14: Chapter 14 The Indecisive Sendou-ryu

"Uh..."

Ji Xuan looked at Qian Renxue before him, his face immediately falling as he secretly cursed why he was only eight years old...

He raised his hand to tidy his messy hair, muttering in a low voice, "Just wait a few years, let's see if I don't..."

Ji Xuan stopped halfway, only then remembering that Qian Daoliu was still standing behind him.

"Pfft—"

Seeing Ji Xuan's appearance, Qian Renxue couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Little Brother Ji Xuan..."

Qian Renxue deliberately leaned in close, a warm, fragrant scent wafting towards him as she once again reached out to mess up the hair Ji Xuan had just smoothed out,

"After a few years, what do you want to do?"

"N-nothing!"

Ji Xuan gave a sheepish smile and hurriedly stepped back two paces.

"Alright, Xiao Xue, stop teasing Xiao Xuan."

Qian Daoliu watched the two from the side, the smile on his lips deepening,

"Let's go. It's rare for Xiao Xue to be back, so let's have dinner together tonight."

Hearing this, Ji Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, he gained a deeper understanding of Qian Renxue's unyielding nature.

He stole a glance at Qian Renxue and thought to himself:

Just you wait. In a few years, see if I don't teach you a lesson!

...

At the dining table in the hall.

The dinner was very sumptuous, consisting of high-age Spirit Beast meat, which contained fluctuations of Soul Power and was of great benefit to a Spirit Master's cultivation.

Ji Xuan reached out his chopsticks, wanting to pick up a piece of Spirit Beast meat.

Just as he was about to touch it, the piece of Spirit Beast meat vanished instantly.

Ji Xuan looked up and saw it was already in Qian Renxue's bowl.

Ji Xuan felt helpless. This little angel was too petty; wasn't it just a joke earlier?

Qian Renxue glared at Ji Xuan as if to show off, then picked up the Spirit Beast meat and ate it elegantly.

Qian Daoliu looked at Qian Renxue, his eyes complex and filled with heartache.

This was the first time he had seen Qian Renxue act this way.

Since she was young, her mother had treated her coldly, and her father had passed away early.

She had to hide all her vulnerabilities and force herself to become invincible.

Yet... deep down, she was still just a girl.

Qian Daoliu turned his gaze to Ji Xuan and smiled meaningfully:

"Xiao Xuan, what do you think about having Xiao Xue as your fiancée?"

Before Ji Xuan could reply, the tips of Qian Renxue's ears turned red, and she spoke first.

"Grandfather!" She glared at Qian Daoliu reproachfully. "What... what are you saying!"

She hadn't expected her grandfather to bring this up again!

Seeing Qian Renxue like this, Ji Xuan smiled inwardly and responded, "I will listen to whatever Master says."

"You..."

Qian Renxue immediately fixed her gaze on Ji Xuan, looking at him in disbelief.

Then, she put down her chopsticks and curled the corners of her lips,

"You want to be my fiancé?"

"With your current... ability, where you can't even snatch a piece of Spirit Beast meat?"

Before Ji Xuan could speak, Qian Renxue had already stood up, looking down at him with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes,

"Little Brother Ji Xuan, talk to me when you can actually beat me!"

Qian Renxue looked at her grandfather, Qian Daoliu. "Grandfather, I'm full. I'm going back to my room."

With that, Qian Renxue deliberately took the last plate of Spirit Beast meat from in front of Ji Xuan.

Before turning to leave, she glared fiercely at Ji Xuan once more.

Qian Renxue walked to the door, suddenly stopped, turned half her face, and flashed a mischievous smile,

"Good luck, my future... little fiancé."

Outside the door, the sound of Qian Renxue's footsteps faded away...

Qian Daoliu looked at Ji Xuan and said in a gentle tone, "Xiao Xuan, don't mind it. Xiao Xue didn't mean it."

"I know, Master." Ji Xuan nodded.

"It's good that you understand."

After a moment of silence, Qian Daoliu looked at Ji Xuan, a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes,

"Xiao Xuan, can you promise Master that if... one day I am no longer here, you will take care of Xiao Xue for me?"

