Hidden Agendas

"Miss Xun'er, are you still listening?"

"Mm... sorry, Miss Ruoruo."

Xun'er's expression shifted slightly as she said apologetically, "I was being petty before. Your Soul Force is simply too powerful, so I had no choice but to be on guard. Please forgive me, Miss Ruoruo."

Having gradually seized the initiative in their conversation, Hun Ruoruo did not rush to press her advantage. Instead, she assumed a thoughtful expression.

"I do not mind that."

After a long while, she shook her head and sighed. "However, there is something I do not understand. When the Xiao Family was in danger earlier, why did Miss Xun'er not have that Dou Emperor expert go and help?"

"That was precisely why Young Master Xiao sought me out, and in the end, he was forced to kill."

At those words, Xun'er felt somewhat guilty and lowered her head in shame.

"On that matter... Xun'er was indeed in the wrong."

Without realizing it, Xun'er found that she had already lost far too much ground to this gentle-natured woman before her.

Before the other woman recounted this experience, she had not even properly considered the feelings of those around Xiao Yan.

And Xiao Yan had never spoken to her about these matters either.

At this point, Xun'er no longer had any desire to continue questioning her. After a few perfunctory pleasantries, she prepared to see Hun Ruoruo off.

"My apologies, Miss Ruoruo. I have taken up too much of your time. Please accept the resources in this Storage Ring as Xun'er's apology."

"There is no need for an apology. If I could help Miss Xun'er resolve the knot in her heart today, then my time was not wasted."

Yet Hun Ruoruo was given no chance to decline. Xun'er's attitude was exceedingly firm as she directly gripped the ring and swiftly handed it over.

As the other woman extended her hand with the ring, Hun Ruoruo discreetly swept her gaze across Xun'er's eyes. Then she drew her right hand back slightly and reached out with her left to receive it.

Cool, soft fingers brushed against her palm, and an almost imperceptible electric sensation arose, as fleeting and illusory as a hallucination.

Hun Ruoruo said, "In that case, I shall accept Miss Xun'er's kindness. Farewell."

Xun'er said, "...Farewell."

One voice carried gratitude, the other apology, yet both were exceptionally gentle.

Once the fragrance of tea lingering in the air had completely dispersed with the breeze from beyond the door, a pitch-black figure emerged from the shadows.

He lowered his head slightly. "Miss."

Tiny golden flames flickered in Xun'er's pupils. Her expression remained calm as she gently lifted the cup of tea, which had long since gone cold.

In the blink of an eye, faint steam rose and drifted into the air.

After bringing the tea to her lips, a moist sheen appeared upon Xun'er's lips, making her look especially captivating.

"Not an Alchemist."

Ling Ying froze, his aura erupting uncontrollably. "Then she really is...?!"

"Nor is she from the Soul Clan."

Ling Ying: "...?"

"She has no Dou Di bloodline, or perhaps it is so faint that it is almost impossible to detect."

Xun'er shook her head, her willow brows tightly furrowed. "With her strength, if she were one of the Eight Clans, her status would surely be extraordinarily noble. Therefore, it can only be the former."

For those of the Eight Clans, strength was inevitably tied to their bloodline. There were no exceptions.

It was precisely because of this that Xun'er completely lowered her guard and no longer harbored hostility toward Hun Ruoruo.

For once, the Girl's movements carried a trace of roughness. She tilted her head back and drained the tea in one gulp, then turned to look out the window.

"Not an Alchemist, and not from the Soul Clan. The only remaining possibility is that she is a Yin Valley successor. I never expected Sound Valley, which had long vanished without a trace, to have such a Heavenly Prodigy traveling outside."

As one of Central Continent's foremost powers, Sound Valley was said to be exceptionally mysterious and difficult to track down, but it had not been completely detached from the continent.

Until several decades ago, Sound Valley had suddenly withdrawn at the height of its power. From then on, it vanished without a trace, with not a shred of news coming from it. Had it not accumulated such formidable prestige beforehand, even the title of the "Three Valleys" might have been claimed by others.

Now that a successor of Sound Valley had appeared once more, could it signify something?

After pondering it for a while, Xun'er rubbed her aching brow and stopped dwelling on it—

Since the other woman was not from the Soul Clan and held no special feelings for Xiao Yan, there was naturally no reason for Xun'er to remain hostile toward her.

A mere Sound Valley was clearly not worthy of her notice, given her status and position.

Finally free from being followed by that Old Man, the last of Hun Ruoruo's concerns dissipated. After blocking everyone's sight, the Girl willed it, and her agile Dou Qi Wings unfurled. In an instant, she had returned to her room.

The moment she entered, Hun Ruoruo stretched out her tightly tensed right arm and gently pulled down her sleeve—

The delicate skin beneath was covered in intertwined, savage scars, which emitted an extremely faint purple glow no matter how she tried to conceal them.

"Even if it is merely a sub-flame, the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame still has such a powerful effect."

After marveling at the power of Heavenly Flames, the Girl could not help examining her own Water attribute Dou Qi with disdain.

She could not become an Alchemist, could not fuse with Heavenly Flames, and was best suited to supporting others. She was practically a healer.

If not for her Soul Force and Soul Skills, she would likely have been left at the mercy of the Ancient Clan's maggots.

"Hehe, Girl, this Water attribute Dou Qi is not as worthless as you think."

A warm, magnetic voice rang out, and Old Man Yao's figure appeared in the Girl's room.

Surprisingly, Hun Ruoruo did not feel the slightest bit startled. She looked toward Old Man Yao with anticipation, as though little stars were sparkling in her eyes. "Could this Water attribute Dou Qi have other uses?"

"Of course. If you wish to learn, I happen to have collected several notes on cultivating Water attribute Dou Qi."

"Mm... I will need to think about that carefully."

"Ho, you Girl, could it be that you look down on this Old Man?"

"You said it yourself."

The Girl stuck out her tongue and looked slyly at the old man beside her.

"Still, Senior Old Man Yao, this time I truly have you to thank for your help."

Old Man Yao put away his smile and waved his hand. "I never expected a Dou Emperor expert of the Ancient Clan to follow you for several months. Although your identity is indeed sensitive, Girl, this was going too far."

For that splendid performance earlier, Hun Ruoruo had prepared far more thoroughly than Xun'er could have imagined.

Her indifferent temperament, devoted to bestowing favors and enlightenment, with no interest in romantic love.

Her Soul Clan bloodline, which had long been stripped away until it was nearly too faint to detect.

And Old Man Yao's Soul Force, which, though weakened, still remained at the Heaven Realm in soul cultivation.

With all three combined, did a mere sub-flame of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame truly think it could see through her disguise?

Seeing the contempt and amusement in the Girl's eyes, Old Man Yao knew that her habit of toying with people's hearts urgently needed to change. Yet because of the distance between them, it was not appropriate for him to say much.

The complexity in his expression vanished in an instant as he said slowly, "Since everything has been resolved, I will not linger in your room any longer, Girl. Judging by the time, that boy should be waking soon."

"Senior Old Man Yao, are you going back?"

"Indeed. Now that everything has been settled, it is time... to let that boy peacefully break through to Dou Zhe."

"Hehe, Senior Old Man Yao, could you help me deliver something to Xiao Yan?"

At those words, Old Man Yao raised an eyebrow. When he saw the ring she handed over, his eyes immediately widened—

"Th-This isn't...?"

"That is right. It is the apology gift from his little sister Xun'er..."

Hun Ruoruo giggled, her expression teasing.

"Of course, keep this a secret from him."