Qian Renxue
Upon hearing the knock, Tang San looked at Fu Shiyan.
Fu Shiyan nodded slightly.
After receiving the signal, Tang San quickly crossed the front yard and opened the gate.
Standing outside the door was none other than Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Tang San showed no surprise upon seeing the newcomer.
Over the past two years, the Crown Prince has visited him no less than ten times, and he has long since become accustomed to it.
However, Xue Qinghe was clearly taken aback when he saw Tang San.
He looked the blue-haired boy up and down, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, before politely nodding in greeting.
Hello. Is Mr. Fu available?
Tang San was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then he realized that after his Blue Silver Emperor awakened, his appearance and temperament had changed drastically. Even Oscar Ma Hongjun couldn't recognize him, let alone the Crown Prince, with whom he had little contact.
However, he had no intention of explaining his identity at this moment. He simply stepped aside to make way, raised his hand in a gesture of invitation, and said briefly:
"Mr. Fu is in his room. Your Highness, please."
Xue Qinghe nodded and followed him into the courtyard.
Just then, Fu Shiyan also walked out of the main room.
His gaze swept over Tang San, then fell on the silent guard behind Xue Qinghe, his expression remaining unchanged.
Tang San shook his head slightly and gave her a wink— Fu Shiyan understood immediately and didn't say anything.
Then, the three of them entered the reception room.
Tang San brewed a pot of tea and poured it for the two of them.
Xue Qinghe accepted the teacup and politely thanked Tang San.
Tang San nodded slightly, then stepped out of the door, leaving the two of them alone.
The aroma of tea wafts through the air.
Xue Qinghe put down his teacup and got straight to the point:
"Mr. Fu, I've come today to bring up the same old matter again."
"The Heaven Dou Empire is eager to recruit talented individuals. With your abilities, sir, if you wish to join the Heaven Dou Empire, any conditions are open to discussion."
Fu Shiyan picked up her teacup, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and simply said:
"Thank you for your kind offer, Your Highness, but I have no such intention at the moment."
Xue Qinghe seemed to have anticipated his reaction and did not press the matter further, instead changing the subject:
"I've heard that a remarkably talented young man has recently emerged in the Star Luo Empire. He's only ten years old, yet his Soul Power has already reached level forty or higher. Such talent is truly rare."
His gaze was fixed on the tea as he spoke, his tone casual and relaxed.
Fu Shiyan's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
It seems that the Young Master of the Spirit Hall has begun to have doubts.
This was all part of his plan—if he didn't investigate his background, how could he smoothly introduce the "Hidden Fu Family" into the game?
I just didn't expect them to use Dai Tianyu as a starting point.
Fu Shiyan put down her teacup, her expression calm:
"I know little about the Star Luo Empire."
Xue Qinghe glanced at him but didn't ask any more questions.
Then, Xue Qinghe changed the subject and talked about the current situation.
Friction continues to rage along the border between Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empire, with small-scale conflicts occurring frequently.
The relationship between the two great empires is becoming increasingly tense, while the Spirit Hall occupies the middle ground, seemingly neutral but actually making frequent moves and stirring up undercurrents.
After he finished speaking, he looked at Fu Shiyan, his tone becoming more serious:
"I wonder what Mr. Fu's views are on the Spirit Hall?"
Fu Shiyan picked up her teacup and took a sip.
He put down the teacup very gently; the porcelain bottom touched the wooden table with a very faint sound.
Then he raised his eyes and spoke calmly:
"As the sacred hall of the Soul Master World, the Spirit Hall's cooperation with the two great empires to awaken Martial Soul for ordinary people is itself a benevolent act that benefits the people."
He paused, then continued:
"Soul Master are now under the jurisdiction of the Spirit Hall, which provides unified constraints and prevents Soul Master from arbitrarily oppressing civilians and shrinking their living space—this is also a credit to the Spirit Hall."
Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe's eyebrows twitched slightly.
He didn't reply, but simply picked up his teacup, pretending to be all ears.
Fu Shiyan put down her teacup, her gaze falling to the window, her voice remaining calm:
"When the Spirit Hall was first established, its mission was to awaken the Martial Soul of commoners and to take in wandering Soul Master. With Soul Master under unified jurisdiction, commoners also had the opportunity to change their fate. From these perspectives alone, it has indeed made a significant contribution."
He paused. "However."
This one word made Xue Qinghe pause slightly as he held the teacup.
"Any power, once it becomes too large, will inevitably develop internal divisions."
Fu Shiyan withdrew her gaze and looked at Xue Qinghe, saying with emotion:
"Some remember their original aspirations, some pursue power, and some... turn what was once a tool into an end in itself."
"The Spirit Hall of today is no longer the Spirit Hall of the past."
Fu Shiyan spoke these words calmly, yet she revealed two sides to the existence of the Spirit Hall.
Its benefit lies in order.
Before the establishment of the Spirit Hall, commoners could only awaken their Martial Soul through luck and connections.
