Three Title Douluo
The Young Master told them to "trust Xue Qinghe for now," and even said they "could follow his arrangements"—this was simply unbelievable! Xue Qinghe was the First Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, the target of the Spirit Hall's Nation-Stealing Plan; how could they possibly listen to his arrangements?
Furthermore, what exactly was the reason for leaving "due to special circumstances" that would make the Young Master keep it from them and even leave without saying goodbye?
"She Long," Chi Xue's voice was low and laced with suppressed anger, "This letter...could it be forged? How could the Young Master ..."
"The handwriting is genuine," She Long interrupted him, his voice low. "The sacred aura within the sealing wax cannot be faked either; this is indeed the Young Master's letter."
"But--"
"No buts." She Long put away the letter, looked at Xue Qinghe, his eyes sharp as knives. "Young Master said we should trust you for now. So... tell us, what happened?"
Xue Qinghe secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his face showed just the right amount of helplessness. "Seniors, I don't know the specifics of what happened. That day in Sunset Forest, we encountered two mysterious powerful figures. They seemed to know Bai Xue... After talking for a while, Bai Xue decided to leave with them. Before leaving, she gave me the jade token and this letter, only saying... if you ever come looking for her, she will give these things to you."
He paused, then added, "Those two powerful individuals were incredibly strong, so strong that... they didn't even have the thought of resisting. Bai Xue left with them voluntarily, without being coerced."
She Long and Chi Xue fell silent.
The Young Master voluntarily left with others? And those others were two mysterious powerful figures? This amount of information was too much for them to process.
"What do those two powerful figures look like?" She Long pressed.
Xue Qinghe shook his head. "I can't see them clearly. They are shrouded in a layer of mist, and I can't even sense their aura. But... the feeling they give me is even more terrifying than Teacher and Sword Douluo."
Is it more terrifying than Chen Xin?
She Long and Chi Xue felt a chill run down their spines. Chen Xin was a level 96 Super Douluo, a master of swordsmanship, and with Ning Fengzhi's assistance, someone who could frighten them... must be at least level 97, or even higher!
On the mainland, such powerful individuals are few and far between. Who could it be?
Just then--
"Hey? Aren't these She Long and Chi Xue? What are you doing here?"
A slightly effeminate voice came from the doorway.
All three turned their heads at the same time.
A man dressed in a white robe, with delicate and handsome features, was leaning against the doorframe, toying with a golden chrysanthemum in his hand. He wore a half-smile on his face, his eyes sweeping over She Long, Chi Xue, and Xue Qinghe with a hint of amusement.
"Yue Guan?" She Long frowned. "Why are you here?"
The newcomer was none other than Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan.
"By order of His Holiness the Pope, I have come to convey instructions." Yue Guan walked into the study, naturally found a chair to sit down, crossed his legs, and said leisurely, "But what are you all doing here instead of protecting the Young Master?"
She Long and Chi Xue's expressions instantly turned ugly.
Yue Guan's words were clearly a veiled criticism of their dereliction of duty.
"Young Master... has temporarily left." She Long said in a deep voice, handing the letter to Yue Guan, "This is the letter she left behind."
Yue Guan took the letter, quickly scanned it, and handed it back, chuckling softly, "I see. It seems the Young Master has encountered some fortuitous opportunity."
"Yue Guan, what do you mean by this?" Chi Xue couldn't help but ask.
"The literal meaning." Yue Guan shrugged. "For the Young Master to leave willingly, and for something you all kept from him, it must be either an unparalleled opportunity, or... a reason that forces him to leave. But since the Young Master said 'don't search, don't ask,' then we'll just do as he says. Anyway..."
He paused, looked at Xue Qinghe, a deep meaning flashing in his eyes. "Anyway, I'm here on His Holiness the Pope's orders."
She Long and Chi Xue were both taken aback.
"His Holiness the Pope's order?"
"Hmm." Yue Guan nodded, taking out a purple token from his robes. "His Holiness the Pope has decreed: From this day forward, all affairs of Heaven Dou City shall be temporarily under the command of the First Prince Xue Qinghe. You must all cooperate fully to help the First Prince take control of Tiandou as soon as possible."
