Martial Soul Hall's Holy Son, Peerless Elegance!

Steady footsteps echoed slowly from outside the hall.

Gu Qing, dressed in that dark purple brocade robe, stepped calmly over the high threshold of the grand hall.

His pace was steady, and there was no deliberate fluctuation of soul power radiating from his body.

Yet, the sense of indifference and oppression emanating from his very bones caused the royal guards on both sides of the hall to tense their nerves instinctively.

Gu Qing's gaze swept across the long red carpet.

He locked onto Xue Qinghe, who was standing on the steps below the dragon throne, the very first moment he entered.

Looking at that flawlessly disguised male face, a flash of mockery flickered in the depths of Gu Qing's eyes.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he raised his eyebrows at the other party with unbridled provocation.

This look, filled with such teasing and banter, made Qian Renxue's heart skip a beat.

Her hands, hidden beneath her wide sleeves, clenched into fists.

The toes inside her long boots curled tightly together, wishing she could dig a deep pit into the gold-bricked floor.

This sense of embarrassment at having her hand revealed made her feel completely uneasy.

"Gu Qing, Holy Son of Martial Soul Hall, greets Your Majesty."

Gu Qing walked to the center of the hall and bowed slightly, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

Emperor Xue Ye withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, a warm smile appearing on his face.

"Holy Son, please rise."

"I have long heard that the Pope has taken in a gifted foster son; seeing you today, you are indeed a man of exceptional talent."

The old emperor's voice echoed throughout the hall.

"I wonder, what brings the Holy Son all the way to Heaven Dou City with the Pope's Decree?"

Gu Qing had no intention of engaging in polite pleasantries or beating around the bush.

With a flick of his wrist, an exquisite gold-stamped invitation appeared in his palm.

"I have come this time specifically to deliver a wedding invitation to Your Majesty."

As these words were spoken, the air in the hall seemed to stagnate for a moment.

Gu Qing raised his volume slightly, ensuring every word could be clearly heard by everyone present.

"One month from now, I shall hold a grand wedding with Miss Qian Renxue, the Holy Maiden of Martial Soul Hall, at Martial Soul Hall."

"This is a momentous occasion, and I hope Your Majesty will grace us with your presence and send a delegation to witness the ceremony."

The smile on Emperor Xue Ye's face froze abruptly.

A terrifying, sharp light erupted from his cloudy, experienced eyes.

The Holy Maiden of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Renxue?

The only daughter left behind by the former Pope, Qian Xunji?

One must know that Qian Renxue's talent and strength were legendary among the upper echelons of the entire continent.

Now, a marriage alliance between the Holy Maiden and the Pope's foster son.

Such a union of power would undoubtedly merge the two major factions within Martial Soul Hall.

The overall strength of Martial Soul Hall would likely climb to a level that would induce despair.

The future situation of the Heaven Dou Empire would become even more precarious.

Before Emperor Xue Ye could recover from the immense shock, Gu Qing had already produced a second invitation from his robes.

He walked straight toward Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, who was standing below the steps.

The distance between the two closed to less than three feet.

Gu Qing held out the invitation with both hands, his eyes locked directly onto the other's gaze.

"Brother Qinghe, I trust you have been well."

"On the day of the wedding, I also hope that His Highness the Crown Prince will personally come to share a cup of wedding wine and do me the honor."

Xue Qinghe, standing in place, felt his chest heave violently.

Beneath the disguise, Qian Renxue was so furious she was on the verge of losing her composure.

What on earth was this bastard playing at!

Not only was he spreading rumors about a wedding in front of the Heaven Dou Emperor.

He actually dared to walk right up to her and shove this damned invitation into her hands!

Emperor Xue Ye's extremely keen gaze swept over immediately.

Having mastered the art of statecraft for years, he instantly sensed the highly unusual and subtle interaction between Gu Qing and the Crown Prince.

Feeling the gaze from above, Qian Renxue felt her inner world collapsing.

She greeted every one of Gu Qing's ancestors down to the eighteenth generation in her heart.

This guy had exposed her true identity the moment he opened his mouth; he clearly wouldn't be satisfied until he had driven her to her grave.

Xue Qinghe took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the rage that was about to erupt.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth, making no move to reach out and take the invitations.

"The Holy Son certainly loves to joke."

A cold, rigid voice emerged from the Crown Prince.

"This should be our first meeting, shouldn't it?"

"Our relationship does not seem familiar enough to warrant such brotherly posturing."

Hearing these words, which were clearly laced with resistance, Gu Qing deliberately slapped his forehead, wearing an expression of sudden realization.

"Oh, oh, oh."

"My apologies, I truly must have mistaken you for someone else."

Gu Qing sighed with a feigned air, his tone sounding incredibly sincere.

"It is just that my fiancée, Qian Renxue, often mentions Your Highness the Crown Prince in my ear."

"She says that Your Highness is not only dashing and handsome,"

"But also someone she has deeply admired her entire life."

Gu Qing's gaze landed once again on Xue Qinghe's livid face.

"Having heard so much, I naturally developed a desire to befriend Your Highness."

"One could say we have been spiritual companions for a long time; I was merely overcome with excitement just now, and I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

These words were watertight, even carrying a hint of humility.

But to Qian Renxue's ears, they were no different than a thunderclap from the nine heavens.

The nails hidden within her sleeves were already deeply embedded into the flesh of her palms, drawing a few traces of blood.

When had she ever praised him for being dashing and handsome?

When had she ever agreed to be his fiancée!

This behavior of spouting lies with eyes wide open while dumping filth on her head was shameless to the extreme.

If not for the constraints of her current identity, she truly wanted to summon the Angel Sword and sew this grandson's mouth shut right then and there.

Emperor Xue Ye watched this scene quietly, the suspicion in his eyes not only failing to diminish but growing even heavier.

How could the high and mighty Saintess of Martial Soul Hall be so familiar with the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire?

And why would she hold him in such high regard?

There must be some extremely secretive connection hidden within this.

The atmosphere inside the grand hall became increasingly bizarre.

Emperor Xue Ye pondered for a moment before waving his hand toward the attendant at his side.

The old eunuch hurriedly trotted down the steps and respectfully took the two invitations from Gu Qing's hands.

"The Holy Son's kindness is appreciated by both Us and the Crown Prince."

Emperor Xue Ye's voice returned to its usual high and steady composure.

"We have accepted the invitations; if the affairs of state are not too pressing a month from now, We shall certainly send an envoy to Martial Soul City to offer Our congratulations."

Hearing this, Gu Qing nodded with great satisfaction.

His goal had been achieved, and the nauseating performance had gone on long enough.

He turned around directly and strode toward the palace gates.

"Since the matter is concluded, I shall not disturb Your Majesty's handling of state affairs any further."

He had barely taken two steps when Emperor Xue Ye, up on the high platform, suddenly called out to stop him.

"Wait a moment, Holy Son."

Gu Qing paused and looked back.

He saw that Emperor Xue Ye's face was now wearing an extremely warm smile.

"The Holy Son has traveled from afar and represents His Holiness the Pope; how could We let you leave just like this?"

"There happens to be a grand banquet in the palace tonight."

"We insist that the Holy Son grace us with your presence, so that the ministers of the Heaven Dou Empire may witness the demeanor of the Holy Son for themselves."