Those who have no path to awakening will never know whether they possess the talent to become Soul Master.
After awakening, without a guide, possessing only Soul Power but not knowing how to cultivate, they are no different from ordinary people.
It was the Spirit Hall that extended the Awakening Ceremony to every city and every village, giving even the most ordinary people the opportunity to open the door to the world of Soul Master.
This achievement is undeniable.
Its benefits also serve as constraints.
The power gap between Soul Master and ordinary people is natural.
Without a unified force to regulate them, it will be common for the strong to bully the weak and for Soul Master to prey on ordinary people.
The Spirit Hall, with its absolute power, intimidates the entire Soul Master World, sets rules, and governs Soul Master —at least on the surface, preventing the vast majority of Soul Master from recklessly targeting civilians with their Martial Soul.
This deterrent effect is irreplaceable.
However, advantages and disadvantages always have the same origin.
The other side of order is monopoly.
When the Awakening Ceremony became a power exclusively controlled by the Spirit Hall, the common people had nothing but gratitude towards the Spirit Hall and had no other choice.
Awakening, receiving subsidies, joining the Spirit Hall as a deacon or bishop—this is a complete, closed promotion path.
At the end of the passage lies the Spirit Hall.
The common people need the Spirit Hall, but the Spirit Hall... doesn't really need the common people.
What they need is a constant stream of new blood who have a sense of belonging and loyalty to the Spirit Hall.
The other side of jurisdiction is privatization.
When the largest number of Soul Master on the continent are concentrated in the hands of one person, and when the referee is also a participant, the fairness of the rules becomes a joke.
The protection of one's own faction, the suppression of dissidents, and the purge of those who refuse to submit—these are not accidental acts of corruption, but rather inevitable products of absolute power.
Even more fatal is that this power can be passed down, but the responsibility cannot.
Fu Shiyan's words echoed repeatedly in Xue Qinghe's heart.
The Spirit Hall did a good deed, and it was a good deed that no one else could match.
But these good things are becoming the foundation for it to consolidate its power and expand its ambitions.
Xue Qinghe placed the teacup back on the table with a very soft sound.
He looked up at Fu Shiyan, his face still bearing a polite smile, but his voice was a few decibels deeper than before:
"Mr. Fu means that the Spirit Hall... has changed its nature?"
Fu Shiyan did not give a direct answer.
He simply picked up his teacup again, took a sip, and said calmly:
"Your Highness surely already knows the answer in your heart."
Xue Qinghe remained silent for a moment.
The sunlight outside the window was perfect, making the rising steam from the tea table clearly visible.
A moment later, Xue Qinghe chuckled softly and stood up:
"Mr. Fu is indeed a wise man."
He straightened his robes, his tone returning to normal:
"I have troubled you for a long time, so I will take my leave now. I will come to seek your guidance another day."
Fu Shiyan nodded slightly:
"Your Highness, please take care."
As Xue Qinghe reached the door, he suddenly stopped, without turning around, and simply asked in a low voice:
"If one day the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Army clash... which side will Mr. Fu stand on?"
Fu Shiyan's voice came from behind, calm as ever:
"Your Highness is asking about the Spirit Hall today."
"As for that day... we can ask then."
Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe did not ask any further questions.
He pushed open the door and stepped out into the courtyard, where the sunlight was just right.
However, the dark cloud in his heart was even thicker than when he arrived.
Fu Shiyan to the corridor. Xue Qinghe nodded slightly, then turned and left.
Behind him, the silent guard kept his head down, but his eyes were always on Fu Shiyan.
--Until I walked out of the courtyard gate.
Outside the courtyard gate, the carriage stood quietly.
Xue Qinghe did not immediately get into the carriage, but turned his head to look at the Snake Lance Douluo behind him and asked in a low voice:
"Uncle She, how is it?"
The Snake Lance Douluo's expression was somewhat unpleasant. He lowered his head and replied in an even lower voice:
"Your Highness... I am unable to ascertain his Soul Power Level."
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue's pupils contracted slightly.
More than a year ago, Uncle She could vaguely sense that Fu Shiyan's Soul Power should be above level 80, which was the Soul Douluo level.
Now, not even the slightest clue can be detected.
This implies two possibilities.
Alternatively, the opponent's methods of concealing their presence are even more sophisticated.
Or--
The opponent's strength has exceeded the limit that Snake Lance Douluo can detect.
Qian Renxue didn't ask any more questions. She raised her hand to lift the carriage curtain and sat steadily inside.
The wheels rumbled and turned, driving away from the alley entrance.
The carriage was dimly lit. Qian Renxue leaned against the carriage wall, closed her eyes, and the conversation she had just had with the Snake Lance Douluo kept replaying in her mind.
for a long time.
She opened her eyes, peered through the gap in the carriage curtain at the receding courtyard gate, and murmured to herself:
"... It seems I must tell Grandpa."