The World Had Been Peaceful for Too Long

Xue Qinghe nodded, agreeing with Duan Yu's reasoning. "That is true. But if you put it that way, how could he still have a Papal Token?"

"Any time, any place—there will always be accidents."

"What if I told you that man was the old lover of Spirit Hall's Pope? Otherwise, what right did a worthless Level 29 Grand Soul Master have to possess a Papal Token?"

"What if I told you that man was the old lover of Spirit Hall's Pope?"

"What if I told you that man was the old lover of Spirit Hall's Pope?"

Those words kept echoing in Xue Qinghe's mind, leaving her rooted to the spot. It took her a long while to recover.

"What did you say? The Pope's old lover... who was it?"

"Him."

Duan Yu smiled faintly, raised his head to look at the sky, and sighed. "That man was quite an extraordinary figure."

"He was Yu Xiaogang, the renowned master of Soul Master theory who had struggled for half his life yet remained only a Level 29 smooth-talking Grand Soul Master!"

"She liked a worthless Level 29?" Xue Qinghe asked in disbelief.

"That's right."

Duan Yu nodded. "Otherwise, I could not have gotten this Papal Token so easily. A Soul Douluo's Papal Token would not be easy to steal, but could I not take one from a Level 29 Grand Soul Master?"

"Qinghe, you can rest easy now, right?"

Seeing that Duan Yu had already made up his mind and knowing that no amount of persuasion would help, Xue Qinghe turned her head away. "Do as you please. Go wherever you want. If you accidentally die out there..."

"For the sake of our long acquaintance, this Crown Prince will collect your corpse when the time comes."

Duan Yu smiled slightly and imitated the manner of the Heaven Dou Empire's court officials, bowing deeply. "Then this commoner thanks Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Go, go, get as far away as you can. It would be best if you never came back for the rest of your life," Xue Qinghe said irritably.

Duan Yu smiled faintly without speaking and looked at her.

Xue Qinghe sensed his gaze beside her but did not turn around, simply allowing him to look.

The two remained at an impasse for a while. Then Duan Yu's lips curved upward slightly as he said softly, "Qinghe, don't worry. I'll return safely."

With that, Duan Yu turned and left.

Only some time after Duan Yu had gone did Xue Qinghe turn around. Looking at his retreating figure, she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.

Stingfish and Snake Spear exchanged a glance, then stepped forward. "Young Master, should our plan proceed as arranged, or should we make adjustments and hasten Xue Ye's death?"

"Make that old thing hurry up and die."

Xue Qinghe's gaze turned icy as she looked toward Emperor Xue Ye's towering palace in the distance. "His existence affects far too many people. A peaceful death is the final destination he deserves."

It was the first time Stingfish and Snake Spear had seen such an expression on their young master's face. They stood stunned for a moment before lowering their heads. "Yes."

"You may leave. I want to be alone for a while."

Snake Spear and Stingfish looked at each other. After hesitating briefly, neither withdrew.

"What?"

Xue Qinghe asked coldly, "Is there anything else?"

Seeing the increasingly cold look in his young master's eyes lately, Snake Spear forced himself to ask, "Forgive this subordinate's boldness, Young Master, but did you alter the plan for the greater good, or because you had developed some personal feelings and made this decision for that boy?"

After Snake Spear's words fell, the entire palace sank into silence.

Xue Qinghe stared at him icily. "As long as our goal can be achieved, what difference is there between the two?"

"Of course there is a difference."

Snake Spear said gravely, "If Young Master acted for the greater good, then even if one day the empire's great cause and personal feelings must be weighed against each other, I believe Young Master would make the correct choice."

"But if Young Master moved the plan forward because of that boy, this subordinate fears that boy may one day bring harm to Young Master."

Xue Qinghe looked at him, her eyes narrowing.

After a long while.

"Heh."

Xue Qinghe sneered, fixing him with a sharp gaze. "Snake Spear, Grandfather sent you here to protect me. He did not tell you to meddle in my affairs."

Boom!

Xue Qinghe's words startled both Snake Spear and Stingfish. They dropped to one knee, yet even while kneeling, Snake Spear remained firm.

"Young Master, even so, for Young Master's safety and the empire's great cause, this subordinate must ask about this matter no matter what."

Xue Qinghe looked at the solemn Snake Spear, fell silent for a moment, then waved her hand.

"Withdraw. I know what I'm doing. You need not concern yourselves with it."

This time, after leaving Xue Qinghe's palace, Duan Yu did not know whether it was because of where he had come from, but he unusually did not use spatial teleportation. Instead, he walked down the streets one step at a time.

His pace was slow but steady. No matter how bustling the streets became, no passerby could bump into him.

"Kid, are you going to kill someone again?"

Within the Spiritual Sea, Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid looked at Duan Yu, whose steps were steady and expression calm, and asked.

Others might not be able to tell, but after spending this period of time with the kid, he had more or less figured out Duan Yu's temperament. The calmer he was, the steadier his hand would be when he started cutting people down later. There would not be the slightest hesitation.

Hadn't this fellow cut down Xue Beng on this very street last time? He should not be going to kill someone again this time, right?

He did not want to keep running around with the kid every day, living a life where they were either provoking enemies or being provoked by them.

"Don't worry. I'm not fond of killing."

Before Seven-Leaf Spatial Orchid could react, Duan Yu walked directly toward a bookstore.

Duan Yu entered and casually glanced around. Everywhere he looked was filled with old books that had been sitting around for years.

He did not mind. He beckoned to the clerk and asked in a lowered voice, "Do you have Story of the Stone here?"

The clerk's face changed slightly at once. In an extremely low voice, he replied, "The stone chunks are sold out. We still have a few copies of Dream of the Red Chamber. Would you like one, sir?"

"Words of absurdity fill every page. Dream of the Red Chamber will do. Bring it to me."

"This way, sir."

As he spoke, the clerk openly opened a hidden door to one side in front of Duan Yu and led him inside.

The moment Duan Yu entered, a figure in red appeared at the end of the secret passage. It seemed she had been waiting for him there all along.

When Duan Yu entered, the woman in red took out a letter and respectfully said, "Young Master, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect has already fallen into chaos. Yu Yuanzhen has begun thoroughly investigating traitors within the sect."

Duan Yu accepted the letter, roughly glanced over its contents, then held it over the candle flame and burned it. "Red Leaf."

"At your command," the woman in red replied respectfully.

"Proceed according to the original plan. In three days, I want snow to fall in the sixth month over Heaven Dou City, with snowflakes blanketing the streets of Heaven Dou City."

"The world has been peaceful for too long. It is time to make it lively."