Don't You Want To?

"Didn't you wait for Fourth Brother again?" Xue He watched the two swiftly pass by him, then turned to ask Xue Qingxi, who was following behind.

Sister Tang Ling and Tang San did not look as though they had fallen out. Even if they had a conflict, they would soothe each other soon enough.

What mattered now was Third Brother, who had come out alone.

Xue He sighed and tugged at the gossip-hungry man beside him. "How did he provoke you again? You left him behind in public. Father will scold you again."

"It's just a few words of scolding. No big deal." Xue Qingxi gazed into the distance and waved with a grin.

Then he curled his lip and lowered his voice in explanation. "As for Xue Luan, you don't know this—he just copied Tang San's smile and leaned in front of Tang Ling. It made me sick!"

"Uh!" Xue He tried hard to picture the scene and was instantly speechless.

Then he sighed and followed Xue Qingxi's gaze toward Tang Ling and Tang San in the distance.

Third Brother was Father's favorite anyway. Such a small matter was nothing. Besides, Fourth Brother's behavior truly made people dislike him.

"What are they arguing about this time? It looked like Sister Tang Ling was angry." Xue He nudged his Third Brother with an elbow and asked quietly.

"I think it may be because of Spirit Hall's recruitment offer just now." Xue Qingxi lowered his head slightly and answered in an equally soft voice.

"Recruitment?" Xue He's eyes widened in shock. "Tang San's martial soul can't be that extraordinary too, can it?"

"That's right!" Xue Qingxi looked at Xue He with a solemn expression, then patted his head regretfully. "He'er, not only can't you beat him in your studies, now even your martial soul can't compare to his!"

"What is his martial soul?" Xue He pressed on unwillingly.

"Twin Martial Souls: the ancient-returning martial soul Formless Disc, and the mutated martial soul Fingertip Blade." Xue Qingxi sighed and helplessly indulged his younger brother's desire to be humbled.

The two had competed in everything from studying to making weapons. Their war had gone on for three years. Though Xue Qingxi had no idea what there was to compete over, he was more than happy to watch the fun.

"How can Tang San be this ridiculous?" Xue He looked utterly incredulous after getting his answer.

When they had first met, he had earnestly warned Tang San to study hard so he could find a way to survive.

The guy had listened, but he was always one step ahead, making Xue He's competitive spirit rise higher and higher.

"Back then, Tang San should have studied with you!" Xue He looked at the amused Xue Qingxi beside him and punched him.

Xue Qingxi exaggeratedly staggered back a few steps from the blow, then hooked an arm around Xue He's neck and defended himself in a low voice. "It really wasn't that I refused. Fourth Brother caused the trouble."

After saying that, he glanced back toward Spirit Hall, pulled Xue He a few steps closer to the carriage, and lowered his voice even further. "You were young and dull back then, so you probably didn't understand what Fourth Brother meant.

"He was secretly trying to drive a wedge between Tang San and us. Didn't he realize that with Tang Ling's sharp mind, there was no way she wouldn't ask about it?

"After Tang Ling found out, the first thing she decided upon when she began cooperating with Father was to push Tang San onto you to look after."

"So Sister Tang Ling was behind it!" Xue He immediately looked up at the two people approaching with smiles after settling everything.

Then he asked quietly, "If I use this matter to get Sister Tang Ling to give me a piece of Plate Crystal Gold too, do you think it'll work?"

"You win! As long as you're happy!" Xue Qingxi instantly covered his face, utterly speechless. As expected of dull Fifth Prince—at a time like this, he was still thinking about metal materials and had completely forgotten that Fourth Brother was the main issue.

Without an answer, Xue He gave up on the idea.

All the good things in Tang Ling's hands were reserved for Tang San. Even if he managed to get one, the petty Tang San would probably trick it away from him.

"Oh? All settled?" Xue Qingxi raised a hand with a grin as the two approached.

"Of course. Senior Sister couldn't bear to stay angry with me!" Tang San proudly lifted his chin, then looked at Tang Ling with a smile.

Tang Ling nodded along with his words. "I wasn't really angry. I was just annoyed that he was trying to poach people right in front of me.

"Besides, if we didn't leave early, we'd have been surrounded by people making small talk!"

As she spoke, Tang Ling glanced toward the Spirit Hall branch, then called for her companions to board the carriage.

