Xue Qinghe suddenly smiled. There was an indescribable holiness in his smile, giving him a sense of inviolability.
"Sorry, I didn't think that question through. Pretend I never asked."
Afterward, Xue Qinghe seemed to have no desire to remain with Jing Shanshan. He soon summoned someone and instructed them to continue showing Jing Shanshan around the Moonlight Pavilion.
Jing Shanshan rose without the slightest curiosity or hesitation, briskly opened the door, and walked out. The little black cat seemed to know they were leaving Xue Qinghe; its fur immediately stopped bristling, and it crouched quietly in Jing Shanshan's arms.
Xue Qinghe sat in his chair, his gaze following Jing Shanshan's retreating figure until he disappeared from view.
The door slowly closed, and the room fell quiet for a moment.
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows, his footsteps so light they were almost soundless.
He was lean and clad in a fitted dark-purple outfit, yet his shoulders and back were slightly hunched. He looked like an ordinary, weak, powerless old man, but radiated an extremely terrifying Soul Power presence.
Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue walked to within three paces of Xue Qinghe's side and stopped. He did not speak at first, merely tucking his two withered hands into his sleeves and bowing slightly, as though showing respect to the person behind Xue Qinghe.
"Your Highness."
Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue spoke. When he raised his eyes to Xue Qinghe, the fine wrinkles at their corners bunched together, and coldness showed in his gaze.
"Should we take that brat into custody and interrogate him?"
Xue Qinghe paused, then slowly shook his head.
"There are too many factors we haven't confirmed yet. Keep observing for now. Don't make an enemy of him."
Xue Qinghe looked in a certain direction and asked about something else.
"What is the situation with that Qian Renxue who claims to be from the future?"
"According to the report She Long sent back not long ago, that Qian Renxue who claims to come from the future and looks exactly like this blond child before us is cultivating right now."
Hearing this, Xue Qinghe could not help scoffing and complaining.
"Didn't the person claiming to be the future Qian Renxue say that her current body is a Tool Martial Soul? What is a Tool Martial Soul cultivating for? Even if she cultivates, it's pointless. Her real body won't benefit in the slightest."
Xue Qinghe's gaze darkened, and he could not help recalling his first meeting with the child who claimed to be the future Qian Renxue.
"Why do you know these things?"
Faced with the pressure radiating from Xue Qinghe, Shadow Doll Puppet Qian Renxue brushed his question aside and dropped a bombshell.
"If you keep staying here as Prince Xue Qinghe, Spirit Hall's future will still very likely end in destruction."
!!!
"What did you say?!"
Snake Lance Douluo She Long was the first to lose his composure. He unleashed the pressure of a Titled Douluo without restraint, bearing down on Shadow Doll Puppet Qian Renxue.
Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue immediately stepped in front of Shadow Doll Puppet Qian Renxue, blocking this invisible killing move that would have been fatal to a Soul Master who had not even reached rank twenty.
"Ci Xue, what are you doing? Someone who knows this many Spirit Hall secrets should just be killed! That settles everything and keeps our secrets safe! There are a hundred benefits and not a single drawback!"
"Enough!"
Xue Qinghe spoke.
His voice sounded very calm, but listening closely, one could hear the anger hidden beneath that calm.
The room fell silent. Everyone seemed to be holding something back, their hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
"I know you find this unbelievable. It's been so long now. Although I don't know how Grandpa came here or when he came, he definitely visited and even specifically examined your body. You don't need to contradict me. You know the truth of this yourself."
Shadow Doll Puppet Qian Daoliu calmly stated these things, which were very easy for him to deduce.
But to Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue and Snake Lance Douluo She Long, it was undoubtedly as though someone had suddenly lit a bomb beside their ears and set it off.
After all, when the Great Enshrined came, neither they nor His Highness had received any word.
Normally, no outsider should have known about the Great Enshrined's visit besides the Great Enshrined himself.
How had this child known the Great Enshrined had come?
Had she followed the Great Enshrined?
That was utterly impossible!
The Great Enshrined was a rank ninety-nine Titled Douluo, the strongest existence on the continent today! How confident would someone have to be to follow him without being discovered? Were they tired of living?!
"Is this something we'll experience in the future?"
Shadow Doll Puppet Qian Ren understood what Xue Qinghe meant, but still froze for a moment before shaking her head.
"Grandpa didn't come back then."
As Xue Qinghe watched this child who claimed to be his future self, his pupils slowly turned golden. A holy presence emanated from his body as he slowly spoke.
"That's right. Grandpa came and specifically examined my body, particularly my soul. After confirming that nothing was wrong with me, he asked whether I wanted to continue carrying out the Nation-Stealing Plan.
"If I didn't, Grandpa would have someone take over my current work."
Xue Qinghe's words served as a response to what Shadow Doll Qian Renxue had just said, and told Qian Renxue of Qian Daoliu's choices afterward and some of the measures he had taken.
"Although you've mentioned things very few people know, that still isn't enough to make me believe you're the future... me."
Xue Qinghe heavily stressed the last word.
"You should explain what's going on with your current appearance."
Xue Qinghe intended to look for statements that defied logic in whatever the blond child said next.
They were both the same person. How could Shadow Doll Puppet Qian Ren fail to understand what Xue Qinghe was thinking?
"None of that is what we should be focusing on now. If things keep proceeding step by step as before, Spirit Hall's destruction will not change."
Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue spoke first, his expression grave.
"Every time, Your Highness, if what this child says is true, then what we most need to understand is why Spirit Hall was destroyed."
At this point, a trace of ruthlessness flashed through Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue's eyes!
Seeing everyone turn toward her and knowing they were quietly listening in earnest, Shadow Doll Qian Renxue immediately recounted all the important future events she knew about.
A long time later, when Shadow Doll Qian Renxue finished speaking, everyone present wore expressions of disbelief as well as gravity.
"Tang San, was it?"
Snake Lance Douluo She Long murmured the name. A blue-purple spear roughly twelve feet long appeared in his hand, and terrifying killing intent erupted in an instant. His intentions were plain to see.
"I'll kill that brat right now! I'll strangle this cancer in its cradle!"
"Wait!"
Snake Lance Douluo She Long looked at Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue in confusion and spoke unhappily.
"What? Afraid of killing the wrong person? Afraid of harming an innocent? If you won't do it, I will!"
Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue shook his head and reminded Snake Lance Douluo She Long of something.
"There are still many things we haven't confirmed. Besides, have you forgotten what this... child said? That fellow called Tang San has the renowned Clear Sky Douluo with him. Have you forgotten what happened to Qian Xunji?"
The anger in Snake Lance Douluo She Long's head subsided somewhat, and he let out a long breath.
"We cannot act rashly on something this important. The final strike must kill him. We cannot leave any future trouble."
Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue looked toward Xue Qinghe and slowly spoke.
"Although I have many ideas, I believe that, when it comes to handling Tang San, it would be best for the Great Enshrined to act. Only then can we ensure nothing goes wrong."
Xue Qinghe looked at Porcupinefish Douluo Ci Xue and Snake Lance Douluo She Long, his gaze finally settling on Shadow Doll Puppet Qian Renxue as he reached a preliminary decision.