Qian Renxue: Using the Formula Is Fast

The evening breeze seemed to grow cooler.

Her arms wrapped around her knees tightened as she murmured, "A son unlike his father? But... if the son really were like his father... that would only make it even more suspicious..."

She paused, her voice growing softer, carrying a chill and pity she herself had not noticed.

"And then?"

"And then..." Jiang Bai pondered briefly before speaking.

"The Jingnan Campaign..."

"Simply put, the father was old, the eldest brother had died young, and the second and third brothers passed away one after another. The eldest nephew, who should have inherited the family business, had mysteriously vanished. The entire family foundation was on the verge of collapse, beset by troubles both within and without."

"At that time, the fourth uncle, who had originally only wanted to peacefully be a feudal prince, had no choice but to step forward at the age of forty-three and shoulder the burden of restoring the family and setting things right."

One had taken the initiative for self-preservation and ambition; the other had been forced to shoulder a great responsibility when the family was in crisis...

The light in Qian Renxue's eyes flickered uncertainly.

It was like four different mirrors, reflecting the destinies of people in different positions and with different temperaments within the vortex of power.

There was helplessness, tragedy, decisiveness, and responsibility.

Without exception, all of them were filled with sacrifice, maneuvering, and things beyond one's control.

Jiang Bai watched her expression, then abruptly changed the subject, his tone turning hazy and seductive.

"Senior, when I was little in the village, I heard the old folks tell many ancient legends. One of them was about the Angel God, said to be a supreme being who commanded light, judged the world, and stood above all else."

He paused and looked at Qian Renxue. "Gods really exist in this world, don't they?"

Qian Renxue was startled by the sudden change of topic and nodded instinctively.

Gods? To her, someone born in the Worship Hall with Angel God Power flowing through her bloodline, "gods" were not some vague legend. They were a real concept, one even intimately tied to her.

Wasn't her grandfather's lifelong faith and pursuit, as well as her family's inherited mission, all directed toward that supreme Angel God Position?

"Since gods exist," Jiang Bai said, lowering his voice. Yet it carried a strange power that struck straight at the heart, like a devil's whisper.

"Then why should you, Senior, as the bloodline closest to divinity, limit your sights to the recognition of mortals and compromise yourself for their sake? Why not cast aside all that turmoil, devote yourself to cultivation, and seek... the chance to become a god?"

The chance to become a god!

Those four words exploded in Qian Renxue's mind like thunder!

Jiang Bai continued to tempt her. His words grew increasingly outrageous, yet they painted an ever clearer picture that made one's blood surge.

"As long as you successfully inherit the divine position and become the new Angel God, then the Pope... no matter how imposing or powerful she is, she will still only be a mortal."

His tone carried a trace of almost cruel rationality.

"At that time, why would you care whether she spared you a glance or acknowledged you? Between you, there would already be the difference between god and mortal, between clouds and mud."

He leaned forward slightly, his blazing gaze fixed on Qian Renxue's suddenly constricted pupils. In a near-whisper, he painted an even more "terrifying" scene.

"Perhaps when that day comes, you'll hold the Angel God Sword in one hand and... Hu Liena's head in the other as you appear before her."

"Not only would she not blame you, she might even 'praise' you, saying that you were decisive in killing, that you had 'set things right' for Spirit Hall, purged its traitors, and killed well!"

Th-This... was this right? Was this reasonable?!

Qian Renxue's eyes flew wide as she stared at Jiang Bai in disbelief, as though she were truly seeing this boy three years younger than her for the first time.

Those words had completely overturned everything she knew and challenged worldly morality, yet... damn it, they carried a warped but powerful allure!

They had nakedly lured out the dark thoughts buried deep in her heart, thoughts born from long years of suppression and neglect!

Become a god... transcend mortal affairs... stand above all things... possess absolute power over life and death...

Why care about the recognition of a mere mortal? Before the power of a god, wouldn't that seem laughable and insignificant?

Use a long undercover mission and a twisted life to gamble for one cold scrap of charity?

Or use absolute strength to redefine the rules, even to... "set things right"?

Several utterly different thoughts collided and intertwined wildly in her mind.

Her grandfather was old, her father had died young, her mother was "unconscious," while outsiders watched covetously, eyeing the glory and authority that should have belonged to the Angel... Turbulent undercurrents ran through the family, and chaos had begun to emerge.

I, Qian Renxue, descendant of the Angel God, am I really going to passively endure fate like those princes in the stories, or follow Mother's arrangements and enter a gamble with little hope and a terrible price?

