The guards at the gates of Heaven Dou City clearly recognized Dugu Bo. With his presence, the group passed through the noble passageway without any questions or obstruction.
"Feels like there are way fewer people on the streets than before."
As they walked through the city streets, Paimon looked around at the sparse passersby. It was a stark contrast to the usual bustle of Heaven Dou.
"Miss Paimon, ever since that incident, the city's control measures have been tightened. Normally, unless you have something important to do, residents aren't allowed to linger outside for long," Dugu Bo explained from the side.
Though the Heaven Dou royal family was led by Emperor Xue Ye, real power over the vast empire lay in the hands of the aristocracy.
While Emperor Xue Ye hadn't openly broken with the Spirit Hall, the same couldn't be said for the nobles.
With Spirit Hall boasting a massive number of powerful soul masters, the nobles had become like startled birds—constantly afraid of assassination attempts from the Spirit Hall.
Thus, they kept petitioning the emperor to strengthen the city's security systems and protocols.
"Oh, oh." Paimon nodded, half-understanding.
"My lord, why don't we rest at my place for the night? We can depart tomorrow."
Dugu Bo looked to Aether and spoke respectfully.
"Alright."
Resting anywhere made little difference, and staying in a hotel might risk security checks. Dugu Bo's estate would be much safer and save them a lot of trouble.
With Aether's approval, Dugu Bo led them to his residence in Heaven Dou City.
"My lord, please have some tea. I'll go find some people to clean the place up right away."
After ushering everyone into the living room and serving tea, Dugu Bo gave a fawning smile.
The estate had been a gift from Prince Xue Xing, but Dugu Bo had rarely lived there.
Despite its luxurious layout, time had inevitably left layers of dust, especially in the guest rooms—no place for someone of this lord's stature to stay without proper cleaning.
"Traveler, this place feels a lot like Qinghe's… sigh…"
Once Dugu Bo had left, Paimon glanced around and sighed softly.
"What's wrong? Missing His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Aether smiled faintly, noticing Paimon's gloom.
"Yeah… I wonder where he is now~"
"He's probably returned to Spirit Hall."
Aether shared the guess that had been forming in his heart.
"Spirit Hall? You mean where we just came from? Why would he go back there?" Paimon asked in confusion.
She had finally wrapped her head around the difference between the Hall's headquarters and its branches. The HQ was massive, while there were branches all over the continent.
"Yeah. That's probably where she went," Aether replied, looking at Paimon. "Didn't you already figure out that 'he' is actually a girl?"
"Mhm."
Paimon nodded. "But what does that have to do with Spirit Hall?"
"Because that's her home~"
"Qinghe's real name is Qian Renxue. She's the Holy Daughter of Spirit Hall… the daughter of the Supreme Pontiff, Bibi Dong."
Aether took a sip of tea. Now that Qian Renxue's identity had been exposed, he decided to share the full truth with the group.
"E-Eh?!"
Paimon's jaw nearly hit the floor.
She had known that Qinghe was a girl in disguise, but this new identity was on an entirely different level—second only to the Pope herself!
"Your Excellency, are you saying that the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou… is the Pope's daughter?"
Zhu Zhuqing, as a native of the Douluo Continent, was utterly shaken by the revelation.
"Mm. It's a long story, but basically, Spirit Hall wanted to unify the continent. So they sent Qian Renxue in as a spy when she was just a child to replace the original second prince."
"…"
Zhu Zhuqing's expression twisted with complexity.
She had thought the Star Luo Empire's court was messy enough, but clearly, Heaven Dou was no better.
She had met Xue Qinghe before—scholarly, poised, and refined in demeanor, the perfect image of a noble prince.
Who would've thought he was actually a woman…
But this revelation did neatly explain why Bibi Dong had appeared at the prince's residence and why everything that followed had happened.
Sharp as ever, Zhu Zhuqing quickly connected the dots in her mind.
"Your Excellency… does that mean Her Highness's entire plan has now collapsed?"
Qian Renxue had taken over the second prince's identity from a young age. After over a decade of careful planning, was everything really gone in a single night?
"That's… one way of putting it," Aether said with a nod. "But if she can reconcile with Bibi Dong, maybe it'll turn out to be a blessing in disguise."
"Mhm. Only her daughter might be able to untangle the Pope's inner torment."
Zhu Zhuqing agreed without hesitation.
"But Spirit Hall really is terrifying…"
Zhu Zhuqing recalled the sight of the many Titled Douluo within the worship hall of the Spirit Hall's headquarters.
"Everyone knows the three upper sects each have a Titled Douluo backing them. But few are aware that Spirit Hall has over a dozen."
"Heh, you're quite observant."
Aether agreed wholeheartedly.
Honestly, as long as Bibi Dong didn't lose herself to madness, there wasn't a single force on the continent that could stand against Spirit Hall.
Even if the three upper sects joined forces, they still couldn't confidently claim victory over Spirit Hall.
"Ehehe~"
Zhu Zhuqing smiled lightly. She'd never cared for power struggles, but that didn't stop her from enjoying the drama.
"Oh right, I want to visit the Spirit Hall branch in Heaven Dou. Paimon, want to come with me?"
Seeing that Paimon was still a bit down, Aether decided they might as well go investigate Qian Renxue's whereabouts now.
"You're going there? Why?"
Paimon was sprawled across the table, listless.
"Qian Renxue is the Holy Daughter of Spirit Hall. Naturally, I want to see if there's any news about her."
"I'm in! I'm in!"
The moment she heard that, Paimon immediately jumped up.
"What about you two…"
Aether turned to look at Yu Keke and Zhu Zhuqing. As for Fire Meow Meow, the feline was currently stationed at the door like a guard statue.
When it came to protection, escort duty, or transport, Fire Meow Meow was a true professional. Didn't even need instructions.
"I… I want to go with Big Brother~"
Yu Keke said softly, sticking to Aether like a little tail.
"Me too."
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Yu Keke. She also wanted to go, but was a bit too embarrassed to say so. Now that the little one had spoken up, there was no point in pretending otherwise.
After all, everything she had now had come from charging ahead with boldness and initiative!
"..."
Aether's mouth twitched. "Fine, you can all come… Fire Meow Meow, stay here. When Old Uncle Dugu comes back, let him know we'll return shortly."
"Understood, my lord."
Fire Meow Meow nodded its small head.
_
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