Hearing this, Ji Xuan's heart jolted violently.

He instantly understood that what his Master, Qian Daoliu, was referring to was the Ninth Trial of the Angel God Legacy—sacrificing himself.

Ji Xuan stood up and bowed solemnly to Qian Daoliu,

"Master, a teacher for a day is a father for life."

"As long as I, Ji Xuan, have a breath left, I will ensure Sister Xue's safety."

Ji Xuan changed the subject,

"Besides, Master, you are powerful, and you still have plenty of time ahead."

Qian Daoliu smiled gratifiedly, stood up, and patted Ji Xuan's shoulder,

"Good! Xiao Xuan, I really didn't misjudge you."

Ji Xuan's gaze narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

The Angel God trial was probably not that simple; after all, the Angel God had long since fallen.

As for Master... if he could eventually comprehend the Power of Order to the extreme.

Perhaps... he could prevent the tragedy from happening.

"Master, can you tell me about Sister Xue?"

Ji Xuan raised his head and looked at Qian Daoliu.

Although he knew the inside story, he could not expose it proactively.

Qian Daoliu was silent for a moment, then sighed secretly.

He stood with his hands behind his back, walked slowly to the window behind him, and looked outside.

"Xiao Xue, she..."

Qian Daoliu recounted Qian Renxue's past, only glossing over the grievances between Bibi Dong and the Qian family.

After all, what his son, Qian Xunji, had done was not glorious.

After Qian Daoliu finished speaking, Ji Xuan spoke at the right moment:

"Master, Sister Xue is a Genius with Innate Soul Power of level 20. Wouldn't going on that undercover mission delay her own cultivation?"

Ji Xuan was speechless in his heart:

That crazy woman, Bibi Dong, in order to avoid seeing Qian Renxue, made such a plan, sending the Young Lord of Spirit Hall, a once-in-a-century Genius, to act as an undercover agent in an enemy country.

And Qian Renxue was too stubborn; just to prove herself to Bibi Dong, she actually agreed to this absurd plan, wasting her golden period of cultivation.

With Qian Renxue's talent, if she had focused on cultivation, she should at least be in a Realm above Spirit Emperor by now.

"I also tried to persuade Xiao Xue back then, but that child is too stubborn..." Qian Daoliu's tone was filled with helplessness.

Ji Xuan pondered for a moment and continued:

"Master, is Spirit Hall's future plan to unify the continent?"

Qian Daoliu turned around, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Ji Xuan to see through it at a glance.

"That's right. Bibi Dong intends for Xiao Xue to take the Heaven Dou Empire without bloodshed, and then join forces with Spirit Hall to annex Star Luo."

He never had the ambition to unify the continent; these were all Bibi Dong's plans.

Thinking of the debt the Qian family owed her, he had given the position of Supreme Pontiff to Bibi Dong and delegated power to her. As long as Bibi Dong did not do anything harmful to Spirit Hall, he would not interfere too much.

Ji Xuan said, "According to what you just said, Master, Sister Xue is the person with the best chance to inherit the Angel God position in generations."

"Have you not thought about letting her abandon the plan and focus on cultivation? After becoming a god, wouldn't sweeping through both Empires be as easy as flipping one's hand?"

Qian Daoliu sighed softly, "But that would cause massive casualties."

The Angel God had always cherished the people of the World, and Qian Daoliu was deeply influenced by this, never willing to see scenes of devastation.

Ji Xuan sighed inwardly:

Master was ultimately too kind. In this World where the weak are prey to the strong, indecision would only lead to missed opportunities.

With absolute power, wouldn't it be faster to just sweep through the two Empires with thunderous force?

Why go through all the trouble of executing an undercover plan?

As for the devastation, war was always like that; why should those who accomplish great things be constrained by minor details?

If Qian Daoliu could be as ruthless as Tang San, willing to let Dugu Bo release poison to slaughter a city just to achieve victory.

With the strength of Spirit Hall, the continent would likely have long since belonged to Spirit Hall.