The moment this thought popped into her head, Qian Renxue was startled.
She quickly took a deep breath to suppress the surging emotions in her heart.
Dongfang Jing noticed Qian Renxue's arrival but did not turn around.
His senses had already detected her the moment she stepped onto the dome, but he didn't bother to investigate what she was doing at that moment.
Dongfang Jing, still facing Tian Dou City, spoke.
"For a plan to be implemented smoothly and quickly, it is necessary to eliminate dissidents. Bloodshed is inevitable."
His voice sounded somewhat hollow in the night wind.
"In that case, what difference is there between me and Bibi Dong?"
Qian Renxue's emotions were immediately pulled back.
She walked quickly to Dongfang Jing's side and sat down next to him.
"Of course there's a difference!"
Her voice was serious, carrying an undeniable certainty.
"What you have done, what you have sought, is for the people of this city, for the people of this continent! It is for the light! It is for a better tomorrow!"
Her tone grew increasingly harsh.
"You are nothing like that selfish and crazy woman!"
Dongfang Jing turned his head and looked at her with some surprise.
"Is it really okay for you to talk about your birth mother like that?" Dongfang Jing rarely joked.
Qian Renxue snorted coldly: "I don't want to acknowledge her."
Dongfang Jing did not continue the conversation.
He skipped over that topic and asked, "Has Bibi Dong made any moves?"
Qian Renxue nodded, sat up with her legs drawn up, and said, "With such a commotion here, it must have already reached the Spirit Hall."
She paused for a moment.
"According to Uncle Snake Spear, she seemed very angry and was still resentful that my grandfather and I didn't explain things to her."
"Now... she's going to implement the Soul Hunting Plan ahead of schedule."
"She is recalling the Spirit Hall elders who are away, preparing them to enter the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt for spirit rings and spirit bones on a large scale."
Dongfang Jing's expression remained unchanged after hearing this; it was all within his expectations.
But I still silently mourned for the elders for two seconds.
"Among these elders, are there any you have a good relationship with?" Dongfang Jing asked, "or those whose character is considered upright?"
Qian Renxue thought for a moment.
"There was an Elder Lingyuan who often played with me when I was a child. There were also Elder Ju and Elder Gui. These two were not bad people, but they chose to stay by Bibi Dong's side because they coveted wealth and honor."
After she finished speaking, she looked at Dongfang Jing with some doubt.
"What do you mean by that? They are all Title Douluo. Even if they can't beat a 100,000-year-old soul beast, they at least have the ability to protect themselves and escape unscathed."
Dongfang Jing shook his head.
"Let them find a chance to slip away, don't let them die in vain."
Qian Renxue frowned: "Could you be referring to the Titan Giant Ape, the king of the Star Dou Great Forest? Although it is powerful, it is..."
She paused halfway through her sentence, looking into Dongfang Jing's eyes, trying to glean more information from his expression.
But Dongfang Jing simply shook his head and didn't say anything more.
Nowadays, there are more than just Da Ming and Er Ming in the Star Dou Great Forest.
There are also the Crimson King, the King of Ten Thousand Demons, the Bear Lord, and Emperor Tian.
If Bibi Dong were to let a bunch of Title Douluos break in and wreak havoc, that wouldn't be called hunting souls, that would be like delivering vegetables to someone's door.
Dongfang Jing said, "I'm just offering you some advice as a friend. Whether you listen or not is up to you."
"Oh... then I'll listen to you." Qian Renxue nodded blankly, keeping his words firmly in mind.
A night breeze blew, lifting Qian Renxue's long golden hair and brushing against Dongfang Jing's shoulder.
She didn't bother to comb her hair, but instead sat quietly beside Dongfang Jing, watching the lights of countless homes.
At that moment, she felt at ease.
I feel more at ease here than when I'm in the Spirit Hall, or even when I'm sitting on the dragon throne.
But soon, a sense of loss welled up again.
Qian Renxue lowered her head and stared at her interlaced fingers.
'Are we just...friends?'
The thought lingered in her mind for a moment, but she forcefully suppressed it.
Qian Renxue raised her head and looked at the lights ahead again.
No matter what, he's still by my side.
That's enough for now!
The two sat side by side on the dome, remaining silent for a long time.
It was already very late at night.
The lights of Tiandou City gradually thinned out, and there were no pedestrians on the streets in the distance. Only the patrolling imperial guards carrying lanterns walked past the palace walls, their footsteps rising and falling rhythmically.
Qian Renxue rested her hands on the glazed tiles behind her, looking up at the night sky.
The moon is very bright tonight, and it's perfectly round.
"Eastern Mirror".
"Um."
"Tell me, can I be a good emperor?"
When she asked this question, Qian Renxue's voice lacked the certainty and authority she displayed in the court during the day.
Dongfang Jing turned his head and glanced at her.
Under the moonlight, Qian Renxue's profile was clean, without the complex emotions she had during the day, nor the pretense she wore when facing the ministers.
"You're already in that position," Dongfang Jing said.
"That's different." Qian Renxue shook her head. "Most of what I'm doing now was taught to me by you. Tax cuts, supervision, Soul Master education… these policies were discussed and developed together. Without you… I actually think you're more suitable for this position than I am."
"Become an emperor? Absolutely not. I'm just expressing my opinion. Even without me, Qian Renxue, you will find your own path."
Qian Renxue turned her head and looked at him with a smile.
"When are you leaving?" Qian Renxue asked.
Dongfang Jing knew what she was asking.
It wasn't asking him when he would leave the palace tonight.
It's asking him when... he will leave this world.
After completing the divine test and becoming a god, he must ascend to the realm of gods according to the rules.
"It's hard to say." Dongfang Jing himself didn't know, but he still replied, "The sixth test indicates that I have completed half of it, while the seventh test is still in progress, and I don't know how many more tests are coming up. It may be soon, or it may take a long time."
Qian Renxue fell silent.
In her view, the "long time" that Dongfang Jing mentioned might only be a few short years, or even just a blink of an eye.
She lowered her head, staring at the glazed tiles at her feet, her fingers unconsciously drawing something on the surface of the tiles.
"And what happened after you left?"
"The Temple of the Blazing Sun will continue to operate," Dongfang Jing said. "This organization wasn't built for me alone. Even if I'm gone, it will still exist. But… one day it will all return to normalcy."
That's not what I was asking.
Qian Renxue's voice lowered.
Dongfang Jing looked at her.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath and raised her head: "Dongfang Jing, I..."
Those golden eyes shone brightly in the moonlight, and a complex mix of emotions surged within them.
But looking at the boy's calm face...
In the end, she said nothing.
"Never mind." Qian Renxue smiled wryly, stood up, and dusted off the hem of her skirt.
"I have to go back; I have a ton of things to take care of tomorrow."
"Hmm." Dongfang Jing also stood up.
Qian Renxue turned around, took a few steps toward the other side of the dome, and then suddenly stopped.
"Eastern Mirror".
"Is there anything else?"
"Would you like to stay here for the night?"
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(End of chapter)