Chapter 251: Pre Tournament Preparations, No Need to Hide Anymore
"You really do look more handsome like this."
As soon as Han Li stepped out of his room, he was greeted by Dugu Yan's teasing remark.
Despite her playful tone, her eyes sparkled with admiration she was clearly satisfied.
Han Li usually wore custom fitted outfits in black, white, and blue. Though they suited him well, the women around him were long accustomed to that look, so it didn't leave much of an impression.
Han Li chuckled and turned to Dugu Yan. "Since you say so, I can't let this be one sided. The uniforms for Tianshui Academy should have arrived by now, right? A little exchange of courtesy no problem with that, I assume?"
"Of course not. Bing'er already went next door to pick them up. By the time you get back, they'll be ready. The real problem is… will you know who to look at first?"
With a mischievous smirk, she stepped closer to Zhu Zhuqing and playfully pinched her cheek, causing the girl to blush furiously.
"Alright, enough of that. I need to head out such a hassle."
Han Li habitually adjusted the platinum crown on his head before stepping forward, ready to leave.
"Yeah, yeah, get going. Otherwise, if you run into Bing'er's sister, you're in for a rough time."
Dugu Yan's smirk widened as she mentioned Shui Yue'er.
Han Li's steps faltered for a brief moment before he instantly sped up.
Laughter erupted behind him from the three women.
Han Li had to admit even he found Shui Yue'er difficult to handle. And unfortunately, she was Shui Bing'er's younger sister.
The main issue was that Shui Yue'er was the ultimate "face con" the living embodiment of someone who worshipped beauty.
Just two days ago, upon arriving in Heaven Dou City, she had taken one look at him and immediately called out, "Brother in law! Brother in law!" before throwing herself at him.
Even more outrageous when he dodged, she looked heartbroken for only a second.
Then, just as quickly, she switched gears and started asking him if there were any handsome guys her age in Spirit Hall that he could introduce her to.
Her logic? "There must be other handsome guys around a handsome guy like you! Even if you're not my brother in law, it's fine I won't steal from my sister."
The way her eyes sparkled made it clear she had been plotting this move from the moment they met. And she had even managed to tease both him and Shui Bing'er in the process.
In the end, it was Shui Bing'er who snapped, froze her sister with an ice seal, and carried her away, blushing furiously.
Among all the soul masters Han Li had ever met, Shui Yue'er deserved the title of Ultimate Face Con. If there were a ranking for such an extreme trait, she would be at the top.
Only after receiving an "affectionate beating" from Shui Bing'er did Shui Yue'er finally behave.
Once he left Heaven Dou City, Han Li picked up speed and quickly merged with the Spirit Hall delegation.
The procession then made its way toward Heaven Dou City.
Half an hour later, the Holy Son of Spirit Hall, Han Li, officially met with the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe, at the city gates.
Under the watchful eyes of many, the two of them shared a carriage and headed toward the imperial residence that had been prepared in advance.
Inside the carriage, "Xue Qinghe" glanced at Han Li's ceremonial attire with amusement.
"Looks like the Holy Son is quite popular."
"Hah, tell me about it. I've been here for less than ten minutes, and I've already sensed hostility from four different directions."
Han Li shot a look at the gloating "Xue Qinghe" and lazily slouched onto the cushioned seat beside her.
The amusement on "Xue Qinghe's" face vanished, replaced by a cold, murderous expression.
"Want me to take care of them?"
"No need. I've already marked them. Some are even familiar faces I'll handle it myself."
Han Li stretched out comfortably, unconcerned.
He had already identified them. Later, he could follow the leads and trace them back to their sources.
Besides, it was just hostility most likely spies from rival factions. If he started eliminating every single one, he'd never get any rest. And one of them was even a Hao brat.
"Tch, Grandfather didn't even assign a Titled Douluo to accompany you. He's being way too careless."
"Xue Qinghe" grumbled in dissatisfaction, sounding genuinely upset on his behalf.
"Should I have Snake Spear or Blood Thorn follow you for now? You're officially appearing in public, so plenty of people will have their eyes on you."
Han Li mentally gave Qian Renxue a thumbs up. Now that's a real friend.
He shook his head. "No need. This is still Heaven Dou City being too flashy is unnecessary. If I walked around with a Titled Douluo all the time, Emperor Xue Ye might lose sleep."
"Besides, Hu Lian Zhen is already here, and Salas will be with me soon. That's enough. Also, don't tell me you think I'm weak?"
"You're actually going to reveal your true strength?"
"Xue Qinghe" looked at him in surprise. In her mind, Han Li was someone who would never act unless he was absolutely certain of success.
"Not exactly, but if I do, it's no big deal. I've already finished my early development."
Han Li smirked smugly and spread his arms out, only to be rewarded with an eye roll.
"Alright, be honest with me what's your actual level now?"
"Xue Qinghe" narrowed her eyes, studying Han Li carefully.
