Showdown

But Lin Ming's gaze remained clear and resolute, without the slightest flicker of hesitation or retreat, as though every word he spoke was an undeniable fact.

"You..." Qian Renxue's voice was somewhat hoarse as her throat moved slightly. "What do you know?"

Lin Ming straightened up, took a step back, and crossed his arms. A mysterious smile curled across his lips, carrying a trace of cunning and confidence.

"I know far more than Your Highness the Crown Prince imagines. For instance, I know that you are not the real Xue Qinghe."

The words struck Qian Renxue's mind like a thunderbolt, instantly leaving her mind blank.

Her face turned pale as paper, and a cold killing intent flashed through her eyes. Her right hand lifted slightly, a thread of golden soul power gathering at her fingertips. Like a flickering flame, it was ready to strike and silence him at any moment.

With a single thought from her, that soul power could pierce through Lin Ming's heart in an instant.

But Lin Ming's next words made her stop, and the golden soul power at her fingertips quietly dissipated.

"I also know that your real name is Qian Renxue, that you are the daughter of Spirit Hall's Pope, Bibi Dong, and the inheritor of the Angel God. You disguised yourself as Xue Qinghe and infiltrated the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family in order to seize control of the Heaven Dou Empire, using it as a foundation to oppose your mother. Am I right?"

Qian Renxue was completely stunned.

Her eyes widened, filled with shock and disbelief as she stared at him like he was some monster—a monster capable of reading hearts.

Her lips parted slightly. She wanted to say something, but not a single word came out.

These secrets were the deepest secrets buried within her heart, secrets she had cautiously guarded for more than a decade. Not even her closest subordinates—Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Spear Douluo—knew the full truth.

Yet Lin Ming recited them as casually as if he were reading from a book, every word striking precisely at her deepest secrets.

"Who exactly are you?" Qian Renxue's voice turned cold and wary, carrying killing intent and vigilance. Her body leaned back slightly into a defensive stance, and golden soul power gathered once more at her fingertips.

"How do you know these things? Who told you? Did that woman send you to test me?"

"If I said I guessed, would you believe me?" Lin Ming spread his hands, his expression utterly innocent—so sincere that one could hardly bear to doubt him.

"Do you think I would?" Qian Renxue said coldly, the killing intent in her eyes growing stronger.

"Fine. A powerful expert told me," Lin Ming casually made up an excuse, his expression turning serious.

"As for who it was, I can't tell you. It would do neither you nor me any good if I did. But I can tell you this: I bear you no ill will. If I wanted to harm you, I would have spread this information long ago. Why would I tell you face-to-face? I could have pretended to know nothing, then stabbed you in the back. Wouldn't that have been safer?"

Qian Renxue fell silent.

She had to admit that Lin Ming had a point. If he wanted to harm her, he had no need to expose her in person. All he needed to do was leak the information to the Heaven Dou Emperor or Spirit Hall, and she would be doomed beyond redemption.

But he had not done that. Instead, he had chosen to lay everything out before her.

That proved he truly bore her no ill will. At least, not for now.

And for some reason, Qian Renxue found that she had an inexplicable sense of trust toward Lin Ming. Clearly, she should have killed the man who knew her secret immediately, eliminating any future threat, yet she could not bring herself to do it.

A voice deep within her heart told her: this man was worthy of trust. He would not hurt you.

The feeling was strange, as if some unseen force were guiding her, making her instinctively want to draw close to him, trust him, and rely on him.

But she did not dislike the feeling. Instead, she found it somewhat warm.

Qian Renxue took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as though she had made some momentous decision.

When she opened her eyes again, the killing intent and wariness in them had vanished, replaced by resolve and calm acceptance.

The soul power around her began to fluctuate. Golden light radiated from her body, dyeing the entire room gold.

Her appearance began to change—her facial contours became softer, her features more refined, and her skin smoother and fairer, like creamy white jade.

Her Adam's apple vanished, revealing a long, fair neck. Her chest swelled, stretching the luxurious crown prince's robes.