Xue Lingxun knew that Qian Ran was no ordinary person.
She had firsthand accounts of Qian Ran's formidable achievements at the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy. In her eyes, Qian Ran's sheer strength alone qualified him as a powerhouse.
After realizing just how monstrous Qian Ran's talent was, Xue Lingxun understood why Shrek Academy chose to abandon Xu Sanshi to keep Qian Ran instead. If she were a teacher at Shrek Academy, she would also have gone to great lengths to retain someone like Qian Ran.
A genius of this caliber would become a top priority for any faction.
What Qian Ran didn't know was that Xue Lingxun had tried to cause trouble for him at Shrek Academy. But every time she and the experts of the Xuanyuan Sect came knocking, they were quickly driven away by Shrek's elders.
It was undeniable how important someone of Qian Ran's potential was to Shrek Academy. Even when Mu En had sought to kill Qian Ran, he dared only do so outside the academy grounds.
Who could have foreseen that someone like Qian Ran was destined to become an Ultimate Douluo in the future?
Such a person was untouchable. Unless someone was absolutely certain they could kill Qian Ran, who would dare to make an enemy of him? Even Shrek Academy, despite its storied history, did not always have an Ultimate Douluo among its ranks. Losing such a promising seedling was unthinkable.
Realizing this, even the Xuanyuan Sect abandoned the laughable idea of avenging Xu Sanshi by targeting Qian Ran. Angering someone like Qian Ran could lead to disaster for their sect in the future.
Of course, not everyone was so easily cowed.
As Xu Sanshi's mother, Xue Lingxun's resentment toward Qian Ran only deepened as she watched both Shrek Academy and the Xuanyuan Sect abandon her son.
Returning to his dorm, Qian Ran's mind lingered on the hateful glare from that elegant figure.
"A mother's love makes her strong. Understandable."
"Speaking of which, I wonder how Xu Sanshi is doing these days. Hopefully, he hasn't died yet." Qian Ran stroked his chin, his thoughts wandering. Honestly, he had almost forgotten about Xu Sanshi.
Judging by Xue Lingxun's gaze, things didn't seem to be going well for him.
Could it be... he's dead?
If Xu Sanshi had really died, that would be a problem. A big one. He couldn't afford for Xu Sanshi to die so soon.
Back then, after turning Xu Sanshi into an evil soul master, Qian Ran hadn't killed him outright but instead chose to spare him—for the chance to meet Xue Lingxun.
In the original "Douluo Dalu II: Unrivaled Tang Sect," Xue Lingxun only appeared in the later stages of the story. After the Dou Ling Empire fell to the Sun-Moon Empire, Xue Lingxun became essentially the sole bloodline descendant of the Dou Ling royal family.
By status, Xue Lingxun was far more prestigious than Xu Jiujie.
Xu Jiujie was the sister of the Star Luo Emperor, but Xue Lingxun was the aunt of the Dou Ling Emperor.
This explained why Xu Sanshi, an outsider by blood, could eventually rise to become the Dou Ling Empire's emperor.
In the original story, Xue Lingxun was depicted as a virtuous and loving mother, and her affection for Xu Sanshi was genuine. That was to be expected—what mother doesn't love her child?
Xu Sanshi might be insufferable, but his mother was so elegant and noble. Truly worthy of her titles: a princess of a nation, the mistress of the Xuanyuan Sect, the aunt of the Dou Ling Emperor, and...
With so many overlapping identities, she was practically a walking collection of alluring buffs.
Qian Ran couldn't help but feel intrigued by Xue Lingxun. Xu Jiujie was lovely—a bona fide princess—but she was still just a girl. He hadn't yet encountered a more mature princess.
"Ugh, shameless!"
Qian Ran clicked his tongue in self-reproach. Why did his tastes always seem so... unique? While others fawned over 18-year-old girls, he...
Wait, that wasn't fair. He liked 18-year-old girls too. But in addition to them, he had a taste for... other types.
"When Ye Xishui gets here, I'll have her look into it. If Xu Sanshi really has died, I'm not sure I can handle Xue Lingxun."
No matter how skilled Qian Ran was at charming women, there were still rules to follow.
Even someone as exceptional as Qian Ran couldn't win over someone who harbored only hatred for him. Unless he altered her memories—but what would be the point?
Take Zhu Ying, for instance. If Qian Ran had killed Dai Huabin and Dai Yueheng outright, no matter how flirtatious Zhu Ying was, she wouldn't have fallen for him. But after she fell for him gradually, her disdain for Dai Huabin and Dai Yueheng grew naturally.
If Xu Sanshi were dead, Xue Lingxun would surely blame Qian Ran. Winning over this elegant and noblewoman would become far more complicated.
"Qian Ran, is something troubling you?" Juzi placed a steaming cup of tea on the table, then began massaging Qian Ran's shoulders.
"Just some passing thoughts. Nothing major." Qian Ran blew on the tea and took a sip.
"You were probably thinking about another woman," Keke teased as she knelt by his side, massaging his legs.
"How did you know?" Qian Ran's lips twitched.
"Hmph. You only get that expression when it's about relationships. Nothing else fazes you." Keke giggled, her observations sharp as ever.
Though Keke often appeared carefree, she was remarkably perceptive when it came to Qian Ran. Even Juzi couldn't match her insight in certain matters.
Qian Ran chuckled. "You're too clever for your own good. But didn't you know men don't like overly smart women?"
Keke froze.
That's true. Men prefer women who are beautiful but seemingly naive. Or better yet, women who are clever but pretend to be clueless. It's the latter that truly wins hearts.
"Boohoo, Qian Ran, I was wrong," Keke pouted, looking genuinely distressed. Had her cleverness backfired?
Qian Ran laughed. He wasn't really angry with her.
Kneeling beside him, Keke quickly caught on and shuffled closer.
Oh, this scoundrel. He's just trying to scare me so I'll...
Why not just say so? It's not like I'd refuse.
(End of Chapter)
Notes-You can read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X