Your Name Really Is Xue Qinghe?

"What did you say your name was?"

Lin Yan crouched at the edge of the cliff, his tail no longer swaying. He stared at the White-Robed Youth before him, his pale golden cat eyes narrowing slightly.

The White-Robed Youth was taken aback by his reaction.

"Xue Qinghe."

He paused, then repeated himself.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Wrong.

Of course there was a problem.

A big one.

Several thoughts raced through Lin Yan's mind.

He knew the name Xue Qinghe all too well.

The Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The son of Xue Ye.

Gentle and courteous on the surface, deeply calculating beneath it—one of the major characters in the early part of the original story.

But that was only his public identity.

Dig a little deeper, and the person inside that shell wasn't Xue Qinghe at all. It was Qian Renxue.

Thinking of this, Lin Yan looked again at the White-Robed Youth before him.

His face was masculine.

He had concealed his aura well, too.

An ordinary Soul Master would probably have taken him for the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

But Lin Yan was different.

He had spent a long time in Spirit City. If nothing else, he was already familiar with the sacred yet sharp aura of the Angel Lineage.

Especially what had just happened in the Black Marsh.

When that golden feather blade had cut through the air, the Soul Power aura had vanished in an instant, but its pure sacred attribute was something those swans of the Heavenly Dou Royal Family could never possess.

The Martial Soul inherited by the Heavenly Dou Royal Family belonged to the Swan Lineage.

The Six-Winged Angel, on the other hand, belonged only to the Qian Family.

Then there was that deeply concealed, yet faintly familiar aura about him...

Lin Yan already had his answer.

He didn't speak right away. He simply watched the other man for a few moments.

The White-Robed Youth watched him, too.

The mountain wind swept past. For a moment, silence settled over the cliff.

After a while, Lin Yan finally spoke.

"There's nothing wrong with the name Xue Qinghe."

"But if I'm not mistaken, people from the Heavenly Dou Royal Family can't use the kind of technique you just used."

The White-Robed Youth's pupils contracted slightly.

His right hand almost instinctively pressed against the golden feather blade hidden in his sleeve.

His aura, which had relaxed somewhat, tensed up again.

"What are you trying to say?"

Lin Yan looked at him, his tone even.

"The Martial Soul passed down through Xue Ye's lineage is most likely the Swan."

"But yours has a sacred attribute."

"And it's extremely pure."

"Then there's that feather blade... On this entire continent, I can't think of anyone besides the Qian Family of Spirit Hall who could use something like that as a trump card."

He paused.

Then he added the rest in a perfectly natural tone.

"So, are you really Xue Qinghe?"

"Or should I call you—"

"Your Highness, Qian Renxue?"

The instant his words fell, the White-Robed Youth stiffened.

The next moment, he abruptly stepped back. Golden light flashed in his hand, and the feather blade was back in his grasp.

The atmosphere changed at once.

If he had only been testing Lin Yan before, now he was truly on guard.

Lin Yan could tell that the other man was ready to strike again at any moment.

Even though his Soul Power had clearly not recovered much, that didn't stop him from assuming a fighting stance.

"Who are you?"

The White-Robed Youth lowered his voice. All traces of his earlier gentleness were gone.

"How do you know all this?"

Lin Yan didn't answer right away.

It wasn't that he was deliberately keeping him in suspense. At that moment, a system notification had popped up in his mind.

[Beep. A fateful Node character has been detected.]

[Name: Qian Renxue.]

[Disguised identity: Xue Qinghe.]

[Current state: Wary, testing, Soul Power depleted.]

[Tragic fate index: High.]

[Current probability of establishing contact: 63%.]

Seeing these lines, Lin Yan felt even more certain.

As expected, he'd been right.

It was her.

As for Qian Renxue, when she saw the White Cat stay silent while his aura grew calmer and calmer, her heart sank further.

Not many people knew her identity.

Even fewer knew that "Xue Qinghe" was only a shell, with her inside it.

