The palace doors opened from within, and the Palace Guard Captain stepped out, nodding at Ji Ye.
"The Crown Prince requests your presence."
Ji Ye stepped into the hall.
The hall was spacious, with a deep red carpet covering the floor. Several pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes stood on either side, and the Soul Power lamps set into their tops cast a warm, golden-yellow glow.
A broad writing desk stood in the center of the hall. Several stacks of documents lay on it, beside a cup of tea that had been left unfinished. The tea had already gone cold.
A young man sat behind the desk, wearing the bright yellow robes of the Crown Prince. He had handsome features and an air of mild, scholarly refinement.
Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Ji Ye's gaze settled on Xue Qinghe's face, examining it carefully.
His skin was fair, his features were regular, and a perfectly measured smile played at the corners of his mouth. He sat upright, his back straight. He looked every inch a member of the imperial family.
If Ji Ye hadn't known the truth beforehand, he never would have guessed that the person before him was a woman in disguise.
The mental power skull was indeed powerful. It could even perfectly disguise her aura.
"You're Ji Ye?" Xue Qinghe asked, his voice gentle, carrying the composure typical of someone in a position of power.
"The Palace Guard Captain said you have something to give me?"
Ji Ye didn't answer at once. Instead, he turned and glanced at the corners of the hall.
He could feel eyes on him from the shadows, watching him with scrutiny.
Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo were probably nearby.
"Your Highness, could you have everyone leave the hall first?" Ji Ye asked.
"There are some things that aren't convenient to discuss in front of so many people."
Xue Qinghe looked at him and fell silent for two seconds, then waved a hand.
"Everyone, leave. No one is to come near without my order."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The maids and attendants filed out of the hall. The last guard to leave gently shut the doors behind him.
Only two people remained in the hall, along with the two Titled Douluo hiding in the shadows.
Ji Ye took two steps forward and stopped in front of the desk, looking at Xue Qinghe.
"Your Highness, there's no one else here now."
Xue Qinghe nodded slightly.
"Mm. You can speak now."
Ji Ye looked at him with a faint smile.
"What I mean is, Your Highness, you can drop your disguise."
Xue Qinghe's expression didn't change, but his gentle smile faltered for a moment.
"Disguise? I don't understand what you mean."
Ji Ye didn't beat around the bush. His tone was calm but direct.
"I mean, Qian Renxue, take off the disguise. When you talk to me while wearing Xue Qinghe's face, I can't help feeling like I'm chatting with a grown man."
The hall fell silent for several breaths.
The smile on Xue Qinghe's face slowly faded. His gaze grew deep as he looked at Ji Ye, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"Did Grandfather tell you?"
"Senior Qian Daoliu didn't tell me anything." Ji Ye shook his head.
Qian Renxue's pupils contracted slightly.
She slowly rose from behind the desk, unhurriedly lifting a hand to brush it across her face.
A thin layer of golden light peeled away from her features, like a transparent veil being lifted.
Beneath the bright yellow Crown Prince's robes, the mild, scholarly face gradually became refined and sharp. Her features softened, and a cool, heroic air appeared between her brows.
Golden hair spilled from beneath her crown and fell over her shoulders, catching the warm lamplight in tiny glimmers.
Qian Renxue stood there in the Crown Prince's robes, yet she had become an entirely different person.
Her blue eyes watched Ji Ye, filled with scrutiny and caution.
"Grandfather didn't tell you, so how did you find out?"
Ji Ye didn't answer.
He reached into his robes, took out the jade box he'd been carrying with him, and gently placed it on the desk, pushing it toward Qian Renxue.
"This is for you."
Qian Renxue glanced down at the jade box but didn't open it right away.
"What is it?"
"An Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid. It cleanses and refines the body and improves the speed of Soul Power cultivation," Ji Ye said calmly.
"You've spent years undercover here, wasting too much of your talent and time. I came across this Immortal Herb by chance. It should help you make up for some of that."
Qian Renxue fell silent for several breaths.
She opened the jade box. A fresh, elegant fragrance immediately spread through the air, gentle and mellow, brimming with the vitality of plants.
Inside lay a pale blue orchid, its petals smooth as jade, its veins clearly visible as it emitted a soft glow.
Just inhaling its fragrance made the Soul Power within her flow more smoothly. Even the fatigue that had built up from days of reviewing memorials eased considerably.
Qian Renxue looked up at Ji Ye.
"Why are you being so good to me? What do you want?"
Ji Ye looked at her and smiled.
"Consider it my thanks for recommending me to the Worship Hall back then."
Qian Renxue was taken aback, then the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
"Recommending you? Wasn't I the one who caught you and sent you to the Worship Hall to be punished?"
Ji Ye shrugged.
"Either way, I ended up staying at the Worship Hall."
Qian Renxue closed the jade box, slipped it into her sleeve, and looked at Ji Ye with a gentler gaze, though curiosity still lingered in her eyes.
"You still haven't answered me. How did you find out who I am?"
Ji Ye had already turned toward the door.
"That doesn't matter."
He reached the door and placed a hand on the frame. Then he suddenly stopped and glanced back at Qian Renxue.
"Oh, there's something I should warn you about."
"What?"
"That Prince Xue Beng isn't as good-for-nothing as you think."
"And Poison Douluo Dugu Bo has already been killed by Worshiper Jiang Mo."
Ji Ye pushed open the door and walked out.
The doors slowly closed behind him with a deep, muffled thud.
Qian Renxue remained where she was. She didn't chase after him.
She stared at the closed doors, her brow furrowing slightly.
Xue Beng?
The Fourth Prince who spent all day fighting crickets and walking dogs around the palace, harassing maids, and neglecting his studies.
What had happened to him?
And Dugu Bo was dead?!
As a retainer of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, Dugu Bo's death was bound to have a significant impact.
A short while later,
two figures slowly emerged from the shadows in the hall.
Snake Lance Douluo stepped out of hiding and looked toward the door, his tone tinged with amusement.
"Young miss, isn't that the little tomb robber you caught in the mausoleum last time and sent to the Worship Hall?"
Qian Renxue didn't turn around.
"Yes, it is."
"I can't see through his Soul Power at all," Snake Lance Douluo said, his voice growing more serious.
"That kid's no simple character."
Porcupinefish Douluo also emerged from the shadows on the other side.
He didn't look toward the door. His eyes fell on the jade box in Qian Renxue's sleeve. He sniffed slightly, then nodded.
"The herb in your sleeve isn't poisonous, Young miss. And its medicinal power is pure. It's truly a rare treasure."
Before you continue