What met his eyes was a peerlessly beautiful woman with cascading golden hair and skin as fair as snow.
She sat before her vanity, wearing nothing but a simple nightdress. With all her disguises removed, her face looked breathtakingly beautiful in the soft light.
Her brilliant golden hair flowed down to her waist. Her icy-blue eyes were slightly widened in shock, like a still, cold pool disturbed by moonlight.
The holiness and nobility of an angel's descendant were laid bare, forming a stark contrast with the hint of panic she revealed at being caught off guard.
She was none other than Spirit Hall's young mistress, his fiancée, Qian Renxue.
Unconcealed amazement and appreciation flashed through Lin Yue's eyes.
Leaning against the doorframe, he let his gaze wander over her without restraint, as though admiring a rare masterpiece that had suddenly unfurled before him.
"Looks like I came at just the right time?" Lin Yue said with a lazy smile, breaking the suffocating silence in the bedchamber. "My... fiancée?"
He deliberately stressed the word "fiancée," his tone carrying a hint of teasing and an unquestionable declaration.
After her heart's initial violent jolt, Qian Renxue was quickly overtaken by embarrassment and anger.
She sprang to her feet, her movements sharp with indignation.
"Elder Lin Yue!" Her voice was cool and haughty, even tinged with anger. "You barge into a woman's bedchamber, and you don't feel the slightest bit ashamed?"
Lin Yue acted as if he hadn't heard her rebuke. Instead, he strolled in at his leisure and gently closed the bedchamber door behind him, shutting out the world beyond.
His gaze remained fixed on Qian Renxue's face, filled with unconcealed appreciation and a hint of amusement—as though he were looking at something that belonged to him.
"Ashamed?" Lin Yue chuckled, stopping a few steps away from her. "What's wrong with entering my own fiancée's room?"
Qian Renxue drew a deep breath. Her gaze quickly regained its composure. Though still cold, the poise and calculating air of someone in power returned to her.
She met Lin Yue's eyes without flinching, her voice once more cool and composed. "Elder Lin Yue, please show some respect. That was only my grandfather's decision. I haven't agreed to marry you!"
"What? Does the young mistress want to reject me?"
The smile vanished from Lin Yue's face.
"Elder Lin Yue, that Hundred-Year Soul Beast, the Lightning Rabbit at the city gate earlier—was it you who released it?" Qian Renxue didn't answer his question directly. Instead, she asked one of her own.
"It was."
Lin Yue nodded. There was no reason to deny it.
"Why did you do that?"
Qian Renxue studied him.
If Lin Yue was powerful enough, she wasn't opposed to accepting him as her man.
But her man absolutely couldn't be evil, or someone who took pleasure in toying with the common people.
"I had my reasons."
"I'll tell you later, but not now."
"Besides, I didn't take the life of a single innocent person, did I?"
Seeing Qian Renxue's expression, Lin Yue immediately understood what she was thinking and laughed.
Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened. She hadn't expected Lin Yue to understand her thoughts so quickly from her questions.
"Was the idea of replacing Emperor Xue Ye directly really yours?"
Qian Renxue didn't press him further about what had happened at the city gate. Instead, she changed the subject.
"Of course. Is it that hard to think of?"
Lin Yue walked over to Qian Renxue's bed and sat down, then said with a smile.
"..."
Qian Renxue was at a loss for words. Was it really that easy to think of?
"Actually, I don't quite understand why the Great Enshrined sent you to Heaven Dou in the first place. With Spirit Hall's strength, it could have swept through both empires and united the continent outright. There was no need for all these twists and turns."
"Young mistress, do you know why?"
Lin Yue asked in return. These weren't questions he could comfortably raise in front of Qian Daoliu; it would feel like slapping him in the face.
"Grandfather didn't want to cause more casualties!"
Qian Renxue immediately explained.
Of course she knew Spirit Hall had the strength to sweep through both empires.
"I see!" Lin Yue nodded. That did fit Qian Daoliu's character. "Then why not carry out a decapitation strike?"
"What's a decapitation strike?"
Qian Renxue asked in return.
"Just kill the emperors of both empires—or even wipe out their royal families!"
"Then both empires would be left leaderless. If Spirit Hall attacked them after that, it would have a much easier time, and countless lives could be spared."
"With Spirit Hall's strength, it could absolutely pull that off."
Lin Yue explained.
"This..."
Qian Renxue was stunned. So that was possible?
Why hadn't she and her grandfather thought of it before?
Qian Renxue suddenly felt that the past decade or so she'd spent undercover had been a bit of a waste.
"Not bad. I recognize your wisdom!"
Qian Renxue's gaze on Lin Yue was no longer merely appraising. Now it held a hint of admiration.
The wisdom of the man before her truly astounded her.
"But my man can't have wisdom alone. He must have strength, too."
Still, she didn't want to yield too quickly or too easily, so she continued:
"Grandfather said he taught you some Self-Created Soul Skills. Then show me what you can do! You're a Titled Douluo, while I'm only a Soul Emperor. If you can defeat me, I'll accept Grandfather's arrangement!"
"There's no need. I can stand perfectly still, and you still won't be able to beat me."
Hearing Qian Renxue's words, Lin Yue burst out laughing.
"What did you say?"
"If you stand still, I still won't be able to beat you?"
"Elder Lin Yue, where does that confidence come from?"
Qian Renxue was so incensed by Lin Yue's words that she laughed.
She acknowledged Lin Yue's astonishing wisdom, but she didn't believe in his strength. He plainly had a cultivation base, but not a single Soul Ring or Soul Skill.
"How about we make a bet?"
"If I lose, you won't have to marry me. From then on, I'll do whatever you say, and you can command every Soul Beast in my space!"
Lin Yue smiled confidently.
"You mean it?"
Qian Renxue's eyes immediately lit up.
She admired Lin Yue, but as she'd said, she wanted a man who was stronger than her, too.
So if she could avoid marrying Lin Yue, make him obey her, and command his Soul Beasts, that would be perfect.
"Of course!"
"But if you lose, young mistress, we'll consummate our marriage tonight!"
Lin Yue gazed at Qian Renxue with burning eyes, making no effort to hide how much he liked her.