Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu's group were genuinely surprised to see Shen An again. They had witnessed the Titan Giant Ape chasing after him.
Although Shen An's burst of speed had shocked them, it was still far from matching the terrifying beast.
They never expected Shen An to still be alive and completely unharmed.
Shen An's face darkened. This guy's mouth was really foul, but considering he had warned him earlier, Shen An decided not to make a big deal out of it.
Feng Xiaotian's gaze suddenly shifted past Shen An and landed on Xue Qinghe behind him. He immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Feng Xiaotian of the Divine Wind Academy, paying respects to Your Highness."
As the most outstanding disciple of the Divine Wind Academy, Feng Xiaotian had once been introduced to the Heaven Dou royal family by his mentor, so he recognized Xue Qinghe. He just hadn't expected to meet him here.
However, Huo Wu, who was more interested in fighting than politics, had never met the Crown Prince before. Seeing Feng Xiaotian acting so deferential, she was momentarily confused.
"Feng Xiaotian, who is this? Why are you... mmmph!" Before she could finish, Teacher Xu, who had accompanied the Huo siblings on their soul beast hunt, quickly covered her mouth.
"I am Xu Dongyang of the Blazing Fire Academy, paying respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince," Xu Dongyang said, also startled to see Xue Qinghe.
Seeing the fiery-tempered Huo Wu about to say something inappropriate, Xu Dongyang hurriedly covered her mouth. This was the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou, the future ruler of the empire!
Huo Wu, you really need to be more careful.
Xue Qinghe's expression remained unchanged. There was no need to hide his identity, and now that it had been discovered, he didn't mind.
"Haha, no need for formalities. You are all outstanding students from the Five Elemental Academies. We're about the same age, so let's speak as equals," Xue Qinghe said with a smile.
"However, from what I gather, you all encountered some danger in the Star Dou Great Forest. Would you mind sharing what happened?" Xue Qinghe asked with a hint of curiosity.
Seeing Xue Qinghe engage in conversation with them, Shen An, though surprised by the Crown Prince's identity, didn't linger. Instead, he slipped back to his room with Tom.
The events of the day had been too intense, and he was still shaken. He had no energy left for small talk.
From Xu Dongyang, Xue Qinghe learned the full story. After they left, a glint of interest flashed in his eyes.
"Interesting," Xue Qinghe murmured. "To escape from the Titan Giant Ape—was it luck or skill? Either way, it's fascinating."
Turning around, he noticed that Shen An had already disappeared. Xue Qinghe couldn't help but chuckle. Since becoming the Crown Prince, he had been surrounded by people eager to curry favor with him.
Some had spent fortunes just to catch a glimpse of him, while others had begged to become his lackeys. Yet, Shen An, upon learning his identity, had quietly slipped away. This was the first time Xue Qinghe had encountered someone so intriguing.
What Xue Qinghe didn't know was that, unlike the people of Douluo Continent, Shen An came from a world without monarchy. He had no interest in flattering royalty.
---
That night.
When Ye Zi woke up, she found herself lying on a soft bed, the likes of which she had never experienced before.
Looking around, she realized she was in a simply decorated room, but it was infinitely better than the woodshed she used to call home.
She vaguely remembered a huge monster and then passing out. So, had that handsome man saved her?
"You're awake."
Hearing Shen An's voice, Ye Zi quickly rolled out of bed and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.
"Thank you for helping me obtain my soul ring and saving my life."
Shen An couldn't help but scratch his nose. Well, he couldn't really say he had saved her life, since the Titan Giant Ape had been after him.
"Ahem, it's nothing."
Shen An recalled that Ye Zi's martial soul was an abacus, and she had come to the Star Dou Great Forest alone, only to be bullied by thugs right from the start. Her background was clean, which gave him an idea.
"Do you have any family? Or do you have any plans after becoming a Soul Master?"
Ye Zi's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she shook her head vigorously.
"Sir Soul Master, my parents are gone. I don't know where to go next. I just wanted to become a Soul Master so no one would bully me. My mom said becoming a Soul Master would protect me."
Before Shen An could respond, Tom was already wiping away tears with a tissue, clasping his paws together as if pleading with Shen An on Ye Zi's behalf.
"In that case, I happen to have a shop and need some help. If you don't have anywhere to go, you can consider working for me," Shen An said after a moment of thought.
Thud.
Ye Zi suddenly knelt before Shen An, who quickly stepped aside. What the hell? This is no joke! This kind of thing can shorten your lifespan!
Ye Zi was a perceptive girl, as evidenced by her silent act of buying grilled fish for Tom.
This perceptiveness also made her instinctively feel that Shen An might be the only benefactor she would ever encounter in her life.
So when Shen An offered to take her in, Ye Zi didn't hesitate to kneel, determined to seize this opportunity.
Thud.
A heavy sound echoed as Ye Zi kowtowed, her forehead swelling visibly. Shen An was so startled that he immediately told Tom to help her up.
Since meeting Ye Zi, she had always been dirty. Now, Shen An had her take a bath. As the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Shen An felt a headache coming on. What have I gotten myself into?
Well, since he had already taken her in, he might as well figure out how to explain this to Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong when he got back.
---
The next morning, Shen An, Tom, and Ye Zi walked downstairs to find someone sitting in the lobby, seemingly waiting for them.
Xue Qinghe smiled and said, "What a coincidence, Brother Jerry. Are you heading to Soto City? Why don't we travel together? It'll be more fun with company."
Shen An's mouth twitched. He didn't see any coincidence here. It was clear that Xue Qinghe had been waiting for him.
"Your Highness, you seem very interested in me," Shen An said bluntly.
A Crown Prince he had never met before was showing an unusual level of interest in him. Shen An couldn't figure it out and didn't feel like overthinking it. It was easier to just ask directly.
"Haha, as I said before, I feel like we've met before. There's a natural sense of familiarity," Xue Qinghe said with a charm that made his words hard to disbelieve.
"Oh, really?" Shen An stepped closer to Xue Qinghe.
Meanwhile, Tom, curious, walked up to Xue Qinghe. It felt like there was something off about him, as if the person before them wasn't real.
A cat's curiosity is hard to resist. Tom reached out a paw and poked Xue Qinghe's left leg.
Xue Qinghe was inwardly shocked. How is this possible? My soul bone skill is failing!
A faint, mysterious fragrance wafted into Shen An's nose.
Shen An looked at Xue Qinghe, feeling a strange sense of unreality. Almost involuntarily, he blurted out, "Bro, you smell so good."