Zhu Zhuqing: Who Is Qian Renxue?

"So, it was all a lie?"

Suddenly, gusts of wind and waves arose in the clear sky.

In the vast mansion, an invisible sense of oppression arose in everyone's hearts.

"You've been watching me for the past twenty years? What a fine father you are, a fine head of the family! And what am I then?"

A cold glint flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes as she turned to look into the depths of the Duke's Mansion.

That was the direction from which Zhu Hongtao was currently located in his study.

The boundless blue sky was instantly shrouded in patches of dark clouds.

"There was no one else at all. The eldest sister, the second sister, the third sister, and so on were all fake. In fact, the only person involved from beginning to end was myself! I was the tool all along!"

The pent-up frustration, resentment, hatred, and regret that had accumulated over the past few months...

Endless churning and boiling.

Until this moment, everything erupted instantly.

"Boom--"

A tremendous roar rose into the sky.

A blast of air rose into the air, and a fierce wind swept across the surrounding area.

Those exquisite stone carvings and painted beams collapsed into ruins in an instant.

The massive air duct Qidian from where Zhu Zhuqing was standing and ran straight to Zhu Hongtao's study.

The next moment.

"Whoosh—"

With a deafening roar, the huge and exquisite study walls instantly crumbled and flew away, leaving an empty space.

Only Zhu Hongtao remained unharmed, sitting in the same spot.

But he didn't withstand the impact; instead, a gust of wind pressed him firmly into his seat.

Zhu Zhuqing stood at a distance watching him, then slowly walked forward.

"Huh?" At that moment, she suddenly realized that there was something wrong with the "father" in front of her.

With a single step, his tall figure swept across the sky and instantly appeared in front of Zhu Hongtao.

A fair and slender hand gently reached out.

The Soul Power flowing through Zhu Hongtao's body was instantly dispersed.

As the ripples spread, Su Cheng's face appeared before Zhu Zhuqing.

"How is this possible..."

Her eyes widened slightly.

Even at this moment, all the complex emotions in my heart vanished, leaving only utter astonishment.

"You, me..."

Zhu Zhuqing's eyelids trembled slightly.

Her slender fingers slowly reached forward, as if wanting to touch the other person's cheek.

However, just as the two were about to touch, he suddenly turned his palm into a claw and grabbed his collar.

"Su-Cheng-!"

Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth and growled.

The surprise and fleeting joy just moments before quickly transformed back into a burning rage with nowhere to go.

"How could it be you!"

Su Cheng was also helpless at this moment.

He knew that Zhu Zhuqing would definitely have suspicions and that her emotions would be unstable recently, so he had been keeping a low profile during this period.

But I don't understand why the other party suddenly erupted today.

Just when we were about to reach the final step, another unexpected problem arose.

He sighed inwardly and could only say in a low, broken voice, "Uh, could you please let me go first?"

His physical body is now weak, his vitality is lacking, and his cultivation level has dropped significantly.

Just a subconscious fluctuation of Zhu Zhuqing's aura had made it difficult for him to breathe.

If the other party hadn't been so startled that they had suppressed their aura, he wouldn't even be able to speak.

Zhu Zhuqing ignored Su Cheng and instead scrutinized him carefully.

Then, as if he had discovered something, his expression suddenly froze.

The fingers that had been gripping the other person's collar tightly loosened slightly.

"What else do you have to say now?" Zhu Zhuqing said coldly, her tone not fluctuating much, but she was clearly suppressing the complex emotions in her heart.

"No matter what, you're the biggest beneficiary, aren't you? I wouldn't harm you."

"And then what do you want me to do next?" Zhu Zhuqing remained unmoved by this rhetoric and instead asked Su Cheng in a cold voice.

"Claim yourself emperor, then surrender to the Heaven Dou Empire," Su Cheng whispered.

"Surrender? Why should I surrender?" Zhu Zhuqing frowned her delicate brows, unconvinced by his words.