And this cat before her not only knew, but had said it outright.

Most importantly, he seemed to know a great deal about the Six-Winged Angel and the Qian Family.

That was highly unusual.

"Speak."

Qian Renxue stared at Lin Yan, keeping the feather blade raised.

"If you don't explain yourself, I can't simply pretend nothing happened."

Lin Yan looked up at her.

Then he very calmly sat down and lifted a front paw to lick it.

He couldn't have looked more relaxed.

Qian Renxue: "..."

For some reason, seeing the cat still licking his paw at a moment like this interrupted her tense mood.

Only then did Lin Yan leisurely send her a mental message.

[If you really wanted to attack me, you should've tried back at the edge of the Black Marsh.]

[And if I'd actually wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't have carried you on my back all night.]

It was direct.

And it made sense.

Qian Renxue's grip on the feather blade faltered slightly.

Lin Yan continued:

[As for how I knew...]

[Simple.]

[You gave yourself away.]

[The Swan Martial Soul of the Heavenly Dou Royal Family doesn't possess sacred power that domineering. And with that face of yours, you've done a good job making it look masculine, but some features are still too delicate.]

[If you really were Xue Qinghe, I wouldn't have suspected you.]

Qian Renxue's expression shifted.

She clearly hadn't expected her disguise to have given her away in those ways.

But she quickly realized that what he'd said might not be the whole truth.

At least, the idea that he had seen through her identity based only on those clues sounded far-fetched.

Even so, this cat probably didn't mean her any harm.

She could judge that much.

Otherwise, he'd had plenty of chances to leave her behind on the way here.

Thinking of this, Qian Renxue finally relaxed a little.

The feather blade shrank and vanished back into her sleeve.

"You know too much."

She looked at Lin Yan, her tone still calm.

"What happened today must not get out."

Lin Yan nodded.

"Don't worry. I'm not interested in the Crown Prince's position."

"Or in that fake face of yours."

Qian Renxue was taken aback, then her gaze turned slightly cold.

"You—"

She had barely begun when Lin Yan waved a paw.

"Come on, don't look at me like that."

"I saved you, and you saved me."

"If we're counting, we're at most halfway even."

That was true enough.

During the battle in the Black Marsh, if Qian Renxue hadn't struck the Marshwing Blood Leech hard with that feather blade, Lin Yan's brief restraint of it might not have been enough to let them escape so easily.

So Qian Renxue didn't argue.

Silence returned to the cliff for a couple of moments.

The human and cat looked at each other. The atmosphere suddenly grew a little strange.

In the end, Lin Yan was the first to break the silence.

"My name is Meow Meow."

"And you don't have to keep calling me 'sir.' Just use that."

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow.

"Meow Meow?"

She clearly thought the name was a little odd.

But then she remembered that he was a cat, and decided it wasn't so strange after all.

So she simply nodded.

"Okay."

"Then you can keep calling me Qinghe."

Lin Yan glanced at her, understanding what she meant.

She was reminding him that her identity had to remain a secret.

So he didn't press the issue and readily agreed.

"Sure. Qinghe it is."

That settled the matter of names.

Qian Renxue finally stopped staring him down. After a moment's silence, she reached to her waist, took out a thin golden feather, and held it out to Lin Yan.

It was no bigger than a palm, shaped like a feather made of metal. Its edges were extremely thin, and faint golden light shimmered within it.

Lin Yan took one look and knew it was no ordinary object.

"What's this for?"

Qian Renxue's tone was steady.

"A token of thanks."

"You helped me escape. This should help ward off sinister forces and mental attacks."

"If you're ever in danger, you can crush it. It contains a strand of my Soul Power."

Lin Yan's eyes brightened slightly.

This was a good thing.

It looked like something condensed from the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul. It warded off sinister forces and protected the mind. On the Douluo Continent, it was definitely a rare life-saving item.

But he didn't take it right away.

Not because he didn't want it.

