She looked up at Xu Tianhao, her voice calm but filled with genuine inquiry: "Then what do you mean?"
Watching the sharpness fade from her eyes, replaced by a touch of sincerity, Xu Tianhao's tone became solemn and earnest, devoid of any probing or calculation:
"Although you grew up under the conspiracies meticulously woven by Shrek, were indoctrinated with false beliefs for over a decade, and were used wantonly as a pawn."
"But we are different from Shrek. We want you to truly become one of our own, rather than just some cold blade."
He paused, looking at Zhang Lexuan with sincere eyes, and continued:
"My elder brother admires and respects you. This admiration and respect initially stemmed from your exceptional talent and formidable strength."
"But wanting you to be one of our own is not just because of those two points."
"You are the great-great-granddaughter of our teacher, and the purest bloodline of the Kong Family flows through you."
"By this bloodline bond alone, you share a common destiny with the Sun Moon Empire and with us. At your core, you are already one of our own."
These words, every single one, flowed like a warm stream into the depths of Zhang Lexuan's heart.
What Shrek gave her was only strict rules, false justice, and calculations that used her to the very end.
But the Sun Moon Empire, while pointing out the benefits, gave her a sense of belonging connected by blood.
This feeling, which she had never experienced before, quietly caused ripples of warmth to spread across her frozen heart.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes flickered, her heart filled with complex emotions.
After a long silence, she finally nodded gently, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible emotion as she spoke slowly: "I understand."
Seeing that Zhang Lexuan had completely let down her guard and barriers, accepting these sentiments, the smile on Xu Tianhao's face widened.
He stood up with a smile, straightened his robes, and said to Zhang Lexuan:
"I have said all that I needed to say. It would be better for you to go and talk to my elder brother about other matters personally."
After speaking, Xu Tianhao said nothing more, turned, and left Zhang Lexuan's residence, heading to Xu Tianran's place.
A short while later, Xu Tianhao stepped into Xu Tianran's study.
At this moment, Xu Tianran was sitting behind his desk, reviewing the intelligence in his hands.
Seeing Xu Tianhao enter, he immediately put down the envelope and looked up at him.
"Tianhao, how did it go?"
Xu Tianhao told him everything about his conversation with Zhang Lexuan exactly as it happened.
After listening, Xu Tianran couldn't help but chuckle softly, his eyes filled with a touch of approval:
"Not bad. It seems your psychological tactics were quite effective."
But before this smile could last even a moment, Xu Tianran's expression turned dark instantly. He glared at Xu Tianhao, his tone filled with a mix of embarrassment and anger:
"However... what do you mean by 'the fruit tea I specifically prepared for Zhang Lexuan'? That was just a coincidence! Stop spouting nonsense!"
Seeing his elder brother like this, Xu Tianhao knew he was embarrassed and angry.
Fearing he might get punished the next second, Xu Tianhao quickly put on a smiling face, chuckled, and hurriedly explained:
"Elder brother, this is strategy. Do you understand strategy?"
"I intentionally and unintentionally signaled to Zhang Lexuan that you are particularly attentive to her and have a favorable impression of her."
"But you continue to act as yourself, maintaining the composure and mystery befitting a Crown Prince."
"In this way, it creates a strong contrast, keeping her unable to grasp your true thoughts. By playing hard to get, you will have more room to maneuver."
Even though Xu Tianran had never experienced romance and had never been in a relationship.
He had still seen how it was done, even if he hadn't experienced it himself.
He naturally understood these little psychological tricks that Xu Tianhao spoke of immediately.
He was also clear in his heart that although Xu Tianhao's method seemed absurd, if it could truly conquer Zhang Lexuan and make her willing to serve the Sun Moon Empire, it was undoubtedly the safest and most secure method.
Thinking of this, Xu Tianran sighed inwardly and comforted himself with a helpless expression.
Sigh... It's all for the future of the Empire!
As the Crown Prince of the Sun Moon Empire, he, Xu Tianran, bore the heavy responsibility of the Empire's rise and fall. Even if he was unwilling, he had to sacrifice a little and use some extraordinary means for the great cause of the Empire.
Yes!
That's it!
Everything is for the Sun Moon Empire, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Xu Tianhao's nonsensical seduction plan!
After comforting himself this way, the expression on Xu Tianran's face finally cleared up, no longer looking as embarrassed and angry as before.
