A struggle for succession might break out within the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, but without Tang San's appearance, the loser would never be Xue Qinghe, who stood before him.
Silence settled over them. Neither spoke, as though each were waiting for the other to speak first.
Xue Qinghe had not expected Yu Tianheng to be so remarkably mature.
An ordinary boy, upon learning that he had a chance to ally with the imperial family, should have agreed without a second thought.
It seemed this young clan leader was not the opening he had imagined.
As he pondered, Xue Qinghe raised a hand and accidentally brushed against the crystalline porcelain cup beside him.
Just as the cup was about to hit the floor, a hand shot out and caught it.
It was placed steadily on the table.
Graceful as a startled swan, lithe as a swimming dragon.
Yu Tianheng withdrew his hand and, still in his original posture, slowly spoke as though none of it had happened.
"Brother Qinghe, I have no objection to working together, but an alliance involves too many matters. I may need to discuss it with my grandfather and the clan elders first."
Xue Qinghe had yet to recover from the surprise. Her thoughts were still on the way Yu Tianheng had caught the cup.
At that moment, she had distinctly sensed an incomparably terrifying presence.
It had even seemed to surpass her own!
How was that possible? Yu Tianheng was only eleven!
Her own Angel Martial Soul had even gone on guard.
This had never happened before.
Just how deeply had Yu Tianheng hidden himself?
After pondering for a moment, Xue Qinghe stood and held out a hand to Yu Tianheng with a smile.
"I understand. After this long talk with you, Tian Heng, I feel as though my horizons have opened up."
If Xue Qinghe's earlier praise had carried a hint of flattery,
then this time, it was heartfelt admiration.
If he wanted to complete his plan in the future, Yu Tianheng would be an indispensable part of it.
But there was still plenty of time, and Xue Qinghe was in no hurry.
As for exactly how to proceed, he would have to go back and discuss it thoroughly.
"You're too kind, Brother Qinghe. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't see you out today."
Yu Tianheng bowed in Xue Qinghe's direction.
"That's all right. I'll go back and give it careful thought. I look forward to our next meeting."
As Xue Qinghe left, he gave Yu Tianheng a meaningful look.
"Send people to follow him. If Xue Qinghe goes straight back to the imperial palace, leave it at that. If he makes any other moves, notify me immediately."
After Xue Qinghe had left, Yu Tianheng spoke to a shadow guard beside him, his expression stern.
"As you command!"
Since taking charge of the clan, Yu Tianheng had trained many talented people with special abilities.
Previously, the clan's requirements for spies were that they be strong enough and able to relay important information promptly.
In Yu Tianheng's eyes, that was putting the cart before the horse.
For this reason, he had personally selected several Soul Masters with almost no combat ability.
But they had unusual Martial Souls and could conceal their presence.
With a vast amount of resources poured into them, these Soul Masters, who had originally had little hope of advancing in cultivation, had all reached the Soul Grandmaster or Soul Elder level.
One of them had awakened a Chameleon Martial Soul, and apart from beings at the Titled Douluo level,
no one could detect his presence at all.
Soon, six spies set off after Xue Qinghe's imperial carriage.
Just as Yu Tianheng had expected, Xue Qinghe changed direction after leaving the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and went to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
When Yu Tianheng heard the news relayed by the spies, the corners of his lips rose slightly.
He had already more or less guessed Xue Qinghe's purpose.
"Young clan leader, should we send some people to teach him a lesson?"
Seeing that Yu Tianheng had remained silent for a long time, the shadow guard offered a suggestion.
"No need."
Yu Tianheng slowly shook his head.
Others might not know Xue Qinghe's true identity, but he did.
It was still a little too early to fall out with him.
By the time Yu Tianheng walked out of the hall, the sky was already growing dark.
After a moment's thought, he headed for the three girls' courtyard.
The three girls had become so close that they could practically fit into the same pair of pants.
And since they were still young, they all squeezed together to sleep every night.
As Yu Tianheng approached the courtyard, he could faintly hear the three girls talking.
"Sister Yan Yan, if you go to school later, could you take me with you?"
Ning Rongrong's tone was utterly innocent. After all, if things followed their original course, she would soon be heading to Shrek Academy.
"Of course! Your Sister Yan Yan is no ordinary powerhouse now. I'll have your back when the time comes."
By contrast, Dugu Yan's voice carried a hint of domineering confidence.
She sounded every bit the big sister in charge.
Ye Lingling lay quietly beside them, listening to their conversation with a faint smile on her lips.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door.
Dugu Yan instantly grew alert.
Ever since they had come to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, no one had ever knocked on their door at night.
"Who is it?"
Dugu Yan sprang off the bed with a kip-up and used Martial Soul Possession with her Jade Phosphor Poison Dragon. A faint dragon's roar rang out, carrying a terrifying pressure.
"I thought you were already sleeping like pigs."
Yu Tianheng spoke with a faint smile, and the familiar voice immediately roused all three girls' interest.
Ning Rongrong even hopped out of bed barefoot and ran to open the door for him.
"Brother Tian Heng, did you come to sleep with us tonight?"
Ning Rongrong's innocent words made the corners of Yu Tianheng's mouth twitch.
He reached out and patted her little head as he explained.
"I'm a boy, and you're girls. Boys and girls are different, so we can't sleep together."
"Huh? But aren't we already engaged?"
Yu Tianheng truly had no idea where Ning Rongrong had learned such things.
His gaze drifted toward Dugu Yan.
To his surprise, when Dugu Yan noticed his gaze, she turned her head away with a guilty look.
She did not dare meet his eyes at all. The sight of her acting so differently from usual immediately made Yu Tianheng understand everything.
He would have to give Dugu Yan a proper talking-to later.
Rongrong was still young; he couldn't let her lead Rongrong astray.
"Tian Heng, what brings you here so late?"
Ye Lingling's gaze was as fervent as ever as she asked curiously.
"We may have to find time to return to the academy later. I have something to take care of. Before then, you must put all your effort into cultivation. It'll be very useful when the time comes."
Though the three girls had different personalities, they were all remarkably obedient when it came to Yu Tianheng's words.
"Don't worry. Before long, I'll definitely surpass you!"
Dugu Yan patted her chest and made the declaration with absolute confidence.
Her Martial Soul Evolution had given her great confidence.
Her grandfather had also been delighted to receive her letter and said he would come to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to visit in person later.