She was stunned.
Xue Hen was genuinely stunned.
This woman... had she come to help Xue Ye persuade him, or to tear Xue Ye down?
She'd gone so far as to say all that. Xue Ye had treated him so badly, been so self-serving and shameless. If he still agreed to stay in Heaven Dou City and help him, wouldn't that make him utterly worthless?
Xue Hen's eyelid twitched a few times.
But when he thought about the woman's true identity, he understood.
Indeed, this was what would benefit her most. If he really agreed to stay in Heaven Dou City and assist Xue Ye, he would become a major liability to Spirit Hall. For one thing, the chronic poison she had given Xue Ye might be cured by him.
After all, the healing power of the Emerald Swan Martial Soul was terrifying.
Moreover, she had brought up how Xue Ye and Kundera had both tried to win over the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. She was sowing discord, trying to turn him against the sect.
Ning Pianpian was a disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and not long ago he had gone there and raised a huge ruckus. Now this woman had said all this. If he was consumed by hatred for the past, he would surely go after the sect again.
Killing with a borrowed knife.
When the snipe and the clam fought, the fisherman profited.
This woman had quite the scheme. No wonder she was Ning Fengzhi's disciple.
"Royal Brother?" Still holding her hands clasped in a bow, Qian Renxue had said so much, yet Xue Hen still hadn't replied. After waiting a little longer, she finally couldn't help raising her head slightly to look at him.
The moment she did, her pupils contracted sharply.
Her whole body tensed, and a fine sheen of sweat appeared across her forehead.
"Royal Brother, what... what do you mean by this?" Qian Renxue asked, her voice trembling.
Only ten centimeters from her eyes, a sharp sword point was aimed straight at her. The chill radiating from the blade made her hair stand on end.
This man...
"Since ancient times, the imperial family has known no affection. That saying is certainly true. Your Highness, you came under the pretext of apologizing on the emperor's behalf, but everything you said was actually disparaging him. Did you think I wouldn't notice?" Xue Hen said coldly.
Damn it, he saw through me! Qian Renxue thought.
She had brought only a few guards from the Crown Prince's Mansion with her. As for Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo, she had worried that Xue Hen would sense their presence, so she had told them to follow from a distance and not approach.
If Xue Hen attacked her now, the two of them wouldn't have time to save her. Besides...
Even if they were here, would they be able to stop this guy?
A Level 98 Super Douluo.
Twenty-one years old.
This guy was a monster!
"Royal Brother, I... I can explain—"
"Did you do this because you thought your father's hold on the throne was too secure? You wanted to cause him trouble, try to shake his position, and then seize the chance to take the throne early?" Xue Hen cut her off and continued.
"I heard that your Second Prince was more favored by the emperor than you, and was the best candidate to become Crown Prince. But he died in an unfortunate accident. Then the Third Prince died too. Of the two princes left, the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, was a dissolute wastrel with no virtue. Emperor Xue Ye had no choice but to appoint you Crown Prince."
Xue Hen looked at Qian Renxue, still bent forward in her bow, and asked, "Those two princes... you wouldn't happen to have killed them both, would you? For the throne?"
"I... No, how could I do such a thing? They're my own brothers!" Sweat now coated not only Qian Renxue's forehead but her back as well. She managed a strained expression as she denied it to Xue Hen.
"Hmph. Brothers? In the cold, heartless imperial family, what brotherly affection could there be?" Xue Hen said scornfully.
After watching her for a moment, Xue Hen put his sword away and snapped, "Get out. I'll spare you this time for the sake of these pastries. Don't show your face in front of me again. If you try to play games with me again, I'll kill you on the spot!"
"Gulp." Qian Renxue swallowed. The situation had gone completely beyond her expectations.
She had wanted to drive a wedge between Xue Hen and Emperor Xue Ye, and even between him and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. But she hadn't expected him to figure out that she was scheming, let alone infer from this "little matter" that she was connected to the deaths of those two princes.
Qian Renxue was seething with frustration. When she heard Xue Hen's words, she hurriedly backed away a few steps, then straightened up and turned to flee the guest room.
"Your Highness?" The guards outside saw the Crown Prince rush out in such a panic and looked at one another in confusion. What had happened? Had the meeting gone badly?
"Go, hurry!" Qian Renxue urged them, then ran downstairs without waiting for a reply.
The guards exchanged glances, then hurried after her and left with Qian Renxue.
Sensing that they had left the inn, Xue Hen rose from his chair, went to the door, and opened it.
"Heh, the bloodstains still haven't been cleaned up..."
"Never mind. The hotel staff can clean them later."
Then Xue Hen closed the door and bolted it.
"After this, it wouldn't be appropriate to accept Emperor Xue Ye's offer and stay here to assist him. But if I don't accept the imperial family's offer, how do I bring the role of 'Super Douluo Xue Hen' fully into the open? This Qian Renxue... she really knows how to make trouble for me."
"Wait, make trouble?"
A thought suddenly struck Xue Hen. His eyes narrowed. "I've got it. I can do it this way—and give her a little payback, too."
"Go, hurry! Back to the Crown Prince's Mansion!" On Heaven Dou Avenue, Qian Renxue raced toward her residence with her people.
She had to put as much distance as possible between herself and Xue Hen. He was too dangerous. She hadn't wanted to see him recruited by Emperor Xue Ye, so she'd said a few words to sow discord. He'd guessed that she wanted to undermine Xue Ye and take the throne early—and that she was the real culprit behind the deaths of the two princes.
The first guess was certainly wrong, but the second couldn't have been more right!
He had even threatened to kill her if she tried to scheme against him again.
Kill her...
A threat of death. This was the first time—no, the second time—she had felt death staring her in the face.
The first time had been on the Sky Screen, when that madwoman Bibi Dong had somehow been influenced by the Rakshasa God and attacked her.
"Qinghe!" Just as she was still shaken, a voice suddenly called out.
"Ah!" Qian Renxue, still rattled, cried out and clutched her chest before coming to her senses.
It wasn't Xue Hen chasing after her. That voice just now... sounded familiar.
She stopped and looked toward the voice. Two figures were striding toward her.
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin.
"Teacher?"
"His Excellency Sword Douluo?" A hint of surprise appeared on Qian Renxue's face.
"Qinghe, why are you so jumpy? You just went to see Xue Hen, didn't you? Did he—"
"Boom!" Before Ning Fengzhi could finish, a tremendous crash rang out from the sky. His expression and those of everyone around him changed in an instant, and they all looked up.
The Sky Screen had appeared again!
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