His Highness's Fine Acting

That afternoon, an inconspicuous carriage stopped at the gates of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

The carriage door opened, and a young man in white robes stepped out.

He looked to be around twenty, handsome and refined, with a perfectly measured smile on his lips. He was Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

He had not brought many attendants, only a personal servant and a coachman. The three entered the academy through a side gate, passed several tree-lined paths, skirted the training grounds, and headed straight for the dormitory area.

At that moment, Lin Chen was sitting on a bench in front of the dormitory building, basking in the sun.

He had just finished lunch and was leaning against the backrest with his eyes closed, resting.

The autumn sunlight was neither too hot nor too cold, leaving his face pleasantly warm. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing had gone to the library after lunch to read, and he rarely got a moment of peace to himself.

A set of footsteps approached from afar and stopped before him.

Lin Chen opened his eyes and saw a white-robed young man standing before him, smiling at him.

"Student Lin Chen?" Xue Qinghe spoke, his voice as gentle as jade. "Forgive the interruption. I am Xue Qinghe, Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. May I have a few words with you?"

Lin Chen glanced at him. He had already roughly guessed why the other man had come, but his expression did not change. He sat up straighter and nodded. "Please, have a seat, Your Highness."

Xue Qinghe sat down on the bench beside him, his manner calm and elegant.

Rather than getting straight to the point, he first looked around at the campus scenery and made a few remarks about the academy's beauty, then chatted about the weather. Lin Chen responded casually, neither warm nor cold, merely making idle conversation with him.

Seeing that Lin Chen refused to take the bait, Xue Qinghe finally got to the point.

"I have already heard about what happened this morning." Xue Qinghe sighed, a perfectly appropriate trace of helplessness appearing on his face.

"That child Xue Beng has been spoiled since he was young and has no sense of propriety. On his behalf, I apologize to you and your friends."

"There is no need for Your Highness to apologize," Lin Chen said. "The one who did wrong was Xue Beng, not Your Highness."

"Even so, he is still my younger brother." Xue Qinghe shook his head. "As his elder brother, I also bear responsibility for failing to discipline him properly."

Watching the pained expression on his face, Lin Chen found it amusing. He clearly wished Xue Beng dead as soon as possible, yet he could put on such a convincing act of brotherly affection. His acting really was impressive.

"Did Your Highness come here today just to apologize on Xue Beng's behalf?" Lin Chen asked.

"Not entirely." Xue Qinghe turned to look at Lin Chen, his gaze open and sincere. "I heard that you are a newly enrolled student this year. Twelve years old, a level fifty-six Soul King. To be honest, when I first received that information, I thought someone had exaggerated. But after seeing you in person, I feel that report may have been too conservative."

He paused, and his tone became even more earnest. "The Heaven Dou Empire needs talents like you. Today, on behalf of the royal family, I have come to extend an invitation. If you are willing, after graduation, you may enter the Hall of Consecrators of the Heaven Dou Empire and receive the treatment and resources afforded to core members of the royal family."

Lin Chen did not answer immediately.

He looked at Xue Qinghe's sincere face and swiftly weighed his options. Qian Renxue had lurked within the Heaven Dou Empire for so many years, disguising herself as Xue Qinghe and deceiving everyone.

On the surface, she had come today to recruit talent for the Heaven Dou royal family. In truth, she was building strength for the Martial Soul Hall.

"Your Highness honors me greatly. I am flattered," Lin Chen said calmly. "However, for now, I only wish to focus on cultivation. I do not wish to consider matters after graduation yet."

A flicker of surprise passed through Xue Qinghe's eyes, but she quickly resumed her gentle smile. "There is no rush. You are still young and have plenty of time to consider it. My main reason for coming today was to get to know you and make a friend."

She extended her hand, her long, fair fingers gleaming like jade in the sunlight. "I hope we can become good friends in the future."

Lin Chen lowered his head to look at her outstretched hand and was silent for two seconds.

Then he took her hand.

