Qian Renxue

The next day, at dawn.

Ye Zhou, who had been cultivating cross-legged on the Cold Jade Bed, slowly opened his eyes.

"Kid, you're awake?" Shi Jian's voice reached his ears.

"Uncle Jian, you're back?" Ye Zhou asked in surprise as he looked at Shi Jian, who was sitting at the table drinking tea.

"Mm. I found a place to stay. It's at an inn beside your academy."

An inn beside Heaven Dou Royal Academy?

Was it that Yunman Inn, where many upperclassmen went to rent rooms and do that sort of thing?

The lodging there wasn't cheap. Senior Brother really was willing to spend.

"The environment there is nice, and there are plenty of people coming and going. I discussed it with the owner. I'll be staying there long-term, and he'll let me set up a fortune-telling stall at the entrance," Shi Jian said.

Set up a fortune-telling stall?

Ye Zhou got off the bed, walked over, and sat down beside Shi Jian. "Uncle Jian, why do you suddenly want to do that?"

"Other than catching ghosts and subduing demons, the Maoshan Sect's greatest skills are fortune-telling and feng shui. I've finished reading the book you gave me. Heaven Dou City is the imperial capital, so it's impossible for rampaging soul beasts to appear here. That means all I can do is tell fortunes and assess feng shui for people," Shi Jian said.

Actually, there was one thing he did not mention: he could leave Heaven Dou City and go to the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest, making money by helping people hunt soul beasts inside.

But he had promised to protect Ye Zhou, and Heaven Dou City truly was too prosperous—more prosperous than any city in his world. He did not want to leave, so setting up a fortune-telling stall was the best option.

As for letting Ye Zhou support him all the time...

Heh. If this kid were older, over sixteen, he definitely would not stand on ceremony with him.

But Ye Zhou was still just a child. Shi Jian felt he could not bring himself to have a six-year-old support him indefinitely.

"Uncle Jian, you don't need to work. I can support you. I have money," Ye Zhou said to Shi Jian.

"You gave me the first sum of money to tide me over. That's enough. I still have some pride," Shi Jian said calmly.

"Uh, then, Uncle Jian... I'll wish you booming business?"

"Good. If anything comes up, come find me at Yunman Inn." With that, Shi Jian stood up and teleported away.

Watching Shi Jian leave, Ye Zhou felt as though he had not fully woken up yet.

Telling fortunes for people on Douluo Continent... Uncle Jian, you really were something else!

After leaving the dormitory, Ye Zhou first went to the cafeteria for breakfast, then headed to the academy library to look for books about awakening Martial Souls.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy truly was worthy of being run by the royal family. There were hundreds of thousands of books in the library, all categorized and arranged on shelves.

Under the librarian's guidance, he quickly found the books he wanted. Hugging them to his chest, he found a seat and began studying in earnest.

Before transmigrating, Ye Zhou had been an exemplary student and a humanities major. Whenever he read, he became completely absorbed, so much so that he failed to notice a fair-skinned man in splendid clothes and with short golden hair sitting across from him about half an hour later.

After finishing one book and gaining a rough understanding, Ye Zhou picked up another and continued studying.

Across from him, the golden-haired man looked at the title on the cover of the book in Ye Zhou's hands.

How to Arrange a Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony

This book was of no help whatsoever to a Soul Master's cultivation. Only Soul Masters specifically tasked with awakening Martial Souls for six-year-old children would study it. However, the academy had not officially started yet, and it was normal for freshmen who had already arrived to register, with nothing else to do, to come to the library and read some idle books.

"Although there are many theories related to Martial Soul Awakening Ceremonies, they aren't actually important. If you want to learn it, you'll master it after following a teacher through the process a few times." Seeing Ye Zhou reading with complete focus, without even raising his head, as if he would not stop until he had finished all the books, the golden-haired man spoke.

Hearing the voice from across the table, Ye Zhou paused before looking up.

So handsome!

This guy was just a tiny bit short of how handsome I was before transmigrating.

That was Ye Zhou's first thought.

