Palace Maid

Douluo Continent.

Heaven Dou Empire.

Imperial Palace, within a resplendent palace hall.

Xue Qinghe, the crown prince, sat before his desk, flipping through the book in his hands.

"Chen Xi."

Xue Qinghe softly spoke two words.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

A soft, sweet voice rang out through the hall.

A maid of about five or six years old approached Xue Qinghe with a tray in hand. Her skin was fair, and her delicate features made her look like an oversized porcelain doll.

A steaming cup of clear tea sat on the tray.

After Xue Qinghe picked up the tea, Chen Xi held the tray and stood respectfully at his side. Yet her dark violet, gem-like eyes secretly studied Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe is quite handsome.

What a pity. The current Xue Qinghe is actually Qian Renxue, the young mistress of Spirit Hall, in disguise.

Chen Xi inwardly lamented for him, though a reminiscing look appeared in her dark violet eyes.

A few days ago, Chen Xi had merely been a little beggar in Heaven Dou City. When hunger had made her collapse by the roadside, the passing Xue Qinghe had brought her back and made her a little maid responsible for serving tea and water.

As a transmigrator from Azure Planet, upon learning Xue Qinghe's identity, her first thought had been whether she could help the Xue Qinghe who had saved her life escape his original fate.

But after figuring out the current timeline and plotline, Chen Xi understood that the one who had saved her was not Xue Qinghe, but Qian Renxue disguised as Xue Qinghe. Thus, Chen Xi silently gave up on her original idea.

"You should be six years old now, right?"

Xue Qinghe set down the steaming tea and reached out to pinch Chen Xi's cheek.

Feeling skin as smooth as a peeled egg, Xue Qinghe could not help sighing inwardly. This feels really nice.

Chen Xi's body stiffened slightly, but her expression remained respectful.

"Your Highness, I have already turned six."

Xue Qinghe withdrew his hand and continued flipping through the book before him. "Six years old. It's time for you to awaken your martial soul."

"Take the tea away."

"I'll take you to awaken your martial soul later."

Chen Xi's eyes imperceptibly lit up, and faint excitement appeared within them. However, she did not show it. Instead, she swiftly placed Xue Qinghe's remaining tea onto the tray and carried it outside.

Only after leaving Xue Qinghe's room did Chen Xi let out a long breath. Her dark violet eyes were filled with anticipation.

I'm finally going to awaken my martial soul.

Whether I spend the rest of my life in mediocrity or become a noble soul master of the continent depends on this.

Though she thought so, Chen Xi knew that her chances of becoming a soul master were not high. As for awakening a good martial soul, that was practically impossible.

After all, the martial souls awakened by people on the continent were generally inherited from the stronger of their parents' martial souls, with only a very few exceptions.

Chen Xi did not know who her parents were. Her soul might not even have been the original one. Under such circumstances, what kind of martial soul she could awaken was completely unknown.

After neatly putting away the tray, Chen Xi quickly returned to Xue Qinghe's room. Seeing that he was still reading, she respectfully stood at his side.

Time slowly passed.

About half an hour later, Xue Qinghe finally closed the book before him.

"Let's go."

"I'll take you to awaken your martial soul."

Xue Qinghe stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked outside.

Chen Xi followed respectfully behind him, always keeping half a step behind.

Following Xue Qinghe out of the magnificent palace hall, they soon arrived at the entrance to the Imperial Palace. When the guards on duty saw Xue Qinghe, they immediately made way and saluted him.

The moment they left the Imperial Palace, they encountered someone dressed in the attire of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. His gaze was contemptuous, his stride arrogant, and he had the air of a spoiled playboy.

"Big Brother, where are you going?"

"Big Brother, the little maid behind you is quite pretty. I happen to be short a maid myself. How about giving her to me?"

Xue Beng stopped beside Xue Qinghe, turned to look at Chen Xi behind him, and swept his gaze over her with frivolous, ill-intentioned eyes.

Xue Qinghe frowned slightly, looking displeased.

"Xue Beng, where did you throw away your royal etiquette?"

"If you have nothing to do, go back to Prince's Manor and properly learn some etiquette. Look at what you're like now."

"The name of a spoiled playboy is known throughout Heaven Dou City."

Xue Qinghe rebuked Xue Beng without mercy.

Meanwhile, Chen Xi discreetly took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Xue Beng.

Chen Xi did not yet know whether Xue Beng was truly a spoiled playboy.

But recalling the original story, Xue Beng had managed to pretend to be one for more than a decade right under Xue Qinghe's nose. Chen Xi felt that either he was simply being himself, or his acting skills had reached the pinnacle, leaving Xue Qinghe unable to notice the slightest anomaly.

Of those two possibilities, Chen Xi was more inclined to believe that Xue Beng was simply being himself, because the way he looked at her did not seem like an act at all.

"Big Brother, I'll study royal etiquette properly. But can I have this little maid...?"

Though Xue Beng did not finish his sentence, his meaning was obvious.

"Get back to Prince's Manor."

Xue Qinghe looked at Xue Beng beside him, the chill in his eyes completely undisguised.

"Big Brother, I was only joking."

"Don't be angry. I'll head back to Prince's Manor right away."

Xue Beng smiled awkwardly, gave Chen Xi a deep look, and headed toward Prince's Manor.

Xue Qinghe withdrew his gaze and continued forward.

Chen Xi hurried a few steps to catch up with Xue Qinghe.

After passing through bustling, noisy streets, a grand and imposing building appeared before Chen Xi. Four large words were written above it: Spirit Hall Holy Temple.

Arriving before Spirit Hall Holy Temple, Xue Qinghe took out a token representing his identity. After the guards at the entrance checked it, he led Chen Xi inside.

The moment they entered Spirit Hall Holy Temple, a staff member came forward to greet them.

"Are you here to awaken a martial soul?"

"If so, please follow me."

The staff member made an inviting gesture, wearing a professional smile.

"She is here to awaken her martial soul."

Xue Qinghe pointed at Chen Xi beside him and indicated that she should follow the staff member to awaken her martial soul.

At Xue Qinghe's signal, Chen Xi followed the staff member up the stairs to the second floor. They did not stop until they reached a room at the end of the second-floor corridor.