Return to Heaven Dou

Dealing with the Black Marsh's aftermath turned out to be easier than Meow Meow had imagined.

Of course, that was only because Qian Renxue herself was ruthless enough.

When they returned to the outskirts of the Black Marsh, the stretch of wetlands from the night before had grown much quieter.

No one knew where the Marshwing Blood Leech, which was over fifty thousand years old, had crawled off to after being gravely wounded. Only a faint trace of blood hung over the marsh.

Meow Meow stood on a dead tree trunk and looked down at the black water beneath his feet.

"This place really isn't suitable for cats."

"The water's filthy, there's mud everywhere, and it's full of weird things."

Qian Renxue glanced at him.

"You certainly ran fast last night."

Meow Meow flicked his tail.

"That was a strategic withdrawal."

"If that thing had gotten its hooks into me, even a Titled Douluo would've found it a nuisance."

Qian Renxue didn't argue.

A Marshwing Blood Leech might not be the strongest Soul Beast one-on-one, but it was certainly disgusting.

It had powerful regenerative abilities, potent blood poison, and a fondness for hiding at the bottom of marshes.

If they hadn't run fast last night and that old thing deep in the Black Marsh had fixed its attention on them, the consequences would have been hard to predict.

She raised a hand and sent out a stream of golden Soul Power.

It landed on a half-collapsed stone platform ahead.

Several dark red markings quickly surfaced across its surface.

They didn't look like the traces left behind by a Soul Master's ordinary cultivation. Instead, they carried a chilling aura.

Meow Meow knew at a glance that they were nothing good.

"A Fallen Soul Master's handiwork?"

Qian Renxue nodded.

"Most likely."

"Someone in Heaven Dou City is secretly collecting blood from special Soul Beasts. This is just one of their meeting points."

Meow Meow narrowed his eyes.

"Heavenly Dou Nobles?"

"We can't be sure yet."

Qian Renxue's voice was even.

"But whoever could pull this off both inside and outside Heaven Dou City must have a powerful identity."

After hearing that, Meow Meow had a pretty good idea.

On the surface, Douluo Continent was divided between the two great empires and Spirit Hall.

But dig a little deeper, and the Heaven Dou Empire was far from clean.

The nobles were rotten.

The sects meddled in everything.

And the imperial family had old foxes like Prince Xue Xing.

Add in a few Soul Master factions that preferred to operate in the shadows, and the waters ran deep.

We haven't even reached Heaven Dou yet, and I can already smell the rot.

Qian Renxue said no more and got straight to work cleaning up the traces.

Streams of golden Soul Power fell one after another, burning away all the dark red markings on the stone platform.

Meow Meow didn't sit idle either.

He swept the area with the Calming Bell, suppressing the lingering mental fluctuations and traces of blood.

Finally, he drew out a trace of sacred energy with the Pure Feather Talisman and burned several blood-poison-stained bone fragments in the corner to ash.

After more than half an hour of work, the stronghold had finally been thoroughly cleaned.

[Ding, Black Swamp Stronghold cleanup complete.]

[Qian Renxue storyline quest progress increased.]

[Reward: Meow Wish Value ×40.]

Meow Meow glanced at the system notification and felt pretty good.

The reward wasn't much, but every little bit counted.

Besides, the most important thing this time wasn't the reward. He'd firmly established a connection with Qian Renxue's storyline.

"Let's go."

Qian Renxue withdrew her Soul Power.

"There's nothing else to see here."

Meow Meow nodded and was just about to follow when he suddenly looked toward the depths of the Black Marsh.

There was still a faint aura over there.

It belonged to the old thing from last night, the one that had nearly reached the hundred-thousand-year threshold.

It hadn't come after them.

But it hadn't truly left, either.

It was as if it were silently watching them from the depths of the black water.

Meow Meow watched for a couple of seconds, then finally turned away.

"Forget it."

"I'm not interested in risking my life against something like that yet."

"If I really need to someday, I'll come settle the score."

Qian Renxue heard his quiet muttering and said evenly,

"You're not afraid, then?"

"Of course I'm afraid."

Meow Meow answered at once.

"Being afraid and coming back to bother it someday are two different things."

Qian Renxue didn't respond for a moment.

She was beginning to realize that this cat could sound timid one moment and wildly overconfident the next.

And somehow, neither side seemed like an act.

After leaving the Black Marsh, the two didn't head straight for Heaven Dou. They returned to the Qian Family Villa first.

As soon as White Dew saw Qian Renxue return, she ran over from beneath the veranda.

A Yu was a little slower, with a bit of grass still stuck to the corner of her mouth.

Ink Shadow emerged from the shadows and quietly sat down in front of Meow Meow.

Meow Meow took one look at A Yu and felt his eyelid twitch.

"Did you nibble on the Herb Garden again?"

A Yu looked up at him with round eyes.

"Meow."

She sounded completely innocent.

But Meow Meow didn't believe her for a second.

