I Want to Take Him to the Mainland, Back to Heaven Dou City!

Bo Saixi set down her teacup. The bottom touched the jade side table with a crisp clink, breaking the brief silence.

She raised her eyes. The blue eyes that had seemed to hold a trace of laughter at their corners were now unfathomably deep as she fixed her gaze on Qian Renxue and slowly, clearly, spoke two words:

"No."

Qian Renxue wasn't surprised by the answer, but she still pressed, "Why?"

She herself leaned toward keeping the secret, but she wanted to hear the deeper considerations of Bo Saixi, a senior confidante.

Bo Saixi leaned lightly against the back of her chair, moonlight tracing soft lines along her flawless profile.

Her voice was calm and measured. "The reason is simple. This matter is simply too bizarre, too far beyond common sense. If we told Qian Daoliu now—or... disturbed the gods—and said that we could hear Li Qing's thoughts, and that he might even foresee the future, girl, put yourself in their shoes. If you were them, how would you react?"

She paused, then answered her own question. "Their first reaction would likely be suspicion. They'd wonder whether something had gone wrong in our cultivation, whether we were hallucinating, or whether we'd fallen victim to some rare mental Soul Skill. After all, mind-reading and foreseeing the future are concepts found only in legends. Even gods might not be able to peer into another person's heart with ease, much less accurately predict such specific events."

"Even if they believed half of it, what would happen next?"

Bo Saixi's tone dipped slightly as she asked, "They would certainly press us for details and try every way they could to verify it. They might even... attempt to communicate with Li Qing directly, or probe him by other means. That would inevitably draw attention. Do you think Li Qing is so sharp that he wouldn't notice? Once he realized that people might be listening to his innermost thoughts, do you think he'd keep thinking and saying whatever he pleased?"

Qian Renxue's heart stirred, and she immediately understood what Bo Saixi meant.

If Li Qing learned this secret, he would certainly grow wary. He might even deliberately control and disguise his thoughts.

Then the "thoughts" they heard would be far less reliable, and might even mislead them.

They would lose their only channel for glimpsing Li Qing's true thoughts and the information he might have about the future.

"More importantly..."

Bo Saixi's gaze grew more distant, as though it could pierce through time and space. She spoke softly. "Since this strange connection appeared in us rather than anyone else, perhaps... it was some kind of unseen arrangement, or a special bond or privilege. It doesn't want too many people to know. For now, at least, the fewer people who know, the more valuable—and safer—the secret is. Otherwise, why have I been the only one to know for six years? I haven't even reported it to Lord Sea God."

She looked at Qian Renxue, speaking frankly. "To be honest, before you came, I was the only one bearing this secret. If you hadn't acted strangely today and come to find me of your own accord, I wouldn't have told you a thing. Now this is a secret shared by the two of us, and it should be guarded by the two of us. Do you understand what I mean?"

Qian Renxue nodded slowly. Bo Saixi's reasoning was clear, with the pros and cons laid out plainly.

She said solemnly, "I understand, Senior. This matter shouldn't be revealed. Let it remain a secret between us. We'll watch how things unfold and make good use of it."

She gave the words "make good use of it" a deeper meaning.

Knowing how the future might unfold was a tremendous advantage for people of their standing, who bore such great responsibilities—but it was also a heavy burden.

Seeing that Qian Renxue understood, a hint of satisfaction flashed through Bo Saixi's eyes.

"By the way, Senior, has Li Qing's trial begun?"

Just then, Qian Renxue seemed to think of something and asked softly.

Hearing this, Bo Saixi picked up her now-cool tea and took a light sip. Seemingly casual, she asked, "Not yet. Why? Do you have other plans?"

Qian Renxue set down her teacup, a glint of planning in her violet eyes.

She didn't beat around the bush. "I do. Since you asked, I won't hide it from you. I want... to take Li Qing back to the mainland, to Heaven Dou City."

Bo Saixi's hand paused almost imperceptibly around her cup. She lifted her blue eyes to Qian Renxue. "To Heaven Dou City? Do you want him to take part in your... Crown Prince Plan?"

"I wouldn't say take part!"

Qian Renxue smiled, her expression carrying the confidence of a Spirit Hall Saintess, along with a hint of calculation. "But since he's my future husband, and so closely tied to my plans and future, it might not be a bad thing to let him learn about them in advance, or even observe from the sidelines. Besides, if we can compare the information revealed by his thoughts against reality, it might help me avoid many potential risks—or even... find a shortcut to reaching my goal sooner."

She paused, then added, "Of course, it would also give us a chance to get to know each other and grow accustomed to one another. That's better than having him stay on Sea God Island while we're worlds apart, just imagining what the other is like. What do you think, Senior?"

Bo Saixi fell silent.

She didn't answer immediately. She simply watched the tea leaves drift in her cup, her long fingers unconsciously rubbing the smooth, warm porcelain.

Let Li Qing go with Qian Renxue to the mainland, to the perilous Heaven Dou Empire?

Rationally speaking, Bo Saixi knew that Qian Renxue's proposal made sense.

They were engaged, after all. Spending more time together and building their relationship was only right.

Li Qing bore the Sea God Inheritance, but his experience was limited. Traveling to the mainland, experiencing life, and seeing a wider world would also help him grow.

More importantly, Qian Renxue's plan had reached a critical stage. With Li Qing, the soothsayer, by her side, he might truly prove more useful than anyone expected.

But...

Why was there a part of her that... didn't want him to go?

A faint feeling, so subtle that even she could barely make sense of it, quietly rose from the depths of her heart.

It was like a tiny stone tossed into a still lake, sending out ripples no one else could see.

It was... a hollow feeling, as if something precious was about to be taken away, carried beyond the bounds of what she knew and could control.

The feeling came out of nowhere and left her unsettled.

(What's wrong with me?)

Bo Saixi asked herself. (Xiao Qing is the Sea God Inheritor, an independent person. Sooner or later, he'll leave Sea God Island to fulfill his mission. Going on a journey with his fiancée is perfectly normal. As High Priestess, I should support him. Why do I...)

She couldn't find an answer.

She only knew that the thought of the young man who was always underfoot—sometimes obedient, sometimes infuriating, flighty in his thoughts yet always saying something astonishing—leaving with another woman for somewhere she couldn't keep an eye on him made her feel... uneasy.

This emotion was strange and intense, and for a moment she didn't know how to handle it.

Seeing Bo Saixi remain silent, her flawless face shifting through a series of expressions, Qian Renxue didn't press her. She simply sat there quietly, waiting patiently.

She could tell that Bo Saixi's silence didn't come from opposition. It seemed more like... a difficult struggle to make up her mind.