Killing Xue Tian, Qian Renxue's Little Trick

"Xue Tian?" Xue Hen deliberately put on an expression of surprise, then rose from his chair, a faint killing intent radiating from his body.

"So you were here!" Xue Hen said coldly.

"Wu, wuwuwu~" Having had his tongue cut out, Xue Tian was terrified to the point of death upon seeing Xue Hen. He struggled incessantly, desperate to escape, but unfortunately, he was held firmly by the guards of the Crown Prince's Mansion and could not break free.

"Whoosh!" With a flash, Xue Hen vanished from his spot like a ghost, rushing toward the door.

Qian Renxue's pupils constricted, and she hurriedly sidestepped to dodge.

Then, she realized there was an extra person beside her—someone who had reached out an arm to grip Xue Tian's throat in a death lock.

Such incredible speed; he's that fast without even activating his martial soul?! Qian Renxue felt a jolt of shock, but a smile immediately bloomed on her face as she said to Xue Hen, "It's quite a coincidence. On my way here to see you, Royal Brother, I happened to run into Royal Brother Xue Tian. He had been tied up by someone unknown and his tongue had been cut out. I thought, since he is your own flesh and blood, I would simply bring him along and hand him over to you... to deal with."

When she said the words "deal with," Qian Renxue lowered her head slightly, observing Xue Hen's facial expression from the corner of her eye. She noticed that his previously indifferent face had turned icy cold.

As if he hadn't heard a word Qian Renxue said, Xue Hen tightened his grip on Xue Tian's throat. Watching him turn bright red and gasp for air, he said coldly, "Didn't expect this, did you? That poor wretch you and your mother drove out of the palace years ago would return, and would crush you like an ant."

"You had your tongue cut out? Was it because that foul mouth of yours said something disgusting again? Heh, it's a pity someone beat me to it!"

"Where is your mother? Did you two split up while fleeing?"

Hearing Xue Hen mention his mother, the suffocating Xue Tian felt even more agony in his heart.

Mother, Mother...

"Royal Brother, Royal Uncle's concubine was with Royal Brother Xue Tian earlier, but..." Qian Renxue raised her head and recounted what had happened in that alleyway.

After listening, Xue Hen's brows furrowed tightly, and he muttered, "Killed by someone suspected to be Yuan Qi? Not even a corpse left behind..."

After a moment of silence, he looked at Xue Tian, who was nearly breathless in his grasp, let out a cold snort, and released him.

Then, without giving him a chance to breathe, he struck out with a palm, landing it directly on his chest.

"Pfft!" In an instant, Xue Tian's internal organs were shattered. He spat out a large mouthful of blood, his eyes bulging wide as his body slowly toppled forward.

With a thud, he collapsed onto the ground.

"Considering your mother just died and you've already tasted the pain of losing her, I'll give you a quick end," Xue Hen said flatly.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again, turned, and walked back into the room.

Qian Renxue took in the entire scene. Looking at Xue Tian's corpse on the floor, she waved her hand and ordered her subordinates, "Take him away, then have someone come in to clean up and wipe away the blood."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Once the subordinates began to carry out the task, Qian Renxue looked back into the room and smiled at Xue Hen, "Royal Brother, may I come in?"

"The guy I just killed was the one who was the Royal Brother to Your Highness. As for me, my surname is not Xue. My name is Jian Hen," Xue Hen said coldly.

Qian Renxue shook her head, "You are mistaken, Royal Brother. Your name is Xue Hen; everyone on the continent knows you are Xue Hen."

As she spoke, Qian Renxue took a food box from one of the remaining guards and walked straight into the room. Upon entering, she took care to close the door so no one outside could hear what they were about to discuss.

She placed the box on the table in front of Xue Hen, opened it, and said, "I heard that when you were young, you loved sweets. I had the mansion's chef prepare some desserts from the Balaque Kingdom. Would you like to try them?"

Hearing Qian Renxue's words and looking at the pastries in the box, Xue Hen shifted his gaze to her as she stood by. He mocked, "Who I am is for me alone to decide. What others think is none of my concern. Did you come here, like Emperor Xue Ye, to persuade me to stay and serve as your lackey?"

"Royal Brother, you jest. We are of the same flesh and blood..."

"If we're talking about that, the guy I just killed was even closer to me in blood."

Qian Renxue: "..."

"Does the Crown Prince still think the term 'flesh and blood' holds any value to me?" Xue Hen said indifferently.

Qian Renxue frowned, but inwardly, she chuckled.

This Xue Hen was even harder to win over than she had imagined. That old thing, Emperor Xue Ye, had boasted that it was a sure thing—what utter nonsense.

That was fine, though. The more he rejected the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, the less likely he was to work for them, which was all the better for the Martial Soul Hall.

However, since her public identity was the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, she still had to "make an effort."

With that thought, Qian Renxue took a deep breath, stepped back two paces, and bowed to Xue Hen.

"What are you doing?" Xue Hen asked.

"I am apologizing to you on behalf of Royal Uncle Kundera, on behalf of the Emperor, and on behalf of the entire Heaven Dou Imperial Family!"

Qian Renxue said sincerely, "I know you are angry, Royal Brother. Back then, when Royal Uncle favored his concubine over his wife and deposed the legitimate heir for the illegitimate one, not a single person in the Heaven Dou Imperial Family stood up for you and your mother. Although the Emperor claimed he was deceived by Royal Uncle, I know that such an excuse could never fool you."

"That's right. Regarding Royal Uncle's actions back then, the Emperor was not deceived. He knew everything, but he agreed to it anyway, all to win over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The Martial Soul Hall is powerful, and the Star Luo Empire's national strength exceeds ours. At the time, I had not yet become a disciple of Sect Master Ning, but Royal Uncle had, by chance, met his cousin and taken her as a concubine."

"Royal Uncle's behavior in favoring Consort Ning helped bridge the relationship between the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. In fact, the reason I later became a disciple of Sect Master Ning was partly due to Consort Ning's introduction."

"I know you are well aware of all this, Royal Brother."

Xue Hen: "..."

"The Emperor learned through the Sky Screen that you were still alive and, furthermore, how powerful you have become. That is why he wants to persuade you to return to the family and the imperial house, to bolster the strength of the empire."

"Such behavior makes you look down on him. In truth, I feel the same resentment, but the pressure on the imperial family is immense right now. So... Royal Brother, could you, for the sake of the ancestors who founded this nation, put aside the past for a moment? Stay and help the Emperor, help the family?"

"If you are unwilling, I can understand. From now on... I will not force you."

As she spoke, Qian Renxue put on a look of helplessness, while inwardly thinking, After saying all that, will you still serve Xue Ye? Heh.