"Enough. Let's not talk about these upsetting things anymore."
Dugu Bo waved a hand. "What else did that kid named Xuan Hao say to you afterward?"
"Nothing much..."
Dugu Yan thought back for a moment. "He just analyzed the pros and cons for me, called me brainless, and told me to get involved in these matters less in the future and be more careful..."
As she spoke, Dugu Yan repeated Xuan Hao's remarks about "schemes and plots being unfit for the light," "having a clear conscience," and "walking one's own path," word for word.
After hearing it all, Dugu Bo leaned back in his chair, his eyes full of surprise and admiration.
"Tut, tut, tut..."
"How old is he? Eight? Nine?"
"To see through human nature so clearly at that age, and to possess such an open-minded heart and broad vision."
Dugu Bo shook his head and sighed. "That kid is practically a monster. Compared to him, Xue Qinghe's so-called Imperial Art of Governance seems rather petty."
"Grandpa, stop praising him already." Dugu Yan said irritably. "That guy's tongue is vicious. He kept finding roundabout ways to call me brainless."
"He was giving you guidance." Dugu Bo smiled. "Grandpa can protect you for a while, but not forever. That kid is right. You need to be more careful yourself."
"By the way, did you figure out where he came from?"
"No." Dugu Yan shook her head. "In that situation, how could I have dared to ask too much? But..."
Dugu Yan recalled what had happened at the Spirit Fighting Arena that afternoon, still shaken by it.
"His Martial Soul is terrifying. This afternoon at the Spirit Fighting Arena, he didn't even use Martial Soul Possession. He just let out a roar and knocked Yu Tianheng unconscious."
"Also, his Dragon Might had an extremely strong suppressive effect on my Jade Phosphorous Serpent. After he roared, I felt the Martial Soul inside me trembling. I couldn't even mobilize my Soul Power, and my whole body went weak."
"Oh?" Dugu Bo's gaze sharpened as his fingers lightly tapped the table. "To produce that level of bloodline suppression against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and the Jade Phosphorous Serpent... that kid's Martial Soul must be of the legendary True Dragon Rank, and a High-Ranking True Dragon standing at the pinnacle of the Dragon Clan's bloodline."
"Golden Dragon..."
"No wonder he dared to be so arrogant. With that talent... he truly has the right to be."
At that, Dugu Bo suddenly raised his head and looked Dugu Yan up and down with a strange expression.
"Yanyan, what do you think... of that Xuan Hao?"
"Huh?" Dugu Yan had been drinking tea. She froze at his words and nearly choked. "What do you mean, what do I think?"
"I mean... what do you think of him as a person?" Dugu Bo chuckled, his tone teasing. "Look, you're not that young anymore. It's time to think about your future. Those useless lumps at the academy who spend all day circling around you—Grandpa doesn't think a single one of them is worthy of you."
"Yu Tianheng isn't bad, but he's too proud. And he's from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, where the rules are far too strict. Grandpa is afraid you'd suffer if you married into that family."
"But this Xuan Hao..."
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. "Although he's a few years younger than you, we Spirit Masters don't care about that. As the saying goes, if a woman is three years older, she brings a brick of gold."
"This kid has monstrous talent, a deep mind but his own bottom line, and he can straighten out all your bad habits..."
"Pfft—!!"
Dugu Yan sprayed out a mouthful of tea. Her face instantly flushed to the roots of her ears, and she sprang up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Grandpa!! What nonsense are you talking about!!"
"Who... who would want that bastard!!"
"He's so much younger than me! And his mouth is so vicious! Every other word out of his mouth is calling me brainless! He even keeps scheming against me in all sorts of ways!"
"If I got together with him, wouldn't he toy me to death?!"
"Ah, true enough."
Seeing how agitated his granddaughter was, Dugu Bo sighed. The teasing in his eyes faded, replaced by a trace of concern.
"Being smart is a good thing, but that kid... is too smart."
"At such a young age, he already dared to stir up trouble in Heaven Dou City, drag both the Imperial Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect into his schemes, and even get away unscathed."
"A person like him is destined not to live quietly. The road he walks in the future will likely be filled with blood and slaughter."
"You're straightforward and innocent. If you truly ended up with him, I'm afraid you'd only be bullied."
Dugu Bo sighed again and shook his head regretfully.
"Grandpa still hopes you can live a peaceful life. That kid is too troublesome and too dangerous. He isn't right for you."
"Hmph! Who cares whether I'm right for him!"
At noon the next day, the sunlight was just right.
Xuan Hao had just finished a morning of meditation training and stretched lazily, feeling refreshed.
"Na'er, stop sleeping. The sun's shining on your buttocks."
Xuan Hao pulled Na'er up from where she had curled into the sofa like a little cat, then smoothed out her messy silver hair. "Come on. Big Brother will take you out for something delicious."
"Mmm... meat..." Na'er rubbed her eyes drowsily, but perked up the moment she heard there would be food.
