"By His Majesty's grace, and with your support, I was granted this royal title."
"I did indeed accept it."
"But it wasn't for power."
"Nor was it to... scheme and struggle in the imperial court."
His gaze grew distant.
"The continent is vast, and I've only set foot in a handful of places."
"My strength... is still far from enough."
Xue Qinghe gently swirled the wine in his cup.
He fell silent for a moment.
"I thought you were willing to stay in Heaven Dou this time."
"It seems... I was mistaken after all."
"That makes sense."
"With your current strength... you're already far above me."
"If you go out and train again... I truly can't imagine how powerful you'll become."
Xue Qinghe looked at Lin Ye again, his gaze deepening.
"Where... do you intend to train?"
Lin Ye looked toward the southern night sky beyond the hall.
"The southernmost reaches of the continent."
"My intuition tells me."
"Over there... there should be something I need."
Xue Qinghe nodded, seemingly unsurprised by this answer.
"The south..."
"That land is indeed full of the unknown."
"In that case..."
Xue Qinghe raised his wine cup.
"May your journey be smooth, and may you return soon."
Lin Ye raised his cup as well.
"Thank you for your kind wishes, Your Highness."
They gently clinked cups and drained their wine, bidding each other farewell for now.
Lin Ye set down his cup.
"Your Highness, I shall take my leave."
Xue Qinghe sat alone in the seat of honor, watching Lin Ye's retreating figure disappear through the hall's doorway.
Then the gentle smile on his face swiftly faded like melting ice and snow, leaving only icy coldness.
He beckoned lightly toward the shadows in a corner of the empty hall.
A shadow slipped out without