60: Chapter 60: Reunion with Qian Renxue

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and there were already scattered footsteps on the streets of Heaven Dou City.

Breakfast vendors set up their stalls, and the white steam rising from the steamers, mixed with the aroma of soy milk, dispersed in the cool morning breeze.

Lu Jing sat with Wang Donger and Xiao Wu at an eight-immortal table downstairs at the inn, with several plates of steamed buns, a basket of steamed dumplings, and three large bowls of hot porridge laid out on the table.

Xiao Wu sipped her porridge in small mouthfuls, her eyes glancing from time to time at Lu Jing and Wang Donger; the scent of blood from last night seemed to still linger at the tip of her nose, making her lose her appetite.

"Eat quickly. When you're done, I'll take you somewhere," Lu Jing said, pushing a meat bun in front of her, his tone as relaxed as if they were going to the market.

Watching his calm demeanor, Wang Donger shook her head helplessly.

This guy had killed a prince and an imperial prince, yet he could still sleep soundly and eat with such relish; his lack of concern was truly outrageous.

But then, on second thought, perhaps it was precisely this composure that allowed him to gain a foothold in this perilous Douluo Continent.

The three of them quickly finished breakfast, and after Lu Jing paid, he led them through the bustling market.

As they walked further toward the outskirts of the city, the crowd thinned out, and the houses on both sides of the street changed from rows of shops to mansions with courtyards. Finally, they stopped in front of a somewhat inconspicuous residence.

This mansion was hidden in the corner between two small alleys. The vermilion gate had no plaque hanging on it, and the door knocker was made of low-key bronze, covered with fine green rust. If Lu Jing hadn't been leading the way, anyone passing by would have thought it was just the old residence of an ordinary wealthy merchant.

Lu Jing raised his hand to knock on the door, and the sound of the knocker hitting the wooden door, "dong, dong," was exceptionally clear in the silence of the early morning.

A moment later, the door creaked open a crack, but no one was visible.

Lu Jing didn't mind and pushed the door open to enter, with Wang Donger and Xiao Wu hurriedly following.

Passing through the screen wall in the front courtyard, the view suddenly opened up.

The courtyard was far larger than it looked from the outside. The bluestone-paved ground was swept spotlessly clean, and several neatly trimmed crabapple trees stood against the wall, their branches still glistening with morning dew.

In the center of the courtyard sat a pear wood round table, surrounded by four stone stools. On the table was a set of exquisite tea sets, and wisps of steam were curling up from the spout of the teapot.

And the person sitting at the table instantly captured everyone's attention.

Qian Renxue was wearing a pale gold dress, with angel wings embroidered in dark patterns on the hem, shimmering with a soft luster in the morning light.

She was wearing a pair of high-heeled boots in a matching color. When her heels lightly touched the ground, they made a faint yet crisp sound, making her already tall figure appear even more upright.

At this moment, she was not wearing any disguise. Her bright golden hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, and a few stray strands hung across her forehead, gilded with a golden edge by the morning light.

Her stunning face wore no makeup, yet it was more eye-catching than any cosmetic application—a pert nose, full lips, and especially those golden eyes, clear as if washed, yet carrying a majesty that looked down upon all living things.

Her figure was already beginning to take shape, the curvaceous lines perfectly outlined by her long dress. Although she still retained some of the youthful innocence of a girl, she already faintly possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms.

She was currently lowering her eyelids slightly, her slender fingers holding a teacup, sipping tea with a quiet and graceful demeanor. The morning light fell on the contours of her side profile, as soft as a meticulously painted oil painting.

Hearing the footsteps, Qian Renxue raised her eyes to look over. A hint of a smile flashed in her golden eyes, and she immediately put down the teacup, her voice as clear as spring water: "You're here?"

The tone was as natural as if she were hosting an old friend, as if the bloodshed at the night market last night had never happened, and as if they were not meeting for the first time in this different world, but were old acquaintances who had been separated for a long time.

Lu Jing walked forward and sat down on the stone stool opposite her without standing on ceremony, a playful smile on his lips: "Sister Xue'er, it's been six years, and you've become even more beautiful."

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over his face: "You're not bad yourself; you've become more composed than when you were a child."

Changing the subject, she looked at Wang Donger beside him, a flash of admiration in her eyes, and praised: "But in terms of beauty, Sister Donger is even better. With such looks, I fear even the fairies in heaven would feel inferior."

Wang Donger's cheeks flushed slightly from the praise, and she quickly waved her hand: "Sister Xue'er, you are joking. You are the one who is truly beautiful. What am I? Standing with you is like comparing a rough stone to a piece of fine jade."

"Hey, can you two stop flattering each other?"

Xiao Wu, watching from the side, curled her lip and couldn't help but mutter in a low voice: "Mutual flattery so early in the morning, is it really necessary?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of all three.

