Liu Erlong stood beside them.
She looked at the long braid beside Qian Renxue's shoulder, then touched her own jade hairpin.
"If you like, Young Mistress, I can also comb your hair for you."
"You braided it quite well last time, too."
Qian Renxue linked her arm through her grandfather's.
"But today, I want Grandpa to do it."
The three left the imperial palace.
Guards knelt in salute all along the way.
Qian Renxue did not take a carriage.
After she changed out of her imperial robes, the ordinary people on the streets did not recognize the new Heaven Dou Emperor.
Several Spirit Hall Soul Masters followed far behind.
They neither approached nor cleared the pedestrians from the road.
Qian Renxue looked at the shops on either side of the street.
"This place hasn't changed much since I left."
"A change of emperor won't transform a city overnight."
Qian Daoliu walked forward.
"What you change in the future is for you to decide."
Qian Renxue looked toward a grain shop nearby.
A wooden board listing prices hung outside.
She committed the numbers on it to memory.
"The northern Heaven Dou Empire had a poor harvest this year."
"The ministers asked me to raise grain prices and bring in grain from the south."
"How did you handle it?"
"I didn't agree to raise grain prices."
Qian Renxue said, "The imperial granaries still have reserves."
"Send the grain to the northern cities first."
"Once winter has passed, calculate the losses again."
Qian Daoliu nodded.
"You handled it well."
A bright gleam appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes.
She hugged her grandfather's arm tighter.
"You rarely praise me like that, Grandpa."
"I only said you handled this matter well."
"That's still praise."
The three walked down the long street.
Suddenly, the clatter of tables and chairs falling came from ahead.
Several passersby backed away from the entrance of a tavern.
A fat man stood in the middle of the street.
His short red hair clung messily to his forehead.
His face bore signs of drunkenness.
He held the wrist of a woman in a coarse cloth dress.
A bamboo flower basket lay overturned beside them.
Flowers lay scattered across the ground.
The woman tried to pull her arm free.
"Let go of me!"
Ma Hongjun did not release her.
He stepped closer.
"Have a drink with me."
"Once we're done, I'll let you go, of course."
The woman raised her other hand and swung at his face.
Ma Hongjun caught her wrist.
"You've got quite a temper."
"Do you know who I am?"
The surrounding townspeople did not step forward.
They had already seen the Soul Master badge hanging at Ma Hongjun's waist.
He was a Soul Elder.
Ordinary people could not possibly stop him.
The woman struggled hard.
"I don't know you!"
"And I don't want to drink with you!"
Ma Hongjun pulled her in front of him.
"You don't know me now, but you will in a little while."
A streak of golden divine light swept over from the other end of the street.
Ma Hongjun's right hand, which held the woman, was severed on the spot.
Blood splashed onto the paving stones.
Freed from his grip, the woman immediately backed away.
She looked at the hand on the ground, her face pale.
Ma Hongjun froze for a moment.
Then excruciating pain struck.
Clutching his severed wrist, he turned toward the direction the divine light had come from.
Qian Daoliu stood in the middle of the street.
His Golden Robe swayed gently with his steps.
Qian Renxue held his arm.
Liu Erlong followed on his other side.
Once Ma Hongjun saw that face clearly, his drunkenness vanished at once.
He had once seen Qian Daoliu near the hotel in the south of the city.
Zhao Wuji had died there.
Flender had died there, too.
Ning Rongrong was still imprisoned in that hotel even now.
The news that came afterward had shaken all of Heaven Dou City even more.
Sword Douluo had died beneath a single finger from Qian Daoliu.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had also been destroyed.
Ma Hongjun took a step back.
"It's you..."
Qian Daoliu ignored him.
He looked at the woman in the coarse cloth dress.
"Leave this place."
The woman clutched her reddened wrist.
She bent down to pick up her bamboo basket, then hurried into the crowd beside her.
Ma Hongjun turned to leave.
He had only taken two steps.
A streak of golden divine light had already landed in front of him.
A bottomless gash appeared in the paving stones.
Ma Hongjun stopped in his tracks.
Sweat kept dripping from his forehead.
"Senior."
"I just drank too much."
"I didn't hurt her."
Qian Daoliu looked at the severed hand on the ground.
"You didn't hurt her?"
Ma Hongjun's face grew even paler.
"I can compensate her."
"However many Gold Soul Coins she wants, I can give them to her."
"I won't do anything like this again."
Qian Daoliu took a step forward.
Ma Hongjun immediately retreated.
The evil fire phoenix martial soul within him released itself.
Two yellow, one purple.
Three soul rings rose from beneath his feet.
Scarlet flames covered his entire body.
Ma Hongjun did not attack.
The moment his phoenix wings formed, he turned and charged toward the other end of the street.
Qian Daoliu raised a finger.
A speck of golden light flew from his fingertip.
The flaming wings on Ma Hongjun's back shattered instantly.
Sacred power pierced his left leg.
Blood spurted from behind his knee.
Ma Hongjun lost his balance.
He fell flat and rolled several yards across the paving stones.
