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..."Going back to his old profession?" Xu Hong was startled.
"In his previous Life... or rather, in his original understanding and experience, he was an assassin of the Tang Sect." Xuan Ming did not elaborate on the meaning of "previous Life," but Xu Hong generally understood it as a metaphor referring to some special, killing-related experience in Tang San's past.
"His upbringing shaped a thought process that is different from ordinary people. I will not use conventional morality to judge him; that would be meaningless."
Xuan Ming paused, then continued, "But now, he is King Lan Hao of the Heaven Dou Empire, an emissary representing the Empire's prestige. His identity, status, and responsibilities are all different. Under these circumstances, when faced with temptation or choice, will he still make the same decision as he did in the past? I am quite curious."
"Furthermore, he is the nephew of a friend of mine, and for the sake of that friend, I will give him an opportunity."
"As for whether he can grasp it, and how he grasps it, that is his own business."
After listening, Xu Hong felt awe-struck.
He understood that Xuan Ming's attention to Tang San was not born of admiration or hostility, but rather a condescending observation tinged with amusement.
He gave Tang San an "opportunity" to come into contact with spirit tools and another kind of possibility, but hidden behind this opportunity were trials and choices.
As for what this "opportunity" specifically entails and how Tang San will choose, perhaps only time can provide the answer.
"Your subordinate understands." Xu Hong stopped asking questions, bowed respectfully, and quietly withdrew from the Side Hall.
Silence returned to the hall.
Xuan Ming still stood by the window, his ice-blue eyes deep as an abyss.
He truly gave Tang San a chance. A chance to experience spirit tools and the "new World" displayed by the Spirit Empire. If Tang San was clever enough to see the general trend, perhaps he could find a different path.
But the prerequisite was that he must abandon the hatred already rooted in his bones and his obsession with the past.
This was difficult. Xuan Ming knew this well.
Yet he still provided the chance. Partly because of Tang Yuehua and Xiao Wu, and partly, perhaps, it was just a trivial... act of boredom in his long Life.
As for the outcome, he did not care. The path must ultimately be walked by oneself... Supreme Pontiff Palace Main Hall.
The hall was brightly lit, but compared to previous days, it had less of a chilling atmosphere and more of the busy air of handling government affairs. Mountains of files and documents were piled on the massive desk.
Hu Liena sat upright in the secondary seat beside the desk, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, fully focused on reviewing memorials. She wore the exclusive ceremonial dress of the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Empire, which conveyed both luxury and authority. The coquettishness that once defined her features had now settled into composure and competence.
Since returning from Sea God Island and being formally appointed as the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Empire and the Empire's first successor, her identity and status had undergone earth-shattering changes, accompanied by a mountain of heavy workload.
Her Majesty the Empress Bibi Dong, after confirming that Hu Liena was capable of handling the great responsibility, unceremoniously dumped two-thirds of the Empire's daily governmental affairs onto her, calling it "experience."
Bibi Dong herself retreated behind the scenes, dedicating more energy to controlling the Asura Demon Sword and integrating it with her own power.
At this moment, Bibi Dong stood by the main hall's window, holding the dark red Demon Sword that radiated endless killing intent—the Asura Demon Sword. Her fingertips lightly brushed the blade, feeling the terrifying power contained within, and a hint of complexity flashed in her purple-gold eyes.
After this period of focused Cultivation and adaptation, she was quite proficient in using the Asura Demon Sword and could mobilize most of its power.
However, she could always feel a faint sense of estrangement, as if the sword did not completely acknowledge her as its master.
She knew the reason—the divine force of the Rakshasa God still existed within her body.
The Asura God, who governs judgment and slaughter, represents a destructive force of relative "order."
The Rakshasa God, on the other hand, symbolizes the darkest evil thoughts and degradation in the human heart, and is the Incarnation of Chaos and evil.
These two kinds of divine force are fundamentally contradictory and mutually repellent.
The Asura Demon Sword instinctively repels the portion of the Rakshasa God's power within her body. This rejection prevents her from truly reaching the highest Realm of Body Integration with the Demon Sword, where it moves as easily as an extension of her arm.
