"Uncle Ning, you mean Zi JI?"
"She's a poor girl I happened to rescue by the roadside in the Star Dou Forest."
"She had nowhere to go, so I took her in as a maid. I brought her along this time to broaden her horizons."
Qin Jiuxiao casually slipped an arm around Zi JI's waist and introduced her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
But he could clearly feel Zi JI's body stiffen.
He gave her waist a gentle pinch, warning her not to give anything away.
Only then did Zi JI manage to relax. She gave Ning Fengzhi a stiff nod.
Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong exchanged a discreet glance, naturally realizing that Qin Jiuxiao was fobbing them off.
What kind of person could find a Titled Douluo by the roadside?
They wanted to find one, too.
But since Qin Jiuxiao didn't want to say, pressing him further would be impolite.
Besides, this Titled Douluo didn't seem hostile toward Qin Jiuxiao. If anything, he had her wrapped around his finger.
That eased their concerns somewhat.
The group soon arrived at a pavilion in the middle of a lake.
The pavilion was simple and rustic, suggesting that its owner was quite unassuming.
Lotuses grew in the pond, swaying gently in the breeze. There was something about them that brought to mind the image of rising from the mud unstained.
"Jiuxiao, Teacher, over here."
Xue Qinghe waved them over, then gestured for the maids nearby to leave.
Qin Jiuxiao and the others entered the pavilion and took their seats. A cup of freshly brewed tea had already been set before each of them.
He lifted his cup and took a small sip. The tea's fragrance filled the air. It was slightly bitter at first, but a sweet aftertaste emerged as he savored it.
"Excellent tea!"
Qin Jiuxiao raised his brows in praise.
"If you like it, Jiuxiao, I'll have someone pack some for you to take home later."
Xue Qinghe chuckled.
After everyone had sampled the tea and refreshments, Xue Qinghe finally brought up the matter at hand.
She looked at Qin Jiuxiao, her gaze flickering.
"Jiuxiao, from what I understand, you only obtained your Second Soul Ring recently."
"By rights, with your Innate Full Soul Power, you should have gotten a Soul Ring long ago. Did something happen?"
"If you ran into a problem, I can offer you some help."
Qin Jiuxiao paused with his teacup in hand. He hadn't expected her to have kept tabs on him all these years.
What about everyone else? It seemed his father's concerns hadn't been baseless.
But now, there wasn't much he needed to hide.
His strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and with Zi JI protecting him, he wouldn't fear even facing a Titled Douluo head-on.
If he couldn't win, he could still escape with Teleportation.
Besides, revealing some of his talents now might help him win support.
The key was how to explain it.
"Your Highness, it's not that I didn't want to obtain my Second Soul Ring. It's just that there are some things I can't afford to reveal."
"If they came to light, I'm afraid my Qin Family would never know peace again."
Qin Jiuxiao's words left plenty unsaid, setting Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi's minds racing.
"Jiuxiao, if you've run into trouble, your uncle won't stand by and do nothing."
"Tell us about it. Perhaps we can help you resolve it."
Ning Fengzhi spoke calmly. Though he very much wanted to know the answer, his tone remained unhurried.
He had clearly mastered the art of keeping his composure.
Qin Jiuxiao pretended to struggle, as if he had to make a tremendous effort to steel himself.
He looked at those before him as though he were throwing caution to the wind.
"Your Highness and Uncle Ning are both people I trust. Since that's the case, I won't keep it from you any longer."
As he spoke, he willed his two Soul Rings into view.
Two black Soul Rings slowly appeared around him. The phantoms of the Heavenly Horned Ant and the Thunder Emperor radiated tremendous pressure, while the faint cry of a third Soul Ring seemed to echo in the distance.
At the sound, Xue Qinghe clenched her fist, desperately suppressing the Angel Martial Soul within her.
Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong, meanwhile, sucked in sharp breaths.
"That's why I waited so long to obtain my Second Soul Ring."
"If people found out that my first and second Soul Rings were both ten-thousand-year Soul Rings, many factions would secretly send people to capture me and study me."