But the words he spoke instantly froze the smile on Xue Qinghe's face.

"Before recruiting someone, shouldn't Your Highness first show me your true face?"

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Xue Qinghe's hand stiffened slightly, but only for an instant. She withdrew it, the smile on her face remaining gentle, though a trace of vigilance and scrutiny had appeared deep in her eyes.

"What do you mean by that, Student Lin Chen? I do not quite understand."

Lin Chen leaned back against the bench and met her gaze calmly.

"Your Highness understands."

The two stared at each other for a full three seconds.

The smile on Xue Qinghe's face slowly faded. She looked into Lin Chen's eyes, trying to find even the slightest flaw in those black pupils—a trace of speculation, a hint of uncertainty.

But all she saw was calmness.

It was not the calmness of the ignorant and fearless, but the composure of someone who had seen through everything.

Xue Qinghe fell silent.

She had lurked in the Heaven Dou Empire for so many years, disguising herself as Xue Qinghe. She had deceived the emperor, the ministers, every teacher and student, even Xue Beng, her own younger brother. Not a single person had ever seen through her disguise.

Yet this twelve-year-old boy had exposed her secret with a single sentence during their very first meeting.

"How did you know?" Xue Qinghe spoke. Her voice had not changed, but her tone was completely different. It no longer carried the gentle, jade-like manner of a crown prince, but a hint of coldness and sharpness.

Lin Chen looked at her and smiled. "Does Your Highness think I would tell you?"

Xue Qinghe stared at him for a long time.

Then she suddenly smiled. It was no longer the gentle, jade-like smile of her disguise, but a genuine smile tinged with appreciation and interest.

"Interesting," she said. "Truly interesting. I have lurked in the Heaven Dou Empire for so many years, and you are the first person to see through me. And you are only a twelve-year-old boy."

She leaned back slightly, her posture more relaxed, though her gaze remained sharp. "Since you already know my identity, I will not beat around the bush. Lin Chen, on behalf of the Martial Soul Hall, I formally invite you to join us. With your talent, the Martial Soul Hall can offer you far more than the Heaven Dou royal family ever could."

Lin Chen did not answer at once.

He looked at Qian Renxue, who had shed her disguise, and felt very calm. He understood her. Qian Renxue was proud, intelligent, and ambitious, but she was not a bad person. She had her own bottom line and principles.

Besides, he had the life-saving means bestowed by the God King. Even if Qian Renxue wished him harm, he had nothing to fear.

"Your Highness," Lin Chen said, "I beat Xue Beng this morning, and you came to see me this afternoon. That shows your information network is well-informed, and that you value me greatly. It is my honor to be so highly regarded by the young mistress of the Martial Soul Hall."

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow but said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"But I truly do not wish to join any faction right now," Lin Chen said. "I am still young, and there is much I have yet to learn. I do not want to be tied to any camp so early."

Qian Renxue looked at him in silence for a moment, then nodded. "I understand."

She rose to her feet, straightened her robes, and looked down at Lin Chen. "However, I hope you remember this: the doors of the Martial Soul Hall will always be open to you. If you change your mind someday, you may come find me at any time."

She paused before adding, "Also, I do not want a third person to know my true identity."

"Rest assured," Lin Chen said. "I am not one to gossip."

Qian Renxue nodded and turned to leave.

After taking several steps, she suddenly stopped, turned back to look at Lin Chen, and curled her lips into a meaningful smile. "Lin Chen, you are very interesting. I look forward to seeing how far you will grow in the future."

With that, she turned and departed. The hem of her white robes fluttered in the wind, and she soon vanished at the end of the tree-lined path.

Lin Chen remained on the bench, watching her figure disappear, then slowly let out a breath.

Qian Renxue had put considerable pressure on him, but he was not afraid. He had the life-saving means granted by the God King. If they truly came to blows, it was still uncertain who would suffer.

He stood, brushed the dust from his trousers, and headed toward the library.

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were still waiting for him.