Chapter 3: Xue Qinghe
After leaving the orphanage, Wu Haitao took Pei Qing directly to hail a carriage on the bustling streets of Heaven Dou City.
"Brother Tao, do you know someone named Su Yuntao?"
Inside the carriage, Pei Qing sat opposite Wu Haitao and asked with some curiosity.
Although one was surnamed Wu and the other Su, they both had 'Tao' in their names, so perhaps they were related.
Pei Qing was just asking casually; he was already fortunate enough to have awakened the Golden Crow Martial Soul, so he couldn't ask for more.
"Su Yuntao? I don't know him. Is he someone you know, Xiaoqing?"
Wu Haitao shook his head and looked at Pei Qing across from him, speaking in confusion.
He had worked in Heaven Dou City for many years and had never heard of anyone named Su Yuntao.
"Forget it. I just heard that he is very powerful in awakening martial souls and has awakened many strong martial souls."
Thinking about it, one is in Nuoding City and the other is in Heaven Dou City—how could they know each other?
He was simply being fanciful.
"Awakened many powerful martial souls? Is there such an amazing person?"
"If I ever meet him, I must ask him for guidance."
Wu Haitao heard Pei Qing's words and secretly remembered Su Yuntao in his heart.
For Pei Qing, who came from an orphanage, to know him, this Su Yuntao must be a genius at awakening martial souls.
It seemed he was ignorant. He needed to find an opportunity to learn more about him.
"Brother Tao, what kind of person is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? Can you tell me about him?"
In Pei Qing's impression, Qian Renxue is arrogant and insolent, believing she can control everything in the world.
At the same time, she is also someone who lacks love. To gain her mother's approval, she came to the Heaven Dou Empire alone to carry out the foolish plan to steal the country.
Yet, such a person, when playing Xue Qinghe, acted gentle and friendly, like a refined young master.
However, these were just his impressions from reading novels. Now, he was in the real Douluo Continent.
Pei Qing also wants to learn a bit about Xue Qinghe, as portrayed by Qian Renxue, from other sources.
"Your Highness, he is a gentleman, full of trust in his subordinates. Even if you do something wrong, he will not blame you but comfort you instead."
"Our prince is truly a virtuous crown prince. It is precisely because of his character that everyone is willing to gather around him and serve him."
"So, Xiaoqing, if you join the Prince's Mansion, you must serve His Highness well. He is a wise master who truly deserves our service."
Wu Haitao's words for Xue Qinghe, played by Qian Renxue, were full of praise.
"Brother Tao, don't worry, I will serve His Royal Highness well."
Pei Qing nodded. It seemed that Xue Qinghe, played by Qian Renxue, was indeed good, but the person was too foolish. Pei Qing truly had no empathy for fools.
After all, Pei Qing had always been unclear about Qian Renxue's reason for keeping Xue Beng alive.
Anyway, for an empire, only one heir was needed.
Xue Beng's existence was completely superfluous. Keeping him would not benefit Qian Renxue at all; on the contrary, he would cause trouble everywhere.
"Two guests, we have arrived at the Crown Prince's Residence."
...
While chatting, the carriage finally arrived at the Prince's Mansion in the center of Heaven Dou City.
Wu Haitao and Pei Qing got off the carriage directly.
As soon as they arrived in front of the mansion, they felt its grandeur.
The vermilion gate was tall and majestic, and the copper door nails glinted coldly in the sunlight. Each was neatly arranged, embodying royal style and solemnity.
The two stone lions in front of the gate, with lifelike expressions, bared their teeth and claws, guarding the mansion with wide eyes as if proclaiming its inviolability.
Is this the Prince's Mansion? It's truly magnificent, but it's only natural for a crown prince to live in such a place.
"I'm taking this child to meet His Royal Highness the Prince!"
"Take this report and deliver it quickly. You'll gain some benefits when the time comes."
Wu Haitao brought Pei Qing directly to the mansion's gate, pulled out a report of the martial soul awakening, and handed it to the doorman.
The doorman, obviously trained, glanced at the report and looked at Pei Qing with surprise.
He hurried into the mansion without saying a word. Before leaving, he instructed others to bring Pei Qing and Wu Haitao to the reception room.
Wu Haitao looked around curiously in the reception room.
Meanwhile, Pei Qing sat quietly, feeling the martial soul he had just awakened.
Top-tier martial soul—Golden Crow, with its sun fire and domain.
At the same time, he was also thinking about how he should develop next.
It was indeed better to go with the strong attack system. Ten thousand years later, there seems to be a strong person with a Golden Crow martial soul in the Shrek Seven Monsters.
Becoming a Soul Douluo in her thirties would demonstrate how powerful the Golden Crow martial soul is.
However, Pei Qing did not plan to follow that path. Ten thousand years later, Wu Ming, who also possessed the Golden Crow, was powerful, but she never developed the true power of the Golden Crow.
The Golden Crow is the sun god bird, born with the ability to control the sun.
It is far more powerful than any other divine beast of the Douluo Continent.
Since he has such a martial soul, Pei Qing would never let the Golden Crow decline in his hands.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the reception room. Wu Haitao and Pei Qing looked at each other and then looked out.
At first glance, they saw a young man dressed in a simple yet elegant golden palace outfit, made of brocade with excellent drape, fitting his slender figure and exuding noble status and temperament.
The young man was about seventeen or eighteen, with short blond hair and a gentle, approachable face that made people feel inexplicably close.
Behind him, several guards with noble, unique temperaments signaled his identity.
This person was Xue Qinghe, impersonated by Qian Renxue, and also the current Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Xiaoqing, this is the Crown Prince. Come with me."
Wu Haitao quickly stood up, grabbed Pei Qing, and led him out of the reception room with a look of eager anticipation.
"Wu Haitao and Pei Qing, meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
Finally, meeting the Crown Prince he had always wanted to serve, Wu Haitao was full of excitement.
If it weren't for the desire to leave a good impression on His Royal Highness, he would want to show all his sincerity right now.
Xue Qinghe quickly glanced at the unimportant people and then fixed his gaze on Pei Qing, who was standing quietly beside Wu Haitao.
(End of this chapter)