But in the corner of the dossier, there was a handwritten note in neat, elegant script: "Open the granaries and distribute food. Exempt taxes for three years. Transfer the Royal Hunting Grounds' stored grain for immediate relief. No need to delay the opportunity with layers of reports."
Bing Yekong looked at that note, then glanced at Xue Qinghe. He had written those annotations.
"I looked into what you've done around Tianshui Academy over the past few years," Xue Qinghe said. "You helped the Shui Family build several free martial soul enlightenment schools outside the city. They charged nothing, and even children from poor families could attend. You worked with Yang Wudi to improve the formulas for several low-grade pills, cutting their costs by more than half. The affordable pills sold in pharmacies around Element City now were all promoted by you. When you did these things, you never claimed credit from anyone or asked for anything in return."
Xue Qinghe put the dossier away and looked Bing Yekong in the eyes. "You and I both believe one thing: the power of Soul Masters should be used to protect more people, not exploit more people. That is why I approached you. I do not need you to kill or burn for me, or fight for power and profit. I only hope that when I need you in the future, you will be willing to stand behind me."
Bing Yekong remained silent for a long time.
He thought of Qian Renxue's true identity, of her ultimate purpose in infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire for so long, of her relationship with Spirit Hall, and of how much truth and falsehood lay in her words at this moment.
But he also thought of the free schools he had helped establish, of the ordinary families