Qian Daoliu... Is he dead?

"Not going to Heaven Dou?"

Qianjun looked at Dugu Bo with a somewhat amused gaze. "If I'm not mistaken, your ninth soul ring was obtained with Xue Xing's help, wasn't it?"

"That's right."

"You accepted Heaven Dou's help, yet refuse to uphold the agreement you made with Heaven Dou. If word of this gets out, I'm afraid your reputation will become notorious across the continent."

"I'll explain everything clearly to Xue Xing." Dugu Bo naturally understood the consequences, but he had no choice. For his granddaughter's sake, he could only give up becoming a Heaven Dou consecrator.

He couldn't really go to Heaven Dou as a "spy," could he? His conscience simply wouldn't allow it.

"Will Heaven Dou truly believe your explanation?" Qianjun sighed. "When the time comes, if news also spreads that you've joined our Spirit Hall, then I'm afraid..."

Qianjun did not finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear. Spirit Hall wanted Dugu Bo, but they wanted their reputation too!

They absolutely could not allow Dugu Bo's reputation to damage Spirit Hall's standing across the continent!

"Consecrator Qianjun, I understand what you mean. I'll resolve this matter properly and definitely won't tarnish Spirit Hall's good name." Dugu Bo's expression darkened. Was he not even allowed to refuse being an undercover agent?

Qianjun smiled faintly. "Naturally, it would be best if there were no repercussions. Still, may I hear your specific plan?"

"Don't misunderstand. I merely wish to assess whether your method is feasible."

Seeing the smile on Qianjun's face, Dugu Bo felt utterly stifled. You're going to assess it? You're going to play judge?

Fuck!

If it doesn't pass your assessment, will this old man have to keep being an undercover agent?

Damn Qianjun! Thick-skinned, black-hearted bastard!

You just have to force this old man into becoming an undercover agent before you'll be satisfied? Aren't you afraid I'll become a double agent and give you a vicious blow?

He was not afraid!

Qianjun was not worried in the slightest that Dugu Bo might change his mind after going to Heaven Dou. After all, Dugu Bo's beloved little granddaughter—the only family he had left in this world—was still in their hands.

With Dugu Yan there, it was nearly impossible for Dugu Bo to turn against them.

As for Dugu Bo's solution? Qianjun had already rejected it in his heart.

Because in a matter like this, Dugu Bo simply could not come up with a perfect solution.

This involved a Title Douluo. Heaven Dou did not have a single Title Douluo even now; after finally coaxing one over, he was snatched away.

If Heaven Dou could endure even that, they might as well surrender outright.

"Enough, Uncle Qianjun. Let me discuss this matter with Senior Dugu Bo."

Qian Renxue's tone was gentle. She stepped past Qianjun and came before Dugu Bo. Seeing the old man before her, his face filled with pleading, she sighed inwardly.

Qianjun nodded slightly and stepped aside, his gaze fixed firmly on Dugu Bo.

"Senior Dugu Bo, there are some things I must make clear beforehand. You must go to Heaven Dou! This is also one of the conditions for me curing you."

Dugu Bo's expression changed abruptly. Before he could speak, Qian Renxue's voice came again.

"However, having you serve as a Heaven Dou consecrator does not mean asking you to do anything that harms Heaven Dou's interests. I merely hope that you will use the authority of a Heaven Dou consecrator to help me personally—not Spirit Hall—with certain matters."

"Personally?"

Dugu Bo's expression eased somewhat. He looked at the girl before him, pondered for a moment, then asked, "I hope you can tell me what you want me to do."

"Use your status as a Heaven Dou consecrator and Heaven Dou's sole Title Douluo to suppress the Clear Sky Sect and search for Tang Hao's whereabouts."

Qian Renxue looked calmly at Dugu Bo. "You need only do these two things. Aside from them, you may ignore everything else!"

"Even if Heaven Dou takes action against Spirit Hall, you may turn a blind eye to it. You only need to do these two things!"

"..."

Dugu Bo sensed the resolve in Qian Renxue's words, and his gaze became complicated for a moment. "Only these two things?"

"Only these two things!" Qian Renxue said without hesitation. "You have seen my martial soul, so you should be able to guess my identity."

"You also understand what the Clear Sky Sect and Tang Hao mean to me! As long as you handle these two matters properly, I will not interfere with anything else you do!"

"If you can truly find Tang Hao's whereabouts, then once Spirit Hall kills Tang Hao, you will not even need to do these two things anymore!"

"I hope Senior Dugu Bo understands!"

"I understand."

Qian Renxue had made herself so clear that Dugu Bo knew that if he refused again, he would truly be unable to appreciate kindness.

She was neither asking him to become a spy nor demanding that he betray the Heaven Dou Empire. She merely wanted him to use his status to suppress a sect that had already secluded itself from the world and suffered grievous losses.

Faced with such terms, Dugu Bo did not know how he could refuse.

After all, he had no ties to Tang Hao or the Clear Sky Sect.

He sighed inwardly. "Once Your Highness the Saintess cures the poison in my body, this old man will immediately head to the Heaven Dou Empire and devote himself to finding Tang Hao's whereabouts."

"I only hope that after Your Highness brings Yanyan back to Spirit Hall, you will treat her well. If Your Highness truly fulfills her promise, then this old man will have no regrets in this life."

"A promise I have spoken is not one I would fail to honor," Qian Renxue said calmly.

"Then this old man offers his thanks."

After bowing to Qian Renxue, Dugu Bo turned and left.

Qian Renxue spoke blandly. "Uncle Qianjun, let's go."

"Yes, Young Mistress."

Qianjun nodded slightly. Looking at Qian Renxue's retreating back, he sighed inwardly.

Sending a Title Douluo, who could have been of much greater use, to handle these two "trivial matters"... it seemed the Young Mistress had not truly moved on as much as she appeared to have.

I really hope they find that bastard Tang Hao soon.

Damn it, carrying a hundred-thousand-year soul beast around the continent every day—what the hell was he thinking?

He made Xiaoxue depressed for such a long time.

"Clear Sky Sect."

Dugu Bo stroked Dugu Yan's little head as he considered a few matters.

With his status as a Title Douluo and a Heaven Dou consecrator, along with his relationship with Prince Xue Xing, suppressing a Clear Sky Sect that had secluded itself from the world and suffered severe losses would naturally be effortless.

But finding Tang Hao...

Even Spirit Hall, mobilizing all its strength, had been unable to find him. How could Dugu Bo possibly locate him so easily?

Dugu Bo shook his head and looked at his little granddaughter in his arms. "Yanyan! Grandfather won't be by your side for quite a long time from now on. You must get along well with Sister Xue, understand?"

"Mm! Yanyan understands."

Dugu Yan was sensible enough not to ask why Dugu Bo would not be by her side. She merely asked curiously:

"Grandfather, what exactly is Sister Xue's identity? Is she from the Upper Three Sects or the two great empires?"

"Spirit Hall. She is Spirit Hall's Saintess, the previous pope's biological daughter."

Dugu Bo recalled some things. If he remembered correctly, when he had still been very weak, Spirit Hall's pope had also possessed the Angel Martial Soul and borne the surname Qian.

His name seemed to have been... Qian Daoliu...

A peerlessly powerful pope whose fate was unknown!

Thinking of how Qianjun and Jiang Mo treated Qian Renxue, perhaps... this pope's fate was not unknown after all.