After discussing the possible purposes of the Haotian Sect's visit, Shui Cangyue still looked preoccupied.
"Are you worried about Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire?" Ning Rongrong asked, immediately spotting the issue.
Shui Cangyue was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, if what the fake Angel God said before is true—that Spirit Hall has ambitions to swallow the world—then the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan..."
She didn't continue, but everyone present were old foxes, or at least little foxes; how could they not understand the implied meaning between the lines?
"You think Spirit Hall won't allow the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to exist?" Ning Rongrong toyed with the orange in her hand, speaking unhurriedly.
"Yes... yes." Shui Cangyue nodded like a dazed goose. "I don't know the exact relationship between the Sect Master, Emperor Qinghe, and Qian Renxue."
"But any power won't allow a sect like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, which controls the continent's economic lifeline, to exist—especially a unified power."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's development scale over the years was second only to Spirit Hall on the continent.
With such relations at stake, let alone a master-disciple bond, even parents might turn blades on each other; palace bloodbaths for the throne weren't rare in the histories of Heaven Dou or Star Luo.
"Hu—" Ning Rongrong took a deep breath, putting the orange back on the fruit plate.
"Shui Cangyue, can you guarantee that what you hear next won't be mentioned to anyone outside? Including your granddaughters, Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er."
"This... I can." Shui Cangyue's heart skipped a beat.
Is there a big secret?
After Shui Cangyue swore an oath on her martial soul, the tense atmosphere in the room eased.
There was no choice; compared to Dugu Bo's side, where one person being full means the whole family isn't hungry—oh no, two being full means the family isn't hungry—Shui Cangyue still had the entire Shui family to consider. It was better to inoculate her early and prevent any potential trouble if something were to happen.
"Sorry, Elder Shui!" Ning Rongrong said with slight apology. "Because what follows concerns the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's lifeline and survival, I must be cautious."
Shui Cangyue sat upright, seemingly waiting for Ning Rongrong to reveal more explosive news.
Ning Rongrong took another deep breath, her tone slightly heavy: "On the Heaven Dou Empire's throne, there has never been a true Xue Qinghe."
The moment Ning Rongrong's voice fell, Shui Cangyue's pupils dilated sharply, her mind flashing back to what the fake Angel God—who had been killed by the later Angel God—had said.
"You... you mean!"
"Xue Qinghe is Qian Renxue; the Heaven Dou Empire changed hands long ago."
"Stealing the country..." Shui Cangyue was stunned for a long while. "The previous matters were true—it really is like this!"
Because things got muddied later on, no one much believed the first Angel God's words, which also allowed Spirit Hall to recover some of its holy land reputation.
"Yes, this traces back many years ago..."
Ning Rongrong roughly explained Qian Renxue's situation to Shui Cangyue.
Silence followed—a long silence.
"Truly an unbelievable talent." After hearing Ning Rongrong's narration, Shui Cangyue sighed. "An innate level 20 soul master, and still a divine exam inheritor!"
During the live broadcast, Qian Renxue's participation in the divine exam had been announced.
"So, Qian Renxue's target isn't us; at least before her chaotic relations with the God Realm are resolved, she's unlikely to antagonize us."
"Of course, the premise is that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is strong enough to hurt Spirit Hall to its very bones."
"So that's it; that's why you, young sect master, want us to enhance our strength as much as possible?"
"Yes, roughly so."
"Then the Title Douluo beside Qian Renxue—they shouldn't be Spirit Hall people, right? Especially that Bi Ji Limit Douluo, and the one called the Myriad Demon Limit Douluo. If they had appeared in the human world before, it would be impossible for there to be no traces."
After the tournament ended and she returned to the Shui family, Shui Cangyue had searched through her family's history and legends but found no records of related persons. However, Demon Island had some hearsay records, said to be related to Vast Sea City.
"Bi Ji and the Myriad Demon King are soul beasts from the Star Dou Great Forest."
