"Your Highness."
Yun Chen bowed to Qian Renxue and greeted her obediently. The servants at the Crown Prince's Residence had washed and dressed him, putting him in fine silk robes that made him look as delicate as a little porcelain doll.
Yun Chen had thought awakening the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul would make him tall and burly, turning him into a hulking man.
Instead, it had changed his appearance very little. His body had grown a little sturdier, but perhaps because he was still a child, Yun Chen remained fair-skinned and soft-looking.
Qian Renxue could not resist squishing Yun Chen's slightly chubby cheeks a few times. They felt surprisingly good.
Yun Chen gave Qian Renxue an aggrieved look. She seemed to realize she had gone a little too far, cleared her throat twice, and changed the subject.
"All right, little Chen. Come with me to the palace today to meet my father, His Majesty Xue Ye, the current ruler of the Heaven Dou Empire."
Yun Chen nodded obediently. Deep down, though, he was getting impatient. He had yet to obtain his first soul ring and become a true soul master.
Perhaps sensing his impatience, Qian Renxue spoke after they boarded the carriage.
"Little Chen, there's no need to rush your first soul ring. Practice using the method Uncle She taught you. Once your cultivation has stabilized, we'll go get one."
Yun Chen nodded.
Meanwhile, above the outskirts of the city, a weary figure emerged from a swirling mass of flowers that looked like chrysanthemum petals.
It was Yue Guan. He had rushed over from Spirit City through the night without daring to stop. At the sight of Heaven Dou City in the distance, he finally relaxed.
"Finally made it. I'm exhausted."
The next moment, Yue Guan froze. A languid-looking middle-aged man had appeared before him.
Yue Guan knew the man, though the familiarity was one-sided. The man barely knew him at all.
"Mighty Lion Douluo..."
"Go back, Yue Guan. You aren't taking the boy. The Worship Hall has spoken."
Mighty Lion Douluo spoke casually, even yawning midway through.
"Worshiper Mighty Lion, the order to take Yun Chen came from the Pope of Spirit Hall. Besides, we all belong to Spirit Hall. Even if we take Yun Chen, he'll still be adding to Spirit Hall's strength."
Seeing that Yue Guan still dared to argue, Mighty Lion Douluo snorted. His lion's temper flared.
The pressure of a level ninety-seven soul master erupted from him.
Terror flashed across Yue Guan's delicate face. He retreated several hundred meters in an instant, a helpless, bitter smile touching his lips.
The gap between level ninety-five and level ninety-seven was an uncrossable chasm.
Yue Guan could barely withstand Mighty Lion Douluo's spiritual pressure alone.
"Yue Guan, I'm angry now. I'll give you two choices."
As he spoke, Mighty Lion Douluo raised two fingers.
"First, fight me. If you win, we'll do it your way."
"Second, turn around and get lost."
"And tell that madwoman Bibi Dong she has no right to give the Worship Hall orders, let alone order our young lady around!"
The moment Mighty Lion Douluo finished, Yue Guan hurried to put on an ingratiating smile. A wise man knew when to yield, and he had never expected this mission to succeed anyway.
Now that Mighty Lion Douluo had said his piece, Yue Guan had an excuse to leave. At worst, Bibi Dong would scold him when he got back. If he truly angered Mighty Lion Douluo, he might lose half his life here today.
Why risk your life for a few thousand a month?
"Worshiper Mighty Lion, I'll do as you say. But I have a letter here, written by the Pope herself, for our undercover agent in the Heaven Dou Empire. What would you suggest?"
"A letter?"
"Give it to me. I'll deliver it."
Mighty Lion Douluo raised an eyebrow and took the letter Chrysanthemum Douluo handed him. He was curious, but he did not open it. Others might not know about the hidden circumstances between the undercover agent and Bibi Dong, but he did.
"Then my mission is more or less complete. I'll take my leave."
Chrysanthemum Douluo vanished in a flash. He ran so fast that Mighty Lion Douluo was left speechless, his mouth twitching.
"That Chrysanthemum Douluo really is something."
In Xue Ye's imperial study, the emperor sat in the seat of honor, studying the somewhat uneasy Yun Chen with interest.
Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, sat to one side. Officials and ministers of every rank sat nearby, chatting among themselves.
They might have been talking, but for most of the time, everyone in the study had their eyes on Yun Chen, as if he were a giant panda.
Their stares made Yun Chen's skin crawl.
"Yun Chen, is it? Come forward."
Xue Ye studied Yun Chen for a while before speaking. The room fell silent at once, every gaze shifting between the emperor and the boy.
To be honest, Yun Chen was nervous. He glanced anxiously at Qian Renxue—or rather, Xue Qinghe.
It was exactly what one would expect from a child unfamiliar with such a setting: instinctively looking for someone he knew.
Qian Renxue gave him an encouraging look and nodded.
If Qian Renxue had a satisfaction meter floating above her head, Yun Chen would have seen it rise another notch.
Qian Renxue herself did not know what had come over her. Whenever Yun Chen instinctively looked to her for help, she felt happy.
Yun Chen deliberately set his little face in a solemn expression, as though he were a grown-up, and walked slowly up to Xue Ye.
"Your Majesty."
"Hmm. I hear you want to contribute to the empire?"
Xue Ye smiled as he spoke.
"Yes. Our headmaster said the empire raised us, so we should remember to contribute to it when we grow up and repay its kindness."
"Very well said! Repaying kindness—what a good child you are."
The more Xue Ye looked at Yun Chen, the more pleased he became. After all, who would suspect a child like this of lying?
"Then, young Yun Chen, would you like to live with His Majesty from now on?"
Chancellor Yuan, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. His question went straight to the heart of the matter.
If Yun Chen moved in with Xue Ye today, the great noble families would have to reassess where his loyalties lay.
Yun Chen said nothing. Instead, he deliberately acted nervous and at a loss, like a child.
His eyes kept darting toward Xue Qinghe, as though seeking help.
Chancellor Yuan knew that was a bad sign. Everyone here was a stranger to the boy except Xue Qinghe. For a child who had grown up without parents, that kind of attachment could be decisive.
Of course, Yun Chen was only pretending, but he was doing a convincing job.
A smile returned to Qian Renxue's previously gloomy face. She looked at Yun Chen with a trace of satisfaction that was hard to detect.
"N-no... I want to stay with Brother Qinghe."
Behind Xue Qinghe's face, Qian Renxue smiled even more brightly.
"Father, there are too many rules in the palace. Yun Chen is a lively child; he'd be uncomfortable living here. Let him stay with me."
Qian Renxue spoke through clenched teeth. Her tone was calm, but anyone could sense the tension beneath it.
"Very well... Qinghe, you're older. Take good care of Yun Chen from now on."
"Of course, Father. I understand."
The tension eased somewhat. Only then did Xue Ye announce the main business of the day.
"Yun Chen is a young genius of unblemished background."
"He is loyal and courageous, with a heart set on serving the empire."
"I hereby decree that Yun Chen be granted a hereditary marquisate. The title shall be conferred for now, and he shall formally assume it when he turns sixteen."
"He shall also receive a royal allowance equal to that of a prince."
"Finally, once he has obtained his first soul ring, he may choose one item from the imperial treasury."
Each of those three gifts was substantial. Together, they were extraordinarily generous.
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