The Early Destruction

Heaven Dou Imperial City, Eastern Palace of the Crown Prince.

Xue Qinghe held a quill, twirling it between his fingers.

He quickly finished reviewing a memorial.

Xue Qinghe placed the approved memorial on the eastern desk.

As time passed.

The memorials piled on the eastern desk grew increasingly numerous, while those stacked on the western desk steadily dwindled.

As a gust of wind rose.

The candle flame on the desk began to flicker slightly.

Illuminated by the candlelight, Xue Qinghe's face shifted between light and shadow.

Just as the flame was about to go out.

Without lifting his head, Xue Qinghe said softly, "Come in."

"The entire Eastern Palace is filled with our own people now."

"You can come straight in!"

As his words fell, a streak of purple-black light.

Shot in through the doorway.

The light halted, revealing Blood Thorn.

Blood Thorn dropped to one knee and said respectfully:

"Your Highness, I have returned!"

Xue Qinghe continued holding his pen, not raising his head as he wrote at the desk.

"Why have you returned?!"

"Didn't I tell you to stay there, keep an eye on Dugu Yan, and protect Qingkong?"

Blood Thorn lowered his head.

"Reporting to Your Highness, I came to deliver some information. It concerns Qingkong, and it also concerns you."

"Oh?! Get up and tell me."

Blood Thorn rose and told Xue Qinghe that Wu Qingkong was preparing to give him a gift.

After hearing this, Xue Qinghe put down the quill in his hand.

At some point, a smile had bloomed across his face.

In an instant, endless tenderness filled his eyes.

Xue Qinghe lowered his head and could not help laughing as he scolded, "That idiot. If he was going to give me a gift, why didn't he tell me sooner? If he had told me sooner, I could have been happy for a little longer!"

"He really does... he really treats me like a brother..."

Though Xue Qinghe still possessed a man's body at this moment.

If someone had dared to step forward.

And remove the mask from his face, they would have discovered that the face hidden beneath it had become the most breathtaking sight in the world.

Blood Thorn had followed Xue Qinghe for more than ten years, yet he had never seen his young mistress display such tenderness.

Out of goodwill, he still reminded her, "Your Highness, forgive your subordinate for speaking out of turn."

"Young Master Qingkong used the ring you gave him, along with all the money he had saved over the years, to annul the engagement."

"This trip to annul the engagement emptied Young Master Qingkong's entire fortune."

"In this subordinate's view, Young Master Qingkong probably cannot give you anything particularly valuable this time."

"Please be mentally prepared, Your Highness, lest greater expectations lead to greater disappointment."

After hearing this, the tenderness in Xue Qinghe's eyes did not lessen in the slightest.

Instead, she asked with a smiling face, "Blood Thorn, what do you think I lack?!"

Blood Thorn fell into thought, yet he did not speak for a long time.

Because he truly did not know what his young mistress could possibly lack!

Soul bones?!

Spirit Hall possessed a complete Angel Set!

Soul rings?!

Spirit Hall had so many elders and worshippers. So long as she wanted one, she could hunt for one whenever she wished.

Even the legendary position of a god was not some illusory thing within Spirit Hall.

So long as his young mistress maintained that terrifying talent, obtaining the legendary position of a god would not be difficult for her.

His young mistress truly seemed to lack nothing!

Seeing Blood Thorn remain silent, Xue Qinghe smiled.

"What I truly lack is a gift from Qingkong."

"So long as Qingkong gives it to me, I will like it. Even if he simply gives me a bouquet of flowers, I will already be very happy."

After saying that, Xue Qinghe opened the wooden box beside her.

A bone-chilling cold rose from within it.

With a casual gesture, a cup of milk tea appeared in Xue Qinghe's hand.

Xue Qinghe raised her head and took small sips.

With every swallow, the smile in Xue Qinghe's eyes deepened by a fraction.

After hearing Xue Qinghe's words, Blood Thorn was deeply surprised. He knew his young mistress loved deeply, but he had never imagined it ran this deep...

Blood Thorn suddenly hesitated.

He did not know whether he should continue and tell her about the conflict between Wu Qingkong and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect today.

Especially since Wu Qingkong had been injured by Yu Yuanqing and coughed up blood.

After thinking it over, Blood Thorn still swallowed the words that were about to leave his mouth.

He was afraid Xue Qinghe would worry over it.

Blood Thorn's actions did not escape Xue Qinghe's notice.

Xue Qinghe glanced at Blood Thorn.

"If you have something to say, say it directly. There is no need to hide it."

"Otherwise, when my curiosity gets the better of me later, I will send someone to investigate it myself. Not only would that waste time, it would also take effort."

"I do not want to be that bored."

Hearing this, Blood Thorn gritted his teeth and immediately recounted everything that had happened earlier in full.

Beginning with his use of the aphrodisiac Crimson Poison on Dugu Yan, then Wu Qingkong leaving the house and encountering Yu Tianheng, and finally Yu Yuanqing making his move.

Naturally, Blood Thorn did not forget to take credit for his own intervention.

Sure enough.

When Xue Qinghe heard that Blood Thorn had acted on Wu Qingkong's behalf, she immediately gave him a grateful look.

"Thank you!"

Her voice was exceptionally gentle at that moment.

Xue Qinghe slowly placed the nearly empty cup of milk tea back into the wooden box, lightly tapping the edge of the box twice with her fingertips, producing two soft knocks.

"Yu Yuanqing."

She repeated the name, her tone so calm that no emotion could be heard, as though she were merely reciting a passerby's name.

As her voice faded, Blood Thorn noticed that Xue Qinghe's tapping had stopped.

The Eastern Palace fell so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Only the occasional jingle of copper bells beneath the eaves could be heard as the night wind swept past outside.

"How are Qingkong's injuries?"

Xue Qinghe raised her head and looked at Blood Thorn.

The tenderness in her eyes had already receded, replaced by a still, abyss-like gaze whose depths could not be seen through.

Blood Thorn hurriedly replied, "He coughed up two mouthfuls of blood, but this subordinate examined him. His foundation was not damaged; the impact of his soul power merely disturbed his internal organs. Young Master Qingkong suffered no serious harm from that palm strike."

Xue Qinghe gave a soft laugh, but her voice was exceptionally cold. "Then what if Yu Yuanqing's strike had been a little heavier?!"

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. Very well, I will remember this!"

Xue Qinghe seemed to think of something and said with a playful smile:

"Do you think Qingkong's shop is poorly located in such a remote place?!"

"Should we move it somewhere else?!"

"Huh?"

Blood Thorn was somewhat surprised and did not understand what Xue Qinghe meant.

Xue Qinghe merely smiled before softly saying:

"I think the scenery at True Dragon Mountain is quite nice. If the shop were opened there, I think it would be very fitting."

"True Dragon Mountain?!"

"Isn't that the ancestral land of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect?"

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect will not agree to that."

Xue Qinghe smiled.

"Isn't that simple?! Dead people do not refuse!"

"Tell Bibi Dong that I will support her Spirit Hunt Plan. Move up the day the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect is destroyed!

"I want the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect to regret what they did today!"