Lu Jing and Wang Donger looked at each other and smiled. Qian Renxue was also amused, the corners of her lips curving, and a smile rippled in her light purple eyes, instantly diluting that sense of holiness that kept people at a distance, adding a touch of worldly warmth.

Qian Renxue's gaze fell on Xiao Wu, and only then did she notice the little girl who had been hiding behind Lu Jing the whole time.

She looked to be only six or seven years old, wearing two braided pigtails. Her big eyes were like a startled fawn, timidly sizing her up, and her small hand was tightly clutching the corner of Lu Jing's clothes.

"Who is this little girl?" Qian Renxue asked curiously.

She understood Lu Jing's character; he never liked trouble, and if it wasn't someone important, he would never keep them by his side.

Lu Jing touched Xiao Wu's head, his tone casual: "Met her on the road. She looked pitiful, so I brought her along."

"Oh?"

Qian Renxue became interested, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes as she asked: "Whose child is she? Judging by her appearance, she doesn't look like a child from an ordinary family."

She didn't believe that Lu Jing would keep a stranger by his side simply because she was "pitiful."

This guy seemed casual, but in reality, he was deep-thinking, calculating every step; he would never do something meaningless.

Lu Jing smiled, deliberately keeping her in suspense: "How about you guess?"

Qian Renxue rolled her eyes at him, her tone carrying a bit of helplessness: "How could I guess? Your personality, you still like to keep people in suspense so much."

She paused and asked directly, "What is her Spirit?"

"Soft Bones Rabbit," Lu Jing said concisely, adding: "Innate full Soul Power."

"Soft Bones Rabbit?" Qian Renxue was taken aback. This Spirit was common, but a Soft Bones Rabbit Spirit Master with innate full Soul Power was rare.

She pondered for a moment and guessed: "Could it be a child from some reclusive family?"

Lu Jing shook his head: "Close, but not accurate."

Xiao Wu felt uncomfortable being watched by Qian Renxue's eyes and subconsciously shrank behind Lu Jing, her small shoulders trembling slightly, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Although the person in front of her was beautiful, she gave her an inexplicable sense of oppression, even more frightening than those men in black from last night.

Seeing her so scared, Qian Renxue's curiosity grew even stronger, and she couldn't help but urge: "What exactly is her background? Stop keeping me in suspense."

Looking at her eager expression, Lu Jing finally stopped teasing her and slowly spat out a few words: "She is a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form."

"...What?" The smile on Qian Renxue's face instantly froze, as if she hadn't heard clearly, and she asked back subconsciously.

"I said, she is a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form," Lu Jing repeated, word for word, meeting her gaze steadily.

This time, Qian Renxue heard it clearly.

She stood up abruptly from the stone stool, her pale gold dress rising in an elegant arc with her movement, but no one had the heart to appreciate this beauty at the moment.

Qian Renxue's eyes were wide open, her golden pupils filled with shock and disbelief, as if she had heard an Arabian Nights tale.

"A... a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form?"

Her voice was trembling, and she said in shock: "How is this possible?!"

A 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form... that was an existence that only existed in ancient records! It was said that every 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form would bring about anomalies in the heavens and earth. How could it appear in the mortal world so quietly, and be casually brought along by Lu Jing?

Qian Renxue stared fixedly at Xiao Wu, her gaze like a physical force, examining her carefully from head to toe.

The little girl in front of her looked no different from an ordinary human child, except for those exceptionally lively eyes and the faint, pure aura emanating from her; there was absolutely no ferocity of a Spirit Beast.

But the more this was the case, the more unbelievable Qian Renxue found it.

Xiao Wu felt her hair stand on end from being watched by her, so scared that tears were about to fall. She hugged Lu Jing's arm tightly and choked out: "Lu Jing..."

Lu Jing patted her back, comforting her: "Don't be afraid, she won't hurt you."

He looked up at Qian Renxue and said helplessly: "You scared her."

Qian Renxue finally came back to her senses, realized her loss of composure, and quickly withdrew her gaze, sitting back down, though she still felt lingering fear.

She picked up the teacup and took a sip, trying to calm her mood, but her fingertips were still trembling slightly.

"This... what exactly is going on?"

She took a deep breath and asked: "Where did you find her? Since she is a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form, how can she..." How can she be so weak and so shy?

"Met her in a remote little town," Lu Jing said nonchalantly, not elaborating on the specific process.

Xiao Wu's origins involved Tang San, and Tang San involved too many karmic consequences; there was no need for Qian Renxue to know for the time being.

Qian Renxue frowned, clearly unsatisfied with this answer, but seeing that Lu Jing was unwilling to say more, she didn't pursue the questioning.

She looked at Xiao Wu, who was hiding behind Lu Jing, with only a pair of large, damp eyes showing, and suddenly asked: "Then what do you plan to do with her?"

