Qian Renxue raised her brows slightly, her fingers brushing the golden seal before she even opened it."Oh? Grandfather wants me to return."
Her tone was flat, yet her heart stirred with a faint ripple. This was not the first time Qian Daoliu had written. For the first time in her life, she had been away from Spirit Hall for nearly seven months, and her absence clearly unsettled the old man.
Ghost Douluo's reports to the Great Worshipper no longer painted the whole truth. Since the day he surrendered completely to her, the elder's communications had become nothing more than her carefully crafted narrative.
To Qian Daoliu, his granddaughter was dutifully travelling, tempering herself. What he did not know was that she was silently building a vast intelligence network, a spy chain that, once completed, would make her reach extend like an invisible net across the entire continent.
Qian Renxue let out a soft laugh, neither mocking nor warm. "Grandfather's anxiety is understandable. But if he knew how much I have accomplished in these months… perhaps even he would have been startled."
Her slender fingers broke the wax seal with deliberate care. The faint fragrance of sandalwood rose from the parchment, a habit of her grandfather who favored calmness in his correspondence.
Her eyes moved across the neat, powerful handwriting.
'Dear Xue'er,
I trust this letter finds you well. Ghost Douluo's reports reassure me of your safety, though I cannot help but worry. You have been away from Spirit Hall for far too long—seven months is not a short time. Though travel can temper the mind and broaden your horizons, you must remember that your Grandfather feels lonely without you present in the Elder's Hall..
I urge you, Xue'er, do not let the dust of the outside world cling too long to your robes. Spirit Hall requires your return. '
Qian Renxue's smirk deepened slightly, though her eyes narrowed with interest.'Uncle Ghost reports what I command him to report, Grandpa. You only see the mask I allow. As for returning… that is far more difficult. I still have plans yet unfinished'
She read further, her eyes now fixed on the lines with growing intensity.
'That said, I will not deny that in my younger years, I too wandered. Perhaps it is this memory of youth that makes me indulge you for this long. When I was young, I once crossed mountains and seas, and in that time… there were four peerless beings who stood at the very peak of Douluo Continent. Four who had stepped into the fabled realm of Rank 99.'
Qian Renxue's golden eyes froze. Her calm expression faltered as unease crept into her heart.
'No… in the original story, there should only be three—Tang Chen, Qian Daoliu, and Bo Saixi. Tang Chen disappeared, leaving only two to dominate the era. How… how is there a fourth?'
She lowered the letter, her mind rapidly dissecting possibilities.
As she read further she came across a name which was unfamiliar -' Ren Xuan'
'I've read countless scrolls, understood nearly all the archives of Spirit Hall, and not once was this Ren Xuan mentioned. I recall that there was also no information about Bo Saixi. It was my mistake to assume that the history will be the same as mentioned in the novel, even after my meeting with Lin Yuan.'
Her face darkened as realization dawned.'The worst-case scenario… Ren Xuan is not a native at all, but a Reincarnator like Lin Yuan. One who hid himself away, biding time. If that's true… then everything I thought I understood about the balance of power in this world could be incomplete.'
Qian Renxue had a grim realization that there might be reincarnators like Lin Yuan, that she might have no knowledge about.
Her fingers tightened around the parchment until it crumpled slightly. The thought of hidden pieces on the board, beyond even the gods, made her blood run cold.
She stood abruptly.
"Uncle Ghost," she said sharply, her voice ringing with resolve. "We are returning to Spirit Hall, immediately."
Ghost Douluo blinked, momentarily surprised at her sudden change in plans. Only moments ago she had seemed intent on to continue her travelling. But her command carried no hesitation, no trace of the playful calm she sometimes wore.
"As you command, Young Master," he bowed deeply, hiding his curiosity. Without further question, he slipped out of the room to prepare the carriage for departure.
Left alone, Qian Renxue looked once more at the sky through the window. Her expression was calm again, but her thoughts churned with a storm.
'Tang Hao and Ah Yin can wait. Ren Xuan… this unknown variable is far more dangerous. I cannot allow another variable to upset the game I've begun to weave. If he exists still, then I must know. And if he is truly a Reincarnator...'
Her lips curved into a faint, dangerous smirk.