Qian Renxue: Take him to the secret room

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, evening arrived.

During this time, Lin Yan, who had been settled in the side hall, saw no sign of Xue Qinghe and simply began to meditate where he sat.

Seeing this, both Xue Qinghe and She Long could not help but secretly admire the boy's steady temperament.

Truth be told, if this had been some spoiled brat from an ordinary family, they likely would have started acting restless long ago.

They had not expected Lin Yan to actually start cultivating right there on the spot.

As the night grew darker and a hint of drowsiness appeared in the corners of Xue Qinghe's eyes, Ci Xue, who had gone out to investigate Lin Yan, finally returned.

"Young Master, I have found everything out."

Before Xue Qinghe could respond, Ci Xue began to report the intelligence the moment he appeared in the room.

"About three or four months ago, this boy was still an orphan in Grass Snake Village. Later, a Spirit Saint named Flender awakened his mutated spirit..."

Following that, Ci Xue recounted Lin Yan's background over this period in great detail.

It had to be said that Spirit Hall's intelligence network was truly top-tier.

In the span of a single afternoon, they had thoroughly investigated the ins and outs of both Grass Snake Village and Shrek Academy.

Even the relationship between Wen Ruan and Lin Yan... had been investigated clearly by Ci Xue.

Finally, Ci Xue gave his conclusion.

"Young Master, all in all, this boy's foundation is very clean—clean as a blank sheet of paper."

Upon hearing this, Xue Qinghe was overjoyed.

"Good! Very good!"

He paced back and forth, his excitement plain to see, and even the slight drowsiness he had felt moments ago vanished completely.

"A six-year-old child has yet to form a complete worldview. Whoever teaches him now, whoever is good to him, he will become that person's sharpest blade."

"This is simply an uncut jade delivered to my doorstep, waiting to be carved..."

"What I lack most right now is exactly this kind of talent."

This time, Xue Qinghe was truly moved by a desire to recruit talent.

So-called talent boiled down to two things: the person and the potential.

In the original story, she had admired Tang San so much that she couldn't bring herself to kill him time and again; wasn't it because she coveted his talent and wanted to use him for her own ends?

And now, the talent Lin Yan had displayed was, in a sense, already far beyond that of Tang San.

There was one more crucial point: when he met Tang San, Tang San was already an adult and stood on the opposite side; no matter what conditions he offered, the other party remained unmoved.

But now, in his eyes, the six-year-old Lin Yan was entirely a blank sheet of paper waiting to be drawn upon.

A Tang San who couldn't be won over despite all efforts, versus a Lin Yan who had been by his side since childhood and was completely loyal—anyone would know which was better.

Xue Qinghe immediately dispelled his spirit bone disguise skill.

In the room, a golden light suddenly flared, and in the next second, Xue Qinghe's face twisted and shifted, finally settling into that of a stunningly beautiful woman.

"I am going to change my clothes. Take him to the secret chamber."

"Yes."

Soon, a cry of surprise rang out from the side hall.

"Eh?"

"Wait... who are you people? Where is His Highness the Crown Prince? Your Highness!"

The boy's shouts ended with the dull thud of a stone door closing.

Lin Yan had been locked in the secret chamber...

Although Lin Yan had mentally prepared himself during this time, guessing that the other party might eventually reveal herself as Qian Renxue to recruit him, being locked in a dark, gloomy secret chamber still left him feeling inevitably anxious.

This person... she wouldn't use torture to force a confession, would she? Forcing me to hand over the secret of my thousand-year first spirit ring.

Should I tell her the secret of the Whale Glue then? And if I tell her, what are the chances I'll survive?

For a moment, Lin Yan couldn't help but let his mind wander. Whether it was the instinct of this six-year-old body or something else, his thoughts drifted further and further away.

Yet he waited for a long time—so long that he lost his sense of urgency, so long that he even started to feel sleepy—but the door to the secret chamber still did not open.

What's the situation? Are they coming tonight or not?

Qian Renxue's delayed appearance made Lin Yan increasingly confused.

Logically, since they had already brought him to the secret chamber, it was time to show her hand, so why keep him waiting? Psychological warfare?

However, just as he was lost in doubt, the stone door finally stirred.

Lin Yan's heart leaped with joy, his eyes fixed intently on the gap as the stone door slowly opened.

Mixed with the sound of grinding stone, a woman in a magnificent golden dress appeared before his eyes.

A single glance felt like an eternity!

The moment Lin Yan caught sight of her face, he was deeply captivated.

It was a pure appreciation of beauty, one he could not pull himself away from.

If there were a rating system for looks, Wen Ruan could score an 8.5, but Qian Renxue could score an 11.

Out of ten!

She was so beautiful that when people in his past life claimed Qian Renxue was the greatest beauty on the Douluo Continent, Lin Yan hadn't thought much of it; only upon seeing her with his own eyes did he realize how sharp the public's judgment truly was.

Her elegant makeup perfectly outlined every detail of her features; at this moment, Qian Renxue was like an untouchable work of art.

One could only say, she was worthy of being an angel!

"Who are you..."

Lin Yan feigned complete ignorance, tentatively asking for her identity.

Qian Renxue smiled and nodded at his words.

"Lin Yan, congratulations on becoming a member of Spirit Hall."

"Ah? I... I remember this is the Crown Prince's Mansion in Heaven Dou City."

Lin Yan had not expected her to be so direct, immediately laying bare her Spirit Hall affiliation.

Under the double shock, his reaction was perfectly reasonable.

To this, Qian Renxue nodded slightly and began to explain.

"That's right, this is indeed the Crown Prince's Mansion."

"However, I am not the Crown Prince. Let me introduce myself: I am Qian Renxue, the young mistress of Spirit Hall."

Lin Yan nodded, "Of course I know you aren't the Crown Prince, so where is His Highness the Crown Prince now?"

Qian Renxue was very satisfied with Lin Yan's reaction.

Especially the way the little brat had stared at her, dumbfounded, the moment she walked in—it was both amusing and flattering, satisfying to a great extent the vanity of someone who rarely showed her true face.

In an excellent mood, she decided to simply lay her cards on the table.

A flash of golden light flickered, and Qian Renxue's stunning face suddenly transformed into Xue Qinghe, then flashed again, returning to her original appearance.

"This..."

Lin Yan put on a look of extreme astonishment, extending a small, trembling hand to point at Qian Renxue, his mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time.

Seeing this, Qian Renxue smiled gently and spoke slowly.

"What lies before you now is a path far broader and more prosperous than serving the royal family."

"And that is to join my Spirit Hall."

As she spoke, she spread her arms.

It was as if this gesture were an embrace of her bright future, a welcome to Lin Yan.

The young girl lifted her chin, looking down at Lin Yan from her superior position.

"As you can see, I am the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince is me."

"On the surface, you are joining the Crown Prince's Mansion, but in reality, the one you are pledging your loyalty to is Spirit Hall."

"Do you understand this?"