Just as the two had gotten ready and were about to leave.
"Knock, knock, knock."
There was a gentle knock on the door.
Xuan Hao raised an eyebrow.
Who would come at a time like this? Dugu Bo?
The door opened, revealing Xue Qinghe standing outside in his usual gold-and-red Crown Prince robes. He looked refined and gentle, with that signature friendly smile on his face.
"Your Highness?"
Xuan Hao was somewhat surprised. "Why did you come alone? Sect Master Ning isn't with you?"
"There are some private matters I'd like to discuss with you alone."
Xue Qinghe smiled as he stepped into the room, gently closing the door behind him. He even locked it with an utterly natural motion.
Xuan Hao watched him, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Your Highness, locking the door in broad daylight doesn't seem quite appropriate, does it?" Xuan Hao teased with a half-smile. "I'm not interested in men."
Xue Qinghe ignored his joke. He turned around, and those gentle eyes suddenly became deep as he looked directly at Xuan Hao.
"Let's speak plainly."
"You're... That woman's disciple, aren't you?"
The room instantly fell silent.
Na'er tilted her head, looking at this strange Big Brother in confusion.
Xuan Hao remained perfectly calm. He neither admitted nor denied it. Instead, he walked over to the sofa and sat down, even pouring himself a cup of water.
"Your Highness, I don't understand what you mean. That woman? Which woman?"
"Are you still going to pretend at this point?"
Xue Qinghe seemed to have expected Xuan Hao's response. He wasn't angered and merely spoke calmly.
"Eight or nine years old, Soul Power above level thirty, a top-tier Dragon Spirit, and enough importance for both Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo—the two elders—to search everywhere for you..."
"Other than the Personal Disciple the Papal Palace has kept hidden for years, I can't think of anyone else."
As he spoke, Xue Qinghe's gaze suddenly shifted toward the shadows in one corner of the room, his tone certain.
"Elder Ghost, since you're here, why not show yourself?"
"Although I rarely return to Spirit City, I still recognize your aura."
"..."
Deathly silence filled the shadows for a moment.
Then black mist surged forth, and Ghostly Shadow's figure, shrouded beneath a black robe, slowly emerged.
He looked at Xuan Hao, then at Xue Qinghe. On his eternally unchanged corpse-like face, a trace of helplessness and embarrassment appeared for once.
What kind of situation was this?
"Greetings... Young Master."
Ghostly Shadow hesitated before finally giving a slight bow.
"You're too courteous, Elder Ghost."
Xue Qinghe gave a slight nod, then looked back at Xuan Hao, a glint of pride flashing through his eyes.
"Well? Can we have a proper conversation now, my... Junior Martial Brother?"
Xuan Hao set down his cup and sighed, looking at her as though she were an idiot.
"No... I'm saying, Your Highness, aren't you being a little too impatient?"
"There are still other people in this room."
Xuan Hao pointed at Na'er, who was sitting nearby and gnawing on an apple with a blank look on her face. "You're dropping the act just like that? Revealing everything?"
"In front of an outsider, you're talking about the Pope and Elder Ghost. Aren't you afraid that walls have ears, or that... children speak without restraint?"
Yet Xue Qinghe showed no concern whatsoever at Xuan Hao's warning.
"It doesn't matter."
She even walked over to the sofa opposite Xuan Hao and sat down, elegantly crossing her legs. Her gaze swept over Na'er with a hint of disdain.
"She's only a five- or six-year-old child. As long as you keep her under control, she won't be able to cause any trouble."
"And besides..."
Xue Qinghe raised a hand and lightly placed it against the edge of her cheek. Her voice suddenly softened, even taking on the clear quality that had originally belonged to a woman.
"Since we both know each other's circumstances, there's no need for me to keep speaking to you while wearing this man's face."
"Wearing a mask all day is exhausting."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xue Qinghe raised her hand and gently brushed it over her face.
A burst of sacred, gentle golden light erupted from her body. The refined male features of "Xue Qinghe" rapidly dissolved and reformed within the golden radiance.
Even her aura changed from that of an ordinary Soul Ancestor into a terrifying pressure that was sacred and noble, as if it stood above all living beings.
The golden light faded.
The former "Your Highness" had vanished.
In her place stood a young woman with brilliant golden hair, peerless beauty, and skin whiter than snow.
She looked eighteen or nineteen years old. Her features were exquisite, and an innate nobility and pride rested between her brows. Most striking of all were her golden eyes, like two little suns, shining with a light that made others afraid to meet her gaze.
"Let me introduce myself."
Qian Renxue brushed aside the golden hair by her ear. Her voice changed from a warm male voice into a crisp, pleasant female voice that carried a trace of authority.
"Qian Renxue."
"The daughter of the current Pope, and also... 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 so completely, then at Na'er beside him, who was so shocked she had forgotten to keep eating her apple. Finally, he turned his gaze toward Ghostly Shadow standing in the corner.
Was this woman... always this reckless?
Before you continue