Taking Xue Qinghe as a Slave

Night lay like ink.

Around Xue Qinghe's residence, shadows stirred. Spirit Hall Soul Masters had long since taken up positions in secret, sealing off the entire area so thoroughly that not even a bird could fly in or out.

Qian Renxue walked with her hands behind her back, her golden eyes shining brilliantly in the night. Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo followed close behind, one on either side.

The three strode steadily through the residence's gates without the slightest attempt at concealment. The patrolling guards seemed unable to see them, standing motionless with vacant eyes; Spirit Hall's Soul Masters had already clouded their minds with Mental Power.

They passed through several courtyards and soon reached the study. Lamplight blazed inside, and the faint sound of conversation drifted out.

Qian Renxue raised a hand. The door swung open without a sound, revealing the scene inside—Xue Qinghe sat behind the desk, with a Soul Saint in Spirit Hall attire standing on either side of him. Clearly, these were plants who had been put in place long ago.

At the sudden intrusion of the three, Xue Qinghe sprang to his feet, one hand braced against the desk's edge, his knuckles turning white.

He forced himself to stay calm, struggling to maintain the dignity of the Crown Prince, but his voice carried a barely perceptible tremor. "Who are you? This is the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. Have you considered the consequences of trespassing in the forbidden grounds?"

He stared at Qian Renxue, his gaze lingering on her golden eyes. An inexplicable unease tightened in his chest. "If you leave now, I can pretend nothing happened today."

The corners of Qian Renxue's lips lifted in a cool, faint smile. "Qian Renxue, young mistress of Spirit Hall."

"Spirit Hall?" Xue Qinghe's pupils contracted. The color drained from his face as he looked at the girl before him, who seemed to be about his age.

"You want to start a war? The Heaven Dou Empire may not be as powerful as Spirit Hall, but it doesn't fear a fight!"

"Start a war?" Qian Renxue laughed, her smile laced with mockery.

"I wouldn't waste my time on something so pointless." She stepped forward, her golden eyes fixed on Xue Qinghe.

"I want you to submit to me. I'll help you seize the throne of Heaven Dou."

Xue Qinghe's face turned livid, his gaze sharpening as he glared at Qian Renxue. "You want me to be your puppet?"

"You can understand it that way." Qian Renxue's tone was indifferent.

"Impossible!" Xue Qinghe slammed his palm onto the desk and roared.

"I, Xue Qinghe, am a prince of Heaven Dou. How could I become someone else's puppet? Give up on that idea!"

"That's not for you to decide." Qian Renxue's hands flashed through a series of seals. A faint golden glow rose from her fingertips, and a contract covered in strange markings appeared out of thin air. Dark purple energy flowed across it, radiating a chilling presence. "Slave Contract. Descend."

At her soft command, the contract became a streak of light. It ignored the barrier of space and plunged straight into Xue Qinghe's mind.

"You... what did you do to me?" A sharp pain struck Xue Qinghe's mind. It felt as if something had sunk its roots into him. He clutched his forehead, his face turning deathly pale as terror filled his eyes.

Qian Renxue walked up to him and looked him straight in the eye. Then she asked without warning, "If I fell into your hands, what would you do?"

A vicious glint flashed through Xue Qinghe's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he said, "That goes without saying. I'd..."

Before he could finish, a heart-rending agony erupted in his mind, as if countless steel needles were stabbing through his nerves.

"Argh—!" He screamed and rolled helplessly across the floor. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins on his forehead bulged, and his skin flushed crimson with pain. He clutched his head, cold sweat seeping between his fingers.

In the study, Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo exchanged a glance, both seeing the chill in the other's eyes.

The two Soul Saint elders clenched their fists without meaning to. They could almost feel the invisible pain spreading to them, and cold sweat prickled across their backs.

"Empty your mind. Let go of every thought." Qian Renxue's voice flowed like a clear spring, soothing the heart.

Xue Qinghe obeyed instinctively. His chaotic thoughts gradually settled, and the tearing pain faded with them.

He staggered to his feet, drained of strength, and gasped for breath. Terror filled his gaze as he looked at Qian Renxue.

"What exactly did you do to me?" His voice was hoarse, trembling with the relief of having survived.

"I planted a Slave Contract in you," Qian Renxue said calmly. "From now on, the moment you have even the slightest thought of harming me—even if you speak against me in your sleep or deliberately lead someone else to attack me—the contract will make you wish you were dead."

"You bastard!" Xue Qinghe's eyes bulged with fury. He had just started to curse when the piercing pain struck again.

He fell to his knees with a thud, clutching his head as his body convulsed violently. Several seconds passed before the pain slowly subsided.

He collapsed on the floor, his eyes unfocused, all the arrogance gone from him.

"What do you want me to do?" Xue Qinghe's eyes were empty, his voice hollow, like a puppet stripped of its soul.

Qian Renxue looked down at him, her tone haughty. "Obey. I need a puppet who will do as he's told."

She paused, then added, "As long as you obey, the throne of Heaven Dou will be yours in the end. I'll even make you a Titled Douluo—Heaven Dou's very own Titled Douluo."

"Is that a promise?" Xue Qinghe jerked his head up. A faint light rekindled in his eyes. Blood still veined his eyeballs, and a glimmer of longing flickered in his gaze.

Though he was a prince, his talent had held back his Soul Power growth. Becoming a Titled Douluo was something he hadn't even dared to dream of.

"My word is absolute," Qian Renxue replied firmly. "As long as you obey, what you gain will far outweigh what you lose." With that, she snapped her fingers.

Brilliant light flared at her fingertips. She released the full essence of her thirty-fifth-level Soul Power; two yellow rings and one purple ring burst apart inside her, transforming into energy and stirring the surrounding laws of the world.

An invisible wave of energy spread out from the study. Wherever it passed, everyone in the residence who did not belong to Spirit Hall went glassy-eyed and crumpled to the ground, falling into a deep sleep—their memories of that night completely erased.

Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo felt a stir in their hearts. They sensed a strange force in motion, as if it touched the very nature of the world, yet they couldn't grasp even the faintest trace of it. They could only bury their doubts.

"Let's go." Qian Renxue turned and headed outside.

Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo hurried after her, with the two Soul Saint elders close behind.

A short while later, every Spirit Hall member had withdrawn from the residence, as if they had never been there. Only the guards and attendants remained, asleep across the grounds.

Inside the study, Xue Qinghe sat slumped on the floor. He slowly lay back, gazing at the crossbeam on the ceiling with a complicated expression.

"Coming and going as they please... They can walk in whenever they want and leave whenever they want... And this is the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace..." he murmured.

A strange smile suddenly curved his lips. "Maybe listening to her wouldn't be so bad. I could still become a Titled Douluo—Heaven Dou's very own Titled Douluo..."

He began to laugh, louder and louder, his laughter tinged with madness and self-mockery. Yet tears slipped down his cheeks without his noticing, falling onto the cold floor.

Heaven Dou's very own Titled Douluo... That was his obsession, and Heaven Dou's obsession too. And now it would be fulfilled through a promise from the young mistress of Spirit Hall.