Bringing Mother to Meet Daughter?

The sky grew dim.

Naruto frowned, shifting his gaze away from the tightly shut gates of the East Palace.

He watched the increasing number of carriages on the street and the countless pedestrians hurrying by, their path stretching to the end of the road, yet the luxurious carriage he was waiting for had still not appeared.

The situation differed slightly from the intelligence Naruto had gathered, but he was not anxious; he simply waited patiently.

While Naruto could maintain a calm state of mind, someone else was becoming increasingly nervous and restless, even standing up from her seat to pace back and forth within the empty, deathly silent Sealing Space.

As his consciousness dove in, Naruto sat on that shabby chair and listened to the crisp footsteps echoing in his ears. Just as he frowned and prepared to say something, the nervous Pope suddenly turned her head and spoke first.

"Should I prepare a gift for Xiaoxue?"

"Uh..."

Naruto pondered for a long moment.

Pity the hearts of parents everywhere; he swallowed the sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue, then, as if remembering something, he looked at Dong Trumpet with a strange expression and finally asked tentatively.

"This might sound a bit harsh, but do you know what Xiaoxue likes?"

"..."

"How could I not know!?" Bibi Dong's face turned red instantly. "Of course I... know!"

"What does she like?"

Quick question, quick answer.

Naruto sat up straight, staring at her, pressing for an answer!

Bibi Dong's brain raced. She lowered her eyes and muttered, "Small jewelry and the like... The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect sells all kinds of jewelry, and their business is quite good."

"Many female Spirit Masters in the Spirit Hall have worn them behind my back, and Yue Guan once privately showed me several sets of jewelry. Xiaoxue must like them!"

As she spoke, a glow lit up in Bibi Dong's eyes, and she became spirited. She opened her hands, and the spirit power in her palms twisted and transformed into the shape of the jewelry from her memory.

My dear Pope...

This doesn't mean Xiaoxue likes them at all!?

Naruto shook his head gently. Dong Trumpet truly did not know what Xiaoxue liked.

The reasons she gave were all based on what she saw other girls of the same age liking (why was there a strange thing mixed in with that group of girls?), leading her to assume Xiaoxue might like them too.

Of course, there was another reason...

Watching the gleam in Bibi Dong's eyes, Naruto couldn't help but smile. Perhaps she just thought these pieces of jewelry would look good on Xiaoxue.

This clumsy mother was using this method to express her feelings.

That was fine.

But at this moment, the wicked Naruto darkened his face; he had to puncture this beautiful fantasy!

"Ahem!" Naruto lowered his head and coughed to grab Bibi Dong's attention, then spoke slowly, "Your Holiness, how much do you think the cheapest of these pieces of jewelry would cost?"

"It's not expensive, just a few thousand Gold Soul Coins..."

Bibi Dong explained casually, but then immediately realized the implication. Her eyes widened as she looked down. She saw Naruto's face as dark as water as he pulled out his empty pockets!

Bang!

Monstrous resentment rose from Bibi Dong!

At this moment, the gaze Bibi Dong cast upon Naruto was filled with contempt and disdain, and her low, icy voice echoed through the Sealing Space!

"Why are you so poor!?"

"Is it my fault that I'm poor?"

Naruto spread his hands, speechless.

How could Dong Trumpet not know how many coins he had left? Demanding to buy jewelry worth thousands of gold coins right off the bat—wasn't that just robbery?

Besides, "I at least have a few dozen Gold Soul Coins on me, but a certain Pope has zero!"

"I..."

Bibi Dong's words froze in mid-air, and she bit her lip, swallowing them. It was useless to say anything now, so she turned to pace anxiously in front of Naruto again. After a brief moment of thought, Bibi Dong turned her head to look at Naruto once more.

"What about the Pope Decree? Transform into the Pope Decree again and go to the Spirit Hall warehouse to get some money!"

"Damn! We just fleeced the Spirit Hall once, and you want to do it again? Are you really not afraid that your group of Title Douluo subordinates will team up and come to chop us down?"

Naruto tilted his head, looking at Bibi Dong as if she were a fool.

A fake decree was a lethal trump card that could only be used once!

Using it again would truly be a death sentence.

Bibi Dong had been so flustered that she had come up with such a terrible idea.

Realizing the stupidity of the method herself, Bibi Dong pursed her lips and shook her head, finally saying with great unwillingness, "But... what about Xiaoxue's gift? What if she doesn't find out?"

"Huh?"

Naruto was increasingly dumbfounded.

Good for you, Haji-Dong? Is my life really less important than Xiaoxue's jewelry? What about the revolutionary friendship we've built over the years resisting the tyranny of the Tang God King?

