"Oh, don't get me wrong."
Han Li quickly raised his left hand, signaling to stop.
Qian Renxue was momentarily confused by his attitude. You neither support nor oppose me, so why did you come to find me? Do you think I have nothing better to do?
Seeing Qian Renxue's puzzled look, Han Li knew she was waiting for an explanation, so he spoke up:
"I don't know much about your situation, and I don't intend to get involved. To be honest, if it weren't for Grand Uncle's insistence that I come to find you, I would have pretended not to know you."
Qian Renxue nodded, understanding his point.
Yes, pretending not to know her was indeed something the person in front of her could do.
"So, I just came to see you and maybe spar a little."
Seeing Qian Renxue's face darken, Han Li quickly added, "This is entirely Grand Uncle's idea, it has nothing to do with me."
"You should know my situation. Since I started training, I've always been kind to others and never initiated a spar. The last time was a special case, you understand."
Han Li gave Qian Renxue a look that said he was forced.
Qian Renxue's expression improved significantly after receiving his look.
As Han Li mentioned, the information about him indeed showed that he was always focused on training. Although he kept up with practical training, he rarely sparred with others.
There was only one recorded instance of him sparring, which was four years ago.
Moreover, in all the events that happened in Wuhun City, he was always a peripheral figure, like an ascetic monk.
Except for a few elders in the Hall of Worship and his two previous friends, he rarely interacted with others.
Well, except for the fact that there seemed to be a lot of girls around him, she silently added in her mind.
After all, every time Qian Daoliu wrote to her, he would mention the training situation of a few people, trying to shake her confidence.
"So, does Grandpa think you can defeat me?"
As Qian Renxue thought about it, she suddenly sensed something amiss and looked sharply at Han Li.
"Don't look at me. I only found out about your existence right before I left. Do you think I can understand Grand Uncle's intentions better than you?"
Han Li promptly shifted the responsibility. It was enough that he came here; he wasn't going to take on any more than that.
"It seems I've been underestimated."
Qian Renxue said, though her anger wasn't directed at Han Li.
Han Li glanced at her and noticed her tightly clenched fist, clearly showing her dissatisfaction.
"Time and place."
Qian Renxue turned to look at Han Li, her expression full of fighting spirit.
"You decide. Pick a time that works for both of us. You're more familiar with this area than I am."
Han Li directly handed over the decision-making power to her. He didn't care about the place or time for a fight.
"Alright, I'll have someone notify you when the time comes."
Qian Renxue agreed readily.
"By the way, are Sect Master Ning and Sword Douluo also in the palace today?"
Han Li changed the topic, asking her.
"Yes, it's them. Your perception..."
Qian Renxue looked at him and shook her head.
She scoffed at his earlier claim that his spiritual power was only slightly stronger.
However, given the previous exposure of two Elders, she wasn't surprised that he noticed the two of them.
"As expected of the continent's richest merchant, your senses are indeed sharp."
Han Li sighed, then turned to Qian Renxue, "I bet your teacher has praised me quite a bit, hasn't he?"
Qian Renxue found his words amusing and chuckled, "Indeed, he has praised you a lot. Even I have grown a bit resentful and wary of you."
"Such a dirty mind, considering we haven't even met before."
Han Li cursed inwardly but didn't say more.
He wasn't much better himself; they were both the same, so he decided not to criticize further.
"This time you left Wuhun City, it's not just for the reason you mentioned earlier, is it?"
"I don't believe that someone with your personality would leave so easily just because of Grandpa's orders."
Qian Renxue had read a lot of information about Han Li. Even though this was their first official meeting, she didn't feel unfamiliar at all.
Moreover, she could vaguely sense from Han Li's attitude towards her that he seemed to know her quite well, not just from what he claimed to have heard from her grandfather. This was her woman's intuition.
"Well, indeed it's not. After completing my mission in Heaven Dou City, I plan to travel around the continent to broaden my horizons."
Han Li answered straightforwardly. This wasn't something he needed to hide.
"Traveling, huh? A good choice."
Qian Renxue looked at his carefree demeanor and said with a touch of envy.
"The path is one you chose yourself, isn't it? You still have the chance to choose again," Han Li remarked casually, noticing the hidden envy in her expression.