The study was completely silent.
Xue Qinghe's heart pounded, but his face remained calm. He hadn't expected Bibi Dong's order to come so coincidentally, coinciding perfectly with "Bai Xue's" letter. Now, even if She Long and Chi Xue had their doubts, they had no choice but to believe it.
She Long and Chi Xue exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes.
How could His Holiness the Pope issue such an order? To make them both obey the orders of a prince from the Tiandou Kingdom? This is simply...
But the Pope's Decree cannot be faked, nor can the Young Master's letter.
After a long silence, She Long finally knelt on one knee, his voice low and deep. "She Long Snake Lance Douluo She Long, obeys the Pope's Decree."
Chi Xue gritted his teeth and knelt on one knee as well. "Porcupinefish Douluo Chi Xue, obeys the Pope's Decree."
Yue Guan smiled and said, "Xue Qinghe, you must seize this opportunity."
Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, stepped forward, and helped She Long and Chi Xue up. His tone was gentle yet carried an undeniable authority.
"Please rise, senior. Since His Holiness the Pope and Bai Xue both trust me, I will certainly live up to their expectations. From now on, the affairs of Heaven Dou City will require the full assistance of both of you."
"That's natural." She Long and Chi Xue nodded.
Yue Guan added, "I have another secret Pope decree that I need to discuss with Your Highness privately."
Without much thought, She Long and Chi Xue quickly left the palace, leaving only Yue Guan and Xue Qinghe inside.
Xue Qinghe looked at Yue Guan, feeling somewhat nervous. "Your Majesty, what is it that you need to tell me personally?"
Yue Guan smiled and said, making a delicate gesture with his fingers, "No need to be nervous. You and I are practically family. We both work for Pavilion Master Luo and Vice Pavilion Master Snow."
Hearing this, Xue Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief, while Yue Guan continued.
"I came to Heaven Dou City on the Pope's orders to have the Young Master replace you as soon as possible and to have her contact Poison Douluo and Sword Obsessive Douluo in your name. However, since the Young Master has gone with them, this task can only be carried out by you."
"Remember this: from today onward, you are not only Xue Qinghe, but also the Young Master of Martial Soul Hall! You must obey any orders from the Spirit Hall, but I and Pavilion Master Luo will help you achieve your goals."
Xue Qinghe bowed and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty and that lord, Xue Qinghe will do his utmost to serve you."
Yue Guan nodded and said, "Alright, I've told you what His Holiness the Pope instructed. Now I'll go back and report. You'd better take care of yourself!"
Having said that, Yue Guan vanished from the palace in a flash.
Xue Qinghe looked at the empty room, clutching the thousand-character token in his hand, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
As the First Prince of Heaven Dou, I work for the Spirit Hall, yet my life is in the hands of those two big shots. How unpredictable life is!
Fate Defying Valley, Lake Heart Island.
Luo Can had just finished Fishing and was chatting and drinking tea with Qian Renxue and Ju Zi when Ju Zi's Communicator suddenly lit up, and Yue Guan's voice came through:
"When I met Xue Qinghe today, I encountered She Long and Chi Xue. However, I have already changed the Pope's Decree as requested by the Young Master and Pavilion Master Luo. She Long and Chi Xue have now temporarily submitted to ' Xue Qinghe '."
After listening, Qian Renxue said, "Fortunately, Yue Guan arrived in time; otherwise, given She Long and Chi Xue's tempers, Xue Qinghe might be in serious trouble."
Luo Can smiled and took a sip of tea:
"Now that's great, the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire are now aligned. From now on, we only need to keep a close eye on their movements. Any action Bibi Dong takes against the Heaven Dou Empire will be exposed to us, and it may even accelerate Xue Qinghe's progress in taking control of the Heaven Dou Empire."
Ju Zi turned off the Communicator, nodded, and said, "I will keep a close eye on Yue Guan and Xue Qinghe."