Just as he clutched his chest in heartbreak, Naruto caught a glimpse of a carriage in the corner of his eye. It was snow-white, adorned with gold, and exuded an air of supreme luxury, escorted by a hundred Tiandou Royal Guards as it appeared at the end of the street.

He quickly withdrew his consciousness and shouted at Bibi Dong, who was still anxious inside the Sealing Space.

"Let's go!"

Bibi Dong finally snapped back to reality, noticing the arrival of Qian Renxue.

Without giving her a second to prepare, Naruto had already reached out, braced himself against the window frame, and vaulted over it, leaping straight down from the second floor of the teahouse.

"Hey! Wait! I'm not ready yet!"

"How could life ever wait for you to be ready? It's already started!"

Naruto ignored her completely, landed lightly, and walked straight toward the main gate of the Crown Prince East Palace.

Creak.

The luxurious carriage slowly came to a halt in front of the gate.

The door opened, and Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Empire, stepped out. Dressed in magnificent noble attire with short golden hair, he was known for his refined and easygoing demeanor, though his brow was now heavy with deep exhaustion.

Refusing the escort of the Imperial Forbidden Army behind him and bringing only a few personal attendants, Xue Qinghe returned to his Crown Prince Mansion.

In this territory that belonged entirely to him, he could finally relax a little and catch his breath.

His mind began to replay the earlier scene.

Following the indifferent departure of Salas, the Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall, the banquet hall—a symbol of the imperial court—had instantly descended into a storm.

Countless exquisite porcelains and even works of art were violently smashed to the ground by the current Tiandou Emperor, shattering into pieces with a clatter that sounded like a torrential downpour.

"This is a national humiliation! A national humiliation!"

The Tiandou Emperor roared in fury, his chest heaving. The surrounding ministers were so terrified they dared not breathe, casting desperate glances toward Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe stood by with dignified composure, quietly waiting for his "father" to finish his tantrum.

"Do they think this is Spirit City? Coming and going as they please? Do they have any respect for me, the Tiandou Emperor!?"

The recent actions of Spirit Hall were, in the eyes of the Tiandou Empire, nothing short of a declaration of war.

What was even more infuriating was that Xue Ye, the Tiandou Emperor, suddenly realized that other than condemning Spirit Hall's declaration of war, there was nothing he could do. Even a mere Platinum Bishop dared to show him disrespect in public.

After a long bout of impotent rage, the fire finally began to fade, and only then did Xue Qinghe step forward to soothe him, which was why he had only just returned home.

So incompetent, so foolish—how could he be the master of a nation?

The decaying carriage that was the Tiandou Empire made Xue Qinghe feel incredibly annoyed. Even though she had never intended to take the reins, just sitting in this carriage made her feel disgusted.

Furthermore, what bothered Xue Qinghe even more today was:

What on earth is that crazy woman doing?

She's just making trouble for me!

As if completing a daily routine, Xue Qinghe cursed the person under her breath, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly. She felt her entire body lighten, and even her footsteps became brisk.

Seeming to notice the Crown Prince was in a good mood, the butler following behind him bowed and spoke.

"Your Highness, a guest just arrived wishing to join the Crown Prince's service. He wants to see you."

"I am tired today. I will not see him."

Xue Qinghe replied casually, then noticed the butler still had more to say.

"Speak."

"He is a Spirit Master with innate full spirit power."

Xue Qinghe stopped and looked back, blinking. Seeing the butler nod to confirm, she couldn't help but feel intrigued. "Oh? Then I must see him."

Even Spirit Masters need to eat!

It was common for Spirit Masters graduating from high-level academies to seek refuge with wealthy nobles, especially one with the virtuous reputation of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe was well-versed in such matters, but this was the first time she had encountered someone with innate full spirit power. One had to know that even the three "trash" of the so-called Golden Generation of Spirit Hall didn't have innate full spirit power. To think she had run into one today?

She quickened her pace slightly, breathing heavily to feign the importance she placed on talent.

Adding a few beads of sweat to her forehead, the now-prepared Xue Qinghe wore a gentle, warm smile as the butler pushed open the doors to the reception hall.

Just as she was about to start with her usual script, Xue Qinghe suddenly froze in place, her pupils shrinking!

The young man pacing in the room turned around in a hurry at the sound of the door, revealing gradient light-purple hair tips, deep purple eyes, and a familiar face.

That crazy woman!

No!

The violent hatred in her eyes flashed for only a moment before Xue Qinghe's reason quickly suppressed and hid it. The person before her just happened to look like her; it wasn't that madwoman!

Reminding herself of this, and with no time to think it over, Xue Qinghe tried to force a few laughs to ease the previous awkwardness, but she froze once again.

Eh...

How could he...

How could he...

Look at me with eyes like that?