A few days later, Huangdou Academy received an uninvited guest.
It was said that it was "unexpedited", but in fact it didn't count. People from Crown Prince's Residence sent a message one day in advance, saying that His Highness was going to inspect the college.
Education Committee readily agreed. Knowing the prince's intention, he personally arranged the trip.
Xue Qinghe After the honor guard arrived at the gate of the college, he only brought two followers. After entering the gate of the college,
He asked them to stand by and went to the training ground alone.
"Your Highness, that is not a training area..." the attendant reminded in a low voice.
"I'm free to take a walk." She didn't even look back.
The follower wisely said nothing more.
On the side of the training ground, Chen Jieqi was leaning on the railing and watching Yu Tianheng practice. Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's lightning control became more and more delicate.
Every attack was accompanied by a dull sound of explosion. He looked at it seriously and didn't even notice anyone approaching.
Until Dugu Yan poked him with his elbow.
"Hmm"?
Dugu Yan pursed his lips behind him.
Chen Jieqi turned around, Xue Qinghe was standing a few steps away, wearing a plain white brocade robe, her hair crowned high, her face was as usual,
There was no emotion visible, but Chen Jieqi noticed that her fingers slightly clenched the cuffs of her sleeves.
"Brother Xue." He stood up straight.
Xue Qinghe nodded.
Her eyes rested on his face for a moment, a little longer than usual, but she quickly moved away.
"How's the injury?"
"Almost good."
"Where's the burn mark on your chest?"
Chen Jieqi was stunned for a moment. He only wrote "injured" in his heart, but did not write down the specific location of the injury.
How did she know?
Xue Qinghe seemed to realize that he had let something slip and looked away.
Chen Jieqi did not ask further questions,
"Go in and talk," he turned and walked in the direction of Cultivation Stone.
Xue Qinghe followed him, and when passing by Dugu Yan, the two looked at each other, and Dugu Yan nodded slightly.
Without saying anything, he turned around and stopped Yu Feng who wanted to follow.
Cultivation Stone was empty, Chen Jieqi closed the door and sat down on the bench.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"I said I would come see you in a few days." Xue Qinghe sat down opposite him with a casual tone.
"Why, you're not welcome?"
"Welcome." Chen Jieqi said,
"I just didn't expect you to come in person."
Xue Qinghe didn't answer. She looked at him, her eyes falling on his chest through his robe.
She couldn't see anything, but she looked at it for a while.
"Let me see."
Chen Jieqi was stunned for a moment, "What?"
"Injury." Xue Qinghe said, "That burn mark."
Chen Jieqi was silent for a moment, unbuttoned his collar, and under the collarbone, a pale golden burn mark extended diagonally from his heart to his shoulders.
It's no longer hot, but the color hasn't faded away, like a burned-in line.
Xue Qinghe looked at it for a long time. She didn't reach out to touch it, she just looked at it and frowned slightly.
"Does it hurt?"
"It hurt then, but it doesn't hurt anymore."
"Lie." Xue Qinghe looked away and lowered his voice.
"You wrote 'not enough strength' in your letter. Is it because of Stone Gate?"
Chen Jieqi nodded and briefly explained the situation that day. Dugu Bo was deflected with a full blow.
When he pressed it, the runes lit up and resonated, but the power was drained and he was injured.
"It recognizes you." Xue Qinghe said,
"But you can't open it now."
"At least to Soul King or above." Chen Jieqi said,
"Grandpa also roughly made the same judgment."
Xue Qinghe was silent for a moment, "Continental Soul Master Tournament, were you sure before?"
"Yes." Chen Jieqi said.
Xue Qinghe didn't ask again.
The training room was quiet for a while, except for the faint shouts coming from the training ground in the distance.
"Brother Xue." Chen Jieqi suddenly spoke.
"Huh?"
"Is there something else you haven't told me?"
Xue Qinghe's movements froze slightly.