But she was helpless in this matter. The Rakshasa God's power had long since deeply Fused with her, was an indispensable part of her power system, and was the very Foundation she relied on to survive and seek revenge when she was in despair back then. She could not possibly abandon it.
Now, she was like a collection of contradictions, simultaneously controlling the Rakshasa Power that breeds evil thoughts and wielding the Asura Sword that judges evil thoughts.
These two diametrically opposed powers had achieved a subtle and dangerous balance within her body.
Perhaps, only the combination of these contradictory powers allowed her to truly control the vast and complex machine that was the Spirit Empire, balance various forces, and implement her radical and risky new policies.
She sighed softly and put down the Asura Demon Sword. Turning to look at Hu Liena, who was working at the desk, her gaze softened slightly.
"Nana," Bibi Dong walked over to the desk, casually picked up a reviewed document, and asked in a relaxed tone, "How have things been recently... with Xuan Ming?"
If it were in the past, she would never have asked such a private question so directly.
But now, having experienced too much, she had long since abandoned unnecessary reserve and awkwardness.
Hearing this, Hu Liena's pen paused slightly. She looked up, a hint of a helpless smile appearing on her cool face: "Teacher, why are you asking about this so suddenly?"
She put down her pen, rubbed her slightly sore wrist, and said frankly, "What else could it be? It's the same as before."
"The same?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Hu Liena sighed. "Xuan Ming... don't you know him? He doesn't know how to date at all, let alone actively flirt with girls. Most of the time, he is passive, or even... dense."
She paused, her tone carrying a hint of complaint and distress: "Moreover, ever since the Godly Trial began, he has been constantly busy, either dealing with Godly Trial tasks or studying those profound Laws and powers. He barely has time to rest, so how could he have the mind or energy to think about romance?"
Bibi Dong was startled for a moment upon hearing this, then couldn't help but laugh and shake her head: "That's right... Why would I worry about him in this regard?"
She walked to the main seat and sat down, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, her gaze somewhat distant: "That fellow is indeed greedy, and inherently flirtatious, stemming from the insatiable emptiness and lack of love in his past. Therefore, he finds it difficult to harden his heart and refuse those who genuinely treat him well."
"However," Bibi Dong changed the subject, with a hint of understanding, "being difficult to resist doesn't mean he will take the initiative. For Xuan Ming, even if he accepts you girls deep down, the actual mode of interaction will likely not be much different from the past."
She even smiled slightly, skeptically: "Sometimes I wonder if he purely regards girls like Xiao Wu and Ah Yin as children needing care."
Xuan Ming's boundaries in the emotional Domain have always been vague and chaotic.
If one were to talk about clear, passionate romantic love, he didn't possess much of it.
As far as she knew, perhaps only she and Gu Yuena could reach that level.
As for the others, it was more of a habitual closeness and dependence on "family," or perhaps the attachment to an older sister and the favoritism toward a younger sister.
Little Ah Yin is the clearest example; Xuan Ming treats her purely with the care of an older brother toward his younger sister, and Little Ah Yin completely views Xuan Ming as an irreplaceable older brother.
These intricate emotional connections are far from being summarized by the narrow word "love."
Precisely because she clearly recognized this point, Bibi Dong had long since lost interest in so-called "jealous rivalry."
Because she understood that Xuan Ming probably couldn't even comprehend the emotion of "jealous rivalry," let alone deal with it.
In his complex and Chaos emotional World, there was a unique set of operating Laws that outsiders found difficult to understand.
Hu Liena nodded thoughtfully as she listened to her teacher. She had to admit that her teacher's analysis was very accurate.
Xuan Ming's way of treating them was indeed more like tolerance and protection toward "his own people," rather than traditional romantic love between a man and a woman.
"So, Teacher," Hu Liena picked up her pen again, a smile of helplessness mixed with relief curving her lips, "instead of dwelling on trivial matters, it's better to finish dealing with these government affairs. Hoping for him to become enlightened is less likely than hoping the sun rises in the west tomorrow."
"That's right. Well then... let's get back to work."