Since he wasn't bringing Ah Yin back to Spirit Hall right away, the reason was clear—Qian Xunji was planning to woo her.
And in order to do that, it was obvious that he couldn't have two third wheels tagging along.
So, after taking Ah Yin out of Sino City, Qian Xunji ordered Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo Gui Mei to return to Spirit Hall first—and reminded them not to breathe a word about Ah Yin's presence.
Otherwise… heh.
They could just wait for him to settle the score later.
Understandably, Yue Guan and Gui Mei were both terrified, immediately promising to keep their lips sealed.
After the two Titled Douluos left, although Qian Xunji might be gone from Spirit Hall for several months, he wasn't worried.
A few years back, he'd realized that constant business matters were taking up too much of his time and interfering with his cultivation and more important goals. So he'd decided to form something akin to a cabinet.
Through testing and training, he had selected several red- and black-robed high-ranking bishops with outstanding talent and intelligence, forming Spirit Hall's own version of a central administrative body.
It was named: The Secretariat—tasked with handling day-to-day affairs.
Only the most critical issues were left for Qian Xunji to decide.
Minor matters could be handled independently, and reports were simply summarized and archived for his review later.
So even if he were gone for months, Spirit Hall would still operate smoothly.
After leaving Sino City, Qian Xunji and Ah Yin took a leisurely journey on foot in the general direction of Spirit City, enjoying the sights along the way.
That night, under a bright full moon, the sky was full of dazzling stars like a grand, sweeping painting.
At the edge of a forest, on a patch of lush green grass, Qian Xunji lit a campfire.
While humming a tune, he stirred a pot of wild chicken soup and roasted two rabbits, occasionally sprinkling them with seasoning.
The aroma was mouthwatering.
But not far off, Ah Yin sat on the grass, burying her head between her knees, hidden beneath her long blue-silver dress. Her mood was clearly low.
"What's wrong? Are you really that unhappy being with me?"
Qian Xunji raised an eyebrow with a faint smile on his handsome face as he spoke to her.
"Happy? I was doing just fine traveling the soul master world with Brother Xiao and Brother Hao."
"You forcibly took me away… and now you want me to have your child."
"How could I possibly be happy about that?"
Ah Yin raised her head, her beautiful blue-silver hair cascading down her shoulders. Her delicate and lovely face, paired with her sorrowful blue-silver eyes, was heartbreaking to look at.
"Heh."
Qian Xunji chuckled lightly and said slowly,
"I understand what you're feeling."
"But now that you've ended up in my hands, you'll be staying by my side from now on."
"Shouldn't you try looking at me in a better light?"
"Yes, I did take you away from Tang Xiao and Tang Hao."
"But I saw through your identity and still chose not to kill you for your soul ring or soul bone. Instead, I want to marry you."
"Doesn't that prove I don't discriminate against soul beasts? That I don't believe humans are justified in hunting soul beasts for their rings and bones?"
"In this world, people like me are rare, you know!"
"You should learn to appreciate that."
As he spoke, Qian Xunji flashed a radiant smile.
Hearing this, Ah Yin was momentarily stunned.
She thought about it and realized… that might be true.
So this Pope of Spirit Hall might actually be… not bad… for a human?
"And another thing," Qian Xunji continued with a teasing smile,
"Right now your identity hasn't been exposed. Tang Xiao and Tang Hao treat you like a sister."
"But what if, one day, they found out who you really are?"
"What do you think would happen?"
Hearing that, Ah Yin's expression turned pale, as if she imagined something terrifying.
She shook her head furiously, biting her lip and saying with determination,
"No! That won't happen!"
"I know very well how Brother Xiao and Brother Hao feel about me!"
"Even if they did find out, they wouldn't harm me."
"Stop trying to sow discord between us!"
Ah Yin was visibly flustered, puffing out her cheeks in anger as she glared at Qian Xunji with her large blue-silver eyes like an indignant goldfish.
"Heh, oh really?"
Qian Xunji chuckled, speaking with unhurried calm.
"Let's take this a step further, shall we?"
"I know both Tang Xiao and Tang Hao have feelings for you, though I don't know which one you prefer right now."
"But hypothetically speaking—say you choose Tang Hao and end up with him."
"He brings you back to the Clear Sky Sect. His father, Tang Zhen, is also a Titled Douluo, and he'll definitely see through your identity."
"If, at that point, Tang Zhen refuses to let the two of you stay together and demands he kill you to gain your 100,000-year soul ring and soul bone to help the sect…"
"What do you think Tang Hao would do?"
"Yes, they both truly care about you."
"But do you think their feelings for you are stronger than their loyalty to the sect?"
Listening to Qian Xunji's scenario, Ah Yin's expression grew paler and paler. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Her hands clenched tightly, fingers turning white at the knuckles.
She wanted to argue—
'Brother Xiao and Brother Hao would definitely protect me!'
If it had been anyone else or anything else, she might have confidently said so.
But when it came to the Clear Sky Sect and Tang Zhen…
She wasn't so sure.
Over the past six months, she had felt it clearly—
To both Tang Xiao and Tang Hao, the sect and family meant everything.
"Heh, is it that you can't answer, or that you're afraid to?"
Seeing Ah Yin's pale face, her teeth biting down on her lip as she struggled to speak but couldn't, Qian Xunji smiled mockingly.
"You know what could happen—you're just too afraid to say it."
"But let me be blunt."
"Tang Xiao is a Soul Douluo. He's absolutely capable of seeing through your identity."
"Even if your special domain helps conceal your aura to some extent…"
"Do you really think it's perfect?"
"When I brought people to take you away, he didn't dare say a single word. He didn't even let Tang Hao resist."
"If one day Tang Zhen demands your life for a ring and bone… his choice will be hard to predict."
Qian Xunji's words made Ah Yin's face turn even whiter.
"And maybe," Qian Xunji added,
"he already figured out who you are."
"Maybe he hasn't said anything or acted yet… because he's waiting for the right moment."
"For example, when Tang Hao reaches rank 80 or 90?"
"Would he really be able to resist the temptation of a 100,000-year soul ring and bone after learning the truth?"
Qian Xunji continued with that devilish smile, relentlessly striking at the image Ah Yin held of Tang Xiao and Tang Hao.
"No! That's not true!"
Pushed to the limit, Ah Yin burst out like a coiled spring suddenly released.
"Even if Brother Xiao and Brother Hao had ulterior motives…"
"You're no different! You want me to have your child!"
"You're just as bad as they would be!"
She clenched her fists, her delicate face full of anger and scorn.
Qian Xunji raised his brows in surprise.
Oh?
This blade of grass actually has some brains?!