"Soul... soul beasts!?"
"Correct." Ning Rongrong nodded. "Spirit Hall cooperates with the upper echelons of the soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest; their purpose... is probably related to the God Realm. Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan doesn't plan to participate."
"Um, about the soul beasts' strength and faction divisions, you can ask my father later! This isn't today's discussion focus."
"In summary, Spirit Hall has no time or energy to focus on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!"
"Neutrality, ah!"
Shui Cangyue couldn't help sighing. She hadn't expected that she, a level 92 Title Douluo, would learn so many continent-shaking secrets today—it was worth it in this life!
"Then... does the Sect Master know about Qian Renxue's relationship, and does she know on both sides?"
"They should know; neither puts it on the surface, and both pretend not to know."
Ning Fengzhi sipped his tea, answering Shui Cangyue's question to avoid seeming sidelined by his own daughter.
Shui Cangyue looked at the congratulatory list in her hand, noticing the personnel coming to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan for the ceremony.
"Sect Master, young sect master, I have a question I'm unsure if I should ask." Shui Cangyue's brows suddenly furrowed tightly.
"What?"
Ning Fengzhi and Ning Rongrong were slightly startled.
Shui Cangyue nodded, her tone puzzled: "The representatives that Emperor Qinghe is sending to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's renaming ceremony are Xue Ke and Bi Ji."
"This... Xue Ke should be Emperor Xue Ye's daughter!"
It seemed that recently, Xue Ke had endorsed Xue Qinghe.
With father-killing enmity involved, how can mere father-killing enmity not show? Or is the Heaven Dou princess Xue Ke being controlled, or is there something else going on?
From Xue Ke's prior soul bone set, it was clear that Xue Qinghe doted on her.
"About Princess Xue Ke, Rongrong, you know more clearly; explain!" Ning Fengzhi hadn't paid much attention to Xue Ke.
"Um." Ning Rongrong nodded. "Xue Ke probably knows the truth; it's unclear why she still chooses to help Qian Renxue."
"But one thing is certain: Qian Renxue truly cares for Xue Ke."
"Hard to understand..." Shui Cangyue's gaze went blank.
"This relates to Qian Renxue's experiences! As I mentioned before, Qian Renxue is the daughter of Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong; she infiltrated the Heaven Dou Empire when she was young, and perhaps she saw her own shadow in Xue Ke."
"Not long ago, Xue Ke was nearly beaten to death by Tang San; even if she was saved, there would likely be aftereffects, but she later participated in the Soul Master Tournament."
"Level 43—that was Xue Ke's soul power at the last Soul Master Tournament match."
"Without Qian Renxue's attention, it would be impossible for Xue Ke to get a complete soul bone set from Bi Ji's clansmen."
The Emerald Swan was originally rare, and Bi Ji is the Emerald Swan clan's leader. Using her own clansmen's—even fallen clansmen's—soul bones for humans, how could one think there would be no barriers!
"So that's it!" Shui Cangyue said thoughtfully. "I can understand it as Xue Ke being fully on Qian Renxue's side, of her own will."
"Possible; anyway, she'll come soon, so we'll see then!"
"Speaking of which, Xue Ke is also Tang Yuehua's disciple."
Qian Renxue, to avoid trouble for Xue Ke, had directly sent her to Tang Yuehua's side—even having her apprentice there.
Now, truly, world affairs are unpredictable!
Indeed, the great powers are all intricate and complex.
"Alright, today's discussion ends here!" Ning Fengzhi stood up, having the final word. "Next is the renaming ceremony; elders, please take pains with it."
"I, Ning, unlike my girl who smashes people with her tower, am an orthodox support soul master; the Seven... Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, along with my life and fortune, I entrust to you all."
Saying so, Ning Fengzhi gave a side-eye to Ning Rongrong beside him.
Ning Rongrong: "..."
Who is being all yin-yang about this? Making it seem like I'm not a support soul master?
I'm a support who can fight, okay?