"Yes, the path is one I chose myself," Qian Renxue said firmly, looking ahead. Then, she turned to Han Li.
"But didn't you say you wouldn't try to persuade me?"
"Does this count as persuasion? Given your status and position, I'm just stating the truth." Han Li chuckled.
"True enough," Qian Renxue was slightly taken aback, then smiled. She then lowered her head in silence for a moment before looking up again.
"I want to know your true opinion on the undercover plan."
Seeing Han Li about to respond, she raised her hand to stop him and continued, "Don't use the same excuse as before; it's too perfunctory, and I don't believe it."
She looked intensely at Han Li.
"Including the last time, this is only our second meeting, but perhaps because I've read so much about you, I feel like I know you very well."
"If Grandpa talked to you, you should know that I haven't interacted with many outsiders, and others don't dare to speak to me. But you and I are of equal status and position, and I want to know your true thoughts."
"Don't worry, I won't react negatively to your answer. I just genuinely want to hear it."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Han Li with a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
This little angel sure gets familiar quickly.
Under her gaze, Han Li couldn't help but twitch his mouth slightly.
"Don't worry" and "I won't"—as soon as these words appear, he felt a bit of a headache. He'd be a fool to truly believe them. Such words coming from a woman are not trustworthy at all.
But seeing her eyes, Han Li sighed. This girl seemed on the verge of being driven mad, repressed to the point of almost breaking.
"Alright, then I won't hold back. You better be mentally prepared."
Anyway, he didn't plan on wooing her, and he would have to fight her later, so he might as well give her some truth as an advance. After all, she couldn't do anything to him, Han Li muttered to himself.
"Mm-hmm, go ahead, I'm listening."
Qian Renxue nodded quickly, afraid that Han Li might change his mind.
Han Li felt as if Qian Renxue seemed a bit excited, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. This Qian Renxue, something seems off!
Under Qian Renxue's gaze, Han Li slowly began to speak:
"First of all, the undercover plan, I think it has a certain feasibility."
Qian Renxue's face lit up with a smile, but that smile froze with his next words.
"But I have to say, the person who chose you to carry out this plan is a bit of a fool. Of course, I'm not talking about you. After all, how old were you at the time? You couldn't have chosen it yourself, right?"
Han Li looked at Qian Renxue with an expression that seemed to say, "No way, there's such a fool?"
This look quelled her attempt to retort.
Qian Renxue clenched her fists but forced herself to maintain a smile as she responded, "Mm, go on."
"Good, it's not you. Your grandpa was against it, so that leaves only the Pope. Sigh, you've had it tough."
Han Li sighed and looked at her with a sympathetic gaze, making Qian Renxue feel quite uncomfortable.
"Why was she in such a hurry? Sending you undercover at nine?"
"With your talent—oh, Grand Uncle told me you had innate soul power at level 20—if you'd been training properly, you should be around Soul Douluo level by now, right?"
"If you went undercover now, not only would the risk be much lower, but it also wouldn't have hindered your cultivation speed."
Han Li spoke as if it was the most logical thing in the world, making Qian Renxue unconsciously nod.
What he said seemed to make some sense, Qian Renxue thought, feeling a bit disoriented. So, was she really that foolish? If it weren't for Han Li's immortal herbs and Qian Daoliu's occasional prodding, would she even have reached the Soul Sage level by now?
For a moment, Qian Renxue began to doubt her life choices.
"So, should I give up being undercover and go back to training?"
She murmured to herself, head lowered, her expression unreadable.
Huh? Huh? Huh?
Hearing her words, Han Li felt a bit dizzy. He had been very restrained, yet his words still managed to confuse her?
Was the shock too much? Had her mind completely snapped? Giving up now? Was she alright? Your prime cultivation years have mostly been wasted. Giving up now, do you think you can make up for it? And you've already wasted ten years here. If you give up now, are you planning to end up empty-handed with nothing to show for it?
Although Qian Daoliu did have this idea, it was more about understanding her personality and wanting her to change, not to focus solely on political affairs, which would be putting the cart before the horse.
How is it that with Qian Renxue, he hadn't even started a fight yet? Just a few casual words, and this silly girl seemed mentally off already?
"Hey, are you okay?"
Han Li cautiously observed Qian Renxue, who was reacting oddly.
