Snow Qinghe

"Stop!"

A young man blocked Qingxi's way. He had long, orange-gold hair and a crowd of underlings gathered behind him, his manner arrogant and overbearing.

The young man looked the girl up and down, a flicker of admiration crossing his eyes. Then his face filled with disdain. "Who are you? How dare you trespass into Heaven Dou Royal Academy? This isn't a place for a commoner like you. If you know what's good for you, get lost."

"Trespass?" Qingxi tilted her head slightly, confusion in her clear eyes. Then she pulled her school badge from her Storage Bag. "I have this."

The young man strode over and looked at the badge in Qingxi's hand: Heaven Dou Grade student, Dugu Qingxi.

Dugu Qingxi...

With the girl's black hair and black eyes, the young man had already recognized her.

A strange glint flashed through his eyes as he thought of someone still at the school. He slapped the badge from Qingxi's hand, then raised his chin arrogantly. "I've never heard of that name. Since when has there been someone like you in the Heaven Dou Grade? This badge must be forged. Get lost! You're not welcome here."

Caught off guard, Qingxi was struck, and her badge landed on the ground and rolled away. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared coldly at the arrogant youth before her, a dangerous aura radiating from her.

"Pick it up!"

"Hmph." The young man sneered, not taking Qingxi seriously at all.

Qingxi clenched her fist, ready to punch him in the face, when a gentle, jade-like voice rang out.

"Xue Beng, don't be rude." The newcomer wore a white-and-gold formal robe. He stood tall and straight as a pine, with golden hair and eyes and a pleasant smile.

"It's His Highness the Crown Prince!" a girl cried out, then promptly collapsed into the arms of the friend beside her.

"Your Highness." Everyone hurriedly moved aside and bowed.

Xue Qinghe bent down to pick up the badge. When his eyes fell on the name, his pupils contracted slightly. Then, composed as ever, he walked over to Qingxi and handed it back to her.

"Is this yours?" Black hair, black eyes, and the compound surname Dugu. Was this the genius Meng Shenji and the others had mentioned?

"Thank you." Qingxi took the badge and put it back in her Storage Bag.

"Xue Beng, apologize." Xue Qinghe shot a sharp glance at the cowering young man.

"I-I'm sorry." Xue Beng apologized, though he was clearly reluctant.

"It's fine. Can I go in now?" Qingxi said, unconcerned.

"Of course. Heaven Dou Royal Academy has always been your home, miss. Please, go right in." Xue Qinghe gestured for her to enter, then followed her into the academy.

"Who exactly is that girl? His Highness the Crown Prince is treating her with such respect." Once the two had walked away, someone whispered.

Xue Beng, unusually, dropped his usual air of debauchery. He watched their retreating backs with a dark expression.

Remembering his father's words, he clenched his fists in frustration.

"Why are you following me?" After walking a while, Qingxi glanced at the person still behind her and frowned slightly.

"I heard that a genius comparable to Dugu Yan had come to Heaven Dou Academy, with a Soul Ring Configuration that had never been seen before—a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring. Naturally, I had to take a good look for myself." Xue Qinghe walked up beside Qingxi and smiled down at her, though a trace of puzzlement crossed his eyes when he noticed the birthmark on her forehead.

Where had he seen that pattern before?

"I'm very close to your sister, and I've seen her Soul Ring Configuration before. It nearly shattered everything the mainland has believed until now. When Elder Meng reported your Soul Ring Configuration, I didn't believe it. But now that I've met you..." Xue Qinghe smiled and left the rest unsaid.

In truth, Xue Qinghe had seen a few people with the minimum configuration of Thousand-Year Soul Rings, so that didn't surprise him.

But a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring was simply inconceivable.

"If you truly have a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, it would be a great blessing for the Heaven Dou Empire." He gazed up at the sky, his golden eyes gentle and tender.

The Dugu Family had two shining stars in one generation, as well as a Level 95 Titled Douluo who had gained five levels of Soul Power in six years. Xue Qinghe couldn't believe there was no one backing them.

