Although it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, Su Cheng's purpose was quite simple.
He just wanted to sow a seed of doubt in Qian Renxue's mind about Xue Beng's so-called strategy of "biding his time."
As long as she started investigating seriously, she would inevitably uncover some clues.
The reason Qian Renxue hadn't acted against Xue Beng before wasn't because he had hidden himself well, but because the deaths of the other two princes had already aroused Emperor Xue Ye's suspicion, and Qian Renxue herself was too arrogant.
However, all of this was predicated on the fact that Xue Beng's threat was still under control.
If Qian Renxue discovered that she had misjudged the Fourth Prince's character, based on Su Cheng's understanding of her, she would undoubtedly take action.
He was curious to see what changes might occur in the Heaven Dou Palace without Xue Beng as an obstacle and no other heirs left in the royal family.
It should be noted that neither Prince Xue Beng nor Prince Xue Xing had ever suspected that "Xue Qinghe" was a fake. They only feared and questioned Xue Qinghe's methods.
As for whether Qian Renxue would later realize that everything Su Cheng said today was a lie, it didn't matter at all.
He wasn't here to pledge allegiance to the Heaven Dou royal family; he was merely testing the waters.
Pulling Xue Beng into the spotlight was just something he did on a whim.
After all, Su Cheng would soon leave Heaven Dou City. What could it matter if Qian Renxue misunderstood something?
There was no way she would abandon her advantageous position in Heaven Dou City because of Su Cheng, who had appeared abruptly and would disappear just as quickly, to do something nonsensical.
Perhaps she might be slightly wary of Su Cheng, this young soul master.
But that was all. She definitely wouldn't take him too seriously.
After all, in Qian Renxue's eyes, Su Cheng was just a mere Four-Ring Soul Ancestor—a rare soul master genius, perhaps—but even if he trained for another ten years, he would not be able to affect the larger picture.
On the other hand, she, disguised as Xue Qinghe, had no idea what Su Cheng was thinking. She merely assumed his remarks about Xue Beng were casual observations.
The fleeting flash of oddity in her eyes vanished, and she resumed her gentle smile, saying, "So, Brother Su, since you came to Heaven Dou City, why did you choose to see me rather than visit my Fourth Brother?"
"You and Prince Xue Beng are both princes of Heaven Dou. Does it really matter whom I visit? Today, I happened to see your carriage on the street, and the passersby said it belonged to the First Prince of Heaven Dou, so I came directly here."
Su Cheng responded with a puzzled expression, as if he were genuinely an innocent young man unaware of worldly affairs.
"Uh..." Xue Qinghe's expression froze slightly at his words.
What he said did seem to make sense.
After all, she couldn't explain that she and Xue Beng were at odds, or that the royal family members were engaged in fratricidal struggles, could she?
Fortunately, Su Cheng didn't seem interested in probing further and instead gave a bitter smile. "To be honest, Your Highness, my sister and I come from humble origins. It's always been difficult for us to obtain cultivation resources, and we've never had a teacher to guide us. We've had to rely entirely on ourselves to figure things out, and it's been a tough road.
"When I reached the Soul Elder level, I began to struggle even more. I didn't understand how to properly match soul rings with soul skills, or how to choose the right level of soul beasts. When hunting soul beasts, I relied entirely on guesswork. Now that I've reached the Soul Ancestor level, I don't dare to be so reckless anymore, and I must think carefully about the future.
"If I were alone, it wouldn't matter, but I have a younger sister to take care of. She's very talented and will need to continue improving in the future. I don't want her to follow the same rough path I did."
"..." Xue Qinghe couldn't help but fall silent.
She sighed softly and nodded, inwardly lamenting how hard this young man had it. Despite his talent, he had nearly wasted his exceptional potential due to his poor background.
Now that fate had brought them together, she felt she should help him as much as possible. Moreover, considering the future of the Spirit Hall, such a talented soul master should be brought into their fold.
With this in mind, she glanced at Su Yue, who was sitting beside Su Cheng, only to find the girl still wearing an indifferent expression.
No, it wasn't just indifference...
There seemed to be a hint of mockery, a faint sneer in her eyes?!