"About Stone Gate, about Temple of Light." Chen Jieqi said,
"The ones you found before are not just 'same origin', right?"
Xue Qinghe looked at him, sat up straighter, and opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something,
But in the end he just shook his head.
"You will naturally know when you can open Stone Gate."
she stood up,
"Telling you now will only distract you."
"Brother Xue..."
"Leave." She interrupted him.
Xue Qinghe walked to the door, paused, and finally opened the door and left without looking back.
Chen Jieqi sat on the stone bench, watched her back disappear outside the door, lowered her head, and tied her collar again.
The burn mark was no longer hot, but her gaze seemed to still be there.
Chen Jieqi When he came out of the training room, the sun had already set to the west.
Dugu Yan is still on the sidelines of the training ground, holding a grass stem in his hand and turning it carelessly.
"Gone?" he asked.
"Leave." Dugu Yan didn't look back, "What did you say?"
"Nothing said."
Dugu Yan snorted,
"The way she looks at you doesn't look like 'she didn't say anything'."
Chen Jieqi did not answer the call.
Dugu Yan turned his head and looked at him, "Xiao Qi."
"Hmm."
"Grandpa said that the thing behind Stone Gate may be the relics of ancient gods."
Her voice was very low,
"Are you sure you want to open it?"
Chen Jieqi held his hands tightly for a while.
"OK."
"Why?"
"Because of where it is," he said,
"And it feels like it's waiting for me."
Dugu Yan looked at the younger brother in front of him carefully and did not ask any more questions.
She dropped the stalks of grass on the ground and clapped her hands.
"Okay, since you were young, no one can stop you from whatever you decide."
She turned around and prepared to walk towards the cafeteria, her tone solemn.
"But you have to be safe!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jieqi loosened his tight grip, relaxed his body, and did not answer.
He just followed, and the setting sun stretched the shadows of the two of them very long.
Crown Prince's Residence, late at night.
Xue Qinghe is sitting in front of the window, no, it should be said that he is Qian Renxue who has recovered his true form.
At this moment, I was holding the cracked teacup in my hand.
The moonlight filled the courtyard and shone on her body, making her look particularly cold, but less lonely than before.
She lowered her head and looked at the cracks on the cup wall, remembering Chen Jieqi asking her, "Is there anything else you haven't told me?"
I remember saying to myself, "You will know when you can open Stone Gate."
She lied to him,
It's not malicious, it's... She doesn't know what to say.
Among the information she found about what was behind the Stone Gate, there was one line that she never dared to tell him.
"The successor of Temple of Light will ignite the divine fire and recast the light, but the price is,
He must cut off all earthly ties."
She didn't know whether it was true or false, whether it was an ancient curse or a descendant's attachment.
All she knew was that she didn't dare let him know.
She put down the tea cup, spread out a new piece of paper, wrote a few words with a pen, and crossed them out.
Write again, cross out again.
Finally, she crumpled the paper into a ball and burned it in angel flames.
Then she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes.
In the past year, she remembered the first time she met Chen Jieqi. That day Xue Beng came to cause trouble at the banquet.
After seeing his performance, she had someone thoroughly check all the information on Prince Xue Xing, including Dugu Bo.
It was not out of hostility, but because Chen Jieqi, she wanted to find out whether the old man was trustworthy or not.
The result was better than she expected. Although Dugu Bo was on Xue Xing's side, it had no political stance and was just trying to repay the favor.
And he is sincere towards Chen Jieqi and treats her as his own.
Even... because Chen Jieqi, Dugu Bo's attitude towards her has subtly changed. The former Dugu Bo,
When he saw her, he just pretended not to see her, but last time in the palace, he actually nodded in response.
She didn't know if that was a change, but she knew that it was brought about by that person.
And what about her? Is she also sincere to Chen Jieqi...?
She didn't know, she only knew that she didn't want to lie to him, but she had already lied to him.