Heaven Dou Empire
"I remember the coachman Suduo said he was sick and recovering. So who's replacing him?" Xue Qinghe asked as he walked through the Prince's Mansion.
"Your Highness, Suduo was grateful for your care over the years. He asked his son to drive the carriage for you while he recovers," the guard beside him replied.
Xue Qinghe nodded, satisfied with the answer, and turned his attention to more pressing matters.
"Hi, hi, hi!"
A carriage approached at high speed but stopped smoothly in front of Xue Qinghe, showcasing the driver's skill.
Suddenly, Xue Qinghe felt a strange tremor in his body, as if something was drawing him in. "What is that?" he muttered, eyes wide. He had never felt anything like this before—not even when he absorbed his angel spirit ring or spirit bone.
The sensation was intense, like a moth drawn to a flame, pulling him irresistibly.
"Is there anyone else in the carriage?" Xue Qinghe asked, keeping his face calm to hide his curiosity.
"Your Highness, only Suduo's son is in the carriage. He's here to take over for a few days while his father recovers," the guard replied, bowing slightly.
"Ask him to come down," Xue Qinghe said, still composed despite the growing urge within him.
The guard stepped forward and called for the driver. Soon, a small figure jumped nimbly from the carriage and approached Xue Qinghe.
As the boy drew closer, the strange feeling in Xue Qinghe's body intensified. When he got a clear look, even the knowledgeable prince couldn't help but marvel. The boy had snow-white hair, pure as fresh snow, and fair skin that rivaled even the most beautiful girls Xue Qinghe had seen. Despite his shabby clothes, the boy carried an air of nobility, like a prince of some grand empire.
Xue Qinghe's sharp senses noticed something extraordinary. To him, the boy seemed to glow like a blazing fireball—no, like the sun itself.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for sending people to care for my father during his illness," the boy said, bowing respectfully before Xue Qinghe could speak.
The gesture only deepened Xue Qinghe's fascination. Without thinking, he reached out and gently touched the boy's soft white hair. "You're welcome. Your father is part of the Heaven Dou Empire. As crown prince, it's my duty to help," Xue Qinghe said, forcing a smile to mask his excitement.
Inside, a chorus of voices seemed to urge him: *Take him away! Take him away!* But Xue Qinghe restrained himself, bending down to meet the boy's eyes. "Hello, what's your name?"
He told himself this boy could be a valuable ally in the future.
The boy answered, "Your Highness, my father named me Karna."
At the sound of the name, Xue Qinghe's pupils shrank.
---
#### Yin-Yang Eyes of Ice and Fire
"Grandpa, I'm back!" A little girl with green hair ran to Dugu Bo, hugging him tightly.
"Hahaha, Yan'er!" Dugu Bo caught Dugu Yan and lifted her with both hands, smiling warmly.
"Hehe!" Dugu Yan giggled as her grandfather held her up.
After some playful moments, Dugu Bo set her down. "Yan'er, come meet a new friend," he said, bending to her level with a kind smile.
"Friend?" Dugu Yan tilted her head, curious.
Dugu Bo stood and gently nudged a white-haired boy forward. "Come out," he said. Then, to both children, "Introduce yourselves. You'll be good friends from now on."
Dugu Bo sat back, watching with a grin as Dugu Yan smiled brightly and extended her hand. "Hi! I'm Dugu Yan!"
The white-haired boy, who had been looking down, raised his eyes to meet hers. "Hello, I'm Siegfried. Nice to meet you," he said, shaking her hand.
And so, a pure friendship began between the two.
Dugu Bo, watching from the side, felt a sense of pride, knowing he had brought them together.
---
#### Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect
*Slap!*
"I won't be friends with him!" Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, declared, swatting away the white-haired boy's extended hand.
The boy didn't react with anger. Instead, he crossed his arms and looked at her with a helpless expression. "Why does this feel… familiar? Like a tsundere…" he muttered, a vague image of a black-haired woman with a ponytail flashing in his mind.
"Women are so hard to deal with," he sighed, sounding far too mature for his age.
*Thud!* A calloused hand landed on his shoulder.
"So, you're tired of my Rongrong already?" An old man with a wise, almost ethereal appearance smiled at the boy, though the smile sent a chill down his spine.
"No, Master! You must've misheard me!" the boy said quickly, waving his hands in denial. He knew better than to upset this grandfather, who doted on Ning Rongrong.
"Good," the old man said, standing to go comfort his granddaughter. "Rongrong, this boy is my apprentice. He won't bully you. If he does, tell Grandpa Jian, and I'll handle him."
Ning Rongrong stopped her tantrum after Jian Douluo's words, but the white-haired boy knew his days in the sect wouldn't be easy.
---
(End of Chapter)