"Here, take this," Qian Renxue said, handing Lan Si a token marked with the character "Xue."
"What is this?" Lan Si asked, puzzled, as he took the token.
Qian Renxue replied solemnly, "This is the token of Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire. He is my brother and, apart from you and Emperor Xue Ye, the only person who knows of my existence. Once you arrive at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, you must not mention my existence to anyone, even to Emperor Xue Ye."
"What if I slip up?" Lan Si asked weakly.
"You'll die. Absolutely. Not only will you not see the next day's sun, but anyone you've told will also die," Qian Renxue said with a dangerous smile.
"If it's that dangerous, can I just not take this token? I'll go to Blue Tyrant Academy instead," Lan Si said, shivering. He was sure that if he exposed Qian Renxue, she would indeed kill him.
"What do you think?" Qian Renxue countered, then sat down leisurely and began eating the roasted rabbit meat.
"Alright then," Lan Si said with resignation. He knew he was in deep trouble now. However, having Qian Renxue as a powerful ally would at least protect him during his vulnerable development phase from being coveted by other forces.
After finishing the rabbit meat, Lan Si quickly tidied up and prepared to leave.
"Hey, Xue'er, are you coming with me to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?" Lan Si asked casually.
"No, I plan to go directly back to Heaven Dou City," Qian Renxue replied, shaking her head with a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Lan Si continued, "Then how will I find you later? Should I go to the Crown Prince's residence?"
Qian Renxue hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Why would you need to find me?"
Lan Si rolled his eyes and gave her a look that said, "Are you serious?"
"What's with that look?" Qian Renxue said, glaring at him playfully. "Alright, I'm not teasing you. If you need to contact me, just go to the Crown Prince's residence and find Xue Qinghe. He'll let me know. But remember, other than Xue Qinghe, you must not mention my existence to anyone. Otherwise..."
"Got it, got it," Lan Si said impatiently, waving his hand. He muttered, "So fierce. Always threatening people. Be careful or you might not get married in the future."
"What did you say?" Qian Renxue's hearing was sharp. She heard Lan Si's grumbling and scolded him in a gentle voice.
"Nothing, nothing... If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," Lan Si said quickly. He summoned a green lotus and was about to take off.
"Wait," Qian Renxue called out.
"What now, big sister?" Lan Si asked, somewhat annoyed.
"You're heading in the wrong direction. The Heaven Dou Royal Academy is that way," Qian Renxue pointed in another direction, then took out a map from her soul tool and threw it to Lan Si.
Lan Si glanced at the map, feeling a bit embarrassed, and sheepishly turned around, flying quickly in the direction Qian Renxue had indicated.
As Lan Si flew away, Snake Spear Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo emerged from the shadows.
"Young Master, isn't this a bit too risky?" Snake Spear Douluo asked, frowning with concern.
Porcupinefish Douluo also frowned and added, "Yes, Young Master. Associating Xue Qinghe with you could have a huge impact on our plans to seize the Heaven Dou Empire's power if this kid ever becomes suspicious."
Qian Renxue, with a confident smile, said, "Don't worry. Despite his seemingly naive appearance, he's actually quite cunning and has excellent risk assessment abilities. Even if he figures something out, he won't expose it. Besides, do you think someone who refers to Emperor Xue Ye as 'that old man Xue Ye' would be reckless enough to alert the Heaven Dou Empire to danger?"
"Furthermore, since we've decided to recruit him, he will eventually learn my identity. This is a good opportunity to test him."
Upon hearing this, Snake Spear Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo exchanged looks and smiled at each other before bowing to Qian Renxue and said in unison, "Young Master is wise."
Qian Renxue, somewhat pleased, nodded and added, "But you two uncles have a point. Uncle She Long, you should follow him secretly for a while. If there are no issues, then return."
"Understood, Young Master," Snake Spear Douluo responded respectfully and swiftly headed in the direction Lan Si had gone.
The Balak Kingdom, located in the south of the Heaven Dou Empire and bordering the Fasinuo Province, is smaller than the Fasinuo Province, and is one of the four major kingdoms within the Heaven Dou Empire.
In the heart of the fertile Limma Plain within the Balak Kingdom lies Suotuo City, known as the granary of Balak.
After parting with Lan Si, Zhu Zhuqing spent some time healing her injuries to ensure no lingering problems before hiring a carriage. After nearly three or four days of travel, she finally arrived at her destination: Suotuo City.
It was noon, and under the blazing sun, the sky was cloudless and still. The lakes at the foot of the mountains and the various plant-covered high mountains, reaching a height of a thousand meters, looked listless and languid.
Stepping off the carriage and strolling through the streets of Suotuo City, Zhu Zhuqing, perhaps due to the fatigue of the long journey or other reasons, walked with a slightly unsteady gait.
Lan Si's words echoed in her mind: "If one day you find yourself with nowhere to go, you can come to the Blue Tyrant Academy in Heaven Dou City to find me."
"Try your best, and just do your best. Even if you fail, it's okay. Because I will protect you."
This was the first time someone had said they would protect her, and they had indeed done so. Lan Si, with his strength as a two-ring, thirty-level Soul Grandmaster, had protected her from her sister, who had Soul Elder strength.
Though he had used some tricks, he had indeed done it.
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she wandered through Suotuo City, lost in thought. From their separation until now, Lan Si's image had been constantly on her mind.
When she was about to fall into a pit full of stakes and wild beasts, Lan Si had suddenly appeared, catching her in mid-air and saving her from becoming prey for the beasts.
When faced with Zhu Zhuqing's sister, Zhu Zhuyun, who had Soul Elder strength, Lan Si remained calm and used his unique weapon to drive her away.
Before she lost consciousness, she remembered Lan Si's figure as he bandaged her wounds and then carried her out of the forest.
These memories remained vivid in Zhu Zhuqing's mind.
It was only after Lan Si left that Zhu Zhuqing realized he had left an indelible impression on her heart.
"Awoo." At that moment, a tiger's roar broke her reverie.
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