The Heart He'd Been Holding Finally Died

The Heart He'd Been Holding Finally Died

Well, damn.

Qian Daoliu could not help but laugh bitterly to himself.

He had still been agonizing over it, thinking that what Shi Yueyi had said made a great deal of sense.

—For a little girl to say something like that had honestly surprised even him.

Then, he saw Qing Luan Douluo bring back the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor spirit bone and its seed.

The heart Qian Daoliu had been holding finally died.

What else could they do?

They could only fight.

The other Titled Douluo, along with Qian Renxue, all stared dumbfoundedly at the things Qing Luan Douluo had brought back.

"Y-You... where did you dig those up?" Qian Renxue could not help asking.

"Oh, these?" Qing Luan Douluo looked strangely at everyone in the room, thinking that perhaps they should just gather up and go beat up the Clear Sky Sect.

He then described everything he had experienced over the past few days.

When everyone heard that Qing Luan Douluo had found the Blue Silver Emperor seed in a cave behind a small mountain village, they could not help wearing strange expressions.

Anyone with common sense knew that flowers and plants generally needed plenty of sunlight and rainwater to grow—apart from some exceptionally special Immortal Grades.

Blue Silver Grass might grow everywhere, but that did not mean he should lock his wife away in a dark little room, did it?

You were a bit extreme, Rat.

Just because you were someone who hid in the gutter did not mean you had to hide your wife there too.

"Brother Xue, how about we plant this thing in that blessed place we found before?" Shi Yueyi said to Qian Renxue.

Qian Renxue's eyes lit up. "Right. That place seems capable of accelerating plant growth."

Stingray Douluo nodded as well. He had also studied medicinal herbs, so he voiced his agreement.

"The herb garden you mentioned—has Dugu Bo occupied it?" Qian Daoliu asked.

Shi Yueyi, Qian Renxue, and Stingray Douluo all nodded.

"Ahem—Grandfather, leave this matter to us." Qian Renxue gave a light cough, then said, "You can help think of a way to deal with the Clear Sky Sect."

Qian Daoliu frowned slightly, but he nodded.

The child had grown up.

Qian Daoliu had not seen Qian Renxue for quite some time. It would have been impossible to say he had come to Heaven Dou City without any selfish motives. Yet from their conversation so far, Qian Renxue seemed to have no intention of returning to Spirit Hall.

That was fine too. If Spirit Hall acted directly in certain matters, an excessive backlash might even lead to accusations of "bullying the weak with strength." But using Qian Renxue's current identity might work better.

For example, Dugu Bo stood behind Prince Xue Xing, while Prince Xue Xing and the Crown Prince were not on good terms.

Then it would not be impossible for Xue Qinghe's identity to secretly arrange for Dugu Bo to be eliminated.

The Yin-Yang Ice and Fire Well and that herb garden needed no explanation in terms of importance. Besides, as the empire's Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe could indeed accomplish far more.

In the end, if they took control of the Heaven Dou Empire, then the union of political and religious authority might truly become possible.

"Also, do not neglect your cultivation. Your progress seems a little slow," Qian Daoliu said. "Though you truly stand out among soul masters of your generation, Little Shiyue's situation should serve as a warning bell for you."

"I understand," Qian Renxue said hurriedly. "But I need some support."

"Say it."

"Bring some good food," Qian Renxue said after thinking for a moment.

Qian Daoliu's expression turned strange, but he nodded. "No problem. I have some on me."

He then directly took several storage bags from his Soul Tool and placed them on the table.

"You carry so much stuff with you even when you go out?" Shi Yueyi looked over curiously.

Qian Daoliu's face twitched. "Although the food in the palace is not bad, it ultimately lacks a certain vitality. That is simply a fact. The ingredients I brought this time were chosen with that in mind."

"Leave it to me! Leave it to me!" Shi Yueyi blinked, then carried those ingredients into the inner room.

"In short, leave the matters in Heaven Dou City to us. Grandfather, help hold the line for us and handle the matters in the rear," Qian Renxue said.

"Alright. Grandfather believes in you." Qian Daoliu patted Qian Renxue's head.

"Little Shiyue, I'll leave Xiaoxue to you." Qian Daoliu turned toward the inner room. "This old man will return to prepare a strategy for the Clear Sky Sect."

