A Frank Talk

"Finally back."

A few days later, Ouyang Ling returned to Heaven Dou City.

Night was approaching, and Heaven Dou City was already lit by countless lamps. Standing before the residence, Ouyang Ling alone opened the gates and stepped inside. Flying Tiger Soul Sage bid him farewell and did not linger.

Everything was as it had been, exactly the same as when he had left. There was not one more servant or maid, nor one fewer.

After a simple wash, the chef had already prepared the dishes.

Even after night fell, Ouyang Ling saw no sign of any of the three—Qian Renxue, Ci Xue, or She Long.

"They still aren't back?"

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Ouyang Ling did not sleep.

Besides, ever since awakening his martial soul, he had basically used meditation in place of sleep.

But at the moment, his mind was on other matters.

Since returning home, it was not as though he had not asked where Qian Renxue had gone. Yet everyone knew nothing, even plainly stating that they had not seen the three of them since his departure.

There was no need to worry about danger. Ouyang Ling still had considerable faith in Qian Renxue. As for where she might be now... Ouyang Ling lifted his head and looked out the window, his gaze directed toward the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

That was probably the only place she could be.

"Forget it. No point thinking about it."

Casting aside the distracting thoughts in his heart, Ouyang Ling immediately began cultivating through meditation. Even though he had just checked and found that, propelled by the Thousand-Year Soul Ring, Whale Glue's medicinal effects, and three months of soul power cultivation, his cultivation had reached level 25, he still did not slack off.

With a single breath, he entered his meditative state.

The next morning, after Ouyang Ling finished washing and eating according to his usual routine, he had just sat at the table and opened Geographical Records when a distinct aura entered his perception.

The aura was undisguised and familiar.

"It's Grandpa She Long."

Sure enough, the moment Ouyang Ling stood and pushed open the door, he saw She Long standing in the courtyard.

"I've come to take you somewhere." Having not met for more than half a month, She Long did not reminisce and directly explained why he had come.

"Sister Xue'er wants to see me, right?"

"That's right."

She Long nodded slightly and reminded him, "Don't speak on the way. Don't be surprised by anything beyond your expectations. Once you see the Young Mistress, everything will become clear."

"No problem." Ouyang Ling nodded.

If nothing unexpected happened, the person he was about to see was likely Xue Qinghe, whom Qian Renxue was impersonating.

Once Ouyang Ling was ready, She Long directly wrapped his entire body in soul power. With a flash, he rose into the sky, crossing more than half of Heaven Dou City in mere moments before safely arriving at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

Before long, they reached the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

Without encountering the slightest obstruction, Ouyang Ling and She Long entered Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's bedchamber.

Yet the moment they reached the door, She Long stopped where he was and did not proceed any farther.

Seeing this, Ouyang Ling said,

"Looks like I'll be going in alone from here."

She Long nodded slightly. "The Young Mistress is waiting for you inside."

Ouyang Ling did not bother preparing himself mentally. He casually pushed open the bedchamber doors and walked straight in. For some reason, though, the entire room had been made pitch-black.

But once Ouyang Ling had fully entered, the doors behind him abruptly shut with a creak, blocking out the outside light until not a trace remained.

Amid the silent atmosphere,

"Sister Xue'er, this isn't scary at all."

Ouyang Ling rolled his eyes. His gaze had long since locked onto a certain direction as he said helplessly, "Besides, if you wanted to scare someone, there was no need to reveal your aura so deliberately, was there?"

"I was worried you'd be frightened." A refined male voice rang out, giving off a gentle, soothing feeling.

"Tap, tap, tap—"

The lights gradually brightened, revealing a young man seated on the bed.

As for his appearance...

He had a straight nose and square mouth, dressed in a clean azure cloth robe. His long black hair was tied with an azure ribbon and hung neatly behind his head, giving him an air of nobility and freshness. To a girl, he could indeed be considered handsome and distinguished.

Yet Ouyang Ling's expression and eyes both conveyed something difficult to put into words.

He clearly looked like a man, yet he was sitting by the bed in a woman's posture. And since Ouyang Ling knew there was a girl beneath that exterior... it just felt even stranger.

"Sister Xue'er, could you take off the mask?"

"No."

Qian Renxue rejected him outright, though an amused smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

"What? Can't stand looking at it?"

Ouyang Ling nodded in admission. "It feels a little awkward."

"Is that so... Then I'll do as you say."

She raised a hand to her ear, but just as she was about to tear off the mask, her hand suddenly paused.

"By the way, Little Ling, do you know what identity the person sitting before you has?"

"I don't."

Ouyang Ling knew Qian Renxue was not asking about herself, but about Xue Qinghe. So he deliberately pretended not to know.

After all, he had never met Xue Qinghe. Logically, he should not even know this was the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace. At most, he should know that he was inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.

"Then let me tell you."

"Rip—"

The human-skin mask was torn away and placed before Ouyang Ling.

"This is the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe." As she spoke, Qian Renxue faced Ouyang Ling with her stunningly beautiful face, her gentle yet imposing eyes locking onto his.

"And I am the daughter of the former Supreme Pontiff. So now..." She leaned forward, deliberately creating a sense of pressure. "What should you call me?"

However, Ouyang Ling was not affected in the slightest. He even went along with Qian Renxue's performance, pretending to sort out their relationship before deliberately asking,

"Big sister?"

"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?!"

"Wasn't Sister Xue'er the one who started it?"

With that exchange, Qian Renxue immediately broke character. Yet it also let her see how little Ouyang Ling cared about it.

"Little Ling, you don't care about this?"

"Going undercover? Or usurping a country?"

Ouyang Ling shrugged and spread his hands.

He said nothing, yet said everything.

"I see..."

At that moment, Qian Renxue's heart immediately relaxed.

She knew her little brother was not lying. Everything he showed was genuine. That was enough.

"Both Elders, withdraw."

Qian Renxue's voice carried outside, and moments later, Ci Xue and She Long's voices came in reply.

"Yes, Young Mistress." ×2

"Clap, clap—"

Qian Renxue patted the bed.

"Come, sit here."

Ouyang Ling did not hesitate and walked straight over.

Qian Renxue looked at him, and a trace of melancholy naturally surfaced on her face. After a moment of recollection and sadness, she asked, "Little Ling, do you want to hear a story?" Though she asked, there was no chance for him to refuse.

The very next second, Qian Renxue began recounting the story of her life from the moment she could remember.

"...After that, I came to the Heaven Dou Empire and went undercover at Xue Qinghe's side. To ensure that he became Crown Prince, I killed the Second Prince and the Third Prince. Since Xue Qinghe himself knew nothing, even though he benefited the most, he was still cleared of suspicion. From then on, his path to becoming Crown Prince was paved, and half a month ago, I killed him and took his place."

Qian Renxue lowered her head and looked at Ouyang Ling, who had finished listening. "Is there anything you want to say about my story?"

"So Sister Xue'er did all this to gain the Supreme Pontiff's approval?" Taking advantage of his young age, Ouyang Ling immediately exposed Qian Renxue's truest and most painful thoughts.

He had no choice but to do it.

After all, how could he disinfect the wound without first opening it up?

At his words, pain first appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes, only to be quickly replaced by anger, followed by another series of changes... For a moment, she was like a colored lamp, constantly changing colors.

Until, in the end, she chose to face her heart directly.

"...Yes."

But the moment she admitted it, Ouyang Ling bluntly said, "Then I think you're very foolish, Sister Xue'er."