Inside the great hall.
Faced with Xue Qinghe's question, Porcupinefish Douluo froze for a moment.
"Young Master..."
He spoke softly, but Xue Qinghe interrupted him before he could finish.
Then Xue Qinghe said, "Elder, there's no need to comfort me. I'm no longer a child. Qin Xiao has been in close contact with me. Given his strength, there's a good chance he discovered my identity."
"Young Master, I was incompetent. I failed to protect you!"
"I failed to save you at the critical moment. Otherwise, your identity would never have been put at risk of exposure."
At those words, Porcupinefish Douluo's heart trembled, and he hurriedly admitted his fault.
"There's no need for that, Elder. What happened wasn't your fault. I wasn't blaming you."
"Besides, you were right not to intervene. Even if Qin Xiao discovered my identity, I'm still Heaven Dou's emperor. If you had acted and exposed our identities, we would be facing an entirely different situation. This was a blessing amid misfortune."
Xue Qinghe shook his head and continued, "But I'm truly curious. Just what does Qin Xiao want to do?"
After hearing Xue Qinghe's words, worry appeared on Porcupinefish Douluo's face as well. "Young Master, we must never lower our guard against others. Could Qin Xiao be planning to use this matter to coerce you?"
As his voice faded, the great hall fell silent.
A long time passed.
A resolute gleam flashed through Xue Qinghe's eyes. "No, I can't just sit here and wait for death. Rather than speculate here, I might as well lay my cards on the table with Qin Xiao and see what he really wants. I, Qian Renxue, am not someone who lets others slaughter her at will."
"Lay your cards on the table?"
A cold gleam flashed through Porcupinefish Douluo's eyes.