The pedestrians along the street scattered.
No one dared block his escape route.
Ma Hongjun braced himself against the ground with his remaining right hand.
He climbed back up.
His injured left leg could no longer bear weight.
The evil fire phoenix martial soul flickered incessantly behind him.
Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth.
His first soul ring lit up.
"Phoenix Fire Line!"
Scarlet flames spewed backward.
Using the thrust from the flames, he fled forward again.
Qian Daoliu did not quicken his pace.
He continued forward with Qian Renxue.
Several dozen yards separated the two men.
Every time Ma Hongjun looked back, he could see that white-haired figure.
The distance between them did not shrink.
Nor did it grow.
Qian Daoliu did not kill him immediately.
Ma Hongjun already understood this.
The other man wanted him to feel clearly that death was right behind him.
Dragging his injured left leg, he rushed into an alley.
The buildings on either side blocked his view of what lay behind.
Ma Hongjun was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.
Golden divine light descended from above the alley.
Boom!
The wall ahead collapsed on the spot.
A mass of rubble blocked the way.
Ma Hongjun turned and charged toward another fork.
Qian Daoliu was already standing there.
Not a speck of dust had stained his Golden Robe.
Qian Renxue still held her grandfather's arm.
She looked at Ma Hongjun, whose face was covered in sweat.
"Keep running."
Ma Hongjun looked at Qian Renxue.
Angel Runes between her brows.
Long golden hair.
The Angel Holy Sword hanging at her waist.
He quickly recognized her.
The new Heaven Dou Emperor.
The young master of Spirit Hall.
Ma Hongjun's legs went weak.
He dropped to his knees.
"Your Majesty!"
"I know I was wrong!"
"Please spare me this once, Your Majesty!"
"I can apologize to that person!"
Qian Renxue did not respond.
Ma Hongjun turned to Qian Daoliu.
He pressed his right hand against the ground.
His forehead struck the paving stones again and again.
"Senior!"
"Teacher Zhao and the dean attacking you had nothing to do with me!"
"I wasn't the one who imprisoned Ning Rongrong, either!"
"I never thought of taking revenge on you!"
Qian Daoliu stopped before him.
"What do they have to do with you harassing an ordinary woman?"
Ma Hongjun raised his head.
"I'm willing to pay compensation!"
"I can hand over all my Gold Soul Coins!"
"Please spare my life!"
Qian Daoliu looked at him.
"You were just relying on your status as a Soul Master to bully ordinary people."
"Now that you've met someone stronger than you, you kneel and beg for mercy."
"Do you think that will let you live?"
All color drained from Ma Hongjun's face.
His third Soul Ring lit up.
"Phoenix Wings Soaring!"
Crimson flames erupted once more.
Ma Hongjun leaped up from the ground.
He smashed through a wooden window beside the alley and charged into a house.
The sound of furniture toppling came from inside.
Immediately afterward.
The back door was smashed open.
Dragging his injured leg, Ma Hongjun ran into another street.
Liu Erlong watched his retreating figure.
"He came from Shrek Academy."
"His Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul isn't stable."
"Flender often used to take him to find women to suppress his Evil Fire."
Qian Daoliu said, "A flaw in his Martial Soul is no excuse for abusing ordinary people."
Qian Renxue released her grandfather's arm.
She raised her slender hand.
The Angel Holy Sword at her waist slid out of its sheath on its own.
The Golden Longsword fell into her palm.
"Grandpa, let me."
"Since Slaughter City, I haven't truly controlled my own power."
Qian Daoliu looked at her.
"Don't damage the surrounding houses."
"All right."
Qian Renxue took a step forward.
Golden Soul Power flowed into her legs.
Her figure vanished from the spot.
Ma Hongjun had just rushed out of the long street.
A figure in white had already landed before him.
Qian Renxue's long golden braid swung up behind her shoulder.
The Angel Holy Sword lay across her side.
Ma Hongjun tried to stop.
But his injured left leg could not support his body.
He fell to the ground again.
Qian Renxue looked down at him.
"Keep running."
Ma Hongjun propped himself up on his elbows.
"Your Majesty."
"I really know I was wrong."
"I'm willing to enter a Heaven Dou Empire prison."
"You can lock me up for the rest of my life."
The Angel Holy Sword in Qian Renxue's hand slowly rose.
"You don't know you were wrong."
"You're just afraid of dying."
Ma Hongjun immediately unleashed his Evil Fire Phoenix.
Crimson flames burst from his body.
He poured all his remaining Soul Power into his third Soul Ring.
An enormous blaze spread in every direction.
The wooden window frames on both sides of the street rapidly blackened.
The Angel Runes between Qian Renxue's brows lit up.
Golden Soul Power covered the sword's edge.
She slashed forward.
The flames split down the middle.
Golden Sword Light passed through the Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul.
Ma Hongjun's body froze in place.
A line of blood extended down from between his brows.
The Evil Fire Phoenix dissipated.
All three Soul Rings shattered.
Ma Hongjun opened his mouth.
He still wanted to beg for mercy.