Fortunately, Qian Renxue was just too shocked. After all, she had never been so bluntly called foolish to her face by someone her age, and it was a bit hard to accept all at once.
Upon hearing Han Li greet her, she snapped back to reality.
"I understand your thoughts, but anyway, I won't give up."
Qian Renxue stubbornly stated though it was unclear if she was speaking to Han Li or herself.
"Mm-hmm, it's good that you haven't given up."
Han Li sighed in relief. This was good; he didn't want her to give up just because of a few casual remarks from him.
"Didn't you think it was foolish? Then why say it's good that I haven't given up?"
Qian Renxue hesitated before completing her sentence.
"Of course. I just thought it was somewhat inappropriate before, but you've already been undercover for ten years—no, eleven years now. Wouldn't giving up now be even more worthless?"
"However, you really should focus more on your cultivation. You've already stabilized the situation, and your reputation and image are established. Why continue wasting time on this?"
Han Li chose his words carefully, not wanting to confuse her further.
"But because of what happened back then, Xue Ye still holds a somewhat negative impression of me. Although it's not to the point of exposing me, I still have to do what a crown prince should. Only then can I achieve my subsequent plans."
Qian Renxue shook her head, her words tinged with bitterness.
This is what they call being too involved to see clearly, isn't it? She had completely immersed herself in the role of the crown prince, too deeply influenced by it.
She seemed more like a politician than a soul master, Han Li thought to himself.
"Has no one ever suggested to you to just eliminate Xue Beng and Xue Xing?"
Han Li asked directly.
"Yes, but I thought that would be detrimental to my subsequent plans. It would cause intense resistance from Xue Ye, so I chose not to do it."
Qian Renxue answered honestly.
"Didn't it occur to you that once they're gone, the only heir left would be you, disguised as Xue Qinghe? You must have already incapacitated his ability to sire children, right?"
"Even if he becomes more suspicious and antagonistic towards you, what other choice does he have? Can he pass the throne to someone else? What you need to do is act more assertively, even show your desire for the throne in front of him."
"When the time is right, force him to abdicate, or just eliminate him directly. Look at the obvious example of Star Luo Empire. Can't you follow their lead?"
"Do you want to remain a crown prince for thirty years? Or are you planning to spend another ten years, or even more, playing these aristocratic games?"
Han Li sighed and spoke bluntly.
Qian Renxue was stunned by his words as if a new door had been opened for her. She never realized that undercover work could be so blatant.
Since he had already started, Han Li decided not to stop halfway. After a brief pause, he continued, "Aren't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan also very interested in the Heaven Dou Empire?"
"Then use them. Ning Fengzhi is still your teacher; isn't he the best candidate for this?"
"Next, you just need to casually show your desire for the throne in front of him."
"A prince who desperately needs support and trusts him, plus the future title of imperial tutor, and an emperor who plays mind games with him every day like an old fox. Which side do you think he will lean towards? Where will the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan gain more benefits? I don't need to spell it out for you; you should know very well."
"Maybe, just maybe, Xue Beng and Xue Xing will die in accidents without you having to lift a finger."
Han Li's lips curled into a barely noticeable smile.
"But what if Ning Fengzhi isn't in a hurry and, for the sake of stability, still sides with Xue Ye? Or what if he makes the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan gain more power in Heaven Dou? Wouldn't that be more troublesome?"
Qian Renxue instinctively asked.
"If he sides with Xue Ye, your situation won't get worse. We'll just take matters into our own hands and eliminate Xue Beng and Xue Xing. As I said, he has no choice. Whether you choose to lie low and work on improving your cultivation or use other methods, the throne will ultimately fall into your hands."
"As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's ambitions to interfere more, can't you just directly seek help from the Spirit Hall? It's simpler and quicker. I would love for him to do that."
Han Li laughed happily, albeit unscrupulously.
To be honest, if he wasn't currently focused on improving himself and had no interest in these political games, he would love to personally go head-to-head with Ning Fengzhi.
He wanted to understand the mental state in which someone could say, "He who gains the master gains the world."
Honestly, even if it was flattery, it seemed to somewhat disgrace the dignity of a clan leader.
But this didn't stop him from offering some advice to make things more fun for his little angel.