Qian Renxue nodded lightly and continued, "That woman has always wanted to unite the Douluo Continent, so naturally, she would be interested in any force that could strengthen her. Your Big Dipper Divine Guard Army is undoubtedly a juicy piece of meat in her eyes."
Chen Xuanqing sneered inwardly at her words. Bibi Dong's ambitions went far beyond that.
What she wanted was dominion over the entire Douluo Continent. She wanted to become a god, and perhaps there was a trace of revenge against Qian Xunji in it as well.
Qian Renxue suddenly looked at Chen Xuanqing curiously and asked, "Where are you going next, then? Back to Spirit Hall to visit your teacher?"
Chen Xuanqing shook his head lightly, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "That old man only cares about reaching level one hundred and becoming a god. He spends all his time cultivating in seclusion. What good would going back do? I might as well travel around and broaden my horizons."
Qian Renxue couldn't help laughing at that. She teased him, "Your little sweetheart Hu Liena, along with Xie Yue and Yan, is known as part of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation. Aren't you afraid she'll overtake you and leave you behind?"
At those words, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Meng Yiran, who had been listening quietly nearby, immediately caught the crucial piece of information.
They were secretly startled. No wonder something had felt off about the earlier conversation-there was another rival.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, then walked over to Chen Xuanqing in unspoken agreement. Each clung to one of his arms, pinning him between them.
Meng Yiran, meanwhile, asked in a voice on the verge of tears, "Brother Xuanqing, who is this Hu Liena? Is she... is she very pretty? Do you like her?"
The faint unease and jealousy in her voice could not help but move Chen Xuanqing.
Seeing their reactions, Chen Xuanqing hurriedly explained, "Hu Liena is indeed my childhood sweetheart. We grew up together. She's also Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, with a very distinguished status. As for me, although I have some talent, Spirit Hall hasn't formally named me its Holy Son, so for now, we don't have the kind of relationship you're imagining."
Of course, Chen Xuanqing said nothing about whether they might have that kind of relationship in the future.
Although his explanation was vague, the three girls seemed to hear something between the lines.
They secretly rejoiced. Apparently, Brother Xuanqing hadn't been bewitched by Hu Liena. At the same time, they grew even more trusting of and dependent on him.
Only after seeing that the three girls had set their doubts aside did Chen Xuanqing continue, "We're heading to Heaven Dou City next. Why don't we travel with you? We can look out for each other along the way."
Suddenly, Qian Renxue's expression turned exceptionally cold.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice carrying an unquestionable authority. "I am Xue Qinghe, crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, while you are the prized disciple of Spirit Hall's Level 99 Limit Douluo. If we openly travel together, wouldn't we practically be announcing my true identity?"
Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Meng Yiran stood nearby, completely lost.
They had known nothing about Qian Renxue's identity to begin with. Now, hearing that she belonged to Spirit Hall yet also had such deep ties to the Heaven Dou Empire sent ripples through their hearts.
The three girls exchanged glances, their eyes full of bewilderment and confusion, as though their presence here was rather unnecessary.
Chen Xuanqing smiled bitterly to himself at the sight. Knowing Qian Renxue's temperament well, he understood that prolonging the standoff would only backfire.
He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Qian Renxue, you've been undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire for so many years. I have to say, you and your mother really are lacking when it comes to palace intrigue."
Qian Renxue's expression darkened further. She hadn't expected the accomplishments of her decades undercover to be treated as though they were worthless.
She bit her lower lip, seemingly struggling to suppress her anger.
Seeing this, Chen Xuanqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "But I have an idea. We can make up a story. We'll say that Xue Qinghe, crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, ran into danger while hunting Soul Beasts and happened to be rescued by me, Spirit Hall's Holy Son."
"Although we're on opposing sides, I fell in love with you at first sight and insisted on following you. What do you think? I'm even throwing away my own reputation for this."
As he spoke, Chen Xuanqing deliberately raised his eyebrows and gave Qian Renxue a questioning look.
A wave of revulsion swept through Qian Renxue, but after thinking it over carefully, she could see no better option at present.
She weighed the pros and cons, then finally nodded. "Fine, we'll do as you say. Let's travel together for now!"
And so, this unusual party consisting of the Heaven Dou Empire's crown prince, Spirit Hall's Holy Son, and three beautiful girls set out together toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Along the winding path, Meng Yiran's curiosity drove her to ask Chen Xuanqing, "Brother Xuanqing, Miss Qian Renxue is both a member of Spirit Hall and the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. Isn't that a contradiction?"
A sly smile appeared on Chen Xuanqing's face. He explained, "The Heaven Dou Empire's crown prince wasn't originally Miss Qian Renxue. When she was young, she killed the real crown prince, then used the power of a Head Soul Bone to disguise herself as him. She's maintained that disguise for over a decade."
"On the surface, she's the Heaven Dou Empire's future heir, but in reality, she's an important figure in Spirit Hall. Such a double identity really is quite astonishing."
As though that hadn't been satisfying enough, Chen Xuanqing deliberately lowered his voice and added fuel to the fire. "So don't be fooled by her beautiful appearance. She's actually already an old maid in her twenties. Not just anyone gets to learn a secret like this."
Yet the moment Chen Xuanqing finished speaking, a chilling streak of sword energy suddenly shot toward him.
A longsword skimmed past Chen Xuanqing's body and embedded itself precisely in the tree trunk behind him.
Qian Renxue's face was cold as frost, and anger edged her voice. "Chen Xuanqing, if you don't want to talk, then shut your mouth! No one will mistake you for a mute!"
The atmosphere around them instantly grew tense.
Unexpectedly, however, after hearing Chen Xuanqing's words, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Meng Yiran felt no hostility toward Qian Renxue. Instead, they felt sympathy for her.
They stepped forward one after another and softly comforted Qian Renxue.
Meng Yiran said gently, "Sister Renxue, don't be angry. Brother Xuanqing is just like that. He likes to joke around."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded in agreement. "That's right, Sister Renxue. We can understand your pain to some extent."
Xiao Wu, meanwhile, walked with her head lowered without saying a word. Clearly, asking her to comfort her own enemy was out of the question.
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