Another [Me]

Turning around, he saw a young man in fine clothes standing at the doorway, looking at him with a smile.

The young man was handsome, his pale golden hair gleaming in the sunlight. A sheen of light spilled over his shoulders, rippling ever so faintly.

"Aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?"

The young man spoke with a faint smile, seemingly not meeting him for the first time.

"You're too courteous, Your Highness."

The visitor was none other than Xue Qinghe, the current crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Yet compared with how he had treated Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan earlier, Mo Lin's attitude toward Xue Qinghe was considerably colder.

There was no other reason: he was an uninvited guest.

Entering the shop, Xue Qinghe casually glanced at the Soul Tools displayed in the counter, then turned his gaze to Mo Lin beside him.

"You don't seem very pleased to see me, Brother Mo Lin. Have I interrupted your business?"

Xue Qinghe's voice remained easygoing. Given his position, he had no need to show Mo Lin any consideration.

After all, Mo Lin was currently nothing more than a commoner. Even nobles had to bow in greeting when they saw him.

Yet Mo Lin had barely reacted from the beginning until now. One could even sense a trace of impatience from him.

"You should know perfectly well whether you've interrupted me. Besides, there's no one else here, so there's no need to hide anything. Am I right, Qian Renxue?"

His words were direct, exposing her concealed identity on the spot.

As a transmigrator, he naturally knew the true identity of the person standing before him.

Of course, this was not their first encounter. More precisely, he had nearly died at her hands.

"You're as blunt as ever."

Xue Qinghe's voice changed, shifting from its original low male register to a gentle female voice.

Her appearance remained unchanged, but her voice underwent a fundamental transformation.

Clearly, this was her original voice.

"Shouldn't you be a little more magnanimous as a man? Besides, I already apologized for what happened back then and compensated you. Surely you don't expect me to give you myself as compensation too?"

A hint of helplessness colored her words. Clearly, she had no way of dealing with Mo Lin.

"Cut the chatter. What are you here for? I don't have time to chat."

Having collected all Twelve Talismans, he naturally needed to test and familiarize himself with their powers.

Besides, he had other things to do. As for keeping Qian Renxue company?

Sorry, he really had no leisure for that.

It was not that he had anything against Qian Renxue herself. He simply felt this was a waste of time.

He knew exactly what she was scheming.

Speaking of which, an accident was what had first brought him to her attention.

He had happened to stumble upon her in her female form.

To prevent her secret from leaking, she had decided to silence him.

Had it not been for the power of the Talismans, he would probably have been a pile of dry bones by now.

And it was precisely that accident that had made Qian Renxue set her sights firmly on him.

There was no helping it. Spirit Hall's tradition was to do everything possible to recruit any unaffiliated genius they encountered.

That was especially true for someone as monstrously talented as Mo Lin.

"How cold you are."

She was not angry, merely making a remark before lightly patting the counter beside her.

White light flashed, and several books appeared on the counter.

"These are the materials on Soul Tools you wanted. I had someone bring them from Spirit City."

Qian Renxue knew Mo Lin was interested in Soul Tools, so she catered to his interests, finding opportunities to bring him some from time to time.

After all, these things were of little use in her hands. She might as well give them away to earn some goodwill. That, too, counted as putting things to good use.

Glancing at the books on the counter, Mo Lin's expression softened slightly.

"What you're doing is no different from throwing meat buns to a dog. I won't join Spirit Hall. Of course, I'm not interested in what you're planning either. Just don't come looking for trouble with me."

If Spirit Hall wanted to unite the continent, then it could go ahead.

He might even lend them a hand if the opportunity arose.

After all, compared with the two great empires, Spirit Hall was a little easier on the eyes.

Of course, it might not be much better, but every little improvement counted.

He had been born into humble circumstances, so naturally, he considered the feelings of those at the bottom.

"I have plenty of meat buns. As for Spirit Hall, you can take your time considering it. I have all the time in the world."

Geniuses deserved preferential treatment, and extraordinary talents even more so.

"Suit yourself. Leave the things and go. I still have work to do."

With no intention of continuing their conversation, he directly showed her the door.

Hearing this, Qian Renxue could not help the corners of her mouth twitching.

This was her first time meeting someone like this, taking the gifts and then chasing the giver away.

Watching his retreating figure, Qian Renxue sighed helplessly.

"What a heartless man."

She did not continue pestering him. Having dealt with him for some time, she knew that was simply his nature.

Stepping out of the shop, she glanced back at the signboard hanging above its entrance, a smile curling her lips.

"Young miss, shouldn't we inform the higher-ups? I'm afraid..."

A voice rang out just then, pulling Qian Renxue from her thoughts.

"No need. I can handle this."

Her voice was quiet, yet carried a trace of unquestionable authority.

"Let's go. We've been out for a while. It's time to return."

"Oh, right." As though suddenly remembering something, Qian Renxue paused and asked, "Has that little girl from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect run away recently?"

As one of the Heaven Dou Empire's Upper Three Sects, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was naturally on Spirit Hall's list of key surveillance targets.

However powerful the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's intelligence network might be, it was still somewhat inferior to Spirit Hall's.

"Yes. She's currently in Suotuo City on the border between Heaven Dou and the Star Luo Empire, attending a school called Shrek Academy. Among them..."

The intelligence gathered was very detailed. Clearly, considerable effort had gone into it.

Every piece of information concerning Shrek had been thoroughly investigated.

"Flender, Zhao Wuji..."

She quietly repeated the two names. They did have some reputation in the Soul Master World, but they amounted to little in her eyes.

Mere Soul Saints could be destroyed with a flick of a finger.

"Right, if I remember correctly, isn't Heaven Dou Royal Academy taking some students out for practical training soon?"

"Send word over there. Have them make Suotuo City their destination."

With Ning Rongrong there, Spirit Hall could not conveniently stretch its feelers too close, or it might easily push someone into desperation.

But if Spirit Hall could not act, surely they could use another approach.

Come to think of it, she remembered Ye Lingling seemed to be among those heading out this time.

At that thought, a smile appeared on Qian Renxue's face once more.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

After seeing Qian Renxue off, Mo Lin also entered a room in the deepest part of the shop.

He closed the door, then activated the room's concealment Soul Tool, completely isolating everything within.

Only after doing all this did he take a transparent crystal from inside his clothes.

The crystal was pale blue throughout, its surface engraved with countless tiny patterns.

Light passed through those patterns, reflecting a faint golden glow.

Mo Lin held it in his hand, then poured soul power into it.

The next moment, the crystal lit up, unfolding a translucent screen before him.

A figure appeared within the screen, but that figure looked exactly like Mo Lin, as though he were looking into a mirror.

Looking at the face in the screen that was identical to his own, Mo Lin spoke calmly.

"Long time no see, another [me]."