He had just remembered that line in the template—

Simply accepting a gift wasn't enough.

I had to take things one step further.

Besides, the system still hadn't displayed a "Contact Established" notification.

At that thought, Lin Yan immediately understood.

He looked up at Qian Renxue and spoke slowly.

"Just one feather?"

Qian Renxue: "..."

Looking at the white cat before her, whose expression seemed to say, "Are you being a little stingy?", she suddenly didn't know what to say.

This was a protective feather condensed from her Six-Winged Angel Soul Power.

Forget ordinary Soul Masters—even some Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings might never get their hands on something like this.

And yet, to this cat, it was just "one feather."

After a moment, she suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and asked, "What else do you want?"

Lin Yan didn't answer right away. Instead, he hooked the Golden Feather over with a paw, turned it over a couple of times, and, once he had confirmed it really was a good thing, tucked it into the Calming Bell with satisfaction.

Only then did he continue, "I'll take it."

"But this thank-you gift isn't enough."

Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Are you going back on your word?"

"Not exactly."

Lin Yan swished his tail, his tone perfectly natural.

"It's just that my Soul Power is almost completely drained. I need somewhere to rest."

"It's not safe around Black Marsh. You can't expect a cat who just saved you to go find a cave and sleep by himself, can you?"

He said it so smoothly.

So smoothly that Qian Renxue couldn't find a flaw in his argument.

She'd thought the cat would use this chance to make some more troublesome demand. But after all that, he only wanted a safe place to rest.

And somehow, that made the situation feel even stranger.

Because the request was so reasonable.

So reasonable that if she refused, she'd seem heartless.

Lin Yan had obviously noticed her hesitation, so he pressed his advantage.

"Besides, you've already let me stumble onto your identity today."

"If you're really worried, wouldn't it be safer to keep me where you can see me than to let me wander around on my own?"

Qian Renxue's heart stirred slightly at that.

He had a point.

This cat was far too unusual.

He was fast, good at hiding, could communicate telepathically, and even had some kind of time-related ability.

Most importantly, he already knew her secret.

If she let him go on his own, she couldn't possibly feel completely at ease.

In that case, keeping him close and watching him seemed like the better choice.

At that thought, the balance in her mind slowly tipped in his favor.

But she still asked one more question.

"If you come with me, aren't you afraid I'll turn on you?"

Lin Yan looked up at her.

"If you'd really wanted to turn on me, you would've done it already."

"And besides—"

He deliberately paused.

"I don't think you're that kind of person."

The words sounded casual.

Yet Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned.

Over the years, she'd heard plenty of people call her clever, praise her methods, and say she was decisive—or even cold-blooded and ruthless.

But it had been a long time since anyone had told her, "I don't think you're that kind of person."

And the one saying it was a cat.

Lin Yan had no idea what was going through her mind.

He simply thought that at a time like this, saying something nice was a good idea.

Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Qian Renxue nodded.

"I have a place nearby where I can stay for a while."

"If you don't mind, you can go there and recover."

Lin Yan was delighted.

Success.

But he kept his tone casual, only giving his tail a light swish.

"Then let's go."

"I've been wanting to see what kind of place the Crown Prince stays in when he's away from the palace."

Qian Renxue stopped and looked back at him.

"I told you, when we're outside, call me Qinghe."

Lin Yan nodded.

"Fine, Qinghe."

"And you don't have to keep looking at me like you're waiting for me to make a move. We've been through Black Marsh together now."

Qian Renxue didn't answer. She simply turned and walked on.

Watching her back, Lin Yan couldn't help but click his tongue to himself.

"She really is a bit like His Holiness the Pope."

"Both awkward, both wary, both stubborn."

"No wonder things turn out the way they do between mother and daughter later on."

At that thought, the system finally chimed in.

[ Ding! Establishing contact with fated Node character "Qian Renxue." ]

[ Current contact level: Initial. ]

[ Suggestion: Continue interacting to build trust. ]

Seeing the notification, Lin Yan felt even better.

