"What's wrong, little brother? Getting impatient?"
Xue Qinghe teased without looking back.
"Uh."
Yu Tianling said nothing, merely staring somewhat speechlessly at the back of this person who might have something wrong with his head.
"We're almost there."
As though sensing Yu Tianling's gaze, Xue Qinghe returned to normal and spoke.
After that, everything returned to how it had been when they first came out. Neither spoke, one walking ahead and the other following behind.
Feeling a little bored, Yu Tianling surveyed his surroundings. Their route was growing increasingly secluded, and all around them was silence.
Had he not trusted Xue Qinghe and known his true identity, Yu Tianling would have thought this was an ambush.
"We're here."
Thump.
Xue Qinghe's androgynous voice rang out at the same time as the sound of bodies colliding.
"I'm sorry. I was a little distracted just now. I didn't know Your Highness would stop so suddenly."
Yu Tianling hurriedly stepped away, apologizing in slight fluster.
Sensing the body behind him abruptly pull away, Xue Qinghe could not help blushing faintly. In all her years, no man had ever touched her like this.
After hearing Yu Tianling's words, Xue Qinghe instantly regained his composure and said calmly, "It's fine. We're both men. What's there to worry about?"
If you really were a man, or I didn't know you were a woman, of course it would be nothing. But... Yu Tianling thought, feeling a little tickle inside.
That touch just now had been very soft, very sweet-smelling.
"Ahem, let's go. We're here."
Seeing Yu Tianling's gaze grow increasingly strange, Xue Qinghe became somewhat flustered under his scrutiny and hurriedly cleared his throat a few times, repeating himself.
"This place is...?"
Looking at the "youth" who was flusteredly avoiding his gaze, Yu Tianling could not help feeling amused. Then he went along with his words, looking at the gate before them as he asked in confusion.
Before them stood an utterly ordinary, deep-black gate. Yu Tianling truly could not understand why Xue Qinghe, the illustrious crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, would bring him here alone.
"This is where I come to clear my head in my spare time."
As he spoke, Xue Qinghe gently pushed open the gate and slowly walked inside.
Seeing this, Yu Tianling hurriedly followed.
The gate slowly closed tightly on its own.
Yu Tianling surveyed his surroundings.
It was a small courtyard, but it had a distinctive warmth to it. The entire layout could be taken in at a glance.
There was a small flower-and-tree bed to the east, a tranquil pond to the west, and three rooms to the north, without any gilded splendor or extravagant luxury.
"Wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."
Standing in the little pavilion beside the pond, Xue Qinghe left Yu Tianling with those words, then slowly walked into the main hall and disappeared from view.
What exactly is Qian Renxue up to? Could it be like those other novels, where she falls for the protagonist at first sight, and now she's gone to change into women's clothes?
The thought involuntarily surfaced in Yu Tianling's mind, but he quickly shook his head.
He was certain he had no protagonist halo. How could it be like Hu Liena falling for Tang San? Besides, Qian Renxue had spent so many years undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire. What sort of person had she not seen? There was no reason for her to fall for a little brat like him who was not even ten.
After thinking it through without finding a suitable explanation, Yu Tianling simply gave up trying and decided to counter each move as it came.
"Sorry, have I kept you waiting?"
Just then, Xue Qinghe emerged carrying a pot of tea, having changed into gender-neutral clothes. As refined and courteous as ever, he entered the little pavilion and poured two cups.
Phew... it really wasn't what I thought.
"What exactly does Your Highness...?"
Watching Xue Qinghe sit down, Yu Tianling relaxed slightly and asked in confusion.
"Little brother, you're from Spirit Hall? Have you heard of Spirit Hall's newly appointed Holy Son?"
Xue Qinghe set down his teacup and asked despite already knowing the answer.
"Doesn't Your Highness already have the answer?"
Looking at Xue Qinghe's remarkably convincing performance, Yu Tianling did not answer. He merely picked up his teacup with a slightly playful air and asked a question in return.
"Hehe, Your Highness the Holy Son is indeed clever."
Hearing that Yu Tianling had seen through everything, Xue Qinghe showed no surprise whatsoever. After a word of praise, he asked another question.
"His Excellency Poison Douluo Dugu Bo has long served as a guest elder to our Heaven Dou Empire's Imperial Family, and everything was fine. So how did Your Highness the Holy Son persuade him to join Spirit Hall? Especially after he obtained a Soul Bone from the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Xue Qinghe had never managed to work out the reason behind this.
Powerful people cared deeply about face, so defecting to the enemy should have been almost impossible. Yet some time ago, Dugu Bo, who was seldom in Heaven Dou City, had suddenly returned, obtained a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone from the national treasury, briefly bid farewell to him, the crown prince, and the king of the Heaven Dou Empire, then rushed to Spirit City with his granddaughter. It had all the appearance of defecting to the "enemy."
So that's it. No wonder Qian Renxue brought me here. She wanted to ask about this.
Hearing Xue Qinghe's question, Yu Tianling suddenly understood. He also had not expected Dugu Bo to act so quickly.
He had originally thought Dugu Bo would secretly leave with his granddaughter after obtaining the Soul Bone. He had never expected him to leave so openly.
Seeing that Yu Tianling had not answered for a while, Xue Qinghe assumed the distracted Yu Tianling did not want to answer. Undiscouraged, he said with a somewhat cheerful air, "If Your Highness the Holy Son doesn't wish to answer, then forget it. Let's just consider today an occasion for me to treat the Holy Son to tea."
Telling her wouldn't be a bad thing. She probably has spies planted in Spirit City. Once I begin detoxifying Dugu Bo, word will likely reach her ears before long.
A thought stirred in Yu Tianling's mind. Then he said to the slightly downcast "young crown prince" opposite him, "It's no secret, really. There's no harm in telling Your Highness. I told Poison Douluo I could cure the poison in him and his granddaughter, on the condition that they both join Spirit Hall."
"Oh?! So that's it!"
Yu Tianling could quite clearly see Xue Qinghe brighten considerably.
Interesting.
Seeing Xue Qinghe like this, Yu Tianling could not help feeling a little surprised.
He had not expected a mature beauty like Qian Renxue to behave this way, just like the sweet, naive airheads of his previous life.
Looking at Qian Renxue in men's clothing, Yu Tianling could not help recalling the information about her in his mind.
Qian Renxue was the daughter of Spirit Hall's pope, Bibi Dong, and its previous pope, Secret Chamber Douluo Qian Xunji. From childhood, she had been sent to the Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace to impersonate the eldest prince, Xue Qinghe, build her influence, and plot to usurp the empire. Twenty years later, Tang San thwarted her usurpation plan. Because of that battle, his figure remained in Qian Renxue's heart, and later helped her complete the Angel Ninth Trial and become the Angel God. This also left a flaw in Qian Renxue's heart. She had to mend that flaw to become a perfect Angel God. Of course, in the end, because of the protagonist halo, Qian Renxue failed.
During the Battle of the Two Gods, her divine position and Martial Soul shattered to save Bibi Dong. From then on, she was no longer the Angel God, and her Soul Power regressed to that of a rank eighty-nine Soul Douluo, forever without any possibility of further advancement.