Seeing this, Xu Tianhao breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said:
"Alright, that's the general plan. You can consider and grasp the other details and measures yourself, elder brother. I'll be off now; I won't disturb you any further."
Xu Tianran waved his hand and said impatiently: "Get out, get out, get out."
Xu Tianhao immediately felt as if he had been pardoned. He turned and quickly left Xu Tianran's study, heading straight back to his residence, Haoyu Palace.
As soon as he stepped into the gate of Haoyu Palace, a brisk figure holding a black envelope ran over excitedly; it was Xu Tianzhen.
Xu Tianzhen ran up to Xu Tianhao, her face full of excitement. She handed him the black envelope and said:
"Hao Hao, this is a mission I just accepted from the Inspection Team. A group of wicked Evil Soul Masters has suddenly appeared in Xinyue City, disrupting the peace and making life miserable for the people."
Hearing the words "Evil Soul Master," Xu Tianhao's eyes instantly lit up. A look of anticipation appeared on his face as he hurriedly asked:
"What is the approximate strength level of that group of Evil Soul Masters? What is the cultivation level of their strongest leader?"
Xu Tianzhen heard this, recalled the records on the mission file, and replied:
"According to the intelligence received, the strongest leader of that group of Evil Soul Masters should be a Spirit Saint-level Evil Soul Master. It's more than enough for Nickname to level up."
Xu Tianhao heard this and immediately smiled with satisfaction: "Then why don't we hurry up and call Master Du? Let's leave immediately."
Xu Tianzhen also laughed, saying with confidence:
"I've already called him. Master Du is with Xiao Hongchen and the others right now, just waiting for you to return."
Over the past few years, although their Seven-Person Squad has always focused on dedicated cultivation and improving their own cultivation levels as their core priority.
They have never rigidly shut themselves away to cultivate blindly.
Actual combat is the fastest way to improve strength, and also the best way to cultivate team tacit understanding and Spirit.
Therefore, over these years, Xu Tianhao has been cultivating the team Spirit of the Seven-Person Squad.
And the best way to cultivate team Spirit and temper combat capabilities is none other than going out together to fight monsters, level up, and gain practical experience.
And for them, the most suitable and meaningful way to fight monsters and level up is to purge the Evil Soul Masters who commit all kinds of evil and disrupt the peace throughout the Empire.
First, Evil Soul Masters have always harmed living beings; purging them is acting on behalf of heaven, so there is no burden in their hearts.
Second, Ye Guyi's Spirit is the world's most Yang and pure Sacred Angel Martial Soul.
The Sacred Angel Martial Soul naturally restrains Evil Soul Masters and can even absorb power quickly to improve her own cultivation strength by killing Evil Soul Masters and purifying the evil energy within them.
At first, Ye Guyi was pure-hearted. Even knowing that Evil Soul Masters were guilty of heinous crimes, she still dared not easily kill people, and there was always a psychological barrier in her heart that was difficult to overcome.
But after repeated actual combat, especially in the last six months, she slowly tasted the sweetness of killing Evil Soul Masters and rapidly improving her strength, and after her cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
That last bit of psychological barrier completely vanished.
Now, if one were to ask who in the entire Seven-Person Squad has the heaviest killing intent toward Evil Soul Masters and the most decisive strikes, it naturally has to be Ye Guyi.
At present, Ye Guyi is thirteen years old and at the thirty-eighth-level Spirit Elder realm.
If she were in any force or family on the continent, a thirteen-year-old thirty-eighth-level Spirit Elder would absolutely be a peerless genius with extraordinary talent, one in ten thousand, worthy of being cultivated as a core disciple with all resources.
But in the Seven-Person Squad, where geniuses gather, her thirty-eighth-level cultivation only belongs to the last tier of the squad.
Compared to top geniuses like Xiao Hongchen and Long Aotian, there is a not-insignificant gap.
The proud Ye Guyi is naturally unwilling to always fall to the back of the team, and she is always holding back a breath, wanting to catch up with everyone's pace.
And now, she has already found the most suitable path for her improvement.
As long as she kills enough Evil Soul Masters and purifies enough concentrated evil energy, she can easily catch up with the strongest in the squad, Xiao Hongchen and Long Aotian.
Even with the unique advantages of the Sacred Angel Martial Soul, surpassing the two is by no means impossible.