Excellent.

This was a good deal.

He'd saved her.

He'd made a connection.

And he'd gotten a gift.

As long as he kept things moving, there was a good chance he could gradually bring Qian Renxue into the fold.

Then he'd have another connection within Spirit Hall—not just Bibi Dong.

With that in mind, Lin Yan hurried after her.

Qian Renxue didn't walk quickly.

She was probably taking his recent fight and depleted Soul Power into account.

They walked one after the other along the opposite side of the cliff, heading north.

The darkness was already fading.

A faint glow had begun to appear along the horizon.

The wind swept through the mountains, rustling the leaves.

They hadn't gone far when Lin Yan spoke again.

"Qinghe."

"Hmm?"

"If you run into something like this again, don't go wandering into Black Marsh alone."

Qian Renxue slowed.

"You're awfully concerned."

Lin Yan answered without hesitation.

"I just think that if you get yourself killed out here, I'll have saved you today for nothing."

After hearing that, the corner of Qian Renxue's mouth seemed to twitch.

Barely at all.

It was almost impossible to notice.

But Lin Yan caught it anyway.

"Oh?"

"You actually smiled?"

"Looks like the young master isn't cold-faced around the clock after all."

But he didn't say it aloud.

Some things were better left unsaid. Pointing them out would spoil the moment.

After they'd walked a little farther, Qian Renxue suddenly stopped.

A misty forest lay ahead.

The fog wasn't thick, but it covered most of the mountain pass.

An ordinary person looking from the outside would've thought it was just a regular forest.

But as soon as Lin Yan approached, his eyes shifted slightly.

"An array?"

Qian Renxue glanced at him.

This time, she was genuinely surprised.

"You can tell that too?"

Lin Yan licked his paw, trying not to seem too knowledgeable.

"I know a little."

"I'm sure I can't compare to you."

"But the energy around this place is very well concealed. It must be quite large inside, right?"

Qian Renxue didn't answer immediately. She walked forward and lightly tapped the mist with one hand.

The fog parted slowly, as if someone had drawn it aside, revealing a path.

Lin Yan's pupils contracted slightly.

Not because the technique was especially impressive.

It was because what lay beyond the mist was clearly more than an ordinary place to rest.

A secluded villa nestled in the mountains.

It wasn't large.

But it was quiet.

There was water outside, trees, and neatly maintained stone steps. Even the Soul Power circulating around the grounds flowed much more smoothly than it did outside.

Clearly, someone had been maintaining the place for a long time.

"Well, would you look at that."

"This is what you call a place to stay for a while?"

"The 'for a while' in the Young Master of Martial Soul Hall's vocabulary sure carries a lot of weight."

Lin Yan marveled inwardly, but on the outside, he simply followed her in without a word.

Qian Renxue looked back at him.

"What, afraid to go in?"

Lin Yan immediately lifted a paw.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm a cat. What would I be afraid of?"

As he spoke, he strode right into the courtyard beyond the misty forest.

Watching the white cat stroll inside as if he knew his way around, Qian Renxue's wariness didn't disappear entirely, but it had faded considerably since the beginning.

Whatever else could be said,

the cat hadn't done anything to harm her so far.

If anything, she owed him more and more.

Lin Yan clearly didn't intend to give her any more time to dwell on it. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he glanced around, then naturally picked a clean spot beneath the veranda and sat down.

"All right."

"Let me catch my breath."

"My legs are about to give out after all that running."

Qian Renxue watched him in silence for a moment, then finally spoke.

"Once you've recovered, I'll tell you why I was in Black Marsh."

Lin Yan's ears twitched.

"Deal."

After saying that, he paused, then added, "Of course, if you're willing to tell me a little something else while you're at it, I wouldn't mind."

Qian Renxue ignored him and simply turned to walk into the courtyard.

Lin Yan squatted where he was, watching her retreating figure as his tail gently tapped the ground.