After all, once someone became a Titled Douluo, every level of Soul Power became exceedingly difficult to cultivate. Some people couldn't break through even a single level for decades. Yet Dugu Bo had risen five levels in six years. It was inconceivable.

He simply didn't know what this force was after, or whether they were friend or foe.

For some reason, he thought of the mysterious prescription from Spirit Hall and the effects it had brought.

The smile on Xue Qinghe's face froze. He eyed Qingxi suspiciously. Now he remembered where he had seen this girl before.

Qingxi looked at the young man before her in puzzlement. At that moment, his expression seemed a little strange.

She frowned slightly. "You're quite different too, Your Highness. You're not like any other noble I've met."

"Oh?" Xue Qinghe put away the odd look in his eyes, intrigued. "How so?"

"Your attitude." Qingxi thought for a moment, then added, "Most of them are arrogant and look down on commoners."

This man, on the other hand, was almost too approachable.

But for that very reason, he seemed well suited to being emperor.

"If you don't mind, Qingxi, you can call me Brother Xue, just like Yanzi does. You can think of it as gaining an older brother." Xue Qinghe looked at the girl beside him with warmth, his manner even more familiar than before.

"You and Sis... I mean, my sister, are close?"

"Of course." Xue Qinghe smiled and took out a token, handing it to Qingxi. "Consider it a welcome gift. If you ever run into trouble, you can take it straight to the imperial palace and ask for me."

Qingxi was about to refuse when Xue Qinghe added, "Yanzi has one too. Take it."

After a brief hesitation, she accepted Xue Qinghe's token.

Mainly because she rather liked him.

"Thank you... Brother... Xue." Qingxi called him that with some awkwardness.

As they spoke, they had already reached the courtyard.

Xue Qinghe watched her knock on Dugu Yan's door and go inside, then come back out looking puzzled.

"Where did she go?" Qingxi muttered under her breath. Judging by the dust in the room, it seemed she hadn't been back for several days.

"Qingxi, are you looking for your sister?" Xue Qinghe asked softly.

Qingxi nodded obediently. "Brother Xue, do you know where my... sister went?"

"She went out to train with several Heaven Dou Grade students. If I'm not mistaken, they should be nearing Suotuo City by now." Xue Qinghe took a few steps closer and reached out to ruffle someone's hair, but she stepped back and dodged his hand.

Qingxi clutched her head and eyed Xue Qinghe's hand warily. "If you pat my head, I won't grow any taller."

That was what her senior brother had told her.

Xue Qinghe withdrew his hand, his eyes bright with amusement. "All right, I won't. Would you like me to send someone to take you to your sister?"

"No need." Qingxi shook her head. "Thank you, Brother Xue. I'll be going now."

She said goodbye to Xue Qinghe and headed down the mountain.

As he watched her walk farther and farther away, the smile never left Xue Qinghe's face. He hadn't expected that she and Spirit Hall were already connected.

"Young Master." Just then, a shadow silently appeared behind Xue Qinghe. Watching Qingxi's retreating figure, a trace of murderous intent crossed Pufferfish Douluo's eyes. "Should I eliminate her?"

With such extraordinary talent, if she couldn't be brought into Spirit Hall, she would sooner or later become their enemy.

"Pass down my order: no one from Spirit Hall is to lay a hand on her without my permission!" The smile vanished from Xue Qinghe's face, leaving him as cold as ice. An invisible pressure of authority surrounded him.

"Uncle Ci, escort her to Suotuo City in secret, then make a detour to Spirit Hall and find my Fifth Granduncle. Just tell him that the little one he's looking for... is in Suotuo City."

Pufferfish Douluo looked up slightly, staring at his young master in surprise.

"Yes." He bowed, then went after her.

He pursued her for quite some time, but couldn't see her anywhere. After thinking it over, Pufferfish Douluo flew straight toward Spirit Hall.

The girl's destination was Suotuo City anyway. He might as well go straight to the Fifth Elder.

By the time Qingxi returned to Suotuo City, it was already nine at night. The Soul Fighting bouts at the Great Soul Arena had been underway for a while.

She took out a paper crane and infused it with spiritual energy, sending it to find Dugu Yan. Then she headed to the Suotuo City Grand Arena.