The more deeply Qian Renxue thought about it, the more a shiver of fear ran through her.
She was horrified to discover that she couldn't see through Gu Qing's true abilities at all.
He was unfathomable.
That was the only word Qian Renxue could think of to describe Gu Qing at that moment.
Gu Qing completely ignored the complicated look in her eyes and casually walked over to the redwood table.
He poured himself a cup of tea that had long since gone cold.
Lifting it to his lips, he tipped his head back and drained it in one gulp.
"The tea's cold, but it still helps put out the fire."
Gu Qing set down the celadon teacup and turned to look at Qian Renxue, who was still standing there in a daze.
"It's gotten late outside."
"Since Brother Qinghe has so conscientiously arranged a place for me to stay, I'll rest here for the night."
"But if Brother Qinghe still isn't satisfied and wants to stay for a candlelit chat, I'd be more than happy to keep you company."
That teasing remark instantly brought Qian Renxue back to reality.
Thinking of the humiliating scene from earlier that had made her face burn, she didn't want to spend another second in this dangerous room.
She shot Gu Qing a furious glare and spun around.
"You stay right here and behave!"
After tossing out a threat that even she knew carried no weight, Qian Renxue yanked open the door and rushed into the deep night without looking back.
Watching her retreating figure flee in such obvious haste, looking a little worse for wear, Gu Qing's smile shone all the brighter in the candlelight.
The haughty young lady of Spirit Hall was rather interesting to train.
Qian Renxue had barely made it a few steps out of the room when she abruptly stopped.
The night breeze stirred her slightly disheveled clothes.
She spun around and, through the open doorway, stared fixedly at Gu Qing inside.
Her hands quickly straightened the clothes that had been messed up.
A storm raged deep in Qian Renxue's heart as she kept trying to guess the true extent of this man's strength.
Candlelight spilled from the room, illuminating Gu Qing's flawless face.
Looking at his handsome, unruffled bearing, Qian Renxue found herself helplessly admiring his good looks.
Two blushes quickly spread across her cheeks, vivid against the night.
Seated at the round table, Gu Qing met the complicated gaze from the doorway with perfect ease.
He had already seen through what was going through her mind.
"Stop guessing."
"If you ask me outright how strong I am, I might consider telling you."
Hearing his offhand teasing, Qian Renxue felt a surge of humiliation.
The faint ache in a certain part of her body kept reminding her of just how badly he had treated her earlier.
She clenched her back teeth and glared at him.
"As if I care!"
Qian Renxue lifted her chin, forcing herself to adopt the haughty air of Spirit Hall's Holy Daughter.
Her face frosty, she spoke with a coldness that kept everyone at arm's length.
"Even if my mother forced me, I would never marry you."
"You have to be the one to ask Spirit Hall to call off this engagement!"
Gu Qing casually spread his hands, his gesture full of innocence.
"Bibi Dong sent me to Heaven Dou City to marry you."
"If I don't bring you home in a grand wedding, I won't be able to explain myself to Aunt Dong."
Qian Renxue's chest heaved with anger.
She took a deep breath, trying to calmly lay out the situation for him.
She fired off one reason and excuse after another.
But no matter how she pleaded with him, Gu Qing just sat there, looking as relaxed as ever, letting her words go in one ear and out the other.
He wasn't listening to her at all.
When it became clear that reason wouldn't work, Qian Renxue angrily changed the subject.
Pointing at Gu Qing, she began loudly berating him for his reckless behavior that night.
"Do you have any idea how close you came to ruining my entire plan?"
"I've been lying low in the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire for over a decade!"
"I was this close to gaining complete control over the heart of the imperial family's power!"
"And then you showed up and started spouting nonsense at the banquet."
"What you did tonight almost exposed the true relationship between Spirit Hall and me!"
The angrier Qian Renxue got, the more unwillingness filled her eyes.
"Because you suddenly showed up, that old fox, Emperor Xue Ye, has probably started suspecting me!"
Gu Qing rose unhurriedly and walked to the doorway.
He leaned casually against a carved wooden pillar and looked the furious Qian Renxue up and down.
His tone was mild, but every word cut deep.
"You've been lying low for over a decade. What have you actually accomplished?"
"You've spent all these precious years getting your Soul Power barely past level seventy."
"You have a god-level Martial Soul, but your Angel Martial Soul hasn't even passed the First Trial."
"Do you really think that wearing this disguise and becoming the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire means everything's taken care of?"
Gu Qing straightened up, his gaze boring into Qian Renxue's eyes.
"Before absolute strength, all these schemes are nothing but a joke."
"Remember this: strength is the foundation of everything."
His blunt words landed like a heavy hammer against Qian Renxue's heart.
Standing in the courtyard, she was left completely speechless.
Her lips trembled, but for a long time she couldn't manage a single word in reply.
It felt utterly bizarre, as if Gu Qing wasn't the one who had caused trouble that night and she was the one in the wrong.
What left Qian Renxue feeling most helpless was that deep down, she thought Gu Qing was absolutely right.
All these years, she really had devoted most of her energy to political maneuvering in order to play Xue Qinghe's role well.
Her cultivation had indeed fallen far behind because of this long infiltration.
She couldn't outtalk him, and she couldn't see through his strength.
With nowhere to vent her frustration, Qian Renxue could only leave him with one last threat that carried no weight whatsoever.
"No matter what you say, I will never marry you!"
After throwing out those words, Qian Renxue spun around.
Carrying a jumble of emotions, she strode away from the secluded courtyard.
The night grew darker, but the lights were still on in the study of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Emperor Xue Ye sat behind the broad desk, wrapped in a heavy robe.
Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, stood respectfully before the desk.
He had received an urgent summons from the palace and hurried over in the middle of the night.
Emperor Xue Ye rubbed his aching brow, his expression grave.
"Sect Master Ning, I'm sorry to summon you so late, but there's an important matter I need to discuss with you."
Ning Fengzhi inclined his head slightly, his manner refined.
"Your Majesty, there's no need to apologize. It's my honor to help ease your burdens."
Emperor Xue Ye rose, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked to the window to gaze out at the night.
"What do you think of Gu Qing, the Holy Son of Spirit Hall who attended tonight's banquet?"
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