"Master, how are you going to help me?" Qian Renxue tilted up her little face, her golden pupils glimmering. Her small body leaned forward slightly.
She really couldn't imagine how this transparent master, who existed only in her Sea of Consciousness, could intervene in the complicated affairs of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Chen Qingxuan replied calmly, "I'll help you settle the matters in Heaven Dou. Then you'll be able to cultivate in peace."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Light Mirror floating in the Sea of Consciousness suddenly rippled. Images and sounds came through together, clearly showing Qian Renxue the scene outside.
In the mirror, Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo stood facing each other, their brows knitted with concern.
The healing Soul Masters who had been busy in the room earlier had long since dispersed. They had likely exhausted their Soul Power and could no longer keep going. Now only the two of them remained by the bedside.
" She Long, tell me, can the young mistress still be healed?" Porcupinefish Douluo spoke first. His voice carried unmistakable anxiety, and the rolls of fat on his face were taut with worry as his murky gaze darted about.
Snake Lance Douluo She Long's brow furrowed tightly, his narrow eyes as deep as a pool: "It'll be difficult. The healing Soul Masters from the Heaven Dou City Martial Soul Holy Temple have all had a try. Even the Soul Masters best at treating the mind were helpless. This is a thorny problem."
Porcupinefish Douluo swallowed, his voice dropping lower as his body trembled. "The young mistress was injured in an accident while carrying out a mission. As her guards, you and I can't escape the blame."
"You know what the Grand Elder is like. If anything happens to the young mistress, we... we probably won't make it out alive. Why don't... why don't we run?"
At that, She Long looked out the window, his eyes roiling with struggle and hesitation. He remained silent for a long time.
In the Sea of Consciousness, Qian Renxue watched Porcupinefish Douluo's face in the mirror. Her cheeks puffed up, fire flaring in her golden eyes as she clenched her tiny fists. "Uncle Chi Xue, how can Uncle She Long act like that? He's not even going to look after me, and now he's thinking of running away! When I get back, I'm telling Grandpa. He can give him a good scolding!"
"Your soul is trapped in the Sea of Consciousness, and your body is unconscious. They can't think of a solution, so fear has made them want to flee. That's only human nature." Chen Qingxuan's calm voice rang out, tinged with understanding. "Don't be too hard on them."
The scene in the Light Mirror continued to unfold.
Outside, Snake Lance Douluo She Long finally spoke, his voice low and grave. "Chi Xue! We're both elders of Spirit Hall. We draw a salary from Spirit Hall and owe the Grand Elder a debt of gratitude. How could we desert our post in the face of a crisis?"
"Others may not know Spirit Hall's deep foundations, but we do."
A trace of shame crossed Porcupinefish Douluo's face, and his voice sank. "I don't want to run either, but the young mistress is unconscious, and I truly have no idea what to do..." His eyes were full of helplessness. With the rolls of fat bunching up on his face, he even looked a little pitiful.
"Back to the Worship Hall." Snake Lance Douluo She Long spoke with firm resolve. "The Grand Elder is the person on this continent closest to becoming a god. If we can't do anything, he'll surely be able to save the young mistress."
Porcupinefish Douluo still hesitated, the fat on his face twitching. "But... the young mistress was hurt under our protection. She's been unconscious ever since. Even if we return to the Worship Hall, the Grand Elder..."
"The young mistress is merely unconscious. Her life isn't in danger." She Long cut him off, his tone resolute.
"We'll take the young mistress back to the Worship Hall at once and explain what happened. I'm sure the Grand Elder won't be too hard on us."
Porcupinefish Douluo fell silent for a moment, then finally nodded. Some of the hesitation left his face, replaced by the grim resolve of someone with no way back. "At this point, it's the only thing we can do."
"There's no time to lose. We leave now." As She Long spoke, he stepped forward to pick up Qian Renxue.
"Right," Porcupinefish Douluo replied, hurrying after him.
In the Sea of Consciousness, Qian Renxue watched the two men reach their decision in the mirror. She pouted, most of the anger fading from her face as a hint of relief passed through her golden eyes. "At least they have a conscience. When I get back, I'll have Grandpa dock three months of their pay to teach them a lesson."
"Little Xue, wait here. I'll go out and take care of things for you." Chen Qingxuan left her with those words, and his transparent figure scattered like mist across the Sea of Consciousness, vanishing without a trace.
"Master? Master!" Qian Renxue panicked, confusion filling her golden eyes. She stretched out her little hands, trying to grab hold of something, but caught only a handful of empty air. Her small body spun in circles among the clouds.
Outside, Qian Renxue, lying on the bed, suddenly opened her eyes. A depth and detachment beyond her years flickered in her golden pupils. She turned her head slightly and looked at Porcupinefish Douluo, who was reaching out to pick her up.
Porcupinefish Douluo's hand had barely risen when he saw Qian Renxue open her eyes. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. The rolls of fat on his face stiffened, his pupils contracted, and he instinctively stumbled back two steps.
Snake Lance Douluo was just as startled. His narrow eyes suddenly narrowed further, and he nearly thought he was seeing things.
The two exchanged a glance, and both saw shock and joy in the other's eyes.
The next moment, they dropped to one knee with a thump, their movements perfectly in sync. They bowed their heads, their voices trembling with relief at having escaped disaster. "Your subordinates are guilty. Please punish us, young mistress!"
Porcupinefish Douluo's voice choked up, as if the boulder weighing on his heart had finally fallen away.
Qian Renxue (Chen Qingxuan) slowly sat up, composed and unhurried. She didn't look at the two kneeling on the ground. Instead, she got out of bed and stood with her hands behind her back.
Her golden eyes were still and calm. Though she stood right there, she seemed distant and ethereal, as if she might ride the wind away at any moment.
"Rise, both of you." Her voice was cool, carrying an authority that brooked no defiance, utterly unlike her usual bright, youthful tone.
"Tonight, come with me to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, to Xue Qinghe's residence. Make your preparations. We leave at the hour of the boar."
"Yes, young mistress!" The two answered hurriedly. Even as they stood, they couldn't help sneaking glances at Qian Renxue. Today, the young mistress seemed like a completely different person.
They couldn't say exactly what had changed, but her figure seemed unreal, as if she both truly existed and were no more than a projection.
Daring not to ask questions, they bowed and quickly withdrew to make preparations.
In the Sea of Consciousness, Qian Renxue stared at the "herself" in the Light Mirror, standing with her hands behind her back. Her golden eyes were wide as saucers, her little mouth agape, her face full of bewilderment.
"My body... Why is my body moving on its own?" She pointed at the figure in the mirror, then looked at her own transparent little hands, her mind in chaos. "She's Qian Renxue, so who am I? Where am I?"
"You're still you." Chen Qingxuan's voice sounded in the Sea of Consciousness, soothing her. "I'm only borrowing your body for a while to take care of a few things. After tonight, I'll return it to you."
Qian Renxue came back to her senses, confusion in her golden eyes. "Master, that's Xue'er's body! If you can control it, why can't Xue'er?"
She stamped her foot, her transparent little sole sending ripples through the sea of clouds.
"Your soul is still weak. My Soul Power has only temporarily suppressed it," Chen Qingxuan explained. "Once I've taken care of things and lifted the suppression, you'll be able to control your body normally again."
Qian Renxue bit her lip, worry flickering in her golden eyes. "Then... then don't damage my body, Master. And also, don't make strange faces with my face, and definitely don't... don't let anyone see through the act!" She went on and on, laying down her instructions.
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