A guy who never made a move unless he was certain suddenly not bothering to hide anymore?
She had to admit, she was very curious.
"A little higher than before, I suppose. I might make a move anytime you'll find out then."
Han Li turned his head away, focusing on the fruit on the table while dodging the question. Qian Renxue, unimpressed, rolled her eyes in silent complaint.
By the time they arrived at the imperial residence, Salas was already waiting.
After another round of formalities, Han Li entered the palace, while "Xue Qinghe" lingered briefly before leaving.
Since the tournament was hosted by the two great empires and only co hosted by Spirit Hall, she, as the Crown Prince, had far more responsibilities than Han Li.
As for Han Li, the moment he stepped inside the palace, he dumped all duties onto Salas and slipped out through the back door, heading home.
As the Holy Son of one of the most powerful factions, and someone utterly uninterested in politics, he had the privilege to do so no one could question him.
Upon returning home, Han Li found that things had changed significantly. The Tianshui Academy girls had completely taken over his residence, and his presence noticeably made the atmosphere more reserved.
So, after casually greeting them, he headed straight for his room.
Though he hadn't taken the previous hostility toward him too seriously, he still needed to identify which factions those individuals belonged to so he could strike back accordingly.
Not because I hold grudges, of course.
However, his investigation yielded an unexpected result two of the spies belonged to the same faction.
One had returned to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's residence, while the other had reported back to Thunderclap Academy.
Han Li found this amusing.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's involvement was understandable after all, even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had done the same.
But a mere academy daring to target the Holy Son of Spirit Hall?
Were they still bitter about how he and his master had forcibly made Tianshui Academy an affiliate of Spirit Hall years ago?
If that was the case, things were about to get interesting.
Did Yu Yuanzhen even know about this?
Han Li chuckled and set the matter aside.
If they came, he would deal with them.
He was no longer the little kid who had to stand behind his master and watch from the sidelines.
As anticipation grew, three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the long awaited Soul Master Tournament finally began.
At dawn, as the sky barely lit up, Heaven Dou City was already bustling with activity. Crowds surged toward the massive arena, which could hold nearly 100,000 people.
For many, such a grand stage was something they would never witness in their lifetime except during the Soul Master Tournament.
At his residence, Han Li leisurely enjoyed his breakfast while admiring the four women across from him, now dressed in Tianshui Academy's uniforms.
Truly a feast for the eyes.
Today was the opening ceremony.
Immediately after the ceremony, there would be a single match Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's second team would face a randomly selected opponent for the first round of the tournament.
It was essentially a performance match, meant to excite the crowd.
After all, just a ceremony wouldn't be enough to satisfy the audience.
Han Li had personally arranged the match Tang San's team would be facing Blue Tyrant Academy.
Not because he didn't want them to go against Tianshui Academy, but because, at the end of the day, this was Heaven Dou Empire's opening match.
And right now, Qian Renxue was still acting as Xue Qinghe he had to give her some face.
For the other teams, the registration process was mostly a formality, meant to introduce their members to the public.
Even substitutes had to participate in the introductions.
This was a rule set by Spirit Hall itself, and since Tianshui Academy was now under Han Li's control, he couldn't be the one to break it.
Well, technically, he could but there was no need.
Besides, the women seemed eager to participate.
The Soul Master Tournament was a novel experience for them, and plenty of people would love to join but never get the chance.
Once breakfast was finished, Han Li looked at the group.
"I'll head out first. You all can follow Tianshui Academy later. As for Zhuqing, there's no need to hide anymore I want to see who dares to make a move."
"If someone does, deal with them however you see fit. The tournament rules don't matter."
The last part was directed at the other three.
Zhu Zhuqing was still too hesitant.
She might be ruthless when it came to Dai Mubai, but she was too soft hearted toward others.
Before Zhu Zhuqing could respond, Han Li stepped out of the courtyard.
He had to arrive at the imperial palace first, then head to the venue and engage in verbal battles with a bunch of old men his official duties, so to speak.
In the courtyard, Zhu Zhuqing, who had originally planned to keep her identity hidden, hesitated and looked at the other three.
She was met with three warm smiles.
"It's fine, Zhuqing. Just do as Han Li said. If he's telling you to show yourself, he's definitely prepared for whatever happens. You might even be helping him by revealing yourself. Besides, you can't hide forever, can you?"
Dugu Yan walked over, took her hand, and spoke gently.
Shui Bing'er and Xiu'er also stepped closer, offering their support.
If not for Zhu Zhuqing's reluctance, they would have stormed Heaven Dou Imperial Academy long ago.
With Qian Renxue as their inside agent, as long as they didn't kill anyone outright, there wouldn't be any real consequences.
"Big sister, are you all ready? It's time to leave."
Outside the wall, Shui Yue'er's voice rang out Tianshui Academy had arrived.
"We're ready. We're coming out now."
Shui Bing'er answered, leading the group toward the gate.
The Soul Master Tournament had begun.
(End of Chapter)
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