The Oppressed Xue Qinghe Finally Obtains Yaoguang Brew

A cool breeze blew.

The two sat on the ground, eating grilled fish.

It was rather carefree.

After thinking for a moment, Xue Qinghe asked again,

"At your age, coming to Heaven Dou City at this time... are you planning to attend Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

He continued,

"The admission requirements for Heaven Dou Royal Academy are quite high."

"I can't eat your fish for free. Perhaps I can put in a few words for you."

Li Zhixian wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth and turned to look at the white-clad young gentleman he had just met.

Hmm.

Fair-skinned, handsome, refined and elegant, dressed in white embroidered with golden trim—he was obviously from a wealthy family.

"You're quite impressive."

"You can even pull strings at the Royal Academy."

"But me? I hate going to school most of all."

Watching the white-robed youth in coarse linen lie back on the grass, Xue Qinghe shook his head with a laugh.

In his eyes,

this man was drunk.

He actually spoke of Heaven Dou Royal Academy with such indifference.

One had to know,

everyone admitted into the Royal Academy

was a talented youngster with at least some reputation.

At his age, how could he possibly not aspire to it?

Finding it amusing, Xue Qinghe continued asking,

"Then what do you want?"

Li Zhixian abruptly sat up and joked,

"If you're really that capable,"

"get me a pot of Yaoguang Brew."

"Yaoguang Brew?"

Xue Qinghe elegantly swallowed the fish in his mouth, put away his fishing rod, and walked off.

After he had gone some distance, his voice drifted back from afar.

"One meal of fish isn't enough to trade for a pot of Yaoguang Brew."

Watching his retreating figure gradually disappear, Li Zhixian took a sip of wine and muttered softly.

"From his tone, it seems he really can get Yaoguang Brew?"

"Even the imperial family covets Yaoguang Brew."

"Who is he...?"

Several names flashed through Li Zhixian's mind.

At that age, with such a handsome appearance and refined temperament,

and with Lotus Lake less than a kilometer from the imperial city, it was not as though no one came here.

More likely, it was the private estate of some powerful noble.

The answer seemed ready to reveal itself.

The corner of Li Zhixian's lips curled up.

"Heaven Dou Crown Prince Xue Qinghe."

"Or perhaps... Qian Renxue would be more fitting."

"Forget it."

"I have no interest in getting involved in this kind of power struggle."

"Whether he's Xue Qinghe or Qian Renxue, as long as he can get me Yaoguang Brew, that's enough."

"If one meal of fish isn't enough, then I'll make him eat a few more."

The sun slanted westward.

He headed home.

That night was once again spent cultivating.

The next day, when the sky had only just begun to brighten, Li Zhixian eagerly headed to Lotus Lake.

He was fishing.

But the fish he was after was not fish.

Yet he waited until the blazing sun hung overhead and still did not see Xue Qinghe.

Sitting beneath the shade of a tree, Li Zhixian glanced at his basket full of fish and let out a regretful sigh.

Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

As usual, Xue Qinghe went to Qianqing Palace to pay his respects to Xue Ye.

"Your son, Xue Qinghe, greets Emperor Father. May Emperor Father be well."

He knelt on one knee, presenting a cup of hot tea with both hands.

Xue Ye was rosy-faced as he reviewed memorials.

"Rise."

Taking the tea from Xue Qinghe's hands,

Xue Ye took a sip and nodded in satisfaction.

"Qinghe, your skill at brewing tea has improved again."

Xue Qinghe raised his head, a smile appearing on his handsome face.

"As long as Emperor Father likes it."

Xue Ye smiled, then continued reviewing the memorials without speaking further.

Xue Qinghe lowered his head slightly and stood respectfully at the side.

Time passed second by second.

Only when the sunlight grew brighter did a eunuch remind Xue Ye that it was time.

Xue Ye set down the memorial and looked at Xue Qinghe.

"Qinghe, how goes your study of the Heaven Dou Codex?"

The Heaven Dou Codex was a compilation of the Heaven Dou Empire's laws, a political text that the Crown Prince was required to study.

Xue Qinghe bowed slightly and said,

"Your son has already mastered it."

"Good. Then let Father test you."

Only when the sunlight became scorching did Xue Ye's examination of the Crown Prince finally end.

"Your son takes his leave."

After leaving Qianqing Palace,

he moved through the palace enclosed by red walls and high tiled roofs.

Xue Qinghe's expression shifted from calm to cold.

A coldness that seeped into his bones, as though covered in a layer of frost.

Upon returning to his own palace,

he stood by the window.

Blankly, he watched the flowers in the garden wither beneath the scorching sunlight.

Less than a few minutes later, another eunuch reported that a certain minister had been waiting for a long time and wished to meet the Crown Prince.

Xue Qinghe skillfully shed the coldness from his face, his expression becoming gentle once more.

Half an hour later, after seeing the minister off,

he did not even have time to rest before visiting Heaven Dou Royal Academy as the Crown Prince to meet this year's talented students.

On the way back to the imperial palace,

Xue Qinghe was expressionless.

Stingray Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo exchanged a glance. Bracing themselves, they spoke,

"Young Master, His Eminence the Pope has informed us that the infiltration of the Heaven Dou Empire has been too slow, and the poison administered to Xue Ye is too mild."

"His Eminence the Pope wants you to completely control the Heaven Dou Empire within five years."

"Additionally, His Eminence the Pope said..."

Xue Qinghe remained expressionless.

But the hands hidden within his sleeves clenched tightly, his knuckles turning pale from the force.

He stopped walking, closed his eyes, and slowly let out a breath.

Thinking of how he had spent years doing the things he hated every day,

Xue Qinghe suddenly felt a weariness that penetrated deep into his soul.

"Tell that woman..."

"When I do things, I don't need her pointing fingers at me!"

Pufferfish and Snake Lance sighed and silently retreated to the side.

Seeing Xue Qinghe change direction,

they hurriedly asked,

"Young Master, where are you going?"

"Lotus Lake."

Without turning back, Xue Qinghe said coldly,

"Don't follow me."

Lotus Lake.

Willows swayed gently, and reeds drifted in the breeze.

Even the wind carried the fragrance of lotus flowers.

Seeing the white-robed youth with his mouth full of oil, Xue Qinghe blinked and quickly walked over.

Without the slightest concern for his image, he plopped down opposite the white-robed youth.

He picked up a fish and stuffed it into his mouth.

Li Zhixian stared in surprise.

Then he laughed and scolded,

"You—yesterday, you wouldn't eat when I offered it to you. Now you don't even know how to be polite, huh?"

Xue Qinghe picked up the chopsticks and stirred the fish in the pot a few times.

"Today's fish is a little overfried."

Seeing his shameless look, Li Zhixian was so annoyed that he laughed.

He held out his greasy hand before Xue Qinghe.

"Give it to me."

With fish still in his mouth, Xue Qinghe looked up.

"What?"

Li Zhixian said,

"The Yaoguang Brew."

"One meal of fish can't trade for Yaoguang Brew, but you've eaten two meals from me already."

Xue Qinghe curled his lips.

"A pot of Yaoguang Brew is worth ten thousand gold."

"Your fish are really expensive."

Li Zhixian had not expected two meals of fish to be enough for Yaoguang Brew anyway.

He stood, dusted off his backside, and walked toward the lake.

"This pot of fish is overdone. I'll catch a few fresh ones."

A few minutes later,

Li Zhixian returned.

He saw Xue Qinghe still silently eating fish, as if he had skipped lunch.

And opposite Xue Qinghe,

in his own seat,

was a crystal-clear three-inch Glazed Bottle.

Within it flowed wine that shimmered like a river of stars...