"You can't defeat the Heaven Dou Empire. Don't think their strength is only what it appears to be. The Spirit Hall also has Seven Great Elders, Pope Bibi Dong, and two Peak Douluo, Chrysanthemum Ghost and Ghost. If the Heaven Dou Empire is powerless, they will provide full support."

"..." Zhu Zhuqing looked slightly surprised upon hearing this, but did not speak.

"Besides, you'll be safe if you surrender. The people in charge of the Heaven Dou Empire now aren't the Heaven Dou Imperial Family at all; their emperor is from the Spirit Hall."

Su Cheng continued.

"Why do you think the Spirit Hall would choose to help them? The current emperor is not Xue Qinghe himself; he has long been impersonated by Qian Renxue, the Young Master of the Spirit Hall."

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flickered slightly as she stared at Su Cheng. "Someone from the Spirit Hall can impersonate Xue Qinghe... So, you've actually always been a member of the Spirit Hall?"

Xue Qinghe, the dignified Heaven Dou Emperor, was actually impersonated by someone else.

Therefore, Su Cheng's ability to impersonate Zhu Hongtao seems more understandable.

After all, she had never heard of anyone being able to disguise their Martial Soul before.

"..." After a moment of silence, Su Cheng nodded and said, "That's right, I am from the Spirit Hall."

Zhu Zhuqing narrowed her eyes and silently watched him.

After a long pause, he calmly said, "Su Cheng, you've lied to me your whole life, and you're still lying to me now?"

If Su Cheng were truly a member of the Spirit Hall, with his abilities, he would have found ways to achieve even better results than he has now, and there would be no need for him to go to the trouble of training her to accomplish all of this.

Putting everything else aside, Su Cheng's cultivation level was previously slightly higher than hers.

He could also master the Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul himself and then ascend the throne with absolute power.

In this respect, her status as a young lady of the Zhu Family is not necessarily much higher than that of his illegitimate son.

"Zhu Zhuqing, you don't need to be so wary of me. With your current strength, who is there for you to fear, let alone a mere Soul Grandmaster like me?"

Su Cheng looked somewhat helpless. "I've already said, I wouldn't hurt you."

Zhu Zhuqing neither confirmed nor denied his words, but instead asked, "And who is Qian Renxue, who is now impersonating the Heaven Dou Emperor?"

"She is the daughter of the Former Pope Qian Xunji and the Current Pope Bibi Dong, and also the granddaughter of Qian Daoliu, Level 99 Limit Douluo. In other words, she is the current Young Master of the Spirit Hall, and the power she can wield is far beyond your imagination."

"You seem to know her very well?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes flickered as she silently scrutinized him.

"... I guess so."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

After a long while, she nodded gently and looked at Su Cheng.

"Su Cheng, do you know that you're the only friend I've ever had? I know that saying this now will make me seem even more ridiculous in your eyes. But that's really how I used to think. I used to think that I was the one who understood you the most."

Zhu Zhuqing's voice lowered, "It seems I was just being delusional."

Su Cheng lowered his eyelids slightly and remained silent.

Where is my father?

"Hmm... he went to a very far place."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes twitched slightly, and the hand gripping Su Cheng's collar unconsciously tightened a little more.

When did this happen?

"... Five years ago."

"Did you do it?"

"..."

Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing sneered and mocked, "You really are scheming and lucky. You obtained an External Soul Bone as your First Soul Ring and immediately used it to deceive me. How did I offend you?"

"Zhu Zhuqing, think about it, have I done anything to hurt you over the years?"

"You haven't done anything to hurt me, and then you presumptuously think you're doing it for my own good?! Have you ever thought about my feelings? Am I a tool in your eyes, or a puppet on a string?"

Zhu Zhuqing's voice suddenly became somewhat agitated.

"I know you definitely have other plans. Tell me all at once, what do you want me to do for you?"

"As I just said, after you become emperor, you will surrender to the Heaven Dou Empire."

"I meant the back!" she said, her tone somewhat impatient.

