"Oh? Isn't Spirit Hall about to jump out and reap the benefits?"
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi paused, a bit surprised as he spoke.
If not for that reason, why would his disciple ask this out of nowhere?
"Teacher, this disciple has an important matter to report to you."
As she spoke, Qian Renxue looked toward the maids waiting at the side of the hall.
"You may go for now."
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi waved to the maids in the hall.
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Several maids bowed, withdrew from the hall, and closed the doors.
"Qinghe, whatever it is, speak."
At this moment only the three of them remained in the hall, Ning Fengzhi said.
At his words, the two exchanged a look, and Qian Renxue shot Chu Chengzhou a glance that said, you tell him.
Chu Chengzhou nodded slightly, turned to Ning Fengzhi, and asked, "Father-in-law, do you have any hatred or grievances with Spirit Hall?"
"Hatred and grievances? If I really tally it up, there is no deep blood feud.
After all, before Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu joined the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, while the sect's Titled Douluo were not cut off, it was only that they were not cut off. Overall strength could not match the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, much less the Clear Sky Sect, so we could not be counted Spirit Hall's number one enemy.
And in these years, ever since the former Supreme Pontiff Qian Xunji of Spirit Hall died at Tang Hao's hand, aside from forcing the Clear Sky Sect to seal its mountain and go into seclusion, they have kept a low profile and not stirred up trouble.
You could say there have been dirty dealings between the sect and Spirit Hall, but nothing major.
By the way, kid, why ask this? Don't tell me you've gotten involved with someone from Spirit Hall?
I remember the Saintess of Spirit Hall, Hu Liena, possesses the Killing God Domain. Did you two hook up while you were training in the Capital of Slaughter?"
As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi's face darkened, and he looked at Chu Chengzhou with open displeasure.
Clearly, until now, Ning Fengzhi had not known that one of his good son-in-law's girlfriends was the Saintess of Spirit Hall.
"Uh, well… let's not talk about that. What Brother Qinghe and I came to see you about today has nothing to do with Hu Liena."
Chu Chengzhou waved his hand, ready to change the subject.
"Bang!"
"Kid, don't think that just because you have strength you can do as you please. If you dare treat Rongrong badly, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Ning Fengzhi slammed the table and threatened viciously.
"Mm, mm, rest assured. I can barely love Rongrong enough as it is!"
Seeing his father-in-law about to blow his top, Chu Chengzhou hurried to speak.
"Hmph. Whatever it is, stop circling and say it straight!"
With a cold snort, Ning Fengzhi said with a stern face, then turned his gaze to the Qian Renxue beside him.
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi was puzzled as well. If Spirit Hall was not preparing to pull a stunt, then why had the two of them come together to bring up Spirit Hall to him?
Could it be that his disciple Xue Qinghe's ambition had swelled so much that after swallowing Star Luo he was preparing to wipe out Spirit Hall as well?
"The former Supreme Pontiff Qian Xunji of Spirit Hall once had a daughter. You should know this, right?"
Chu Chengzhou asked.
"I've heard of it. She died young."
Ning Fengzhi nodded.
He naturally knew this. After all, among members of the Angel Clan of Spirit Hall, unless they died young, none in the future would attain less than level 90. All became Titled Douluo.
It was fortunate that the Angel Clan had always been few in number, otherwise the continent would already belong to Spirit Hall and the Angel Clan.
You could say every member of the Angel Clan was a focus of attention for all factions on the continent, not to mention that this girl was both the biological daughter of the Supreme Pontiff Qian Xunji and the legitimate granddaughter of Heaven-Invincible Qian Daoliu, as well as the sole heir of the Angel Clan of her generation.
When the news of this girl's early death spread, the leaders of various forces across the continent who were at odds with Spirit Hall, including Ning Fengzhi himself, were all overjoyed.
Because at that time Qian Xunji had already died at Tang Hao's hand, and with the next-generation heir dead young as well, the Angel Clan had only Qian Daoliu left. If Qian Daoliu could not have another child late in life, the Angel Clan's bloodline would be cut off.
Only because Spirit Hall wielded great power and had recently established its prestige by dealing with the Clear Sky Sect did the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect refrain from sending out invitations and drum-and-gong celebrations then and there.
Chu Chengzhou continued, "Her name was Qian Renxue. She did not die young. What you don't know is that as early as eighteen years ago, she came to the Heaven Dou Empire."
At these words, Ning Fengzhi's pupils shrank sharply.
The daughter of the Supreme Pontiff willingly faked her death to escape and hid her identity. Her aims were great indeed.
Although Qian Xunji was dead at the time, her grandfather Qian Daoliu was very much alive. The discourse power of Spirit Hall was entirely in Qian Daoliu's hands. There was absolutely no chance of a situation where her father died and no one cared.
To say there was no earthshaking secret behind this was something Ning Fengzhi would never believe.
Suddenly, Ning Fengzhi grasped a key point.
As the sole heir of the Angel Clan of her generation, the heaven's favored daughter Qian Renxue had faked her death eighteen years ago and come to the Heaven Dou Empire with unknown designs.
And this young Chu Chengzhou could know such a secret that would count as top-level classified information even inside Spirit Hall. Added to that, the one who had come with Chu Chengzhou now was Xue Qinghe, who seemed to have no connection to this secret.
No wonder. No wonder that in the recent campaign by Heaven Dou to conquer and annex Star Luo, Spirit Hall, that usual troublemaker, showed no reaction, as if it had seen nothing.
No, Spirit Hall had already reacted. Prince Xue Xing and senior military officers died one after another. That had to be Spirit Hall's handiwork.
He had said as much. How could the Star Luo Empire, already played into uselessness by Chu Chengzhou, have so many unknown experts? They were all hidden moves arranged by Spirit Hall.
"Haha. Well played, Spirit Hall. And you are indeed a fine disciple taught by me, Ning Fengzhi!"
Suddenly, Ning Fengzhi burst out laughing.
He, Ning Fengzhi, fancied himself a wise man, yet in the end he had been made a monkey of.
It fit the saying: even a wise man, with a thousand plans, will have one miss. Even a spy had become the emperor.
What was more, this was not something he discovered himself, but something they came to tell him in person. Absurd.
Still, Ning Fengzhi knew he did not lose unjustly. After all, who would have thought that Spirit Hall had planted a hidden seed as far back as eighteen years ago?
"What do you intend?"
Then Ning Fengzhi gathered away the smile on his face that was somewhere between bitter and gratified. His eyes narrowed slightly as he fixed his gaze on Xue Qinghe, no, on the Spirit Hall young master Qian Renxue.
Seeing this, Qian Renxue released the disguise soul bone ability of the Angel skull, removed the hood and mask she wore, and restored her original peerless features. She then stepped forward, bowed to Ning Fengzhi, and said, "One day as teacher, a teacher for life.
The one who bowed to you as teacher in the past was me, Qian Renxue, not Xue Qinghe. Disciple Qian Renxue begs your forgiveness.
And regardless of anything, this disciple will forever honor you as teacher."