An Invitation from Xue Qinghe

After exchanging a few polite remarks, Xue Qinghe continued touring the Great Spirit Arena with Xue Hong. Since he was somewhat interested in Gu Ye, he naturally invited him along.

Gu Ye happened to want a closer look at what sort of person Qian Renxue—the woman who wanted to become Bibi Dong's younger sister—was, so he did not refuse her invitation.

But just as the three had walked a short distance, Kadan, the beautiful mature woman, came down from the Great Spirit Arena's VIP room.

The moment she came down, she spotted Xue Qinghe, Xue Hong, and Gu Ye.

However, her gaze lingered more on Gu Ye.

After all, compared to Gu Ye, the other two could not arouse her interest no matter how high their status was.

As Kadan looked at Gu Ye, Gu Ye naturally looked back at her.

He then flirted with Kadan through his eyes, and she immediately understood what he meant. She hurried over to Xue Qinghe and bowed. "Greetings, Crown Prince. Kadan failed to welcome you properly. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Xue Qinghe gave the beautiful mature woman Kadan an interested once-over, then chuckled. "No matter. You are Cousin Xue Hong's wife, correct? As a woman, you have managed to control such a vast Great Spirit Arena and keep it operating in such an orderly fashion, providing Cousin Xue Hong with considerable financial support. That is truly admirable."

"Your Highness flatters me," Kadan said with a smile, her gaze shifting to Gu Ye beside her.

Gu Ye shook his head. Seeing Xue Qinghe continue onward, he followed.

Kadan also came to Gu Ye's side and followed after them.

Xue Hong busied himself flattering Xue Qinghe, paying Kadan no attention at all. He did not even notice Kadan and Gu Ye exchanging flirtatious looks and whispering to each other.

After walking for a while, Xue Qinghe stopped and looked down at the Soul Arena Stage below.

When Xue Qinghe stopped, Xue Hong, who had been buttering him up, naturally stopped as well.

Gu Ye and Kadan also looked down with some curiosity.

On the Soul Arena Stage, two Soul Elders who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen were displaying their abilities.

These two might have counted as fairly talented in Suotuo City, but in the eyes of someone like Xue Qinghe, they should have been nothing special.

Gu Ye did not quite understand what meaning there was in stopping to watch them.

Just then, Xue Qinghe shifted his gaze from the Soul Arena Stage to Gu Ye and said with a smile, "Brother Gu Ye, I will be leaving Suotuo City soon. Would you be willing to come with me to Heaven Dou City and experience a different kind of splendor?"

He's inviting me to leave? Gu Ye looked at Xue Qinghe in slight surprise.

He had never expected Xue Qinghe to have such an idea.

Seeing that Xue Qinghe was planning this, Kadan's heart rose into her throat as she looked at Gu Ye, afraid that he would agree.

Her heart and soul were now entirely invested in Gu Ye. If he left, she truly would not be able to accept it.

Xue Hong was also surprised that Xue Qinghe wanted to invite Gu Ye away.

Thinking of Gu Ye's remarkable medical skills, as well as Xue Qinghe's fondness for recruiting talented people, he hoped Gu Ye could remain by Xue Qinghe's side.

That way, it would bring him quite a few benefits as well.

But without the slightest hesitation, Gu Ye shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm doing quite well in Suotuo City right now. I have no plans to leave for the time being."

Upon hearing that, Kadan's tightly held heart finally relaxed.

"Is that so? What a pity." Xue Qinghe did not press the matter. He had merely become curious because Gu Ye's medical skills were impressive and his Martial Soul was unusual, making him a rare talent.

"Still, if Brother Gu Ye ever changes his mind, or if you come to Heaven Dou City, be sure to look for me. I think highly of you."

Xue Qinghe put on a show of patting Gu Ye on the shoulder.

There was nothing left in Suotuo City Great Spirit Arena that interested him, so after saying a few words to Xue Hong, he left the Suotuo City Great Spirit Arena.

Since Xue Hong had something to ask of Xue Qinghe, he eagerly followed after him.

Kadan did not even care that Gu Ye was beside her and left the Suotuo City Great Spirit Arena along with Xue Qinghe.

