Snake Spear Douluo Takes the Blame

Half a month later, Zhao Ming returned to Heaven Dou City.

Nearly three months had passed since he left the Crown Prince's Palace. Heaven Dou City remained as prosperous and bustling as ever, with endless traffic and a deafening crowd.

Zhao Ming blended into the crowd entering the city, passed through the gates, and headed toward the Crown Prince's Palace along familiar streets.

The closer he got to the Crown Prince's Palace, the slower his steps became, and the more uneasy he felt.

Back then, he had sworn to Qian Renxue that he was only going out to train for three months. He had even agreed to let Snake Spear Douluo accompany him, yet the moment he left Heaven Dou City, he had shaken off Snake Spear Douluo and vanished on his own.

Although he had sent word that he was safe whenever he arrived somewhere new, knowing Qian Renxue's temperament, he probably could not avoid a scolding this time. She might even confine him for several months and make him properly learn his lesson.

It had been early summer when he left, but now it was already early autumn. The rose bushes by the corner of his courtyard wall were in full bloom, red, white, and pink, a lovely sight.

Zhao Ming had only just set down his luggage and had not even had time for a sip of water when the courtyard gate was pushed open from outside.

Xue Qinghe, Qian Renxue's disguise, stood at the gate.

After she entered, Snake Spear Douluo immediately shut the courtyard gate behind her, and Qian Renxue promptly removed her disguise.

Her face remained as cool and exquisitely beautiful as ever. Her violet eyes swept over Zhao Ming from head to toe, her gaze calm and unreadable.

Zhao Ming's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively straightened up, lowered his head, and prepared himself for the coming storm.

"Big Sister Xue'er, I'm back."

Qian Renxue did not speak immediately. She merely walked slowly into the courtyard and stopped before him.

She was much taller than Zhao Ming and looked down at him. After a long silence, she finally spoke.

"Xiao Ming, everyone has their own secrets."

Zhao Ming froze and looked up into Qian Renxue's violet eyes. There was no anger in them as he had expected. Instead, they held a gentle, understanding light.

"I can understand that you don't want others to know your secrets," Qian Renxue continued evenly, as though discussing something utterly ordinary. "But don't be so willful in the future. When you disappear without a word, Uncle Snake Spear has to bear a great deal of pressure."

Zhao Ming opened his mouth, but all the excuses and apologies he had prepared lodged in his throat.

He had not expected Qian Renxue to say this. There was no scolding, no punishment, not even a harsh word. She had simply told him lightly: I understand you, but you need to consider the feelings of those around you.

"Big Sister Xue'er, I'm sorry." Zhao Ming lowered his head, his voice somewhat muffled. "If I need to leave in the future, I'll explain things clearly first. I won't make things difficult for Uncle Snake Spear again."

Seeing how obediently he admitted his mistake, Qian Renxue's lips curved slightly upward. She reached out and gently rubbed his hair, amusement entering her voice. "Remember what you said."

She was very satisfied with Zhao Ming's attitude.

In her eyes, Zhao Ming was only a seven-year-old child. No matter how gifted he was or how mature his mind might be, he was still a child in the end.

A child that age could not possibly consider every aspect of everything they did. There would be times when they acted on impulse, and that was perfectly normal.

Blindly scolding him would only provoke rebelliousness and achieve the opposite result. Proper guidance from adults was the correct way to educate a child.

However, understanding was one thing, but punishment was still necessary. Otherwise, the child would only grow more unruly and think that every mistake could be brushed aside with a simple apology.

Qian Renxue withdrew her hand, and the smile on her face faded slightly, replaced by a businesslike expression. "However, although you were at fault for shaking off Uncle Snake Spear without permission, Uncle Snake Spear was your guardian. His failure to keep watch over you was also a dereliction of duty, so—"

She paused, looked at Zhao Ming's slightly changed expression, and said unhurriedly, "Snake Spear Douluo will be fined one year's worth of cultivation resources."

Zhao Ming immediately said, "Big Sister Xue'er, I slipped away on my own. It had nothing to do with Uncle Snake Spear! He stayed at the place where I vanished the entire time. I only managed to shake him off by using special means. You can't blame him!"

"I know," Qian Renxue said flatly. "But his dereliction of duty is a fact. As a Titled Douluo, he could not even keep watch over a seven-year-old child. Fining him one year's worth of cultivation resources is already lenient."

Zhao Ming opened his mouth, wanting to say more, only to realize that he had no grounds to argue.

Qian Renxue was right. Snake Spear Douluo had indeed failed in his duty, and the source of that failure was Zhao Ming's own recklessness.

He lowered his head. It felt as if a bottle of mixed emotions had overturned in his heart, and he could not put the feeling into words.

She Long, Snake Spear Douluo, had protected him ever since his martial soul awakened. He had taught him about martial souls, taken him to hunt soul beasts, accompanied him in combat training, protected him every step of the way for half a month in Star Dou Forest, and guarded him as he absorbed his second soul ring in Sunset Forest.

Over the past year or so, Snake Spear Douluo had devoted no less effort to him than Qian Renxue had.

Yet now, Snake Spear Douluo had been fined a year's worth of cultivation resources because of his recklessness.

At Snake Spear Douluo's level, every step forward was as difficult as ascending to heaven, and every cultivation resource was immensely valuable.

The loss of a year's worth of cultivation resources would certainly affect Snake Spear Douluo's cultivation.

Seeing Zhao Ming's guilty expression, Qian Renxue was very pleased inside, though her face remained impassive.

She could tell that Zhao Ming was someone who repaid kindness. Snake Spear had taken good care of him over the past year, so seeing Snake Spear Douluo punished because of him would certainly make him feel bad. Yet it was precisely this discomfort that would make him truly remember this lesson.

"Enough. You just returned, so get some proper rest." Qian Renxue turned and walked toward the courtyard gate. When she reached it, she suddenly stopped and said without looking back, "Oh, right. Uncle Snake Spear will still come teach you tomorrow. You can apologize to him in person then."

The courtyard gate closed softly. Zhao Ming stood alone in the courtyard, silent for a long while.

Snake Spear Douluo had diligently taught him about martial souls and helped him hunt soul beasts, only to be punished because of him in the end.

Zhao Ming truly felt sorry for him. He silently resolved that from now on, no matter what he intended to do, he would think twice before acting and could not drag down those around him again.

Meanwhile, at the Divine Realm's center.

Located at the very heart of the Divine Realm, its center was an incomparably majestic hall.

Today, the Divine Realm's center was filled with gods.

The five great God Kings were gathered upon the five divine thrones in the center of the hall, while the other first-class gods stood in rows on either side, filling the entire hall.

The gods wore varying expressions. Some were solemn, some curious, and some delighted in another's misfortune. Yet without exception, all eyes were fixed upon the figure kneeling in the center of the hall.

Sea God, Poseidon, still wore his azure-blue hair and deep-blue divine robes, but at this moment, he no longer possessed his usual composure and majesty.