The Saint Son and Saint Maiden's Relationship—Li Qinglian Had Been Set Up?

"Hmph. That still won't do."

"I was dressed beautifully back then too, yet I never saw you look at me any more than usual."

Qian Renxue shot Li Qinglian a fierce glare with her beautiful eyes.

Li Qinglian was speechless.

Didn't women hate it most when men stared at them?

Why were they all asking him to look? So should he look or not?

"So, what you meant just now was that humans need to keep their emotions under control to become gods more easily, while soul beasts need to cultivate their bodies..."

"That was what you meant, right?"

Qian Renxue gathered her thoughts and turned serious as well.

She wanted to become a god.

Yet before Li Qinglian, no one had ever told her such things.

Not even the Angel God had ever mentioned them.

"You've understood it perfectly."

"For emotional people like you, familial love and romantic love are your greatest weaknesses."

Li Qinglian sighed.

Tang San would not face such a risk. He believed he had a clear conscience regarding everything he did, so there would be no inner demons at all.

"Love? Li Qinglian, you're not going to make me lose again, are you?"

???

Li Qinglian looked utterly bewildered.

He knew what Qian Renxue meant, but he did not dare agree rashly.

Obtaining the Pure Heart Eyes from the Goddess of Kindness had indeed been an extraordinary boon. Yet the ability to see through people's hearts so easily still made him deeply uncomfortable.

Before obtaining the Pure Heart Eyes, although he had been fairly emotionally intelligent, he could never have seen Qian Renxue's feelings so clearly.

"Then do you know why Spirit Hall's Saint Son and Saint Maiden exist?"

A trace of amusement flashed through Qian Renxue's eyes.

"I really don't know that."

Li Qinglian froze for a moment.

"By Spirit Hall tradition, the next Pope is often the Saint Son or Saint Maiden of Spirit Hall. But Spirit Hall will also choose another Saint Son or Saint Maiden to pair with them, to resolve the Pope's marriage issue."

"You know this. The Pope of Spirit Hall can absolutely never marry into an outside power. That is Spirit Hall's greatest taboo. Therefore, the Pope's husband or wife will be chosen from Spirit Hall's Saint Sons or Saint Maidens."

"In Spirit Hall, the Saint Son and Saint Maiden are a pair destined by birth."

Qian Renxue said with a beaming smile.

"No wonder your grandfather was so eager to recommend that I become the Saint Son."

"He didn't even give me time to react."

"So this was what he had been waiting for?"

Li Qinglian was completely dumbfounded.

So without even realizing it, he had been set up.

In other words, Spirit Hall's Saint Son and Saint Maiden were essentially the future Pope and spouse of Spirit Hall.

No wonder that old fellow Qian Xunji, who had always been so steady, had insisted on making him the Saint Son in such a short time.

So this had been the reason!

The reason Qian Renxue had stood by his side on Pope Mountain was also because of this identity...

"Pfft."

"What? Am I not good enough for you? I'm the future Pope, and also the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire!"

"My figure and looks are both excellent, and I definitely won't control you..."

Seeing Li Qinglian's blank expression, Qian Renxue could not help but laugh.

She was actually somewhat embarrassed to speak of these things. But when she saw Li Qinglian's expression, she only found it amusing.

Even a great figure like Li Qinglian had fallen into the palm of her hand.

"That does sound very reasonable."

"I'm actually speechless."

Li Qinglian was stunned.

No wonder Bibi Dong had been so rebellious in her youth. Becoming the Saint Maiden meant she would inevitably have to marry Qian Xunji.

For a moment, Li Qinglian completely understood Bibi Dong's feelings.

As a man, Li Qinglian did not care all that much.

After all, when it came to that sort of thing, no matter how domineering a woman was, the man would ultimately take the lead at that moment. Women were also the ones who became pregnant and bore children. No matter how he calculated it, he would never be at a disadvantage.

But for women... some random person would suddenly be pressing down on them, and that person would even be their teacher.

"Wait, that's not right. Spirit Hall's current Saint Maiden isn't you, is it? Isn't it Nana?"

Li Qinglian realized this serious problem.

Qian Renxue's face darkened at once.

Generally speaking, Spirit Hall's future Pope would inevitably be a direct son or daughter of the Qian Clan, and would also inevitably become Spirit Hall's Saint Son or Saint Maiden.

But the Spirit Hall led by Bibi Dong was an exception.

Qian Renxue, the Young Hall Master, had been completely driven out by Bibi Dong. She was even hiding in the Heaven Dou Empire, unable to show herself in the open. Within Spirit Hall, more people knew Hu Liena than knew Qian Renxue.

Moreover, Bibi Dong had supported Hu Liena as the Saint Maiden, replacing Qian Renxue's position.

Spirit Hall's current Saint Maiden was Hu Liena.

"The grudges within your Spirit Hall are truly ridiculous."

Even Li Qinglian got a headache after sorting through it all.

Bibi Dong had done so many things to wrong Qian Renxue. How could Qian Renxue not hate her?

He shook his head and was about to say something.

But his gaze suddenly passed over Qian Renxue's shoulder and landed on several figures who had just entered through the tavern entrance.

"Huh?"

Qian Renxue turned her head along his line of sight and saw them as well.

A cool and aloof young girl wearing the Heaven Dou Royal Academy uniform was looking directly at them.

Her pupils contracted slightly.

She was currently wearing Xue Qinghe's face.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince?"

Ye Lingling stood at the doorway, staring at the familiar face by the window with her cold eyes. She was completely stunned.

Wasn't that Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire?

Why was the Crown Prince here?

He was even sitting with a boy who looked twelve or thirteen years old. The distance between them was so close that it seemed somewhat ambiguous, and the Crown Prince still wore the smile she had not managed to withdraw in time...

Ye Lingling's mind buzzed.

She suddenly remembered something.

The Crown Prince had never married all these years, and there had never been any woman by his side. Both inside and outside the palace, people said that His Highness the Crown Prince was pure-hearted and abstinent, untouched by feminine charms... So that was it, that was it...

Ye Lingling's gaze froze on Qian Renxue's handsome face before shifting to Li Qinglian's delicate features across from her. She looked back and forth between them several times.

Her expression changed from shock to sudden realization.

"Holy shit. Aren't they going to kill us to silence us?"

Seeing Ye Lingling standing there foolishly, Dugu Yan followed her gaze and was stunned as well.

Qian Renxue froze too.

She lowered her head and looked at her current appearance.

Xue Qinghe's face, a man's clothing.

Then she looked at Li Qinglian sitting opposite her. The ambiguous distance between them, and her earlier smiling, slightly coquettish manner...

Her expression instantly stiffened.

She was not afraid of rumors spreading about her and Li Qinglian. But with her practically clinging to Li Qinglian like this, in outsiders' eyes, she was completely the passive party.

And in that kind of passive relationship, the passive party often meant...

For a moment, Qian Renxue even felt her ass clench.