Lin Yue merely smiled faintly, his gaze settling on Qian Renxue's face. His tone was calm, yet his words carried the force of thunder. "Heaven Dou Crown Prince Xue Qinghe? I'm afraid that identity of yours is merely a cover, isn't it? The Young Master of Spirit Hall, Her Highness Qian Renxue."
Boom!
The words exploded beside Qian Renxue's ears like a clap of thunder. The teacup in her hand jolted, splashing scalding tea onto her fingertips, but she felt no pain at all. She snapped her head up, a flash of killing intent passing through her phoenix eyes as the Soul Power around her surged out of control. She had thought her disguise was flawless; even the important officials of the Heaven Dou Empire had never seen through it. How could Lin Yue know her true identity?
"You... What nonsense are you talking about?" Qian Renxue forced down her shock, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly. "I am the Heaven Dou Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe. What do you mean, 'the Young Master of Spirit Hall'? If you continue spouting nonsense, don't blame me for showing you no mercy!"
Watching her feign composure, Lin Yue smiled more broadly. "There's no need to panic, Your Highness. Now that I've exposed your identity, I won't reveal it to anyone." He raised a hand and waved. A gentle current of Soul Power enveloped them both, shielding them from outside observation. "You're impersonating Xue Qinghe simply to investigate the Auction House and secure the right for Spirit Hall to bid on high-tier treasures. Am I wrong?"
Qian Renxue froze completely. Lin Yue had not only seen through her identity, he knew her purpose as well. Looking into his unfathomable eyes, she suddenly realized that the man before her might be even more frightening than her mother, Bibi Dong, or her grandfather, Qian Daoliu.
"You... What exactly do you want?" Qian Renxue dropped all pretense, her tone tinged with wariness and helplessness. "Now that you know who I am, why not expose me outright?"
"What would I gain by exposing you?" Lin Yue countered. "Spirit Hall is one of the top factions on Douluo Continent. Establishing a partnership with you would only benefit the Auction House. Besides, you strike me as a clever person, Your Highness. You're better suited to handling connections between factions than those who can only solve problems with force."
Qian Renxue was taken aback. She had expected Lin Yue to use this to blackmail Spirit Hall or simply drive her out. She hadn't expected him to invite her to cooperate instead.
"Cooperate?" Qian Renxue frowned. "How do you want me to do that?"
"It's simple," Lin Yue said. "I'm inviting you to join the Auction House as a staff member, responsible for handling faction affairs between the Heaven Dou Empire and Spirit Hall. For instance, you could relay information about the Auction House's auctions, coordinate the two factions' bidding needs, and prevent unnecessary conflicts. In return, I can offer you a Contribution Value system. Every time you complete a liaison task or bring a new faction into a partnership with the Auction House, you'll earn Contribution Value."
He paused, seeing the confusion in Qian Renxue's eyes, then added, "Once your Contribution Value reaches a certain amount, you'll not only unlock access to information about high-tier treasures, you'll also be able to bid on some treasures using discounted Points. That includes the item you were eyeing earlier, wrapped in black velvet. It's a Titled Douluo Soul Power Crystal, and it can greatly help someone break through a bottleneck."
"A Titled Douluo Soul Power Crystal?" Qian Renxue's breath caught. She had been stuck at the peak of Soul Saint for years, unable to break through to Titled Douluo. Getting that crystal would raise her chances of breaking through by at least thirty percent. And handling affairs between the two factions meant she could stay at the Auction House under a perfectly legitimate pretext. She could investigate its secrets while securing resources for Spirit Hall—a chance to achieve two goals at once.
Still, she hesitated. Lin Yue had dangled such an enticing offer so readily. Could there be a trap?
As if he had read her thoughts, Lin Yue said, "You needn't worry, Your Highness. The Auction House has always played by fair rules. If you're willing to stay, we can sign a Soul Contract. I guarantee I won't reveal your identity or force you to do anything against Spirit Hall's interests. You'll only need to follow the Auction House's rules and do the work assigned to you. If you ever wish to leave, just let me know in advance. I won't stop you."
Looking into Lin Yue's sincere eyes, Qian Renxue thought of her mother, Bibi Dong, and how much she coveted the Auction House's treasures. The balance in her mind gradually tipped. She took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. "Fine! I accept. But I need to report this to Spirit Hall first and get the Pope's approval."
"Of course." Lin Yue nodded and handed her a black jade card. "This is your Staff ID Card. It'll let you enter and leave the Auction House's staff areas freely, and you'll be able to view the basic Task List as well. Once you've finished reporting, you can come back and start whenever you like."
Qian Renxue took the card. It felt cool beneath her fingertips, and six small characters were engraved on it: "Faction Liaison Specialist." She closed her hand around it, her heart a jumble of emotions. Not only had her infiltration remained undiscovered, she had gained an unexpected opportunity. None of this had gone as she'd imagined.
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Qian Renxue bowed to Lin Yue. This time, her voice held less wariness and more sincerity.
Lin Yue smiled. "You're welcome. I look forward to working with you."
As Qian Renxue turned and walked away, Mo Chen appeared beside Lin Yue again and asked quietly, "Master, could letting the Young Master of Spirit Hall stay at the Auction House be like raising a tiger to invite disaster?"
"Though a tiger is fierce, it can still be put to use if you keep it on a tight leash," Lin Yue replied. "Qian Renxue is sharp and capable. Having her handle faction affairs will save us a lot of trouble. More importantly, through her, we can gain a deeper understanding of Spirit Hall's needs and even influence Bibi Dong's decisions. That will be a great help when we introduce high-tier treasures in the future."
Mo Chen nodded and said nothing more. He knew that every decision Lin Yue made was part of a far-reaching plan.
Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Qian Renxue held the black jade card and spoke quietly into her Soul Tool. "Mother, I've discovered some of the Auction House owner Lin Yue's secrets. His strength is unfathomable, and he knows my true identity... However, he invited me to join the Auction House as a staff member handling faction affairs. He promised that once I earn enough Contribution Value, I'll unlock access to information about high-tier treasures, including a Titled Douluo Soul Power Crystal..."
From the other end of the Soul Tool, Bibi Dong's voice came with a hint of surprise and gravity. "Oh? He saw through your identity? It seems he's even more extraordinary than we thought. Accept his offer for now and stay at the Auction House to investigate further, especially the sources of its high-tier treasures and its auction rules. Report anything you learn to me immediately."
"Understood." Qian Renxue ended the call and looked at the jade card in her hand, a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes. She knew that from this moment on, her life might be about to change completely.
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