In the Crown Prince's Palace, Xue Qinghe stood by the window, looking out at the sky, seemingly lost in thought.
Suddenly, a figure quietly appeared behind him, it was the Snake Lance Douluo, She Long, returning to report.
A flicker of joy flashed in Xue Qinghe's eyes, but it vanished in an instant. He turned around and asked, "Uncle She Long, is Lin Mu back?"
"Reporting to the Young Master, Lin Mu has indeed returned to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
After a slight pause, the Snake Lance Douluo's eyes gleamed with barely suppressed excitement as he continued, "Not only that, but I also witnessed Lin Mu's battle with Sword Douluo Chen Xin!"
"What?!"
Xue Qinghe was taken aback at first. Then, a look of genuine worry appeared on his face, and he asked with a slightly anxious tone, "Was he injured?"
Seeing the Young Master's reaction, the Snake Lance Douluo became even more certain of his guess regarding her feelings.
Suppressing his thoughts, he replied, "Young Master, Lin Mu was not injured. On the contrary, Sword Douluo Chen Xin suffered considerable injuries."
Hearing this, Xue Qinghe's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
'That guy Lin Mu... he actually managed to make Sword Douluo Chen Xin suffer a setback?'
After a moment, Xue Qinghe forced himself to calm down and looked at the Snake Lance Douluo, signaling him to continue.
"Lin Mu, utilizing speed akin to teleportation, caught the Sword Douluo off guard. Then, the two clashed using their Seventh Soul Skills, with Lin Mu actually gaining a slight advantage."
"Finally, the Sword Douluo tried to use his Ninth Soul Skill against him, but to no avail. Instead, he was toyed with by Lin Mu."
The Snake Lance Douluo briefly recounted the details of the battle.
"I never expected this guy to be this strong!"
Xue Qinghe's eyes gleamed with admiration. To fight Sword Douluo Chen Xin to a standstill with only the cultivation of a Soul Saint was an unprecedented feat.
If nothing unexpected happened, her teacher, Ning Fengzhi, should already be planning how to win over Lin Mu.
Although Ning Fengzhi was her nominal teacher, she didn't have much of a true teacher-student bond with him. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was loyal to the Heaven Dou Empire, not to her true allegiance.
Seeing Xue Qinghe's reaction, the Snake Lance Douluo's eyes flashed, and he said solemnly, "Young Master, for your grand ambition, you must win over Lin Mu. He will be your greatest asset."
"Uncle She Long, I naturally understand the implications. But this guy is impervious to both soft and hard tactics. Even the honey trap didn't work previously."
Xue Qinghe shook her head slightly, a hint of helplessness on her face.
However, the Snake Lance Douluo disagreed, saying meaningfully, "Young Master, when dealing with such a peerless genius, ordinary honey traps are naturally ineffective."
Hearing this, Xue Qinghe frowned slightly, already sensing his implied meaning.
Seeing the Young Master hesitate, the Snake Lance Douluo took a deep breath and added, "Young Master, you usually appear in men's clothing, concealing your stunning beauty. If you were to reveal your true form as a woman and meet him in person..."
"Insolence!"
Before the Snake Lance Douluo could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Xue Qinghe's sharp shout.
Her face was frosty, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and shame. Her voice was icy as she said, "She Long, how dare you suggest I use my body to please him?!"
As the Young Master of Spirit Hall and the future successor of the Angel God, her status was incredibly noble. To be asked to use her beauty as a tool was an insult to her pride!
Although she had secretly considered the idea before, hearing it suggested by a subordinate was an utter humiliation.
Seeing his Young Master's anger, the Snake Lance Douluo's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down his back. He immediately knelt, trembling as he said, "Young Master, please calm your anger! I had no intention of disrespecting you; I was only thinking of your great cause!"
Hearing this, Xue Qinghe immediately snapped out of her rage and began to weigh the pros and cons.
Lin Mu was only in his early twenties, yet he could rival Sword Douluo Chen Xin. His talent far surpassed hers. If he could find a divine inheritance, he might even become a God himself.
From this perspective, if she could use her true identity to win him over, it might not be a loss.
After a long while, Xue Qinghe emerged from his thoughts, regaining his previous gentle and refined demeanor. He said calmly, "Uncle She Long, this matter must not be revealed to anyone."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The Snake Lance Douluo quickly agreed, letting out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, his gamble had paid off; the Young Master did indeed have desires on Lin Mu.
Just then, the Porcupinefish Douluo quietly approached Snake Lance's side and respectfully said, "Young Master, Meng Shenji is on his way here."
"What is he doing here?"
A hint of confusion flashed in Xue Qinghe's eyes. Strictly speaking, the Three Board Members of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's Education Committee were loyal to Emperor Xue Ye, and they usually had little to do with the Crown Prince directly.
"Could it be related to Lin Mu?"
Thinking of this, Xue Qinghe suddenly had an idea. He looked at the Snake Lance and Porcupine Douluos and said, "You two can leave for now."
Hearing this, the two exchanged a glance and immediately disappeared from the palace.
Not long after, Meng Shenji arrived outside the Crown Prince's Palace. Xue Qinghe straightened his robes slightly and quickly went to greet him.
"Chief Meng Shenji, what brings you here in such a hurry?"
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Upon seeing Xue Qinghe emerge, Meng Shenji quickly bowed.
Then, a hint of urgency appeared on his face as he solemnly said, "Your Highness, Lin Mu has returned to the academy with the Royal Fighting Team."
"Is that so? It's been a long time since I've seen Brother Lin. I've missed him dearly. I'll go see him after I finish my official duties."
Xue Qinghe feigned surprise, adopting a friendly demeanor toward Lin Mu.
In truth, Meng Shenji's visit to Xue Qinghe was entirely due to Emperor Xue Ye's indecisiveness and unreliability; the Committee could only place their hopes on His Highness the Crown Prince. Only by recruiting Lin Mu properly could the Heaven Dou Empire possess the strength to eventually confront Spirit Hall.
"Your Highness, Qin Ming has left the Royal Fighting Team and gone to teach at Shrek Academy. Lin Mu is currently lacking a teaching assistant and asked if the Academy had any suitable candidates."
Hearing this, Xue Qinghe's eyes flashed, and a brilliant idea quietly emerged in his mind.
She had just been worrying about lacking a suitable reason to approach Lin Mu in her true form. With the position of teaching assistant open, Lin Mu would be completely within her reach.
"Chief Meng Shenji, I do indeed have an excellent candidate. Not only can she fulfill the duties of a teaching assistant, but she can even win Lin Mu over to the Empire's side."
"Your Highness, who are you talking about?"
Meng Shenji was full of doubt. There was definitely no such talent currently in the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. It must be a hidden expert trained by the Crown Prince.
Seeing this, Xue Qinghe's lips curled into an inscrutable smile. He said calmly, "This person's identity is special, and it is inconvenient to reveal it for the time being. But I can guarantee that she is absolutely the most suitable person for this position and is completely worthy of Lin Mu."
Seeing the Crown Prince's certainty, Meng Shenji immediately trusted his judgment and said respectfully, "Since Your Highness has already chosen a candidate, then I am relieved. Please make the arrangements as soon as possible."
After speaking, he bowed and hurriedly left the Crown Prince's Palace.
Once she was alone again, Xue Qinghe stood with her hands behind her back, her gaze sharp. A meaningful smile bloomed on her lips.
"Lin Mu, you can only be mine."
[Volume 1: Teacher - End]