Chapter 61 – The Fall of the Emperor
"Quick, go in and rescue everyone!"
"My father is the supreme ruler—nothing will happen to him!"
Qian Renxue was furious.
She ordered the imperial guards to rush into the ruins and begin search-and-rescue operations.
At the same time, she rolled up her sleeves and tried to dash into the rubble herself, but two concubines grabbed her arms tightly.
"Your Highness, calm down!"
"It's too dangerous inside! Let the guards handle the search for His Majesty!"
Qian Renxue shoved them aside, her face pale and eyes hollow. Her composure crumbled, and she looked like a lost child—a mother who had lost everything.
"Impossible…" she muttered, as if convincing herself.
"My father is blessed with great fortune… Nothing will happen to him!"
But then, as if realizing something, she turned suddenly toward Qin Chuan.
"Your Majesty…"
She stumbled over to him, her voice desperate,
"I beg you, please help… You must find my father!"
Qin Chuan quietly observed Qian Renxue's grief.
Had he not seen the cold glint behind her eyes, he might have truly believed her sorrow.
Indeed, ten years of undercover life had refined her. She was more mature, more composed—and far more calculating.
"Prince, please remain calm," Qin Chuan said, his voice steady.
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. He felt something.
His eyes turned to the ruins where a group of imperial guards was trying to move a massive slab of fallen stone.
"Be careful!" he shouted.
With a flash, he turned into a streak of light, a blur that rushed toward the ruins. Before the stunned eyes of everyone watching, he swept the guards aside like a storm wind.
"A T-Titled Douluo…" one of the guards murmured, gulping nervously.
They had seen it—nine dazzling soul rings circling Qin Chuan's body.
No one could have imagined that the low-key man following the prince was actually a Titled Douluo.
"Your Majesty Qin Chuan, did you find something?" Qian Renxue asked quickly, eyes flickering with hope and calculation.
Qin Chuan stood in front of the giant slab—three or four zhang wide, towering like a small hill embedded deep in the rubble. It was unmoving, like the anchor of the wreckage.
From beneath it, he could feel a faint flicker of life force—so faint it was nearly gone.
"It should be underneath," Qin Chuan replied calmly.
His soul rings lit up again, glowing brightly.
"Quick! Save His Majesty!"
A concubine pointed at the massive slab and cried out.
"Move this stone now!" she ordered the imperial guards.
But the guards exchanged hesitant looks.
No one dared to act.
Qin Chuan sneered.
"Let them move? Unless you want Emperor Xue Ye to die outright, step aside."
His cold glance silenced the concubine.
If Qian Renxue hadn't asked him multiple times, and if the Emperor wasn't still hanging onto a thread of life, he wouldn't have even bothered to step in.
"You…!"
The concubine flushed with rage. She'd never been spoken to like that.
But before she could respond, Qian Renxue slapped her.
"Apologize to His Majesty Qin Chuan!"
Her eyes were red with fury.
"Do you want my father to die?!"
The concubine turned pale, her whole body trembling.
"I… I'm sorry…" she stammered.
Qin Chuan simply smiled and waved it off.
He remained unmoving in front of the stone, waiting. Only when the last flicker of life nearly faded did his soul ring light up once more.
With a flash of light, the Holy Spirit wings behind him unfolded.
In an instant, the heavy stone was lifted into the air as if it weighed nothing.
And beneath it—
Lying crushed and broken, was the pale, frail figure of Emperor Xue Ye.
"It's Father!"
Qian Renxue gasped and gave a sharp command,
"Hurry! Carry Father out!"
The imperial guards carefully lifted Emperor Xue Ye's body out from the rubble.
Just as Qian Renxue had hoped, the Emperor truly had only a single breath left.
"Father…"
She rushed forward, grasping his hand tightly. Her body trembled, and real tears streamed down her face.
The many concubines surrounding them also wept in grief.
Emperor Xue Ye slowly opened his eyes, his gaze settling on Qian Renxue's face.
"Qing… Qinghe…"
His voice was barely audible—weak, hoarse, and trembling.
"Your son is here… Qinghe is right here, Father…"
Qian Renxue sobbed, barely able to speak.
At that moment, Qin Chuan turned slightly, watching from the side.
He could feel it—Qian Renxue's emotions were real.
She wasn't acting.
Right now, she wasn't a spy. She wasn't the child of Qian Xunji or a Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall.
She was simply a daughter who was about to lose her father.
Only Qin Chuan understood.
Qian Renxue wasn't crying for just Emperor Xue Ye.
She was also crying for Qian Xunji—the father she never truly knew.
"Protect… the empire…"
These were Emperor Xue Ye's final words.
The moment his voice faded, the hand Qian Renxue held slipped from her grip and fell limply to the ground.
The thud echoed like thunder.
For a brief moment, the crowd was silent—then the weeping intensified.
Qian Renxue stood up in a daze.
Her face was unreadable. Sadness, regret, and relief all warred in her expression.
But one thing was missing—joy.
Perhaps they had always stood on opposite sides.
But in the ten years she had been by his side, Emperor Xue Ye had truly treated her like his successor.
And he had raised her accordingly.
By the time Prince Xue Xing and Fourth Prince Xue Beng arrived in a panic, Qian Renxue had already composed herself.
She stood at the center of the rescue efforts, giving orders efficiently and calmly.
"Prince, where is His Majesty?"
Prince Xue Xing asked anxiously.
Qian Renxue didn't answer at first. Only when Xue Beng pressed the question did she sigh and say,
"Uncle… You're too late."
"Father has passed away."
Prince Xue Xing and Xue Beng froze in place.
"Impossible!"
Xue Beng lost control and roared,
"It must have been you! You killed him!"
Qian Renxue's expression instantly darkened.
And Prince Xue Xing's did as well—but not at her.
Instead, he turned and slapped Xue Beng across the face.
"You fool!"
"If you hadn't fled in fear during the disaster, do you think you wouldn't have seen His Majesty one last time?"
"And now you dare to accuse someone else?"
Xue Beng was stunned by the slap. But instead of arguing back, he simply collapsed to the ground and began crying.
Outside the temporary palace, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed again.
An imperial guard knelt down and reported,
"Your Highness, the envoy from Spirit Hall has arrived. They request an audience."
Qian Renxue's face turned gloomy.
"My father just passed away. I will not meet anyone. Send them away."
"Hahaha…"
But just then, a mocking, maniacal laugh echoed from outside.
"Your Highness…"
"No, perhaps I should now call you the new Emperor Qinghe… Are you sure you don't want to see me?"