The Royal Hunting Grounds Begin. Although merely for the emperor's amusement, this place is vast, occupying almost half of the land north of Tian Dou City.
On its northern edge and corners lies the Soul Hunting Forest near Tian Dou City.
Here, a delicate-looking, somewhat immature boy skillfully sits by the fire, skinning and gutting a rabbit he's caught in the hunting grounds before roasting it.
While Lin Yu is focused on roasting the rabbit, Qian Renxue, whose soul power is somewhat depleted, finally awakens.
Her fair face is exquisitely beautiful; even at only ten years old, she already possesses the foundation for future stunning beauty.
Her eyebrows furrow slightly, and her slightly narrow golden phoenix eyes open, meeting Lin Yu's gaze.
At that moment, Lin Yu instinctively turns around, their eyes meeting.
"It's you!"
Qian Renxue recognizes Lin Yu immediately; isn't he the child she's been talking to for a while?
She remembered Lin Yu's background; he was the son of Lin Zhan, who had only recently become a nobleman in the Heavenly Dou Empire.
Perhaps due to her childhood experiences, Qian Renxue was now like a little hedgehog covered in sharp quills, her golden eyes filled with wariness.
"Hey, listen to me, I only came in to see what was going on after hearing about the Second Prince's assassination attempt..."
Lin Yu chuckled sheepishly, feigning innocence like a child who couldn't lie.
Qian Renxue stared intently at Lin Yu with her phoenix eyes, her thin red lips parting slightly, "You saw it too, I killed Xue Qinghe, and in a way, you little rascal seem to be an accomplice. How does it feel to kill a prince?" She
was still an old fox; Lin Yu's pretense was far beyond the comprehension of a ten-year-old girl like Qian Renxue.
Moreover, Lin Yu seemed to have a natural talent for acting; perhaps he had chosen the wrong profession in his previous life. If he had spent decades in the entertainment industry, he might have won a gold medal.
Upon hearing Qian Renxue's words, Lin Yu's expression froze for a moment, then his face revealed deep fear and dread.
Lin Yu's voice trembled slightly, sounding very frightened, but he still didn't forget to turn the roasting rabbit. "Then...what should I do? If my father finds out, he'll definitely...tie me up!"
"Ahem, focus on roasting! If the young master doesn't get any, you brat, you'll be in for a beating!"
At some point, She Long had already appeared, respectfully bowing to Qian Renxue, who was sitting on the ground. "Greetings, young master. She Long is late; I hope the young master will punish me!"
He was, after all, only a level 91 Title Douluo, at the bottom of the Title Douluo ranks.
Although perhaps no one in the Heaven Dou Royal Family could rival him, it didn't mean the Soul Douluo experts guarding Emperor Xue Ye wouldn't notice him.
To avoid being discovered by the Heaven Dou Royal Family experts, just in case, he hadn't entered initially.
Only after the chaos at the royal hunting grounds and Emperor Xueye's hasty return to Tiandou City did he sneak in unnoticed. He
hadn't been inside long when he saw Lin Yu, who had finished cleaning up the scene and was carrying Qian Renxue, running there to catch rabbits.
Seeing that Qian Renxue was alright, he didn't disturb her, simply watching from the side until she woke up, at which point he finally came out.
"Uncle She, you don't need to say anything. This time it was my carelessness. And Uncle She, do you know him?"
She Long sighed. Although Lin Zhan was Qian Daoliu's spy planted in the Tiandou Empire for over thirty years, making him relatively important...
But who was standing before him? Qian Renxue, the young lady of the Spirit Hall, the true little princess of Douluo Continent!
She Long didn't hide anything, revealing all the messy affairs of the Lin family.
After hearing everything, Qian Renxue, having regained much of her strength, stood up with She Long's help. She gently placed her jade-like hand on Lin Yu's head, stroking his soft hair. "I originally planned to win over Marquis Chengyang after our success, but I didn't expect Grandpa to give me such a big surprise."
A gentle smile flashed in her golden phoenix eyes as Qian Renxue said with a smile, "Of course, I also have to thank you, little guy."
"Um, I have a name, my name is Lin Yu..."
Facing the condescending Qian Renxue, who acted like an older sister, Lin Yu said weakly.
Before Qian Renxue could speak, She Long's face hardened. "What 'this' and 'that'? You should call him Young Master!"
"Alright, Uncle She, he's still young, so don't make things difficult for him."
Qian Renxue spoke, and She Long naturally didn't say anything more, then got down to business. "Reporting to Young Master, the scene where you killed Xue Qinghe has been cleaned up. Of course, this wasn't my doing, but rather the work of a certain little fellow.
Even so, Xue Qinghe's prolonged disappearance will arouse suspicion. I urge you to execute the plan immediately, Young Master, otherwise everything could easily fall apart."
Lin Yu unconsciously glanced around, subtly looking at She Long.
He had just realized that this old man was actually quite endearing; at least he kept his word, unlike the hypocritical and cunning people of his previous life, who said one thing to your face and another behind your back.
Steady yet tactful, his seemingly unintentional remark had particularly caught the attention of a cautious girl like Qian Renxue.
A pair of narrow, golden phoenix eyes glanced at Lin Yu before settling on the freshly roasted rabbit in his hand.
"Alright, but no need to rush..."
A moment later, the once lively and spirited girl had transformed into a rather ornately dressed, handsome young man.
She Long had already hidden himself in the shadows. The young man sat with Lin Yu, sharing the roasted rabbit.
Looking at the young man before him, Lin Yu felt that Qian Renxue's original appearance was more pleasing to the eye. Qian Renxue with Xue Qinghe's face always gave him a strange feeling.
In fact, not only him, but She Long in the shadows also shared a similar thought.
Having eaten half a rabbit, Qian Renxue was almost full. She casually wiped the grease from her hands and, adopting Xue Qinghe's tone, said in a deep voice, "When someone finds us, consider it as you saving me. From now on, call me Brother Xue, or Qinghe, you can call me that, understand?"
Hearing Qian Renxue's instructions, Lin Yu nodded seriously, "I understand."
Then, led by "Xue Qinghe," the two slowly made their way towards the center of the royal hunting grounds.
In less than an hour, they encountered Lin Zhan, who was leading a search party for Xue Qinghe's whereabouts.
Upon seeing Xue Qinghe and Lin Yu beside her, Lin Zhan first bowed to the prince, "Lin Zhan greets Your Highness. Your Highness's disappearance has caused His Majesty great anxiety. However, I don't know why you are with my son?"
Although they were both under the same authority, what needed to be concealed had to be kept. "Xue Qinghe," as agreed beforehand, attributed the credit for saving her, the prince, to Lin Yu.
Lin Zhan didn't say anything, but immediately took "Xue Qinghe" and Lin Yu to the Heavenly Dou Imperial Palace.
(End of Chapter)