Then, he carefully examined the person before him. Confirming that he had no memory of him, he asked, "Senior, were you speaking to me?"

"Yes." Xue Qinghe—or rather, Qian Renxue—smiled.

"Do we know each other?"

"Although we've never met, I know you, and you definitely know me. You're Ye Zhou, the genius who was tested to have Innate Full Soul Power when your Martial Soul awakened at the Martial Soul Holy Hall a few days ago, right?" Qian Renxue said.

"You are?"

"Xue Qinghe."

"!!!" Ye Zhou's heart jolted.

The Heaven Dou Crown Prince? No, the young master of Spirit Hall—Qian Renxue!

The future Angel God!

Seeing Ye Zhou frozen in place, Qian Renxue chuckled inwardly. He was just a little brat from an ordinary background who had never seen the world. Learning that she was the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had made him this nervous.

That was right. In Qian Renxue's eyes, the only son of a baron came from a minor household and had an ordinary upbringing.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Ye Zhou quickly recovered, immediately rose to his feet, placed his right hand over the left side of his chest, and bowed to Qian Renxue.

"No need to be so formal. Sit down. There is no Crown Prince here. I'm also a graduate of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. If you don't mind, you can call me Senior just as you did earlier," Qian Renxue said with great warmth.

"I would not dare be disrespectful." Ye Zhou shook his head.

"What is there to dare? I am your senior to begin with. Are you not a student of Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"

"I..."

"Heh, to be honest, I came here specifically to find you today. I wanted to see the new generation of geniuses from our Heaven Dou Empire, but I did not expect to find you studying so diligently the moment I arrived. Are you trying to learn about knowledge related to the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony?" Like an understanding senior, Qian Renxue chatted with Ye Zhou.

"Uh... yes. I think it is very miraculous, and very important. It is the starting point for all Soul Masters," Ye Zhou answered.

"I already told you, this is the academy. There are only seniors and juniors here, no rulers and subjects. Junior Ye, you need not be so restrained. Just refer to yourself as 'I,'" Qian Renxue said.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince..."

"Hm?"

"Then... please forgive my disrespect, S-Senior."

"Mhm." Qian Renxue nodded in satisfaction. When dealing with youths of ordinary birth whose Martial Souls had mutated and given them exceptional talent, all she needed to do was treat them with courtesy, say a few kind words, give them some benefits, and show how highly she regarded them. Then they would repay her a hundredfold, even a thousandfold, and regard her as their benefactor.

Qian Renxue had begun learning such methods of controlling subordinates at the age of three. After coming to the Heaven Dou Empire and impersonating Xue Qinghe, she had to continue learning because she was the Crown Prince.

Now, she believed that her skill in controlling subordinates was no weaker than Xue Ye's or that woman's. She was completely confident that she could win Ye Zhou over to her side.

"Junior Ye, your thinking is correct. The Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony is indeed the starting point of all Soul Masters. But as I said just now, its theories are far too complex. At your current age, without a teacher's guidance, it would be difficult to fully understand them simply by reading books on your own.

"How about this? I am currently also serving as the academy's Vice Dean. Helping students master knowledge and broaden their horizons is also part of my duty. I will arrange a teacher for you, someone who can teach you step by step how to awaken your Martial Soul. What do you think?"

A teacher to teach me step by step?

Hearing Qian Renxue's words, Ye Zhou was delighted. This would be far more efficient than reading on his own, and he could awaken Shi Jian's Martial Soul sooner as well.

Of course, Qian Renxue definitely had ulterior motives for doing this. But no matter what her motives were, as long as she did not resort to force, he was not afraid!

Besides, was she not putting on an act of humbling herself to recruit talent, even telling him to call her Senior?

Fine, then I'll indulge her. Let's see who can keep up the act until the end—and who will be the one to suffer in the end!

With that thought, Ye Zhou immediately put on an excited expression. His eyes full of anticipation, he said to Qian Renxue, "Senior, really?"

"Of course it is true." Qian Renxue smiled.

Very good. The fish is starting to take the bait.

Sure enough, winning over a six-year-old child was much easier than winning over a sixty-year-old old man.