Watching Xue Qinghe leave the Suotuo City Great Spirit Arena, Gu Ye recalled the lofty manner in which Xue Qinghe had patted his shoulder earlier and murmured inwardly, I won't be going to Heaven Dou City now, but I'll be there soon enough. Qian Renxue, I'm very interested in you.

Seeing Xue Hong leave with Xue Qinghe without considering her feelings in the slightest, Kadan gave a quiet snort and turned to Gu Ye.

"Let's go back," she said softly to Gu Ye.

"Alright, let's go back." Gu Ye headed toward the VIP rooms of the Suotuo City Great Spirit Arena.

Gu Ye and Kadan's relationship was merely that of physician and patient, something every staff member in the Suotuo City Great Spirit Arena knew.

Now that the two were returning to a room, it was naturally for Gu Ye, as Kadan's physician, to treat her with a full-body, heart-soothing treatment.

Meanwhile, after leaving, Xue Qinghe arrived at the residence Xue Hong had arranged for her, where one of her subordinates came to see her.

"Your Highness, this is the information you requested." The guard respectfully handed the letter in his hand to Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe accepted it, and after opening it and reading it, became even more interested in Gu Ye.

When he had left the Suotuo City Great Spirit Arena, his curiosity about Gu Ye had prompted him to order his subordinates to gather information on him.

What he now saw in the letter was a record of how Gu Ye had spent this period treating Suotuo City's residents for free, curing every single one of them without exception—a whole series of deeds worthy of being called a saint among healers.

For precisely that reason, he became even more interested in Gu Ye, this unusual talent.

"This man's medical skills are so superb. If I can make use of him, he may prove extremely useful in the future."

Thinking of Emperor Xueye and the purpose behind his years of infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe smiled coldly.

But he was in no hurry. He only needed to keep an eye on Gu Ye for now. Once the time was right, he could find a way to recruit Gu Ye into the Heaven Dou Empire.

Xue Qinghe stayed in Suotuo City for only one day. By noon the next day, he had left Suotuo City for the capital of the Balak Kingdom.

Xue Hong had wanted to persuade Xue Qinghe to stay a few more days, but Xue Qinghe had important matters to attend to. In the end, he could only watch Xue Qinghe leave Suotuo City.

"With Xue Qinghe's help, I'll definitely succeed in inheriting the throne as the next king of the Balak Kingdom. Then I'll kill my eldest brother to avenge what happened two months ago—and that sister-in-law of mine too."

Thinking of his sister-in-law, as well as everything that would follow after he became the ruler of a kingdom, Xue Hong was thrilled beyond measure.

He hurried back into Suotuo City and invited the noble higher-ups who used to indulge in pleasure with him to his residence for a lavish drinking feast.

As for the beautiful Madam Kadan, who was currently at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City, Xue Hong paid her little mind.

In his heart, a woman like Kadan—conservative, lacking charm, and unable to please him—was less useful than a servant girl.

He liked the rush of being praised, flattered, and treated as the center of attention.

For that very reason, even if Kadan stayed at the Great Soul Arena for ten days or half a month, he would not pay her much attention.

Moreover, because of Kadan's status, he could not force her to do things she disliked.

After all, in Xue Hong's mind, as long as Kadan was his wife, he would be able to gain the support of the forces behind her—the Silves Kingdom. That would be even more beneficial to his future inheritance of the Balak Kingdom's throne.

What Xue Hong did not know was that the conservative wife he had in mind was currently bathing and dressing herself beautifully at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City.

Inside the bathing room, Kadan scooped up a handful of water and let it drip over the fair, snow-white skin of her chest. She extended her slender hand and gently stroked downward from her rosy lips, along her chest.

Feeling that her skin had been maintained in its most perfect state, Kadan stepped out of the bathtub on her long, straight legs, picked up the purple silk garment at the side and draped it over herself, then walked lightly out of the bathing room.

Meanwhile, in Kadan's room, Gu Ye looked over the contents of the letter in his hand, greatly surprised.

"She actually joined Spirit Academy and even received an audience with Bibi Dong. That really is unexpected."

"But this is good too. Since you've joined Spirit Academy, with your martial soul and talent, even becoming Bibi Dong's disciple wouldn't be a problem."

"Now I'm looking forward to your next message."

Thinking of the woman with the flawed martial soul whom he had cured a month ago, who had now joined Martial Soul Hall Academy, Gu Ye was in an exceptionally good mood.