After that night.
Li Zhexian and Qian Renxue traveled for several more days before finally arriving at the Heaven Dou City.
The towering city loomed at the end of the official road.
Qian Renxue stood quietly for a long while, then turned to Li Zhexian and spoke softly:
"Li Zhexian, the escort mission is complete."
She paused, as if she still had more to say, but in the end only left him with one line:
"…Until we meet again."
Li Zhexian nodded.
"Until we meet again."
He watched Qian Renxue's figure turn down another fork in the road, disappearing from sight.
Li Zhexian tilted his head back and downed a long swig of wine.
Tch.
Nothing worth being sentimental about.
Qian Renxue wasn't gone.
She had merely changed her identity.
Into that good brother of his, the one he could sling an arm around.
"Heaven Dou City—this young master is back!"
A trace of excitement really did surge in Li Zhexian's heart.
He truly missed his little courtyard.
He wondered whether the plums on the tree in the yard had ripened yet, and if the few clusters of winter jasmine along the wall had sprouted new buds.
...
Heaven Dou Palace.
The Crown Prince's bedchamber.
Xue Qinghe strode inside.
Waiting there, Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo greeted her with smiles.
"Your Highness has finally returned. These ten days of travel, you must have enjoyed yourself?"
But the moment the words left their mouths, they read the answer from the frost covering Xue Qinghe's face.
Without speaking, Xue Qinghe walked directly to the window.
The morning light fell upon a rare flower by the sill, its leaves unfurling in the glow.
Her palm lifted slightly.
A gentle stream of light-element energy flowed forth, carefully nourishing the immortal bloom.
Only after some time did Xue Qinghe turn back.
Her voice was calm, but beneath that calm, a storm surged.
"How many of that woman's spies are in the palace?"
Porcupinefish and Snake Lance's faces instantly changed.
From just this one question, they understood.
The young master must have encountered Spirit Hall's Spirit Masters during this journey.
The very thing they had feared… had finally happened.
After a moment of silence, Snake Lance answered in a low voice:
"We have identified thirty-six so far."
"Kill them all."
Xue Qinghe's voice carried no ripple of emotion.
She knew.
Beyond those thirty-six, there would certainly be more that had slipped through the net.
But that was just as well…
Between her elegant brows, a sudden surge of killing intent erupted—so sharp it made even two Titled Douluo shudder.
"As for the rest of the spies, they will carry my message to that woman…"
"If she dares lay a hand on Li Zhexian—"
"I will drag her Pope Palace down with me, and erase it from the Douluo Continent."
Porcupinefish and Snake Lance's hearts trembled violently.
If such words came from another's mouth, they would have dismissed it as a joke.
But they knew—
With Qian Renxue's unparalleled importance in the Worship Hall,
If she truly fought the Pope Hall to mutual destruction,
The side to pay the heavier price… would undoubtedly be the Pope Hall.
The courtyard was quiet, the plum blossoms swaying in the breeze.
Li Zhexian lounged in a sandalwood chair beneath the plum tree, helplessly facing the seven people before him.
"...Sigh."
"I've only been home one day—how did you already know I was back?"
The visitors were none other than the entire Emperor Team.
After days of harsh training, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling looked a little thinner.
But when they saw Li Zhexian, joy filled their lovely faces.
Yu Tianheng smirked.
"Your identity as 'Sword Wine' is already known throughout Heaven Dou Imperial Academy."
"A student happened to see you entering the city, and once we got word, of course we came."
"Sword Wine, are we not brothers? You came back and didn't even tell us?"
Yu Feng, Osler, and the Shi brothers joined in the clamor.
"Exactly!"
"Are we not brothers?!"
"Enough, you lot."
Seeing Li Zhexian's slightly tanned but still handsome face, Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes flickered with a trace of heartache. She frowned and said:
"Brother Zhexian just returned—can't you let him rest properly?"
Ye Lingling's palm glowed, her Nine-Heart Begonia blooming in full.
Healing light washed over Li Zhexian.
The continent's number one healing Martial Soul, devoted in this moment only to dispelling his fatigue.
As she worked, Ye Lingling echoed softly:
"Li Zhexian must have rushed day and night to return. Don't disturb his rest."
