Chapter 20: Storm in the Heart
Qin Chuan frowned slightly as he watched Liu Erlong and the others crying and wailing in anguish. He remained silent, unsure of what he was truly thinking in that moment.
It wasn't until Ning Rongrong's voice rang out that the heavy silence was broken.
"Your Majesty Qin Chuan, who exactly are you? Why did the Pope send you… the Master's legs?"
Her question hung heavily in the air.
"Are you questioning me?" Qin Chuan's voice was calm and cold, like a still winter breeze.
"N-No…"
Ning Rongrong trembled at the weight of his tone. She quickly shook her head, panicked, recalling her original intention.
"No, I didn't mean it that way… I was just curious…"
"Heh…"
Qin Chuan sneered softly, unfazed by the stares directed at him once again. Even from the back of the convoy, inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's carriage, he could sense eyes peering at him.
Still, his expression remained unreadable.
"I can tell you clearly—I have nothing to do with Pope Bibi Dong anymore."
His words were spoken with eerie detachment.
Indeed, their bond had long been severed. Qin Chuan had taken that opportunity to walk away from the Spirit Hall entirely. What relationship could still exist between them?
At best, they were simply… the most familiar strangers.
That was all.
"But why would she do this?" Tang San suddenly looked up. His bloodshot eyes brimmed with fury and sorrow.
"Why should I tell you?" Qin Chuan scoffed, his tone filled with contempt.
If not for Sword Douluo Chen Xin's constant presence in the group, Qin Chuan would have acted already. He wouldn't tolerate being questioned by the likes of Tang San.
Without another word, Qin Chuan turned and climbed back into the royal carriage.
"Your Highness, let us proceed into the city," came his calm voice from within, signaling the end of the confrontation.
Qian Renxue's expression was complicated as she turned to glance at Flender. The dean of Shrek Academy looked devastated—like a man who had just lost his soul.
She took a soft breath.
"Dean Flender, please accept my condolences."
She continued calmly, "The Spirit Hall sending only the Master's legs means there's still a chance he's alive. For now, what we must do is preserve our strength and prepare to achieve great results in the All-Continent Spirit Master Elite Competition."
"When the time comes," she added with a firm gaze, "I will personally go to the Pope and demand an explanation."
Flender looked up, dazed and hollow. In that moment, he seemed to have aged by decades.
However, the Shrek Seven Devils were now fractured. The team spirit was shattered.
How could they reorganize and compete again?
The thought weighed heavily on Flender's heart.
"Enter the city!" Qian Renxue gave the final order.
Soon, the fifteen academy teams assembled into lines, following behind the golden royal carriage as they entered Wuhun City in an orderly fashion.
Wuhun City was unlike any other major city in the empire.
It was a city built entirely for soul masters.
Ordinary civilians were rarely seen here. Only those with soul power were allowed to reside within its sacred walls.
And with the finals approaching, teams from across the continent had poured in, filling the streets and inns, making the city more vibrant and bustling than ever.
But after the painful scene involving the Shrek team outside the city gates, the atmosphere around the Heaven Dou Empire delegation was particularly somber.
No one spoke unnecessarily as they walked, their eyes scanning their surroundings quietly.
Eventually, the procession halted in front of a grand, towering hotel.
"We'll be staying here," Qian Renxue announced, lifting the curtain and stepping out gracefully.
A hotel servant, who had clearly been waiting for their arrival, immediately rushed forward.
"Are you esteemed guests from the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Qian Renxue nodded calmly.
"Please, come inside. His Holiness the Pope has already made arrangements. Right this way."
After being warmly received, the servant quickly directed the teams to their assigned rooms.
As the crown prince, Qian Renxue naturally occupied the luxurious champagne suite on the top floor.
Qin Chuan, being a Titled Douluo, was arranged in the room right beside hers—only a single wall separating the two.
As they approached the room, Qian Renxue turned her head slightly and said lightly, "Your Majesty Qin Chuan, come to my room. I have something to ask you."
"As expected…" Qin Chuan murmured inwardly.
During the entire journey, the air had been heavy with silence. Not just among the teams, but within the royal carriage too.
Qian Renxue hadn't said a word, her eyes kept low, her mood unreadable.
But Qin Chuan could sense her frustration.
"Alright," he nodded, ready to follow her inside.
But just then, another door creaked open.
"Your Majesty Qin Chuan…"
It was Ning Rongrong.
She wasn't normally qualified to stay on the top floor, but due to her father Ning Fengzhi's status as sect master, she had been granted a suite upstairs.
Her eyes were red from crying. Her voice trembled slightly with vulnerability.
"Can… can you come comfort me?"
Across the corridor, Qian Renxue froze at the threshold of her room.
She turned, raised a brow coldly, and let out a soft but clearly disdainful hmph.
Qin Chuan stood awkwardly in the corridor, his expression stiff.
Then, without hesitation, he followed Qian Renxue into the suite.
Bang—!
The door slammed shut behind him, its echo reverberating through the corridor.
The sudden sound made Ning Rongrong's delicate body tremble involuntarily.
Then, a gentle voice came from behind her.
"Rongrong, go back."
It was Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
"This man is too proud. You can't control him."
Ning Rongrong bit her lip, turning her head away stubbornly.
"Grandpa Jian, I don't believe that."
"Didn't you always say I was beautiful?" Her tone was slightly indignant, yet hopeful. "I can definitely win him over!"
Inside the suite…
Qian Renxue was no longer playing the role of Xue Qinghe.
After more than ten years, she had finally revealed her true identity to Qin Chuan once again.
Dressed in a golden-silk collared gown, her skin appeared whiter than snow. Her eyebrows were slender, her expression proud and elegant. She exuded nobility, like a celestial being beyond reach.
The six-winged angel mark between her brows glowed faintly, adding an aura of divine majesty.
She was Qian Renxue—holy, peerless, and stunningly beautiful.
Reclining gently on the sofa, her long, well-proportioned legs crossed elegantly beneath her dress, she looked both regal and distant. A living masterpiece.
"Should I call you Brother Qin Chuan now?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Or should I call you… stepfather?"
Qin Chuan sighed softly and pulled a chair closer, sitting opposite her.
"I told you before—I've already divorced her," he replied with a bitter smile.
From his position, he could see Qian Renxue's entire form clearly—an exquisite figure that seemed too perfect for this world.
Qian Renxue snorted coldly.
Suddenly, her reclining body leaned forward, until her face was only inches away from his.
Her eyes, no longer pretending to be indifferent, flickered with emotion as she stared deeply into his.
"Still trying to lie to me?" Her voice was cold, but the faint fragrance from her lips added an inexplicable warmth to the air.
"I've never lied to you since we were children," Qin Chuan said sincerely, maintaining their close distance. "And now, I have no reason to lie."
"Then why did she…" Qian Renxue's voice trembled slightly.
Why would Bibi Dong send him such a gift?
A pair of legs…
Qin Chuan fell silent.
He instinctively leaned back against the chair, a sense of helplessness overtaking him.
Some truths couldn't be concealed any longer.
But to speak them aloud was… far too humiliating.