He walked over and looked at the spirit herb by the edge of the garden, its leaves missing a small chunk.

Just as he'd thought.

"Didn't I tell you not to eat things without asking?"

"You've only had Spirit Ignition for a day, and you're already testing my rules?"

A Yu immediately shrank her neck.

White Dew gave a soft meow from beside them, as if trying to explain on her behalf.

Ink Shadow honestly sent him a thought.

[She was hungry.]

Meow Meow: "..."

All right, then.

That was a simple, solid reason.

Qian Renxue found it rather amusing.

She took several low-grade medicinal fruits from her Storage Soul Tool and placed them in front of A Yu.

"Eat these from now on."

"Don't touch anything in the Herb Garden."

A Yu's eyes lit up, and she immediately lowered her head to nibble.

Meow Meow glanced at her and made a mental note.

I'll have to keep a close eye on this one.

Otherwise, she'll chew the Herb Garden bald sooner or later.

After making arrangements for the three cats, Qian Renxue began preparing to return to Heaven Dou.

She had been away from Heaven Dou City for several days.

For Xue Qinghe, that was already quite a while.

If she stayed away any longer, someone at the Crown Prince's Mansion was bound to grow suspicious.

Especially Emperor Xue Ye and Prince Xue Xing.

The former was the emperor.

The latter might not be much for handling official business, but he was very good at keeping an eye on people.

Meow Meow watched Qian Renxue change back into Xue Qinghe's clothes and gradually soften her aura. He couldn't help marveling.

She's really mastered the act.

One moment she's the young master of the Qian Family, and the next she's the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou again.

If I go to Heaven Dou City someday, I'll probably have to be careful too.

When Qian Renxue had finished getting ready, she looked at Meow Meow.

"You can still change your mind."

Meow Meow looked up.

"Change my mind about what?"

"Returning to Spirit City."

Qian Renxue's voice was calm.

"If you're worried about the Pope's Palace, I can take you back first."

"If we need to later, we can find a way to get in touch."

Meow Meow's tail paused for a moment.

It wasn't as if he wasn't worried about the East Side Courtyard.

He'd been away for quite a few days.

He wondered how Little Flame, Snowball, Charcoal Ball, A Ju, Swirl, Blue Tail, and all the little ones in the Warm Nest were doing.

But Bibi Dong was there.

Nothing major could happen to the East Side Courtyard.

Besides, he could sense Bibi Dong's condition through Bell-Led Master Seeking.

His Holiness the Pope seemed stable for now.

There were no signs of danger.

And no unusual bursts of emotion.

"I'm not going back yet."

Meow Meow shook his head.

"Little Flame and the others are at the East Side Courtyard. I don't need to keep an eye on everything myself."

"You're the one who has to return to Heaven Dou City and keep up your Crown Prince identity."

"Until we've fully investigated the Black Marsh business, it'll be safer if I stick with you."

Qian Renxue looked at him and fell silent for a moment.

"You're sure?"

"Sure."

Meow Meow said, then added,

"Besides, I want to see what Heaven Dou City is like."

"I've seen Spirit City, but I haven't seen Heaven Dou yet."

That was the truth.

In the early and middle parts of the original Douluo I story, a lot of major events revolved around Heaven Dou City.

Shrek would go there.

Tang San would go there.

Yu Xiaogang would go there too.

Blue Tyrant Academy, Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—they were all there.

If he stayed in Spirit Hall the whole time, all he could do was wait for things to happen before responding.

But if he went to Heaven Dou, that would be different.

Tang San probably hasn't reached Heaven Dou yet.

"Those people from Shrek still haven't arrived."

"It wouldn't hurt to go take a look at the terrain ahead of time."

That was what Meow Meow thought, though he didn't let it show on his face.

Qian Renxue didn't know what was on his mind and merely nodded.

"Then come with me."

"But once we're in Heaven Dou, you can't let your Soul Beast aura show."

"There are too many eyes in the Crown Prince's Mansion. Royal Worships, Noble Spies, and Martial Soul Hall Agents could all be watching."

Meow Meow was taken aback.

"Even Martial Soul Hall Agents are watching you?"

Qian Renxue glanced at him.

"Not everyone in Spirit Hall knows my true identity."

At that, Meow Meow understood.

Qian Renxue's infiltration of Heaven Dou was a closely guarded secret known to only a handful of people in the Worship Hall and the upper ranks of Spirit Hall.

Ordinary Spirit Hall spies might know only that the Heaven Dou Crown Prince was someone worth approaching, without realizing that the Crown Prince himself was the Young Master of Martial Soul Hall.

"That's complicated."

Meow Meow sighed.

"No wonder you're so tired."

Qian Renxue paused slightly at his words.

She didn't answer.

Meow Meow didn't press the matter either.

Some things were best left at that. Saying too much would only make things awkward.

Before leaving, Meow Meow went to check on Ink Shadow and A Yu.

Ink Shadow would stay behind at the Villa.

