Qian Renxue

Chrysanthemum Douluo tactfully shut his mouth.

Bai Chenxiang got out of the carriage. Her lively eyes rested on the archway of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, carrying a hint of envy.

She walked around the carriage and stopped beside Gu Qingshan.

"I'm going in with you."

Gu Qingshan glanced at her and didn't refuse. He stepped into Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

The Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, was staying in Heaven Dou Royal Academy's VIP building, a three-story white structure.

Two guards stood at the entrance in silver armor, long swords hanging at their waists, their backs ramrod straight.

When Gu Qingshan reached the entrance, the two guards raised their hands at the same time to stop him.

"The Holy Son of Spirit Hall, Gu Qingshan, requests an audience with His Highness the Crown Prince."

The two guards stiffened. One of them turned and hurried inside. Before the time it took to brew a cup of tea had passed, he came running back out.

"His Highness the Crown Prince will see you."

At the far end of the reception hall stood a floor-to-ceiling window. Beyond it stretched the scenery of Heaven Dou Royal Academy, where golden ginkgo leaves glittered in the sunlight.

A young man stood before the window. He looked to be in his early twenties, tall and slender, with fair skin, thin lips, and a clean, sharply defined jawline.

Xue Qinghe—or rather, Qian Renxue.

The inheritor of the Angel Martial Soul, Qian Daoliu's granddaughter, and Spirit Hall's young master.

At twenty-three, she was a sixty-eighth-level Soul Emperor.

With talent like that, anyone on the continent would have looked up to her.

But in front of Gu Qingshan, it didn't amount to much.

The main problem was that she had a screw loose. Instead of being Spirit Hall's young master, she'd gone and played some damned undercover agent.

Spirit Hall had no shortage of talent. Why did it have to be her?

And she cultivated whenever she felt like it, fishing for three days and drying her nets for two, spending all her time copying Ning Fengzhi's tricks and scheming.

Such fine talent had gone to waste.

She'd been dealt a winning hand and played it into a complete mess.

Still, since things had come to this, if she really could ascend the throne of the Heaven Dou Empire, it would greatly aid Spirit Hall's unification of the continent.

He only hoped she wouldn't become lovesick like in the original story. Otherwise...

When Gu Qingshan entered the reception hall, she drew her gaze from the window and fixed it on him.

She studied the Holy Son, whose exploits had become the stuff of legends, with curiosity. Word was that the woman valued him greatly, treating him hundreds, even thousands of times better than her own daughter.

Did he know her true identity?

"Your Highness the Holy Son, I've heard so much about you."

Gu Qingshan chewed the Blue Silver Leaf in his mouth and nodded at her.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince... I've heard so much about you."

Bai Chenxiang stood behind Gu Qingshan, sneaking glances at Xue Qinghe. Her purple eyes were wide; she'd never seen anyone so handsome.

"Bai Chenxiang of the Speed Clan." Gu Qingshan didn't offer any further introduction.

Xue Qinghe watched him chew the Blue Silver Leaf, her golden eyes narrowing slightly.

"Did Your Highness the Holy Son come to Heaven Dou Royal Academy to see me, or to see someone else?"

"I came to see you," Gu Qingshan said casually.

Xue Qinghe maintained her polished smile. She walked over to the tea table, sat down on the sofa, and poured two cups of tea.

"Sit."

Gu Qingshan sat across from her, while Bai Chenxiang stood behind him.

Xue Qinghe lifted her teacup and took a sip, her golden eyes on Gu Qingshan.

"Your Highness the Holy Son, speak plainly."

Gu Qingshan couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush. "Your Highness the Crown Prince, let's not hide the truth from each other. I know you're Qian Renxue, the teacher's daughter. The Heaven Dou Empire is Spirit Hall's enemy. You've been lying low here for so many years because you're waiting for the day you can help Spirit Hall take control of the Heaven Dou Empire, aren't you?"

Xue Qinghe's expression shifted. Had that woman even told him such top-secret information about Spirit Hall...

She really was good to him!

"Uncle Snake Lance, please stand guard at the door. Don't let anyone in."

"Yes, miss."

Then she shed her disguise and returned to her female form.

She wore a graceful golden silk court gown. Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, her neck was long, her skin fair as snow, and her features exquisite. She carried herself with bold, gallant poise.

Her voice changed, too. It was no longer the warm, jade-like male voice she'd affected, but her own clear, gentle one.

"Gu Qingshan, you're more direct than I expected."

She looked at Gu Qingshan, complex emotions churning in her golden eyes.

Qian Renxue remembered the young man her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, had mentioned in his letter.

"Peerless talent, mature judgment, decisive action. Spirit Hall's future can be entrusted to him."

Her grandfather had never praised anyone like that before. Never.

Qian Renxue put aside her thoughts and asked, "Do you need me to do anything about choosing the Seven Great Sects again?"

Gu Qingshan met her golden eyes. "You don't need to do anything. Keep being the Crown Prince. Also, we need to speed up the process of replacing the Heaven Dou Empire."

Qian Renxue lifted her teacup, took a sip, and curved her lips into a smile.

"Fine."

Gu Qingshan stood and headed for the door.

Bai Chenxiang followed behind him, her steps unsteady. Her mind still hadn't recovered from the shock of the information she'd just heard.

The Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire was actually an impostor from Spirit Hall. The revelation had hit her like a bombshell.

Spirit Hall really was terrifying!

Thankfully, the Speed Clan had already pledged allegiance!

At the doorway, Gu Qingshan stopped and said meaningfully,

"Qian Renxue, in this world, everything comes down to strength. Don't lose sight of what matters."

Qian Renxue's brows knit slightly. What did he mean?

Gu Qingshan pushed open the door and walked out.

Qian Renxue sat on the sofa, her golden eyes fixed on the closed door. Her fingers tapped lightly on the tea table. Tap, tap, tap.

What was that guy getting at?

Was he saying she wasn't strong enough and hadn't been cultivating properly?

Who was he to lecture her?

A little success, and he didn't even know who he was anymore—his tail was practically sticking up to the sky!

A country bumpkin was a country bumpkin!

He actually dared to look down on her!

Just wait until she took the Heaven Dou Empire. Then she'd see what he had to say!

That woman would surely look at her a little more favorably, too!

Hmph!

A moment later, Snake Lance Douluo walked in. He'd heard every word of their conversation.

"Miss, this Gu Qingshan is pretty arrogant. Should I teach him a lesson?"

Qian Renxue looked at him strangely.

Teach him a lesson?

Would Uncle Snake Lance and Pufferfish be enough for him even if they attacked together?

Only then did Snake Lance Douluo remember that the Holy Son of Spirit Hall wasn't as harmless as he seemed.

They said he'd crippled one of Sword Douluo Chen Xin's hands from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Bone Douluo Gu Rong had even died at his hands. Even Tang Hao had been beaten to a miserable state.

This was a ruthless character!

Cold sweat immediately beaded on Snake Lance Douluo's forehead. Good thing he hadn't offended him!

"Then... should we inform the Grand Elder that Gu Qingshan already knows the miss's identity?"

Qian Renxue thought it over before answering, "No need. Grandfather thinks highly of him, and since that woman chose to tell him, he must be someone she trusts completely."

"Yes."