"You left a carriage and attendants for Xue Luan, right?" Once seated, Tang Ling looked at Xue Qingxi.

"I did. Don't you trust me to handle things?" Xue Qingxi flashed a wide grin, then urged the driver, "Go, go! I just remembered that I'm someone who'll get surrounded too."

Hearing the Third Prince's order from inside the carriage, the driver hurriedly drove the carriage away.

"Why would Third Brother get surrounded?" Xue He took out a cloth bag of snacks from the hidden compartment at the side of the carriage. While chewing dried meat, he looked at Xue Qingxi beside him.

Hearing the question, Xue Qingxi chuckled. "Because your Third Brother's martial soul is the same as Father's!" As he spoke, he proudly flicked back his hair.

"Third Brother is amazing! You actually inherited Father's martial soul." Xue He praised him without reservation.

"It is impressive, but it's also dangerous." Tang Ling looked at the delighted pair and smiled as she poured cold water over them.

"Father will protect me." Xue Qingxi waved a hand dismissively, his face full of admiration. Then he added confidently, "Besides, I'm not so easily plotted against."

"Mm, you have your own ideas. But you still need to be more careful." Tang Ling nodded and offered a brief reminder.

Xue Qingxi was lively and cheerful, seeming carefree and thoughtless, but he was actually highly perceptive, tactful with people, and steady in his actions.

After the person being advised put away his smile and nodded solemnly, he frowned and asked Tang Ling, "What about the two of you? Two people with Innate Full Soul Power—Chloe Princess Manor has truly become a prized prize!"

"Don't worry. I can protect myself. Those messy schemes won't reach me." Tang Ling smiled at the person across from her. "And besides,

Do you think my cooperation with Uncle over the years was for nothing?

Those shops and factories established in different cities to benefit commoners—Uncle would never want to hand them over to someone else. Besides, I'm not only good at business."

"You really are... Why couldn't you have been a princess surnamed Xue? Then I could definitely spend my life slacking off!" Xue Qingxi clicked his tongue, looking Tang Ling up and down with deep regret.

Then admiration filled his gaze. He had no idea how her mind worked, how she could plan so far ahead.

"Then you probably won't be able to slack off for the rest of your life!" Tang Ling chuckled as she played with Tang San's callused fingers, giving Xue Qingxi a sly wink.

Xue Qingxi was so startled that he immediately sat upright. He opened his mouth, then bent forward and leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Are you considering something like this so early?"

"It's not early. Your martial soul has already awakened. By your family's rules, you can participate in state affairs now. Besides, don't you want to?" Tang Ling ignored his shock and looked at him calmly.

"You've already decided? Aren't you going to ask Tang San?" Xue Qingxi sucked in a sharp breath, then looked at Tang San with an expression that said, Aren't you going to stop her?

Receiving his look, Tang San shrugged helplessly. Then, as though casually, he withdrew his hand and picked up a pastry to taste.

Tang Ling looked at her empty hand and sighed helplessly. Then she turned to the now-calm Xue Qingxi. "Your martial soul means you're destined not to live peacefully.

"Even if you don't want it, you'll still be targeted and elevated by others. So you can only strike first."

"I know." Xue Qingxi looked composed, his tone calm. Then he looked at Tang Ling speechlessly. "What I didn't expect was that you would get involved."

"What's so unexpected about that?" Tang Ling raised an eyebrow. "My family has a great enterprise, and we need reliable partners. You are a good fit."

"Fine!" Xue Qingxi looked at Tang Ling's serious expression and nodded solemnly. "You think I'm suitable, and I trust your judgment. I'll do my best to fight for it."

"It's a deal!" Tang Ling extended her right hand and looked at the future king of the Heaven Dou Empire whom she had chosen and confirmed over the past three years.

There were only a few ways for a world to evolve, and in this world, reform was easier from the top down. Thus, Tang Ling had made her preparations three years ago.

Sure enough, after her martial soul awakened, her dear father had sent her the trajectory of the previous life of the foreign Heavenly Dao. It confirmed Tang Ling's suspicions.

This world's evolution truly required changing the entire social structure. That meant the person she had chosen would finally be of use.

"A promise made cannot be taken back!" Xue Qingxi sat upright and solemnly clasped the hand extended across from him.