Xue Qinghe frowned, wondering if there was something wrong with her vision.
Her own brother was doing everything for her sake, yet she not only failed to appreciate it but also showed such an attitude. This child was beyond saving!
With such a personality, no matter how talented she was, she would be a disaster in the future!
Not wanting to see Su Yue's ugly expression any longer, Xue Qinghe shifted her gaze back to Su Cheng and pondered for a moment before saying, "Brother Su, to be honest, the palace is filled with complicated affairs, and things aren't as glamorous as they seem from the outside. You're still young, and with your talent, if you stay too close to me, it might attract unwanted attention or even danger."
"..." Su Cheng's eyes showed a trace of disappointment, and he lowered his head, saying, "I understand, Brother Xue. I won't trouble you."
"Don't rush, Brother Su. Hear me out first," Xue Qinghe said with a smile, waving her hand. "Although it's not convenient for you to stay with me, the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy is a good option. The academy's environment and faculty are top-notch in the Heaven Dou Empire. How about you study and train there for a while? I'm on good terms with several members of the Academy's Board of Education. With your talent, entering the academy should be no problem."
Su Cheng's face lit up with excitement, and he quickly replied, "That sounds great. I don't really understand these things, but since you're recommending it, Brother Xue, I trust it must be a good choice."
Xue Qinghe nodded slightly. "I wouldn't deceive you."
As she spoke, she suddenly seemed to recall something, glancing briefly at Su Yue without meeting her gaze. "However, Brother Su, your younger sister seems to be quite young and not yet a Grandmaster. She won't be able to enter the advanced soul master academy for now. I suggest she stays in an elementary academy in Heaven Dou City for some time. Once her cultivation improves, she can join you at the advanced academy."
"Brother, are you abandoning me?" Su Yue spoke up before Su Cheng could respond. "Are you going to see that big-chested sister you met before?"
"..." Su Cheng turned his head and looked at Su Yue in disbelief, his scalp tingling.
Kid, do you even know what you're saying right now?
Su Yue raised her eyebrows at him provocatively.
"...It seems Brother Su has quite the romantic side," Xue Qinghe teased with a playful smile.
"Please don't take it seriously, Brother Xue. I told you earlier that my sister is a bit rebellious and often speaks nonsense. Please don't pay her any mind."
Su Cheng gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to teach Su Yue a lesson right then and there, and said calmly, "As for enrolling in the academy, let me think it over. My sister is still young and has never traveled far. She has no one to rely on in Heaven Dou City, so I may not be able to leave her behind just yet."
"..."
Xue Qinghe was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. "Very well."
After silently sipping her tea for a couple of moments, she looked up at Su Cheng again. "Brother Su, do you mind if I examine your bones to verify your actual age?"
"Oh, I don't mind."
Seeing that he agreed, Xue Qinghe did not hesitate. She reached out her cold fingers and kneaded several places on his hand, including his knuckles, joints, and wrist.
Su Cheng's expression remained unchanged, but he quietly activated his internal energy.
In the next moment, a subtle flow of his true energy crawled along with the contact on her skin, quietly seeping into her fingers, where it then hid between her skin and meridians.
The entire meeting today, everything he said or did was just incidental. This was his true objective.
He wanted to leave a mark on Qian Renxue, something to use when the critical moment arrived.
The nature of true energy was entirely different from soul power.
Soul power was simply ordinary energy.
Once it left a Soul Master's body, there were only two outcomes: either it would explode with power, or it would slowly dissipate over time.
But Su Cheng's true energy was essentially an extension of his body. As long as he didn't consciously withdraw the mental power from it, it wouldn't disappear, no matter how much time passed.
So, even if Xue Qinghe hadn't brought up the suggestion, he would have found some way to establish physical contact with her.
Of course, the amount of true energy he left behind was quite small, with very limited power—just enough to serve as the final straw that breaks the camel's back, not something like a ticking time bomb.
Only in this way would it avoid detection by Qian Renxue.
Otherwise, no matter how strong his power or how unique his true energy was, with her strength, she would have sensed it.
Xue Qinghe was completely unaware of Su Cheng's covert actions.
Her gaze remained serious and focused. "You're really only twelve and a half..."