A 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form, if exposed, would inevitably cause a huge uproar.

Whether it was Spirit Hall, the two great Empires, or even those major factions, they would spare no cost to seize her.

After all, a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form meant a ready-made 100,000-year spirit ring and Spirit Bone!

"Keep her by my side."

Lu Jing's tone was ironclad: "Since she has followed me, I will not abandon her."

Qian Renxue was stunned, then nodded, no longer objecting.

She knew clearly that with Lu Jing's strength and the consecration token in his hand, protecting a 100,000-year Spirit Beast in human form was not difficult.

Moreover, their strength had not yet reached the level of Titled Douluo, so even if they wanted to absorb this 100,000-year spirit ring, they couldn't; keeping her by their side was actually safer.

It's just that... Qian Renxue looked at Xiao Wu's well-behaved and timid appearance and always felt something was wrong.

A 100,000-year Spirit Beast has undergone ten thousand years of cultivation, and its intelligence should have long been mature; even if it takes human form as a child, it shouldn't be this innocent and shy, almost like a blank sheet of paper.

She shook her head, suppressing this doubt in her heart. Regardless, the person Lu Jing brought back would certainly not be an enemy.

Seeing that she was no longer dwelling on the matter of Xiao Wu, Lu Jing took the initiative to change the subject, looking at Qian Renxue, his tone becoming serious: "Speaking of which, Sister Xue'er, why have you kept Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing?"

Qian Renxue's hand holding the teacup paused, and she looked at him somewhat puzzled: "Is there a problem with keeping them? The two of them, one is a useless prince, and the other is a prince with no real strength; they pose no threat to me at all."

"The problem is huge."

Lu Jing shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness as he explained: "As long as the two of them are alive, it means your right of succession is not secure. As long as Emperor Xue Ye has not yet closed his eyes, he can at any time use some excuse to abolish your position as Crown Prince and replace you with Xue Beng. After all, no matter how useless Xue Beng is, he is still his own biological son and possesses the right of succession."

Qian Renxue's brows furrowed slightly, and she didn't speak, clearly listening carefully to his analysis.

Lu Jing continued: "But what if everyone qualified to inherit the throne besides you were dead? Then, even if Emperor Xue Ye were unwilling, he would have no choice but to pass the throne to you. Even if you killed him directly and announced to the outside world that he died of illness, no one would dare to say anything—after all, the royal family has no other heirs, and all power would have to fall into your hands."

He paused, looking into Qian Renxue's eyes, and said word for word: "What you truly want is the military and power of the Heaven Dou Empire to assist Spirit Hall in unifying the continent, right? Since that is the case, why care about those empty names and rumors? When cutting weeds, one must remove the roots; leaving any hidden dangers can potentially backfire in the future."

Qian Renxue's pupils contracted suddenly, and the teacup in her hand wobbled slightly, splashing a few drops of tea.

She had always thought she had calculated everything thoroughly, but she hadn't expected Lu Jing to see things more clearly than her.

That's right, she had kept Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing, thinking she was in control of the situation, but she had forgotten the simplest principle: "existence is a threat."

As long as these two people were alive, they would always be a sharp sword hanging over her head, potentially being used by Emperor Xue Ye or other opponents at any time.

What she had been concerned about before was merely the reputation of "killing one's own kin" and fear of causing turmoil in the imperial court.

But as Lu Jing said, what she wanted was the military and power; as long as she could achieve her goal, what did reputation matter? Once she had complete control of the Heaven Dou Empire, those rumors would naturally collapse on their own.

"I... hadn't thought that much before," Qian Renxue murmured, a flash of annoyance in her eyes.

She had always been bound by the identity of "Xue Qinghe," subconsciously using the rules of the royal family to hold herself to standard, forgetting that she was not a true member of the royal family and had no need to follow those ridiculous rules.

Lu Jing smiled: "It's not too late to realize it now. Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing are already dead, and the remaining collateral branches of the royal family pose no threat to you. Next, you only need to stabilize Emperor Xue Ye, slowly erode the power in his hands, and when the time is ripe..."

He didn't continue, but the meaning was already very clear.

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, a flash of determination in her golden eyes.

She put down the teacup, stood up, walked to the center of the courtyard, and looked at the rising morning sun, her long golden hair shining brilliantly in the morning light.

"You are right."

Her voice carried unprecedented firmness: "Since it must be done, let it be done thoroughly."

These years of endurance and disguise were not meant to fail at the very last step.

From today on, she would no longer give anyone the opportunity to threaten her.

Lu Jing watched her back, a satisfied smile curling at the corners of his mouth. What he wanted was this very determination from Qian Renxue.

Only in this way could Spirit Hall unify the continent faster and change the fate of those commoner Spirit Masters.