An Imperial Invitation, and a "Date" with Xu Jiujiu

Qiangu Yunche and the others were staying in an enormous suite on the top floor of the grand hotel, with the entire floor occupied by just the three of them.

After Xu Jiujiu entered, Qiangu Yunche led her toward the reception room.

Inside the spacious, brightly lit reception room, Qiangu Liting and Qiangu Yunmei were discussing something. Only when they saw Qiangu Yunche bringing in an outsider did their conversation come to a halt.

Facing their direct gazes, Xu Jiujiu showed no sign of timidity. She first nodded to Qiangu Yunmei, then performed a formal salute.

"Jiujiu greets Senior Qiangu."

Qiangu Liting knew that Xu Jiujiu intended to visit him, but he had not expected her to arrive so quickly.

Still, that only surprised him slightly. Though Xu Jiujiu was a princess of great rank and authority, he represented one of the strongest Soul Master families in the world.

Great clans endured while dynasties came and went. The inheritance of the Star Crown Sect represented by the imperial family had long grown thin beyond imagination, while the White Tiger Clan, which had retreated to the rank of duke four thousand years ago, had gradually flourished instead.

"Very well, Your Highness. There is no need for such formality. Please, have a seat."

Yet she was, after all, a princess of a nation, so Qiangu Liting still afforded Xu Jiujiu the respect she deserved.

After a pause, Qiangu Liting added, "Esteemed senior, you need not remain standing either. Please take a seat."

As his words fell, a faint glimmer of starlight lit up in the corner of the reception room. An elderly woman who appeared to be at least eighty materialized out of thin air. She stared at Qiangu Liting in astonishment, a trace of wariness flashing through the depths of her eyes.

A hint of surprise also appeared in Xu Jiujiu's eyes, but it vanished in an instant, as though she had expected it all along.

This elderly woman was Nebula Douluo Manyi, Xu Jiujiu's guardian since childhood. Her Martial Soul was the Nebula Fan, and her Soul Power was rank ninety-one. Though she was not the weakest among the Star Luo Empire's guardian Douluos, she was certainly near the bottom of the rankings.

Yet Qiangu Liting had detected Nebula Douluo's presence so easily, proving that his strength was unquestionably above hers. He might even have reached an even higher realm.

Xu Jiujiu made her own assessment inwardly, while her expression became increasingly respectful.

"This is Grandma Manyi, titled Nebula. She is my guardian."

After making the introduction, Xu Jiujiu smiled at Manyi and said softly, "Grandma Manyi, please sit as well."

Nebula Douluo hesitated for a moment before finally sitting down on a sofa to the side.

After Nebula Douluo took her seat, the atmosphere in the reception room visibly stiffened. Realizing this, Xu Jiujiu resumed the conversation.

"Senior Qiangu, I came this time for two reasons. First, to pay you a visit. Second, to convey an invitation from my imperial brother and the esteemed senior from the Offering Hall. They would like to invite you to the imperial city for a discussion."

After a pause, Xu Jiujiu added, "You also know that the esteemed senior truly wished to take you as his disciple and pass down his legacy back then. Although you ultimately refused, kindred spirits are difficult to find in life. So, after learning that you had returned to Star Luo City, he still wished to see you during his remaining time."

Xu Jiujiu had already begun taking charge of the Star Luo Empire's intelligence organization last year. She had not been idle these past few days either, trying every possible channel to investigate the backgrounds of Qiangu Liting and the other two. Although she ultimately obtained no useful intelligence, based on her intuition and the faint clues coming from the south, she and her imperial brother, Xu Jiawei, concluded that the three of them must be backed by a powerful reclusive clan.

The head of the Star Luo Imperial Family's Offering Hall was already over one hundred and seventy years old. He had spent decades in seclusion attempting to break through to rank ninety-eight, only to fail. Now, little of his lifespan remained.

Once he passed away, the strongest combatant in the imperial Offering Hall would be the rank ninety-five Star-Shattering Douluo. The severe shortage of high-level combat power would become inevitable. Yet under such circumstances, the Heaven Dou Empire in the north seemed to have reached some sort of cooperation with the Body Sect, and their exchanges were growing increasingly frequent. In the future, the Body Sect might even become the Heaven Dou Empire's guardian sect.

To the Star Luo Empire, this was undoubtedly an enormous problem and a devastating blow.

Thus, at this time, Xu Jiujiu and Xu Jiawei desperately hoped to recruit outside experts to make up for the gap in their high-level combat power—or perhaps even rise to greatness in a single leap.

Xu Jiujiu and Xu Jiawei had already discussed it. Even if they could not directly recruit the Qiangu Clan this time, they had to at least establish contact and friendship with them.

Xu Jiujiu also had her own plans for this. Her plan was simple: to grow closer to Qiangu Yunche.

Nebula Douluo had investigated him earlier. Qiangu Yunche was at most twelve or thirteen years old, yet he already possessed at least four rings of cultivation.

His elder sister, Qiangu Yunmei, was no less impressive. Just past twenty, she already possessed strength above the Soul Emperor level—a true prospect for a Super Douluo.

Even at Shrek Academy, the potential of these siblings would absolutely see them treated as inheritance seeds, not to mention the powerful reclusive clan standing behind them.

As an imperial princess, Xu Jiujiu understood very clearly that everything she possessed came at a price. She also understood what she should do and what she was capable of doing.

Therefore, after her imperial brother and that esteemed senior determined that Qiangu Liting and the clan behind him were worth the imperial family paying an immense price to win over, she wanted to give it a try. She wanted to use her beauty and charm to make Qiangu Yunche gradually fall for her, allowing herself to become the bridge between the imperial family and the clan behind him.

This was not merely for the imperial family. It was also for herself.

With Xu Jiujiu's disposition, love at first sight was impossible. But while she possessed the emotions any normal person should have, she also harbored an extreme thirst for power and an ambition that desperately sought to climb higher.

Thus, affection did not have to be pure where she was concerned. Or rather, given her status, she had never been able to possess pure affection in the first place.

Hearing Xu Jiujiu's words, Qiangu Liting fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

A moment later, he said, "I accept. Approximately when will it be?"

Xu Jiujiu's eyes lit up with delight, and she hurriedly replied, "My imperial brother and that esteemed senior said that if you are willing, any time will do."

"Then tonight. I will not be staying in Star Luo City for long." Qiangu Liting nodded, his gaze sweeping over Nebula Douluo before finally settling on Xu Jiujiu and Qiangu Yunche.

"Yunche told me that the two of you had plans. Everything that needed to be said has been said. The rest is for you young people to handle yourselves."

Xu Jiujiu paused, and the delight in her eyes deepened.

She understood Qiangu Liting's unspoken meaning. He did not object to her getting close to Qiangu Yunche. In fact, he even seemed faintly supportive.

"Then, Senior, Yunche and I will be leaving first. Tonight, my imperial brother and that esteemed senior will wait for you in the imperial city. Grandma Manyi will take you there when the time comes."

There were two key points in that sentence. First, she had changed how she addressed Qiangu Yunche to the more intimate Yunche. Second, she was telling Nebula Douluo that there was no need to accompany her, and that she should instead handle the arrangements for Qiangu Liting's meeting with the imperial family.

Though she harbored many intentions, she still hoped that her first "date" with a boy would take place in a relatively private setting.

At the same time, Qiangu Yunche caught the teasing look from his elder sister.

He did not care. After rising to his feet, he said to Xu Jiujiu,

"Then please wait a moment, Your Highness. I'll go change my clothes."

With her back to Qiangu Liting and the others, Xu Jiujiu first gave him a playful wink before gently nodding...