A Yu was in charge of watching the Herb Garden.

White Dew would return to Heaven Dou with Qian Renxue.

When A Yu saw Meow Meow getting ready to leave, it was clearly reluctant. It circled him twice.

Meow Meow raised a paw and patted its head.

"Don't eat anything you shouldn't."

"And don't bully Ink Shadow."

A Yu: "Meow."

Ink Shadow glanced at it silently from the side.

Its look was clear enough.

I'd be lucky if it didn't bully me.

Meow Meow couldn't help laughing.

Qian Renxue saw the scene too, and her gaze softened for a moment.

Once everything had been arranged, Qian Renxue raised a hand and activated the Villa's formation.

The mist parted.

The mountain path came into view again.

Meow Meow walked beside her, while White Dew behaved herself in Qian Renxue's arms.

Just before leaving the Villa, Meow Meow suddenly looked back.

Ink Shadow stood beneath the covered walkway.

A Yu crouched beside the Herb Garden.

Both little cats watched them.

From this day on, the Qian Family Villa was no longer just Qian Renxue's secret hideaway.

There were cats here now.

And a little more life.

"Let's go,"

Qian Renxue said softly.

Meow Meow nodded.

The two of them left the Villa and headed toward Heaven Dou.

Their pace wasn't slow.

Qian Renxue couldn't use the conspicuous power of her Six-Winged Angel for long, so most of the time she simply traveled using Soul Power.

Meow Meow kept pace beside her, occasionally using Moon Shadow Dash to make up the distance.

White Dew stayed nestled quietly in Qian Renxue's arms the whole way.

Sometimes, when Meow Meow saw how comfortable she looked, he couldn't help feeling a little jealous.

"I carried someone on my back and ran all night."

"White Dew sure is living the easy life today."

"We're both cats, so why are we treated so differently?"

White Dew seemed to notice his gaze. She looked up and gave a soft meow.

Meow Meow: "..."

Forget it.

She was still little.

He wouldn't hold it against her.

Along the way, Qian Renxue unusually took the initiative to tell him a few things about Heaven Dou City.

For example, Emperor Xue Ye's health had recently started to decline.

For example, Prince Xue Xing seemed idle on the surface, but was extremely alert to every change within the imperial family.

And for example, the major factions in Heaven Dou City were deeply intertwined. People from Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could often be seen there.

Meow Meow listened closely.

These were all things from the original story.

But hearing them straight from Qian Renxue, he could tell there was much more to the details.

"So the biggest headache in the Crown Prince's Mansion right now isn't the emperor, but Prince Xue Xing?"

Qian Renxue considered it.

"He's not the most dangerous, but he is troublesome."

"He's suspicious by nature, and likes to pay attention to little details that other people overlook."

"Once you're in the Crown Prince's Mansion, it'd be best not to let him see you."

Meow Meow nodded.

"Got it."

"I'll make sure that old fox doesn't see me."

Qian Renxue looked at him.

"Prince Xue Xing is indeed getting on in years, but the way you put it..."

"Is very accurate."

Meow Meow answered seriously.

Qian Renxue didn't disagree.

She probably thought it was accurate too.

After several days of travel, Heaven Dou City finally appeared in the distance.

It was nothing like Spirit City.

Spirit City looked more solemn, more like a sacred place in the hearts of Soul Masters.

Heaven Dou City was bigger and livelier.

Outside the city, carriages and horses came and went without pause. Merchants, noble carriages, mercenaries, and ordinary citizens streamed back and forth.

Meow Meow stood on a distant hillside and watched for a while, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"So this is Heaven Dou City."

"It's even livelier than I imagined."

Qian Renxue had already resumed the bearing of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

She tucked White Dew inside her robe to conceal her, then turned to Meow Meow.

"Once we're in the city, stay by my side."

"Don't wander off."

Meow Meow nodded.

"Don't worry."

"I'm very well-behaved."

He had barely finished speaking when the scent of roasted meat wafted over from the city gate.

His tail twitched involuntarily.

Qian Renxue looked at him.

Meow Meow immediately composed himself.

"I'm just observing the surroundings."

"I wasn't thinking about eating."

Qian Renxue: "..."

She was starting to wonder whether bringing this cat back to Heaven Dou meant gaining an ally or taking on a nuisance.

But she had already brought him along.

It was too late to regret it now.

When the guards at Heaven Dou City's gate saw the Crown Prince's token, they immediately let them pass with due respect.

Meow Meow suppressed his Soul Beast aura, pretended to be an ordinary white cat, and followed Xue Qinghe into the city.

The moment they crossed the city gate, the system prompt rang out.

[ Ding, Qian Renxue route stage mission complete. ]

[ Host has assisted Qian Renxue in returning safely to Heaven Dou City. ]

[ Calculating rewards... ]

Meow Meow's eyes lit up.

"Finally, the reward's here."

"This trip to Heaven Dou is off to a pretty good start."