But his body was already falling to either side.
Blood slowly flowed along the gaps between the paving stones.
Qian Renxue sheathed her sword.
She glanced around.
The street and houses had suffered no damage.
Only a faint sword mark had appeared beneath Ma Hongjun's feet.
Qian Daoliu came to her side.
"Your control of your power was passable."
Qian Renxue lifted her face.
"Just passable?"
"Your sword light was half an inch off."
Qian Daoliu raised a hand and pointed at the paving stones behind Ma Hongjun.
"If you'd moved another half inch to the left, you wouldn't have left that mark."
Qian Renxue followed the direction he pointed.
She carefully committed the sword mark's position to memory.
"I'll pay attention next time."
Qian Daoliu raised his hand and smoothed the strands of her hair that the airflow had tousled.
"Your Divine Slaughter's Domain didn't go out of control."
"It was more stable this time than when you were in Slaughter City."
A smile appeared on Qian Renxue's face.
She linked her arm through her grandfather's again.
"Now that's real praise."
Liu Erlong walked over to them.
She glanced back at Ma Hongjun's corpse.
"Only Yu Xiaogang and a few students remain at Shrek Academy."
"Ma Hongjun is dead, too."
Qian Daoliu did not turn around.
"That was his choice."
Several Soul Masters from Spirit Hall hurried over from a distance.
They stopped beside the corpse and awaited orders.
Qian Renxue looked at one of them.
"Clean this up."
"Find that flower seller from earlier."
"Take a hundred Gold Soul Coins from my private treasury and give them to her."
The Soul Master immediately bowed.
"As you command."
The three continued down the street.
Qian Renxue saw a few flowers still scattered by the roadside.
She bent down and picked up a small white flower.
Its petals were undamaged.
Only its stem had a little dust on it.
Qian Renxue cleaned it with her Soul Power.
She raised her hand and tucked the white flower into Liu Erlong's coiled black hair.
Liu Erlong froze slightly.
"Young master?"
Qian Renxue glanced back.
The white flower sat beside the jade hairpin.
The black and white set each other off, making Liu Erlong's features even more striking.
"It suits you."
Liu Erlong raised a hand and touched a petal.
"Thank you, young master."
Qian Renxue picked up another small flower, this one golden.
She handed the flower to Qian Daoliu.
"Grandpa, put it on for me."
Qian Daoliu took the flower.
He placed the small golden flower beside Qian Renxue's ear.
Its soft petals rested against her golden hair.
Qian Renxue raised her hand and touched it.
"Does it look pretty?"
"It does."
She hugged her grandfather's arm in satisfaction.
Her long white dress swayed gently with her steps.
"Grandpa, let's go back to the palace."
"I still have memorials to review."
"I'll practice Divine Slaughter's Domain in the afternoon."
Qian Daoliu looked at her.
"Have lunch first."
Qian Renxue nodded.
"I'll cook today."
"What can you cook?"
"Steamed fish."
"The skin broke last time."
"It won't this time."
Qian Renxue said earnestly, "I've already had the imperial chef teach me."
Liu Erlong followed beside them.
"Young Mistress, I can help."
"You're only responsible for preparing the ingredients."
Qian Renxue glanced at her.
"I'll handle the fish myself."
"All right."
The three figures gradually left the long street.
The little golden flower was still tucked beside Qian Renxue's ear.
She held her grandfather's arm the whole way and did not let go again.
Heaven Dou City.
The former site of Shrek Academy.
Ma Hongjun's body had already been taken away by Spirit Hall's Soul Masters.
The street fell quiet again.
Yu Xiaogang stood before the academy gates, looking at the wreckage strewn across the ground, his expression extremely grim.
Flender was dead.
Zhao Wuji was dead.
Ma Hongjun was dead too.
Only he and a few students remained of Shrek Academy.
But Qian Daoliu had not stopped.
After the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's destruction, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would not be safe either.
Yu Xiaogang knew this very well.
He turned and walked away.
"I'm going back to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
A Spirit Hall Soul Master blocked his path.
"Yu Xiaogang, the Great Enshrined has not given you permission to leave."
Yu Xiaogang stopped.
"I'm a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
"What's wrong with me going back to my own clan?"
The Spirit Hall Soul Master did not answer, merely raising his hand to signal the companions behind him.
Yu Xiaogang's expression immediately changed.
He turned to leave.
Before he had taken three steps, golden divine light descended before him.
Space parted with it.
Qian Daoliu stepped out of the passage.
Qian Renxue held his arm, while Liu Erlong stood behind them.
Yu Xiaogang looked at the White-Haired Man before him and froze in place.
"Qian Daoliu."
"Where are you taking me?"
Qian Daoliu looked at him.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
Yu Xiaogang's heart sank.
"You're going to attack the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
"They refused to submit."
"I can apologize to you on behalf of the clan."
Yu Xiaogang took a step forward.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is different from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"The clan's legacy spans hundreds of years, and there are still Soul Douluos and Soul Saints within it."
"As long as you're willing to give them time, I can persuade them to submit."
Before you continue