Hen'er?

Down below, the scout who had come to deliver the intelligence saw how delighted Emperor Xue Ye was. He hesitated, but still reminded him, "Your Majesty, Poison Douluo is... furious right now. He vowed to fight Prince Xue Hen to the death and avenge his granddaughter, even if it costs him his life."

Emperor Xue Ye's hearty laughter came to an abrupt halt.

"Oh, is that so?"

His expression gradually returned to calm. Looking coldly at the scout below, he said, "Then let him go to his death. His granddaughter didn't know her place or understand the laws of rank and respect. She actually dared to offend my nephew. It serves her right, whether she was gravely injured or beaten to death! And he wants revenge? Let him try. My nephew is a dignified Super Douluo. He could flip that old man head over heels ten times with one hand. Why would he fear him? Hmph!"

Xue Ye was terribly proud, as if Xue Hen were his beloved nephew, close as a son—not a cheap cousin's son who had been cast out of the family, whom he had never even met in person.

"Th-that's right." Seeing Emperor Xue Ye tell Poison Douluo to go to his death without a moment's thought, abandoning him so completely, the scout's mouth twitched. He lowered his head and acknowledged the order.

"Oh, right. Xue Beng offended my nephew too, didn't he?" Just then, Emperor Xue Ye recalled what the intelligence report said had started everything. He frowned.

"Your Majesty, it wasn't exactly an offense. The Fourth Prince was bullying... reprimanding a commoner at the time. Prince Xue Hen saw him and perhaps thought the Fourth Prince was too... overbearing, so he intervened a little. But the Fourth Prince's injuries aren't serious. The palace physician said he'll recover after resting for a while," the scout reported.

"Hmph. Bullying commoners, good for nothing—how could I have a son like that? Issue an edict: Xue Beng was arrogant and unruly. Dock his salary for a year and confine him for three months!" Xue Ye ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Also, issue an edict restoring Kundera's first wife to her rightful status as queen. Send her spirit tablet to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to receive offerings, and open the Imperial Ancestral Temple to the public for three days. Any citizen of the Heaven Dou Empire may enter to pay their respects and make offerings," Emperor Xue Ye continued.

"Your Majesty, according to the rules, only members of the royal family may enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple. This..."

"The people of the Heaven Dou Empire are my subjects, and they were the subjects of every emperor before me. What's wrong with letting my own people enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple?" Xue Ye said earnestly.

At the same time, he thought, Now that his birth mother's status as queen has been restored and her spirit tablet has been placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, surely that child won't refuse to come and see it.

That was right. He was going to draw Xue Hen out.

As soon as Xue Hen appeared, he, the boy's uncle, would hurry over and take him by the hand, asking after his health and showering him with concern. Then he would patiently appeal to him, invoking their ancestors' legacy and the bonds of blood, to persuade him to stay and help resist Spirit Hall.

As long as Xue Hen helped him, what would he have to fear from now on?

What? Bibi Dong had inherited the power of the Rakshasa God?

Hmph. It sounded intimidating, but on the Sky Screen, Yuan Qi had knocked her down in a single move. And look at his own nephew, who had met Yuan Qi in the Star Dou Great Forest. The composure, the bearing—and the way Yuan Qi had spoken to him...

Every sign showed that his nephew was far stronger than Bibi Dong.

Perhaps his nephew had inherited the power of a god too!

Yes, he must have. Otherwise, how could he be so much stronger than everyone else, reaching such a level at barely twenty years old? Emperor Xue Ye firmly convinced himself.

Then he waved a hand, signaling the scout to hurry off and carry out his orders.

The scout, who was also the palace's Chief Attendant, quickly withdrew to carry them out.

The two edicts soon spread throughout Heaven Dou City.

At the Great Soul Arena, in the audience stands,

Xue Hen was sitting there watching the Soul Fighting match. Hearing the people in the seats beside him discuss Emperor Xue Ye's edict, he smiled.

This emperor... had some sense after all. He'd actually thought of using this method to win my favor and draw me out.

Very well. Since that's what you want, I'll grant your wish.

It was time for me to step into the limelight.

Xue Hen stood and headed straight for the exit.

"Hey, friend, the match isn't over yet," someone called out when they saw Xue Hen leaving.

"It's over. 'Ice Phoenix' won," Xue Hen said calmly, continuing toward the exit without stopping.

"How is it over? They're clearly evenly matched," the man muttered, then turned back to watch the contest on the Soul Fighting stage.

But as he watched, his expression gradually changed.

As the fight continued, the female Soul Master nicknamed "Ice Phoenix" began to gain the upper hand, pressing the female Soul Master known as "Blazing Fire Dance" back.

This... they'd clearly been evenly matched at the start. And "Blazing Fire Dance" was a fire-attribute Soul Master. She should have the advantage against someone with an ice attribute. So how had she ended up on the back foot?

A little while later.

Boom! On the Soul Fighting stage, "Ice Phoenix" used her fourth Soul Skill and defeated "Blazing Fire Dance."

The audience stands erupted in a wave of excited cheers.

The spectator who had earlier reminded Xue Hen did not cheer for "Ice Phoenix" like everyone else. Staring at the scene on the stage, he went blank and murmured, "She really did win..."

The next day.

At the Heaven Dou Imperial Ancestral Temple,

Because Emperor Xue Ye had ordered the temple opened, many commoners had come to look around and pay their respects.

Xue Hen still wore his silver mask. He entered through the temple gate with the crowd.

First, he surveyed his surroundings. Then, following the signs pointing out the areas where the spirit tablets of the various branches were displayed, he went straight to the section for members of the Balak Kingdom's royal family. There weren't many visitors here. Among the tablets, he spotted a conspicuously new one.

Balak Kingdom — Spirit Tablet of Queen Wang.

It was the spirit tablet of his birth mother in this life.

Xue Hen walked up to the tablet, looked at it, then slowly bowed.

After straightening, he gazed at it for a while longer, then turned to leave.

Just as he had expected, someone appeared to stop him.

"Hen'er, where are you going?"

Hen'er?

Xue Hen suddenly felt sick.

He had guessed someone would lie in wait for him here, but that way of addressing him...

Xue Hen frowned and stopped. Looking toward the voice, he saw an old man dressed in imperial robes, a scepter in hand, rushing over with several people.

Xue Ye.

He had actually stationed himself here in person!

Emperor Xue Ye rushed in front of Xue Hen at the fastest speed of his life, dropped the scepter, and grabbed him with both hands.

A silver mask, a visit to pay respects to Queen Wang, and that height and build—it all matched the Sky Screen perfectly. There was no mistake. This was his precious nephew, the treasured scion of the Xue Family, Xue Hen!