The two girls so naturally defending Li Zhexian left Yu Tianheng and the others staring, dumbstruck.
Wait a minute!
What happened to the camaraderie we agreed on the way here?!
The way the wind was shifting was way too fast!
With the Nine-Heart Begonia's almost "extravagant" healing, Li Zhexian felt his weariness vanish, his spirit refreshed.
He stood, laughing:
"Since you're already here, it'd be unfair of me to keep you waiting."
"Come on, come on! Old rules—let's head to Shanfang Pavilion!"
Smiles lit Yu Tianheng and the others' faces.
"Ha, that's more like it!"
"But not this time—we're not going to Shanfang Pavilion!"
As they spoke, the soul tools on their waists gleamed faintly.
On the sandalwood table, dish after dish of delicacies appeared, and jars of fine wine lined up in a row.
The five of them each grabbed a jar and thrust it toward Li Zhexian with a laugh.
"Come! A toast to Sword Wine, our idol's triumphant return!"
"Welcome back to Heaven Dou City, Sword Wine!"
Li Zhexian grinned and hefted a jar, clinking heavily against theirs.
"Tonight we drink until we drop!"
The night breeze was cool, the scent of plum blossoms drifting.
The six of them drank and joked, laughter filling the courtyard.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling also occasionally joined in the conversation.
As the wine flowed, Yufeng suddenly asked curiously:
"Idol, did your trip to Wind Sword Sect bear fruit?"
Everyone's gaze turned to Li Zhexian.
He picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, swallowed it with a swig of wine, and replied:
"Not bad."
Yu Tianheng sighed.
"If you say 'not bad,' then it must have gone just as you wished."
"Actually, we've also improved quite a bit these past days."
"Sigh, if only your sword weren't so terrifying—we'd love to spar again, even if it meant a bit of blood."
But the more he spoke, the more he felt the gap in strength. Shaking off the thought, Yu Tianheng simply raised his jar with a shout:
"Enough! Drink, drink! Why think so much?"
After several more rounds, Yu Tianheng and the others staggered off, leaning on each other for support.
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling stayed behind to help Li Zhexian clean up the messy courtyard.
At the moment of parting—
Ye Lingling's usually cold face carried a rare trace of embarrassment. Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes as she spoke in a small voice:
"Li Zhexian…"
"My… my mother invites you to our home…"
"She said she wishes to apologize for last time…"
Li Zhexian flipped a ripe plum into his mouth.
At her words, his movements paused.
"Go back and tell the Ye Clan Mistress."
"I don't hold a grudge. There's no need for apologies."
He wasn't bothered by that day's test of strength.
What he disliked was the way the Ye Clan Mistress had placed the family's near-obsessive burden on Ye Lingling's shoulders.
Ye Lingling bit her lip, her mother's constant entreaties flashing in her mind. Her eyes grew misty.
"Li Zhexian… please… just go this once…"
"I promise… it won't be like last time…"
Facing the fragile girl, so pitifully pleading,
Li Zhexian sighed in exasperation.
"Fine. Tomorrow night, then."
Ye Lingling's tears turned into a radiant smile, her eyes curving like crescents.
"Hee, thank you, Li Zhexian!"
Beside her, Dugu Yan chimed in at the right time:
"Brother Zhexian, you mustn't play favorites!"
"You'll have to visit my house too—Grandfather keeps talking about you!"
The two girls left the courtyard together.
When they were far enough down the road,
Ye Lingling suddenly leaned toward Dugu Yan and whispered:
"Yanyan, didn't you say… once Li Zhexian came back, you had to try it out?"
"Why back out now?"
Dugu Yan blinked, then her cheeks instantly flushed red as she realized what Ye Lingling meant.
"You little brat!"
"You forget everything else, but this you remember clearly!"
Flustered, she swung her hand to swat.
"Looking for a beating!"
The two girls laughed and chased each other into the distance.
Li Zhexian shook his head with a wry smile and returned to his room.
Night had deepened.
He could only meet Xue Qinghe tomorrow.
Thinking back to the ten days he had spent with Qian Renxue,
Li Zhexian couldn't help but chuckle.
Heh…
He wondered what his good brother might have to say to him.