Soul Douluo Sirius!

She wondered to herself, Could it be that Grandpa had been in contact with Golden Crocodile Douluo, and that was why he sent someone to help me?

And as Golden Crocodile Douluo's subordinate, Sirius naturally knew Chen Xuanqing as well.

At that thought, the doubts in Qian Renxue's heart gradually faded.

Then curiosity flickered in Chen Xuanqing's eyes. He looked at Sirius and said with some surprise, "I never expected you to break through to Soul Douluo, Sirius. Your cultivation these past two years has certainly borne fruit! But I'm curious. Why did you come to the Heaven Dou Empire and help her with her undercover mission?"

At his words, a proud smile appeared on Sirius's face. Then he said softly, "It's all thanks to you, Young Master. The Longevity-Extending Pill you bestowed on me made me feel more than ten years younger. My master has been cultivating in seclusion, pondering the mysteries of reaching level one hundred and becoming a god, so I couldn't afford to slack off either. I cultivated every day without fail. I never expected to make such a breakthrough in my twilight years and become a Soul Douluo."

He paused, then continued, "Recently, I had nothing to occupy me. I heard the Heaven Dou Empire needed some powerful fighters whose faces weren't familiar, so I came. While I'm here, I can also help Her Highness keep that Poison Douluo in check, so he doesn't get too arrogant."

Chen Xuanqing burst into laughter and patted Sirius on the shoulder. "Good. With you here, I can rest much easier. I happen to be heading to Heaven Dou City myself, so we can travel together."

As he spoke, he turned toward the three women beside him and introduced them to Sirius. "They're all with me. You don't need to worry."

Sirius swept his gaze over the three women, forcing a faint smile onto his stiff face by way of greeting.

The five of them then set off together, continuing toward Heaven Dou City.

Before long, they left the Star Dou Great Forest and reached a camp on its outermost fringe.

The Heaven Dou Empire's soldiers were stationed within the camp in orderly ranks, their discipline strict.

Seeing Qian Renxue return, the soldiers immediately dropped to their knees in unison and cried out together, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Congratulations on becoming a Soul Ancestor!"

Listening to the soldiers' cheers, Qian Renxue could not help smiling proudly.

She gave Chen Xuanqing a challenging look, as though showing off the loyal, powerful army she had built with her own hands.

Chen Xuanqing merely smiled calmly without saying anything. He stood quietly to one side, observing everything around him.

He had to admit that, as the crown prince's personal troops, these soldiers displayed an impressively vigorous spirit.

Yet compared with a true army of tigers and wolves, they still fell far short.

Just then, a middle-aged man and two young men who looked quite alike strode over. They approached Qian Renxue, bowed, and called out in ringing voices, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Qian Renxue nodded slightly and gestured toward Chen Xuanqing as she made the introductions. "These are Long Shihu, Zhang Zuoxiang, and Zhang Youxiang, the commanders of my personal troops. This is Chen Xuanqing, the Holy Son of Spirit Hall. He saved my life in the Star Dou Great Forest. However, he has a peculiar fondness for men, so you should be careful."

Hearing Qian Renxue's words, Chen Xuanqing did not know whether to laugh or cry.

This little wench actually took it seriously and is going around telling everyone I like men.

Chen Xuanqing shook his head helplessly, laughing bitterly to himself.

After hearing Qian Renxue's words, the three commanders exchanged looks. They unconsciously stepped back a few paces, putting some distance between themselves and Chen Xuanqing.

"It's been a tiring day. I'm going to take a bath," Qian Renxue said, turning to leave.

Seeing this, Chen Xuanqing was just about to follow when the three commanders blocked his way.

Long Shihu, the oldest commander, said coldly, "His Highness the Crown Prince is of royal blood and holds an exalted position. Don't you dare harbor any improper intentions."

Chen Xuanqing was speechless. He rolled his eyes and snapped, "To hell with you and your ancestors' tablets. You're imagining far too much."

Just then, Sirius walked over and took Chen Xuanqing's hand with a smile. "Your Highness the Holy Son, why not come to my tent for a chat?"

Chen Xuanqing nodded and brought Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Meng Yiran with him to Sirius's tent.

Sirius received them warmly, serving them tea himself.

Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Meng Yiran were all a little nervous as they accepted their cups.

After all, this was the first time they had ever had a Soul Douluo personally serve them tea.

They held their cups gingerly, afraid of committing any breach of etiquette.

Chen Xuanqing took a light sip of tea. Its delicate fragrance lingered on his tongue, carrying a hint of cool serenity.

Then Chen Xuanqing asked slowly, "What exactly is the situation in the Heaven Dou Empire? Our princess has been undercover there for over a decade. What has she actually accomplished?"

A complicated expression flashed across Sirius's face.

He shook his head and said gravely, "Quite a few ministers at court have faith in the crown prince. However, Emperor Xue Ye remains hale and hearty, so Her Highness has yet to achieve anything significant."

After a pause, Sirius added in a low voice, "Still, Her Highness is ruthless. Of Emperor Xue Ye's sons, all but that good-for-nothing Prince Xue Beng have been quietly disposed of by her."

At this point, a trace of disdain appeared on Sirius's face.

He said quietly, "Prince Xue Beng is nothing but a wine sack and rice bag. He'll never amount to anything. But Emperor Xue Ye is no ordinary man, either. His suspicions of Her Highness have been growing by the day. Of the crown prince's three guard commanders, Zhang Zuoxiang and Zhang Youxiang are both Emperor Xue Ye's trusted men. As for Long Shihu, he is unfathomable. We still can't tell where he stands."

Chen Xuanqing listened quietly to Sirius's account, but a cold sneer rose within him.

Poisoning several princes to death was ruthless, certainly, but it was also far too clumsy.

If Emperor Xue Ye truly grew suspicious, he could simply choose someone else of royal blood as crown prince. After all, how could he casually hand his ancestors' legacy over to another?

Moreover, poisoning princes was an underhanded tactic that could never withstand scrutiny. It would only make people more suspicious of her motives.

Chen Xuanqing shook his head and said to Sirius, "Her Highness's approach is far too direct and impulsive. In a struggle within the palace, you must either rely on your own strength to defeat your opponents openly and honorably, crushing them beneath overwhelming momentum, or lay your plans cleverly from behind the scenes and borrow someone else's hand to eliminate them."

"Who does what she did, poisoning her rivals outright, and even killing several in succession? Isn't that like trying to hide something only to make it more conspicuous, giving Emperor Xue Ye even more reason to suspect her?"