"My Qin Family could even be dragged into it."
"So I could only put off obtaining my Soul Rings for as long as possible, to keep people from paying too much attention to me."
"Until I had the strength to protect myself, revealing this secret would have been dangerous."
Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe exchanged a glance, their expressions complicated.
Ning Fengzhi nodded in approval.
"Jiuxiao, it's astonishing to see such a mature mind in someone so young."
"You did the right thing. Without the strength to protect yourself, revealing this secret would put you in danger."
"But after today, I'll have the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect protect you in secret. You won't need to worry about this anymore."
Qin Jiuxiao shook his head.
"Uncle Ning, I revealed this secret not only because I trust you, but also because I now have the strength to protect myself."
He turned to Gu Rong with a smile. "Grandpa Gu knows better than anyone. I'm incredibly strong, with a physique far beyond anyone my age. I also have a spatial Soul Skill."
"Even if I run into a troublesome opponent, I can escape if I can't beat them."
When Ning Fengzhi looked to him, Gu Rong stroked his chin and nodded.
"Qin boy's physique really is unlike anything I've ever seen. Even the Huyan Family and the Defense Clan, both renowned for their defenses, can't match him at his age."
"Just by relying on his physical strength, he could probably fight a Soul King."
"And with a spatial Soul Skill, escaping from a Soul Emperor would be easy."
Gu Rong was a Level 95 Super Douluo. His words were no idle speculation.
Ning Fengzhi immediately began weighing the advantages. It was a merchant's instinct.
Now that they knew Qin Jiuxiao's secret, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wasn't the only one—Xue Qinghe knew, too.
So there was no chance of keeping him to themselves.
Xue Qinghe had surely set her sights on Qin Jiuxiao as well and would do everything she could to win him over.
The most profitable course now was to invest in him.
A prodigy with a ten-thousand-year Soul Ring from the very beginning would become at least a Super Douluo in the future.
He might even reach Level 99 and become a Limit Douluo—or even become a god at Level 100.
If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had a god's protection, it could surely endure for another ten thousand years.
At the thought, Ning Fengzhi's breathing quickened.
Even the composure he had cultivated over so many years could barely contain his excitement.
But a simple investment wasn't enough to win over a future god. They needed to raise the stakes.
Almost instantly, he thought of his daughter, Ning Rongrong.
Qin Jiuxiao and his daughter knew each other, and there was already affection between them. If their relationship grew closer, winning Qin Jiuxiao over would be no problem.
And with Qin Jiuxiao's talent, he would make a perfect fiancé for Rongrong.
At nearly the same moment, Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong exchanged a glance. Each could see the same thought in the other's eyes.
A smile spread across Ning Fengzhi's face, and his manner became far warmer than before.
"Jiuxiao, rest assured. From now on, you can obtain Soul Rings without holding back. Your uncle won't let anyone threaten your safety."
"And Rongrong is in Suotuo City these days. She's attending Shrek Academy."
"You young people should spend more time together. Your uncle is very supportive of you."
Xue Qinghe didn't stop Ning Fengzhi from trying to win Qin Jiuxiao over.
Her mind was still fixed on the faint cry from Qin Jiuxiao's Soul Ring.
She could barely keep her Martial Soul under control now.
She took a deep breath and gave Ning Fengzhi and the others an apologetic smile.
"Teacher, Jiuxiao, something important has just come to mind. I'll have to take my leave."
Then she turned to Qin Jiuxiao and handed him a token.
"Jiuxiao, this is my Crown Prince Token. With it, you can command certain troops and enter and leave the imperial palace freely."
"We didn't get to talk as much as I'd hoped this time. Let's find another time to meet again."
Qin Jiuxiao accepted the token and nodded. He had only just made contact with this little angel, so there was no need to rush things.
After leaving the pavilion, Xue Qinghe soon returned to the Crown Prince Palace.
She opened a hidden mechanism and stepped into the secret room behind the bookshelves.
At last, she no longer had to hold back. She resumed her original appearance as Qian Renxue.
The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul appeared behind her, releasing an endless radiance.
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