After they joined the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan's merchant caravan, the rest of the journey passed without incident.
Several more days flew by, and at last they reached Heaven Dou City.
The Qi family had kept a deliberately low profile along the way. They had not been entirely invisible within the caravan, but they had hardly drawn attention.
Only when the caravan stopped to rest did someone occasionally ask, out of curiosity, how their fight with the Fallen Soul Masters had gone.
Qi Father and Qi Mother gave only vague accounts and never mentioned the three Fallen Soul Masters' actual strength.
If word got out that Qi Dao had slain three Soul Ancestors with a single sword strike, no one knew what kind of storm it might stir up.
Qi Father and Qi Mother feared that some powerful faction would hear the news and seize Qi Dao to study him.
Heaven Dou City.
As one of the most prosperous cities on the continent, Heaven Dou City had towering walls a hundred meters high, built entirely of exceptionally hard granite.
Even Qi Dao could not help nodding in admiration at the sight.
It was more than a thousand times grander than Notting City!
Soldiers in armor patrolled both atop and beneath the walls, spears in hand.
They were only ordinary people, but if a hundred or so joined forces, they could surround and kill even a Soul Grandmaster, perhaps even a Soul Elder.
That was why people called Douluo Continent the bottom rung of fantasy worlds.
There was no unbridgeable gulf between low-level Soul Masters and ordinary people.
Once their Soul Power ran out, a Soul Master's fighting strength would fall sharply.
And low-level Soul Masters did not have enough Soul Power stored within them to use their Soul Skills more than a few times.
After entering the city, the Qi family went to bid the elegant woman farewell.
The three approached the luxurious carriage.
A moment later, Madam Ye stepped gracefully out of the carriage. When Qi Dao explained why they had come, she smiled. "If you three must go, I won't keep you."
Qi Dao cupped his fists. "Sorry for troubling you these past few days, Madam."
Madam Ye glanced at him. "You really are like a little grown-up."
"Well, I won't see you off. But if you ever want to visit the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan, you'll always be welcome."
After the Qi family left, the middle-aged woman leading the caravan stepped forward. "Madam, you seem to think highly of that child?"
Madam Ye nodded. "He's young, yet he killed three Fallen Soul Masters in succession. His talent can't be ordinary."
"He also has a mind of his own, and his bearing is far from common. I suspect he'll achieve great things."
Puzzlement appeared on the middle-aged woman's face.
"Madam, if you think so highly of him, why not recruit him into the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan?"
Madam Ye shook her head. "That family of three are plainly just Commoner Soul Masters, yet the boy called Qi Dao could produce fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins with ease and give them away without blinking."
"Someone like that would be difficult to sway with ordinary benefits."
"The Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan is strong, but plenty of factions on the continent are stronger."
"I doubt that child would settle for serving an ordinary faction. Why should I invite a rebuff?"
"Better to show him goodwill now and leave him with a favorable impression."
The middle-aged woman listened, then said admiringly, "Madam, your eyes are as sharp as torches!"
Madam Ye smiled lightly and returned to the carriage.
"Come. Let's head home."
Elsewhere, after leaving the Nine-Hearted Begonia Clan's caravan, the Qi family found a hotel in the city and settled in for the time being.
Once Qi Dao had quickly unpacked, he went alone to the address of Headmaster Hans's friend.
Headmaster Hans's friend was named Mei Luo. He came from a minor family and had studied at the same advanced Soul Master Academy as Headmaster Hans in his youth. The two were close.
When Qi Dao arrived at Mei Luo's estate, he presented Headmaster Hans's letter of introduction.
Soon, someone led him into a sitting room, where he met the friend Headmaster Hans had spoken of.
Earl Mei Luo looked to be in his late forties, nearing fifty. He was rather thin but full of energy.
"Greetings, Earl."
Qi Dao stepped forward and bowed slightly.
At the sight of Qi Dao, Mei Luo's expression warmed. He waved a hand.
"No need to stand on ceremony!"
"You're Qi Dao, the one Hans mentioned in his letter, aren't you? How's that fellow doing? Is he well?"
Qi Dao smiled. "The headmaster is in good health. He asked me to give you his regards."
Mei Luo sighed. "Hans is too stubborn. I invited him to stay in Heaven Dou City with me back then, but he insisted on going to a little place like Notting City."
"And just like that, nearly thirty years have passed."
The two chatted about everyday matters for a while longer.
Perhaps because of Hans, Mei Luo treated Qi Dao like a younger member of his own family.
Qi Dao later learned that Headmaster Hans and Mei Luo had been inseparable as students. They had shared a dormitory, fought in brawls together, and even visited brothels together.
They had kept in touch by letter long after graduation.
Perhaps it was precisely because their bond had never been tangled up in too many interests that their friendship remained genuine to this day.
That was true even though one was merely a Soul Ancestor, while the other had become a Soul Emperor.
After they had talked for a while, Mei Luo said to Qi Dao, "I've heard about your situation. The Crown Prince is indeed a good choice. She knows how to respect and recruit talented people, but more importantly, she will be the future Heaven Dou Emperor. Following her would give you a promising path."
Among Emperor Xue Ye's remaining sons, there was Xue Beng besides Xue Qinghe.
But anyone with eyes could see that Xue Beng would never amount to much and posed no threat whatsoever to Xue Qinghe's position.
"I'll introduce you to Her Highness the Crown Prince tomorrow. Go back and wait for word from me."
Qi Dao replied respectfully, "Sorry for the trouble, Earl."
Earl Mei Luo waved it off.
To him, it was a trivial matter. And if Qi Dao truly had the talent Hans had described, helping him now would count as an early investment.
The next day.
After receiving Mei Luo's message, Qi Dao went to the Crown Prince's Residence.
There, he met Xue Qinghe, the current Heaven Dou Crown Prince.
Xue Qinghe sat in a pavilion. Qi Dao's first impression of her was that she was poised and gentle, with the effortless composure of a noble.
Honestly, if Qi Dao had not known her true identity beforehand, he might never have guessed that even the identity before him was a disguise.
As Qi Dao was led into the pavilion, Xue Qinghe set down her teacup and looked up.
Her gaze swept over him. Her eyes were warm, though there was a hint of scrutiny in them.
After a moment, she rose and came forward with a smile.
"You must be Qi Dao, the young man Earl Mei Luo recommended?"
"You're every bit as impressive as I'd hoped!"
Before you continue