"?" Shi Yueyi paused mid-motion.

"This old man means... I'll trouble you to take care of her," Qian Daoliu hurriedly clarified.

"No problem."

With that, Qian Daoliu vanished.

Wait, it seemed like something was missing.

Qian Renxue froze for a moment, then called out, "Grandfather, you didn't take the spirit bone!"

"This old man does not want that thing. You can arrange it as you see fit," Qian Daoliu's voice drifted softly through the room. "Also, Ghost Douluo, you will remain here. Do not go anywhere!"

Ghost Douluo's expression immediately looked as though he had swallowed a fly.

After Qian Daoliu left, the several Titled Douluo also took their leave one after another, leaving only Shi Yueyi and Qian Renxue in the room.

"Um... well..." Shi Yueyi looked cautiously at Qian Renxue.

"Hmm?" Qian Renxue gave her a strange look.

"Well, I don't know anything." Shi Yueyi covered her face, then flashed away and hid in a remote little corner.

"What are you talking about?" Qian Renxue walked over speechlessly and pulled her out from the corner.

"Huh? How did I never notice that you're a little heavy?" Qian Renxue exclaimed in surprise.

"You think I'm fat?" Shi Yueyi pouted.

"No." Qian Renxue carried Shi Yueyi to a nearby chair, then patted the wrinkles and dust from her clothes.

"I really don't know anything," Shi Yueyi said softly. "I didn't know you really had some connection to Spirit Hall..."

"Alright, alright." Qian Renxue said irritably, "Half a month ago, I had actually already guessed that you might know I wasn't the real Xue Qinghe."

"How did you figure that out?" Shi Yueyi asked curiously.

The heart she had been holding finally died too.

"When we were in Sunset Forest, didn't you slap my thigh instead of your own?" Qian Renxue rubbed her forehead.

That was it? That was the reason?

Shi Yueyi looked at Qian Renxue in confusion.

But then, Shi Yueyi understood.

What Qian Renxue meant by saying this was that, for now, she did not want to investigate Shi Yueyi's background.

Because it was a kind of trust.

If Qian Renxue truly wanted to pursue it, she would probably have noticed something in their earlier conversations. Yet their mutual unspoken understanding had continued just like that.

She only brought it up now so that when they worked together and spent time with each other in the future, they could discuss certain matters more openly.

"Let's get acquainted again. My name is Qian Renxue." Qian Renxue extended her hand toward Shi Yueyi. "I am Spirit Hall's Young Master."

"Mhm, my name is Shi Yueyi." Shi Yueyi reached out and lightly placed her hand in Qian Renxue's palm. "I'm Miss's little follower."

Hearing that word, Miss, Qian Renxue felt an indescribable sensation in her heart.

She had disguised herself as a man for many years. She had heard the title Crown Prince so often that she was nearly forgetting her original identity.

Only in the dead of night would she sit alone in an empty room, gazing at the moon in the sky and imagining that there was someone who knew her true identity and could stay by her side.

That was why, during today's "Spirit Hall gathering," she had not said much. Simply seeing those familiar faces and hearing those familiar voices made her feel warm.

Yet people were always contradictory. They hoped someone could see through them, but they also did not want that person to lay out their vulnerable side like a bloody painting, leaving them both awkward in the end.

So she had always been lonely and alone. That feeling was like poison, silently eating through her liver, spleen, and lungs.

Now, it seemed Heaven had truly answered her wish.

She was the sun, and then a girl who represented the moon had been sent to her.

This girl had seen through her identity, yet she did not say anything. Even just now, she had only called herself "Miss's little follower," rather than something belonging to "Spirit Hall's Young Master."

So Qian Renxue would not pry into Shi Yueyi's identity either. When the time came, perhaps everything would become clear—even though it might no longer matter then.

Let it be this way.

She and I do not need shallow understanding.

Before life burns out.

Celebrating 999 bookmarks, so here's an extra chapter~

(I originally wanted to post an extra chapter when it reached one thousand, but it still hadn't gotten there by two-thirty in the morning, so I moved it up to 999. Once I post this, I can finally sleep.)

A new week is about to begin, and the plot is entering its next stage too~

Please continue following along. Thank you all so much.

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