soul Power was level twenty!"

Tang Feng took Qian Renxue's outstretched hand and smiled.

"Tang Feng!"

"I think you've probably already seen the information about me."

Seeing that Tang Feng wasn't surprised by her identity as a member of Spirit Hall, Qian Renxue smiled.

"Oh? Xiao Feng, you don't seem surprised by who I am."

"I had an inkling before."

"Then you really are clever, Xiao Feng. So, will you join Spirit Hall? The terms I offered before still stand."

Tang Feng shook his head.

"Although the terms are very tempting..."

"I refuse!"

"Hm? Why?" Qian Renxue was baffled.

Am I not charming enough? Or is my Spirit Hall inferior to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

"Because if I join Spirit Hall, I'll have to follow your orders and arrangements. I don't like that. It would disrupt my cultivation plans."

That's it?

Qian Renxue breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought Tang Feng would give her a reason that would be difficult to deal with. She hadn't expected it to be just that.

"Easy!"

"After you join Spirit Hall, you'll be granted the title of Honorary Elder and answer only to me. No one but me will be able to order you around, not even the Pope!"

"I won't restrict your freedom or disrupt your cultivation plans either."

"All you have to do is get stronger with me!"

"Surely that's enough?"

Tang Feng had refused Qian Renxue just now because he really felt that joining Spirit Hall wouldn't benefit him all that much.

He had originally planned to refuse both offers. As for the consequences, they could take those up with his king ball.

But now, Qian Renxue had made it clear that his cultivation plans wouldn't be affected and that he wouldn't be under the Pope's control.

She wouldn't restrict his freedom either, so joining wasn't out of the question.

After all, Qian Renxue's words were quite convincing.

After thinking it over, Tang Feng asked another question.

"Do the terms you offered before still stand?"

"All of them!"

"Hehe, Sister Xiao Xue, I choose to join Spirit Hall!"

Looking at Tang Feng's cheeky grin, Qian Renxue reached out and gave his cheek a hard pinch, saying crossly,

"You little lecher!"

"But not now, Xiao Feng. At the very least, we have to wait until your little brother grows up, don't we?"

"Of course!"

Tang Feng spoke with righteous conviction.

"Sister Xiao Xue, you know me. I've always respected you. My admiration for you flows on endlessly like a river. I would never do anything..."

"All right, all right." Qian Renxue stopped Tang Feng from carrying on with his nonsensical flattery.

Now that she had decided to devote herself to cultivation, there was no need to keep posing as Xue Qinghe.

The urgent task was to figure out how to reasonably shed this disguise without affecting Tang Feng.

"Xiao Feng, quickly, help me think of a way to leave Heaven Dou."

"Let me think it over..."

Tang Feng and Qian Renxue discussed it in the room for less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, finally deciding to poison Xue Qinghe to death.

"Dugu Bo, come in."

Tang Feng released his spiritual power and sent a message to Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo pushed the door open and entered. Tang Feng's face was expressionless, revealing neither joy nor sorrow, while Xue Qinghe, sitting opposite him, didn't look Tang Feng in the eye, sipping tea as he gazed out the window. Clearly, they hadn't reached an agreement.

Dugu Bo had barely sat down when Ning Fengzhi pushed the door open and entered.

The atmosphere in the room was unfriendly. It seemed Xue Qinghe hadn't won Tang Feng over.

Ning Fengzhi was delighted. Wasn't this a pie falling straight from the sky?

It seems Tang Feng is destined to belong to my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

Before Ning Fengzhi could speak, Tang Feng stood up.

"Sect Master Ning, I'm sorry. Joining your sect is a matter of great importance, and I need some time to think about it. Farewell."

"Huh?"

Before Ning Fengzhi could react, Tang Feng and Dugu Bo had hurried out of the luxurious private room.

What was that all about?

Ning Fengzhi was dumbfounded. Where did that great big genius of mine go?

What on earth did Xue Qinghe and Tang Feng talk about? How did things get so tense between them?

"Sigh..."

Qian Renxue sighed softly, looking utterly exhausted.

"Teacher, I'm tired. Let's go back."

Damn it, why do you look so deeply troubled and utterly exhausted again?

Ning Fengzhi was going mad. What on earth did you two talk about?

Seeing that Xue Qinghe didn't want to say anything more, Ning Fengzhi had no choice but to take him away from the Great Soul Arena.

In Heaven Dou City.

"What, didn't reach an agreement?"

"Something like that. It's just that Xue Qinghe looked like death, and I was afraid I'd get dragged into it, so I didn't want to keep talking."

"What? Xue Qinghe looked like death? How come I didn't notice?" Dugu Bo asked in surprise.

"That only means your skills aren't up to scratch. Unless something unexpected happens, Xue Qinghe will die before long. Be careful."

"What do I need to be careful about? It's not like I killed him," Dugu Bo said indifferently.

"Once he's dead, my status might even rise."

Given Dugu Bo's relationship with Prince Xue Xing, once Xue Qinghe died, Xue Beng would become the heir apparent.

As Xue Beng's uncle, Prince Xue Xing would also rise in status, and naturally, so would Dugu Bo.

"He'll die from a deadly poison."

Fuck!

You're setting me up!

Dugu Bo was about to start cursing. He had only just met Xue Qinghe, and the man was going to die right afterward—poisoned to death, no less.

What the fuck would Emperor Xue Ye think?

Dugu Bo thought Tang Feng had administered the poison and complained,

"Brother, that's not right. You're just plain setting me up."

"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't administer that poison. You should be very familiar with the poison in Xue Qinghe."

"I'm familiar with it?"

"Yes. It's connected to the deaths of the second and third princes."

Dugu Bo: !!!

Tang Feng's words came as a shock. Dugu Bo's eyes widened, and he looked around. Only after seeing no suspicious people did he speak.

"You're saying Xue Qinghe has also been afflicted with the poison that killed the second and third princes? And he's been heavily poisoned?"

"Yes. That's why I told you to be careful. After all, if the eldest, second, and third princes all die from the same poison, who do you think will benefit?"

"Xue Beng!"

"What do you think Xue Ye will think?"

"He'll most likely think Xue Beng administered the poison."

"Who around Xue Beng is skilled with poison?"

Dugu Bo fell silent.

After a moment's silence, he asked Tang Feng,

"What should I do?"

"Who knows? Let nature take its course. You're a Titled Douluo. Are you afraid of an ordinary army? Besides, since Xue Xing and Xue Beng will benefit from this, they'll definitely protect you."

"Of course, I can't rule out the possibility that they'll join forces with Xue Ye to deal with you."

Dugu Bo thought it over and felt that what Tang Feng said made a lot of sense.

"I really should be careful."

"But I'm no pushover either. If they really piss me off, fuck it, I'll poison them all to death."

"Badass!" Tang Feng gave Dugu Bo a thumbs-up.