No...

A faint yet incomparably clear voice rose from the deepest part of her soul.

Why couldn't it be... me, who shoulders this family legacy that is about to collapse?

The confusion, pain, and hesitation in Qian Renxue's eyes receded as swiftly as the tide, replaced by a light that grew brighter and firmer.

Become the Angel God...

Hold the Angel God Sword in one hand...

And carry in the other...

"Heh... hehehe..."

She suddenly began to laugh softly. At first, it was restrained and broken, but gradually her voice opened up, and the laughter no longer held any sorrow.

Instead, it was filled with the flavor of sudden enlightenment, even a hint of madness and exhilaration.

It was as though she had seen another path unfold before her, completely different yet incomparably clear.

"Senior?"

Jiang Bai was somewhat taken aback by her sudden laughter and called out tentatively.

"Senior?" Seeing that Qian Renxue did not react and remained immersed in her thoughts, quietly laughing, he called again.

Just then, Qian Renxue suddenly moved.

Without warning, she stretched out her arms and pulled the seated Jiang Bai into an embrace!

The movement was abrupt, even carrying a heedless force.

She gently rested her head on Jiang Bai's slightly thin yet straight shoulder. Her golden hair brushed across his neck, bringing a faint tickle and an elegant fragrance.

"Thank you, Jiang Bai."

Her voice sounded beside his ear, lower and gentler than usual, carrying the sincerity of someone who had finally been relieved of a burden.

Jiang Bai's body stiffened slightly. The unique fragrance of a young woman lingered at the tip of his nose, while he felt the weight and warmth on his shoulder, leaving him momentarily dazed.

He had not expected Qian Renxue to express her feelings so directly.

What surprised him even more came next.

Still embracing him, Qian Renxue brought her lips close to his ear and asked in a tiny voice only the two of them could hear, carrying rare hesitation and anticipation almost like a plea, "Jiang Bai... can you... call me Sister?"

"..."

Jiang Bai froze completely.

Wasn't this... too sudden, and too... intimate...?

He lowered his gaze and could see Qian Renxue's fair ear and slender golden eyelashes at close range.

She seemed to be waiting, yet also a little nervous. The arms around him unconsciously tightened.

Hidden in the darkness, Qian Daoliu saw his granddaughter suddenly embrace Jiang Bai. His brow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he did not stop her.

A Peerless Douluo at Rank Ninety-Nine who had weathered countless trials, he too had an exceedingly complicated emotion pass through his eyes.

There was surprise, emotion, and perhaps even a trace of... knowing resignation.

The lakeside was quiet, and starlight had begun to appear.

After a brief silence, Jiang Bai took a soft breath. He neither pushed her away nor asked any further questions.

He turned his head slightly and, in an equally quiet voice, called clearly and steadily beside her ear:

"Sister."

"...Mm."

Qian Renxue answered, her voice filled with satisfaction and an indescribable tremor.

At last, she released him, sat upright, and looked at Jiang Bai again.

The tear tracks on her face had not yet dried, and her eyes remained slightly red. Yet those beautiful eyes shone with astonishing brilliance, filled with unprecedented vigor and resolve.

Her grief and uncertainty had been swept away, replaced by the sharpness of someone who had found her direction and was ready to break free from her cocoon.

Looking at Jiang Bai, she suddenly smiled.

That smile was as radiant as the rising morning sun.

"Jiang Bai," she called, her tone returning to normal but carrying a more natural closeness, "what we talked about today, and... what you called me just now, are secrets between us, right?"

"Of course." Jiang Bai nodded and once again made a zipping motion over his mouth.

"Good." Qian Renxue stood and patted nonexistent dust from her skirt. Looking toward Spirit City, her gaze was deep.

"I should go back. There are some things... I need to reconsider, and I also need to have a proper talk with Grandfather."

She turned to leave, but after taking two steps, she looked back at Jiang Bai, who was still sitting by the lake. "By the way, how is the effect of your first Spirit Ring?"

Jiang Bai's heart tightened, but his expression remained composed as a faintly delighted smile appeared on his face.

"The effect is good, and the enhancement to my body feels even stronger than I expected. Maybe it's because the spirit beast was of high quality. Thank you... Sister."

Qian Renxue nodded in satisfaction. "That's good. Remember to cultivate properly!"

With that, she did not linger any longer. Her golden figure quickly disappeared into the deepening night and down the path leading toward the villa.