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Chapter 23:
*"Can we calm down and talk now?"
Lin Bai finally spoke as the two Titled Douluo closed the door.
Qian Renxue's gaze remained icy, but she didn't call out to Xue Xue or She Long again. "Who are you? A secret agent of the Tiandou royal family?"
Only a Titled Douluo stronger than her protectors could have hidden so close without being detected. Her mind raced—when had she been exposed? More importantly, how would she escape?
Lin Bai chuckled. "Wrong guess. I have nothing to do with the Tiandou royal family. But you—you're protected by two Titled Douluo, which means Qian Daoliu values you greatly. So tell me, what can you do to stop me?"
Within Qian Renxue's spiritual sea, her mental power fluctuated violently with her emotions. Lin Bai drifted through the waves of her mind, undetected, relishing the feeling of exposing her secrets without her even realizing it.
"You know I'm from the Wuhun Palace?" Her voice remained steady, but her fingers clenched slightly. "Who are you?"
Qian Renxue hated losing control. While not as stubborn or extreme as Bibi Dong, she had spent years carefully orchestrating her rise within the Tiandou Empire. She wouldn't surrender her position so easily.
She already knew she wouldn't get an answer, so she changed her approach. "What do you want?"
"It's simple. From now on, whenever you cultivate, you must maintain possession of your angel martial spirit. Do that for half a year at most, and I'll pretend I never saw you."
Lin Bai thought the request was trivial. Aside from requiring a little extra time, it was practically effortless.
But Qian Renxue's face darkened. "You want to study angel martial arts. Do you have a grudge against my grandfather? Forget it. Even if I have to abandon the Tiandou Empire, I won't help you harm him."
Lin Bai sighed inwardly. *Paranoia? Really?* He reorganized his words. "I have no grudge against Qian Daoliu. I'll even swear on my martial soul. Are you really willing to throw away years of planning for the crown prince's position?"
Qian Renxue hesitated. A martial soul oath was no small matter, yet she remained skeptical. If Lin Bai's cultivation ever reached a bottleneck, even an oath might not restrain him.
"Let me think about it." She chose to stall.
Lin Bai wasn't having it. If she called Qian Daoliu, he could forget about cultivating in peace. That man was a monster.
Time to use his trump card.
"Qian Renxue, don't you want to know why Bibi Dong hates you so much? Why she sees you as an enemy, even though she's your biological mother?"
Qian Renxue's expression changed completely.
Bibi Dong's hostility had haunted her since childhood. Unlike a true mother and daughter, there had never been a moment of warmth between them. The question stirred a wound she had long buried.
But she was no ordinary woman—she was the inheritor of the Angel God. She forced herself to remain composed and sneered. "Of course I want to know. But why should I trust you? My grandfather must know the truth."
Lin Bai smirked. "Then let's bet. Go ahead and ask Qian Daoliu if he'll tell you what really happened. If you lose, you agree to my terms. Once I'm done cultivating, I'll tell you everything you want to know."
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Qian Renxue's face. Emotionally, she believed her grandfather wouldn't hide things from her. Rationally, she knew that if he had chosen to keep it a secret all these years, he wouldn't reveal it so easily.
But she wouldn't compromise so easily, either. She needed time. She would send a letter and await her grandfather's response.
"Fine. If my grandfather tells me the truth, then you tell me who you really are."
No matter what kind of enemy Lin Bai was, as long as she stood in the light, the Wuhun Palace had nothing to fear.
Lin Bai remained confident. Qian Daoliu had never told her the truth before he died—why would he now?
"Then I'll wait for your news."
As he cut off his connection with Qian Renxue, Lin Bai felt a bit frustrated. He wasn't great at negotiations. Somehow, it had turned into a bet, costing him at least five or six days of training time.
*Should I go back to Zhu Zhuqing?*
He shook his head. No—he had already chosen to leave. It wouldn't feel right to return now.
*"Might as well use these days to add a second soul ring. I'm not in a rush. Hopefully, Qian Renxue moves quickly."*
Lin Bai lowered his head in thought.
Nearby, Xiao Wu noticed his brows twitching and quickly began massaging his legs. Their eyes met. Annoyed, but not wanting to argue, she put on a flattering smile.
"Hehe…"
"Silly."
Lin Bai ruffled her hair, and his irritation faded.
Just then—
"What are you doing?"
Tang San had just returned from his part-time job at the blacksmith shop. When he entered Qishe, he saw Xiao Wu kneeling and massaging Lin Bai's legs, her face slightly flushed. Meanwhile, Lin Bai casually rested a hand on her head.
Tang San's expression darkened. "Xiao Wu, is Lin Bai bullying you?"
He considered Xiao Wu a little sister—mischievous but lovable. Seeing Lin Bai seemingly take advantage of her sent his temper flaring. His protective instincts kicked in immediately.
His gaze turned sharp. *Lin Bai, you already have a death wish.*
Lin Bai raised a brow and tapped Xiao Wu's shoulder. "Tang San's talking to you."
Xiao Wu, embarrassed beyond belief, turned bright red. She wished she could disappear. "Tang San, don't misunderstand! I was just helping Lin Bai relax."
Lin Bai sighed. That… really didn't help.
Sure enough, Tang San's anger ignited further. "Lin Bai! I won't let you bully Xiao Wu! Come outside! I'll teach you a lesson!"
He turned to Xiao Wu, his tone firm. "Don't worry, Xiao Wu. As your classmate, I'll protect you."
Tang San stormed out of Qishe. Before leaving, he shot Lin Bai a challenging glare. No one at their age would back down from such a provocation.
Lin Bai had just suffered a loss against Qian Renxue and needed an outlet. He had been planning to vent his frustration on a spirit beast, but if Tang San wanted to fight, well…
That worked just as well.
He followed Tang San out, wondering how much force he should use.
Xiao Wu stood frozen for a moment, then her eyes widened. She had seen Lin Bai's strength firsthand.
Tang San, a mere human, was basically walking into a beating.
But Lin Bai wouldn't *actually* kill anyone… right?
With that thought, she relaxed.
Then, her natural playfulness resurfaced. Clapping her hands, she grinned. "Ooh, a fight!"
Humming, she skipped after them, eager to watch the show.
By the time they reached the academy's training field, a crowd had already gathered. Students stopped their sparring sessions to watch, whispering among themselves.
Lin Bai and Tang San—two geniuses with full soul power.
This was going to be interesting.
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