"That's all."

"That's it?!" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened slightly. "You did all this, crippling yourself, just so I could become Titled Douluo, then the Star Luo Emperor, and then surrender to Qian Renxue?!"

"... You could say that."

"You really have put a lot of thought into this," Zhu Zhuqing said, her face grim. "But why should I listen to you? Didn't you already say that Qian Renxue wouldn't hold the Star Luo Imperial Family accountable?"

"Yeah, why should I..." Su Cheng sighed inwardly.

If Zhu Zhuqing is not told Xue Qinghe's true identity, she will most likely fight to the death to try and survive, and her fate may be uncertain in the end.

But once she was told, it seemed there was no need for her to ascend the throne anymore. Although for her now, it was a position that was easily within her grasp.

"You've softened your heart again," Su Cheng said helplessly.

With Zhu Zhuqing's current power and influence, coupled with the precarious state of the empire, becoming the Star Luo Emperor would indeed be an easy task.

But does she still need this position now?

Zhu Zhuqing was never a power-hungry person.

Power is merely a means to an end.

After a long silence, Zhu Zhuqing observed Su Cheng's expression and suddenly spoke up, "You really want me to be the emperor?"

"Yes."

"For the Spirit Hall?"

"No."

"So it's all for Qian Renxue?"

"... No, not exactly."

Are you asking me for help?

"Hehe." Su Cheng chuckled lightly, "Then let's say that."

"Okay, I promise you." Zhu Zhuqing nodded. "I hope you weren't lying to me just now."

[Main Quest completed. You may leave at any time within one hour.]

Upon hearing the notification that the Main Quest was completed, Su Cheng had a sudden realization.

At this point, Zhu Zhuqing possessed both the strength and the power to seize power.

If she had previously lacked prestige, the battle on the border battlefield elevated her prestige to the pinnacle of the entire Star Luo Empire.

The rest is up to her own feelings.

Now that she has made her decision, the task is naturally complete.

Just like in the first Simulation, the so-called destruction of the Spirit Hall will depend on the extent of their remaining combat power.

As long as you fall to the bottom of the valley, the mission will be completed without destroying the Spirit Hall's buildings.

Su Cheng looked at Zhu Zhuqing and said calmly, "What else do you want to do? Do you want to kill me to vent your anger? Then so be it."

"Hmph." Zhu Zhuqing snorted coldly upon hearing this, released the hand that had been holding him, and said indifferently, "Isn't your wish to be free? I'll give you freedom. Go wherever you want, and stop bothering me here."

"Then thank you, Fourth Miss."

A smile appeared in Su Cheng's eyes. He straightened his clothes and got up from the already rickety chair.

They walked slowly into the distance.

Zhu Zhuqing watched his departing figure silently, her expression momentarily dazed.

"Surrender? On what grounds?" she muttered to herself. "Whether it works or not, we'll only know after the fight..."

At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing was no longer afraid.

Even if she can't win, she can still move freely.

A twenty-eight-year-old Titled Douluo, Martial Soul is the unparalleled Netherworld Hell White Tiger, naturally has his own pride.

Moreover, according to Su Cheng, even if she loses, her life will not be in danger.

"This is what freedom feels like."

Zhu Zhuqing silently felt the immense power she possessed at that moment, as well as the unfathomable potential within her bloodline, and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Becoming a god at level 100 is just a legend.

But for her, reaching the human limit of level 99 is merely a matter of time.

"It seems to be nothing special..."

Her laughter gradually subsided.

Tears streamed silently down her cheeks.

Having just torn away Su Cheng's disguise, Zhu Zhuqing could clearly sense that he didn't have much time left to live.

With his bloodline depleted, his Martial Soul damaged, and his life force as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind, he could be extinguished at any moment.

As for the Father-Killing Vendetta's father?

That's ridiculous. She lost her father after her Martial Soul Awakening at the age of six.

The chapter title in the previous chapter was inappropriate and has been changed; it reads much more smoothly now.