Qin Yao slipped an arm around Qian Renxue's slender waist and pressed one hand to the back of her head.
After a long while, their kiss ended. Qin Yao held the soft, delicate Qian Renxue in his arms, savoring the faint fragrance coming from her and feeling thoroughly satisfied.
Qian Renxue leaned against his chest. The blush on her cheeks had not yet faded, and her breathing was still a little uneven.
"Xue'er, how do you feel?" Qin Yao asked with a smile, lowering his head.
"Better than ever." Qian Renxue lifted her head from his arms, golden strands of hair slipping loose as she answered honestly.
The Holy Bright Heart-Cleansing Grass had worked far better than she had imagined. Not only had it helped her break through the Soul Emperor threshold in one go, it had also strengthened her light attribute and made her Soul Power flow more smoothly.
"That's good." Qin Yao's hand remained on her waist. "Since you don't want to give up your current mission, I won't force you."
At his words, Qian Renxue's heart lifted a little.
Qin Yao continued:
"But I can't feel at ease leaving you to fight alone here. How about I call Dugu Bo over and have him help you in secret? He's an expert in poison. He can only benefit your plans."
"Dugu Bo?" Qian Renxue furrowed her brow slightly. "Can he be trusted?"
The undercover mission was of the utmost importance. If it was exposed, everything would be lost.
"He can." Qin Yao's answer was simple and direct.
Seeing the worry on Qian Renxue's face, he explained:
"Dugu Bo is impervious to both force and persuasion. His only weakness is his precious granddaughter, Dugu Yan. I helped them rid themselves of the snake poison that had plagued their family for generations. That's an enormous debt."
"What's more, I took him to the Worship Hall. He saw its power with his own eyes, and met my grandfather and the other Worships. He's a clever man. He knows what will happen if he betrays me."
Qin Yao's voice was calm, but his confidence was plain to hear.
At that, Qian Renxue finally relaxed.
"All right. I'll take your word for it." She nodded obediently.
Qin Yao smiled in satisfaction, then turned toward the shadows in the garden.
"Grandfather, sorry for the trouble. Please bring Dugu Bo over for me."
"All right!" Qin Xiong's voice came from the darkness, laughter in his tone.
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure shot into the sky and disappeared into the night in an instant.
Only Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo remained, still on guard.
A few minutes later, an almost imperceptible rush of wind came from above.
Qin Xiong's burly figure landed first, followed by Dugu Bo in a gray robe.
The moment Dugu Bo touched down, his eyes swept toward the stone pavilion. He had been about to bow, but when he saw a stunning golden-haired woman leaning against Qin Yao in his arms, he abruptly froze.
Old Poison couldn't help wondering what was going on.
What was His Highness the Holy Son up to?
He'd come to the Heaven Dou Crown Prince's Residence in the dead of night, with a woman in his arms. What would happen if Crown Prince Xue Qinghe caught him?
Then he reconsidered. No, that didn't add up.
The Crown Prince's Residence was heavily guarded, yet the Holy Son was sitting here openly, without a single guard nearby raising the alarm.
Dugu Bo swallowed his questions and stepped forward, bowing with cupped hands.
"Your subordinate pays his respects to His Highness the Holy Son. And to Fourth Worship."
Qin Yao raised a hand and waved, signaling that he could dispense with the formalities. He did not remove his arm from Qian Renxue's waist and went straight to the point:
"Elder Dugu, let me introduce you. This is Qian Renxue, the First Worship's granddaughter, and my fiancée."
After hearing the first part, Dugu Bo grew even more deferential. The First Worship's own granddaughter—her standing in Spirit Hall was practically beyond measure.
"Your subordinate pays his respects to—" Dugu Bo began to bow.
But Qin Yao's next words left him utterly stunned.
"She has another identity, one you know well. The current Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe."
Dugu Bo froze completely. He looked up at Qian Renxue, then at Qin Yao, his mind roaring.
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe was a woman?
And she was the First Worship of Spirit Hall's granddaughter?
Dugu Bo had spent decades in Heaven Dou Imperial City and thought he understood the ins and outs of the imperial family.
Prince Xue Xing even regarded him as his greatest trump card.
But he had never dreamed that the future heir to the Heaven Dou Empire was an undercover agent sent by Spirit Hall!
If this news got out, the entire continent would be turned upside down.
Dugu Bo swallowed, a sheen of cold sweat instantly breaking out across his back.
He was old enough to know all too well what a secret of this magnitude could mean.
With a secret like this, the more you knew, the sooner you died. But then again, His Highness the Holy Son had told him to his face. That meant he didn't consider Dugu Bo an outsider. In His Highness the Holy Son's eyes, he was someone worthy of trust!
Dugu Bo took a deep breath.
"What I heard today will stay buried in my gut. I won't breathe a single word of it!"
Qin Yao was pleased by Dugu Bo's reaction as he bowed.
"Elder Dugu, from now on, you can address Xue'er as Young Master."
"Yes. Greetings, Young Master!" Dugu Bo straightened and bowed respectfully to Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue sat upright in Qin Yao's arms. Facing Dugu Bo, she put aside the softness she had shown just moments ago, once again radiating the composure and authority she had cultivated over years posing as the Crown Prince.
"Elder Dugu, there's no need for such ceremony." Qian Renxue raised a hand. "If Xiao Yao trusts you, then so do I."
As she spoke, Qian Renxue turned her wrist and took a delicate white jade vial from her Storage Soul Tool, setting it on the stone table.
"Elder Dugu, your mastery of poison is unmatched across the continent. Take a look at this."
Dugu Bo stepped forward, picked up the vial, and poured a little powder into his palm.
The powder was pale gray and nearly odorless.
Dugu Bo picked up a pinch with his fingernail and tasted it on the tip of his tongue, closing his eyes to carefully sense the changes in its medicinal properties.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, brushed the powder off his palm, and stoppered the vial again.
"Young Master, this poison is exquisitely made."
Dugu Bo gave his assessment.
"It's colorless and odorless, and dissolves as soon as it touches water. It's not a powerful poison that kills at the first touch of blood. Instead, it slowly eats away at the body's vitality."
Qian Renxue nodded.
"Exactly. I made it to deal with Xue Ye. I've been giving it to him for years, but even the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's court physicians haven't detected it. They think he's simply weak from overwork."
Dugu Bo stroked his chin.
"It's no surprise the physicians couldn't detect it. The poison acts extremely slowly and blends completely into the blood and vital energy. Even I would have trouble noticing anything amiss without a careful examination."
He paused, then continued:
"However, it has a weakness: it works too slowly. At the current dosage, that old Xue Ye can hold on for at least another three to five years. If he takes any rare treasures that strengthen his foundations and nourish his vitality in the meantime, it'll take even longer."
Qian Renxue furrowed her brow slightly. This had indeed been a problem that troubled her.
As long as Emperor Xue Ye remained alive, she could not truly take control of the Heaven Dou Empire.
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