Qian Renxue: We're on the same side

"Alright, let's not talk about these bothersome things."

Dugu Bo waved his hand. "That kid named Xuan Hao, what else did he say to you afterward?"

"Nothing much..."

Dugu Yan recalled for a moment. "He just analyzed the pros and cons for me, called me brainless, and told me to get involved less in these matters in the future and be more mindful..."

As she spoke, Dugu Yan repeated Xuan Hao's remarks about "schemes that can't see the light of day," "seeking peace of mind," and "the road must be walked by oneself" verbatim.

After listening, Dugu Bo leaned back in his chair, his eyes full of surprise and admiration.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

"How old is he? Eight? Nine?"

"To be able to see human nature so clearly, and to have such an open mind and broad perspective."

Dugu Bo shook his head and sighed, "This kid is simply a monstrous talent. Compared to him, Xue Qinghe's so-called Imperial Art of Governance seems petty."

"Grandpa, stop praising him." Dugu Yan said irritably, "That guy has a poisonous tongue. He found ways to call me brainless."

"That's him guiding you." Dugu Bo smiled. "Grandpa can protect you for a while, but not for a lifetime. This kid is right, you need to be more mindful yourself."

"By the way, have you found out about this kid's background?"

"No." Dugu Yan shook her head. "In that situation, how could I dare to ask more? However..."

Dugu Yan recalled the scene at the Spirit Fighting Arena that afternoon, and said with lingering fear:

"His Martial Soul is terrifying. This afternoon at the Spirit Fighting Arena, he didn't even use Martial Soul Avatar. He just let out a roar, and Yu Tianheng was stunned unconscious."

"Moreover, his Dragon Might has an extremely strong suppressive effect on my Jade Phosphorous Serpent. After he roared, I felt my Martial Soul trembling within me. I couldn't even mobilize my spirit power, and my whole body went limp."

"Oh?" Dugu Bo's eyes narrowed, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "To have this level of bloodline suppression on the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Jade Phosphorous Serpent... This kid's Martial Soul is definitely a legendary True Dragon Rank, and it's a High-Ranking True Dragon at the peak of dragon bloodlines."

"Golden Dragon..."

"No wonder he's so arrogant. This talent... he indeed has the capital to be arrogant."

At this point, Dugu Bo suddenly looked up and scrutinized Dugu Yan with a strange look.

"Yanyan, what do you think... of that Xuan Hao?"

"Ah?" Dugu Yan, who was drinking tea, was startled by the question and almost choked. "What do you mean, 'what do you think'?"

"Just... what kind of person is he." Dugu Bo chuckled, with a hint of teasing in his tone. "Look, you're not young anymore, it's time to consider your future. Those good-for-nothings in the academy who only know how to surround you, Grandpa doesn't think any of them are worthy of you."

"Although that kid Yu Tianheng is alright, he's too arrogant, and he's from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. They have a lot of rules, and Grandpa is afraid you'll be wronged if you marry into their family."

"But this Xuan Hao..."

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. "Although he's a few years younger than you, in our Spirit Master World, we don't really care about that. As the saying goes, a woman three years older brings a brick of gold."

"This kid's talent is monstrous, he's cunning yet has his own bottom line, and he can completely tame your bad habits..."

"Pfft--!!"

Dugu Yan spat out her tea, her face instantly flushing red to the roots of her ears. She jumped up like a startled cat:

"Grandpa!! What are you talking about!!"

"Who... who wants that scoundrel!!"

"He's so much younger than me! And his mouth is so venomous! He calls me brainless every other word! And he's always scheming against me!"

"If I were with him, wouldn't he just play me to death?!"

"Ah, I see."

Seeing his granddaughter's agitated state, Dugu Bo sighed, the teasing in his eyes fading, replaced by a hint of worry.

"Being smart is a good thing, but this kid... he's too smart."

"He's only this young, yet he dares to stir up trouble in Heaven Dou City, scheming against the royal family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and even managing to get away unscathed."

"This kind of person is destined not to be content with a quiet life. The path he'll walk in the future will likely be filled with bloodshed."

"You're straightforward and naive. If you were really with him, I'm afraid you'd only be bullied."

Dugu Bo sighed and shook his head with some regret:

"Grandpa still hopes you can live a peaceful life. This kid is too troublesome and unsafe, not suitable for you."

"Hmph! Who cares if he's suitable for me!"

The next day at noon, the sun was shining.

Xuan Hao stretched lazily, feeling refreshed after a morning of meditation and cultivation.

"Na'er, stop sleeping, the sun is shining on your buttocks."

Xuan Hao dug Na'er out from where she was curled up on the sofa like a kitten, tidied her messy silver hair, and said, "Come on, big brother will take you to eat something delicious."

"Mmm... eat meat..." Na'er mumbled, rubbing her eyes. As soon as she heard "eat," she became much more alert.