Appearances could be deceiving, but generally speaking, unless someone possessed a top-tier soul bone like the Angelic Armament, it was nearly impossible to disguise bone growth and development.
This was why most high-standard Soul Master academies would determine whether students met their age criteria by examining their bone age during the enrollment process.
After a moment, Xue Qinghe withdrew her hand and smiled, pulling out a gold token from her robes and handing it to Su Cheng.
The token had a simple design but contained a special energy flow, and the character "Heaven" was engraved in the center.
"Brother Su, take your time to think it over. Keep this token safe. If you ever need anything, you can take it to the palace, and you'll be granted entry without any issues. Just make sure to disguise yourself and conceal your appearance when you go."
"Alright, thank you, Brother Xue."
After leaving Moon Pavilion, Su Cheng and Su Yue walked side by side toward the outskirts of Heaven Dou City.
Su Yue's face was cold, and her entire being seemed enveloped in a chill.
Seeing this, Su Cheng glanced at her. "What's wrong with you now?"
"Pretending to be all high and mighty—it makes me sick. Humans' hypocrisy continues to amaze me," Su Yue sneered. "Also, didn't you say you were going to call me sister? Why are you being so disrespectful? Hurry up and say it."
"..." Su Cheng rubbed his forehead helplessly.
He felt like the person walking beside him was becoming more and more childish, with a worsening temper.
In some ways, this could be seen as a good thing, as it meant Su Yue was becoming more human-like.
But her capriciousness was indeed difficult to handle.
It's one thing to deal with a brat, but a brat who wields immense power and acts without restraint—now that was truly terrifying.
"Don't worry, I'll call you that. Your body is developing faster than mine. Just a few more promotions, and you'll surpass me in height and appearance. By then, even if I say you're my little sister, no one will believe it."
"Hmph, I knew you'd come up with some excuse." Su Yue sneered, then asked, "Do you know that Xue Qinghe?"
"How would I know everyone?" Su Cheng rolled his eyes, pretending to be annoyed. "When we first met Zhu Zhuqing, you also said I knew her, but afterward, it was clear she didn't care about me at all, and you mocked me for it. Now you're saying the same thing about the crown prince of Heaven Dou Empire knowing a nobody like me?"
"Heh, you never speak the truth. And are you really planning to attend that academy?"
"Of course not." Su Cheng shook his head without hesitation, then immediately turned the tables. "Didn't you say this person is unusual? You even said he's your kind. I only thought of probing a bit. Besides, the atmosphere between you two was a bit strange. Maybe you knew him long before I did. After all, you've been on this planet much longer than I have."
Su Yue squinted her eyes, unwilling to entertain his nonsense, and directly asked, "If you're not going to the academy, where are we headed next?"
"Didn't you feel it? The aura of dragons?"
"Hmm?" At these words, Su Yue's expression immediately changed. She furrowed her brows. "Where?"
"Even the great Silver Dragon King can't compare to me, a mere human, when it comes to sensing her kin?" Su Cheng shook his head and sighed.
"..." Su Yue gritted her teeth and glared at him. "You better not be messing with me!"
Su Cheng shrugged indifferently. "You'll see when we get there."
With that, he took the lead, heading in the direction of the Sunset Forest.
The place Su Cheng was about to take Su Yue to was none other than the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well hidden within the Sunset Forest.
The reason for this treasure's existence was due to the energy left behind by the bones of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings after their deaths.
However, since Su Yue couldn't sense the dragon aura, there was no way Su Cheng, with his yet-to-be-merged Dragon God bloodline, would sense anything either.
But having seen the place in person before, analyzing it was simple enough for him.
Still, showing Su Yue the dragon souls and bones of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings was a secondary reason.
The real goal was to harvest all the immortal herbs there!
Those herbs were useless to him but invaluable to the Shrek Seven Devils.
Isn't this world's fate line supposed to be strong?
Well, he was going to take away the biggest cheat that had changed the fates of all the Shrek Seven Devils.
Su Cheng wanted to see how Tang San would escape Dugu Bo's control without it.
And when those people eventually headed to Sea God Island, would they still receive the same top-tier trials?