Just as the two finished tidying up and prepared to go out.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The door was gently knocked.

Xuan Hao's brow twitched slightly.

Who would come at this time? Dugu Bo?

The door opened, and Xue Qinghe, dressed in a golden-red crown prince's uniform, looking gentle and refined, stood at the door with his signature amiable smile.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

Xuan Hao was a little surprised. "Why did you come alone? Isn't Sect Master Ning with you?"

"There are some private matters I'd like to discuss with little brother alone."

Xue Qinghe smiled and walked into the room, closing the door gently behind him and even locking it with extreme naturalness.

Xuan Hao watched his actions, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, closing and locking the door in broad daylight, isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Xuan Hao teased with a half-smile. "I'm not interested in men."

Xue Qinghe ignored his joke and turned around. His gentle eyes suddenly became deep, staring directly at Xuan Hao:

"Let's not beat around the bush."

"You are... a disciple of that woman, aren't you?"

The air in the room instantly fell silent.

Na'er tilted her head, looking at this strange Big Brother with some confusion.

Xuan Hao, however, remained calm. He neither admitted nor denied it, merely walked to the sofa and sat down, even pouring himself a glass of water:

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, what do you mean by that? That woman? Which woman?"

"Are you still going to pretend at this point?"

Xue Qinghe seemed to have expected Xuan Hao's reaction and was not annoyed. He said calmly:

"At the age of eight or nine, with over level thirty soul power, possessing a top-tier Dragon Spirit, and being able to make Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo search the world for you..."

"Besides the Pope's personally taught disciple who has been hidden away for many years, I can't think of anyone else."

As he spoke, Xue Qinghe's gaze suddenly shifted to the shadows in a corner of the room, his tone firm:

"Elder Ghost, since you're here, why not show yourself?"

"Although I rarely return to Martial Soul City, I am still familiar with the aura on your body."

"..."

In the shadows, a deathly silence lasted for a moment.

Then, a surge of black mist billowed, and Ghostly Shadow's figure, shrouded in a black robe, slowly emerged.

He glanced at Xuan Hao, then at Xue Qinghe. On his eternally stiff zombie face, a rare hint of helplessness and awkwardness appeared.

What was this situation?

"Greetings... Young Master."

Ghostly Shadow hesitated for a moment before bowing slightly.

"Elder Ghost is too kind."

Xue Qinghe nodded slightly, then looked back at Xuan Hao, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes:

"How about it? Can we talk properly now? My... Junior Martial Brother."

Xuan Hao put down his water cup and sighed, looking at her with the expression of someone looking at an idiot:

"No... I mean, Your Highness the Crown Prince, aren't you a bit too impatient?"

"There are other people in this room."

Xuan Hao pointed to Na'er, who was sitting beside him, blankly gnawing on an apple. "You're not acting anymore? Just laying it all out?"

"In front of an outsider, with both the Pope and Elder Ghost here, aren't you afraid of eavesdroppers, or... a child's innocent words?"

However, facing Xuan Hao's reminder, Xue Qinghe appeared completely unconcerned.

"It's fine."

He even walked over and sat on the sofa opposite Xuan Hao, elegantly crossing his legs. His gaze swept over Na'er with a hint of disdain:

"She's just a child of five or six. As long as you keep her in check, she won't cause any trouble."

"And besides..."

Xue Qinghe raised his hand and gently placed it near his cheek. His voice suddenly became soft, even carrying a crispness that originally belonged to a woman:

"Since we all know each other's true identities, I don't need to keep talking to you with this man's face."

"Wearing a mask all day is quite tiring."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Qinghe raised his hand and gently stroked his face.

A sacred and gentle golden light suddenly erupted from him. The elegant face that originally belonged to the male "Xue Qinghe" rapidly dissolved and reformed within the golden light.

Even his aura transformed from an unremarkable Soul Ancestor to a sacred, noble, and terrifying pressure that seemed to tower above all beings.

The golden light dissipated.

The original "Crown Prince" had vanished.

In his place stood a young woman with brilliant golden hair, a stunningly beautiful face, and skin as white as snow!

She appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, with exquisite features and an innate nobility and arrogance in her demeanor. Especially her golden eyes, like two miniature suns, shone with a light that dared not be gazed upon directly.

"Allow me to introduce myself."

Qian Renxue brushed a strand of golden hair behind her ear, her voice changing from a gentle male tone to a crisp, pleasant, yet somewhat authoritative female voice:

"Qian Renxue."

"Daughter of the current Pope, and... your Senior Martial Sister."

"This plan to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Imperial Family was personally devised by your Teacher, the current Pope Bibi Dong."

"So, in a sense, we are... on the same side."

Xuan Hao: "..."

He looked at the peerless beauty before him who had suddenly transformed, then glanced at Na'er, who was so shocked she'd forgotten to take another bite of her apple, and finally turned his gaze to Ghostly Shadow standing in the corner.

Is this woman... always this bold?