...
Speechless after being uttered by Xuan Hao's words, Qian Renxue remained silent for a long time.
After she suppressed those chaotic thoughts, she suddenly realized a crucial issue, and doubt reappeared in her eyes:
"Wait a minute. Since you encountered Tang Hao in Soto City, and you admitted that you were no match for him... then how did you escape?"
Qian Renxue stared intently at Xuan Hao.
"Given Tang Hao's mad nature, if he really intended to kill you, even with all your trump cards, it would have been difficult for you to escape unscathed, right?"
"Run? Why should I run?"
Xuan Hao looked at her as if she were an idiot, his tone utterly speechless, "I have no past grudges or present enmity with Tang Hao, so why would he kill me?
Besides, who am I?
Others may not know who's behind me, but don't you know?"
Xuan Hao snorted coldly: "If he really dares to kill me, does he not want to live?
Or does his Haotian Sect, hiding deep in the mountains, want to die out completely?"
Hearing these extremely arrogant yet incredibly realistic words, Qian Renxue was very unhappy with his arrogant attitude, but she had to admit that Xuan Hao did indeed have the confidence to back it up.
"Then why did Tang Hao suddenly contact you?"
Qian Renxue was completely baffled. "That guy vanished into thin air after that battle, disappearing from the continent for over a decade.
Even the Spirit Hall couldn't find a trace of him despite sending out so many spies.
How could he suddenly appear in a small place like Soto City?
And even reveal his identity to you?"
"Well..."
Xuan Hao stroked his chin, his eyes somewhat unfocused, and casually replied, "I'm not really sure either.
Maybe... it's just because I acted too arrogantly during my time in Soto City."
Seeing Qian Renxue's face gradually darken, Xuan Hao continued his nonsense:
"You don't know, a while ago in Soto City, I gave that girl Zhu Zhuqing the ten-thousand-year-old dragon-tiger beast skeleton I had obtained as a gift.
As a result, money can be tempting, attracting a large group of reckless rogue cultivators and local forces to come out and fight over it.
Then, I lost my temper and killed all those ignorant fools."
Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue was speechless and even rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache.
"Of course I've heard about this news."
Qian Renxue rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.
"Do you know how fast the news spread that an extremely rare, top-grade ten-thousand-year-old torso soul bone appeared in Soto City, and it was on a teenage girl?
Even in Tiandou City, many noble families and soul master families have secretly set their sights on it."
"It was only after that old fox Ning Fengzhi received the information that he immediately used the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's intelligence network to spread your identity and background in a half-concealed manner.
This forced down the greed of various forces."
"If Ning Fengzhi hadn't acted quickly, do you think you could have lived so peacefully in Soto City?
There would definitely have been plenty of people pretending not to know your true identity, plotting to kill and rob in Soto City, or even dispose of your body to cover it up!"
"Yes, that's why I said it."
Xuan Hao slapped his thigh and continued, following Qian Renxue's words, "It must be because I was too arrogant and high-profile in Soto City.
That old madman Tang Hao was hiding in the shadows and didn't like me, so he came out in the middle of the night to teach me a lesson. Of course..."
Xuan Hao curled his lip and added with a look of disgust, "It's also possible that the guy has been hiding in the ditch all these years and his mentality has become twisted.
He can't stand the emergence of a genius who is more awesome and arrogant than he was back then, so he comes out to find some sense of existence."
"..."
Qian Renxue was completely speechless, her chest heaving violently twice.
"Xuan Hao, I'm seriously asking you for information!"
Qian Renxue glared at him through gritted teeth.
"It concerns Tang Hao, so can you stop spouting this nonsense?"
"Damn it, I was serious, okay?!"
Xuan Hao helplessly shrugged, his face full of innocence.
"Don't you know what kind of person I am?
Apart from occasionally liking to show off, I'm usually very low-key."
"I have absolutely no connection with the Haotian Sect, and we have no grudges against each other.
In fact, because of some business dealings in the past, I have a certain relationship with Madam Yue of Yuexuan.
After all, I am a man who can spend the night on the top floor of Yuexuan and have a long talk with Madam Tang by candlelight."
Xuan Hao felt increasingly aggrieved as he spoke, and even began to curse:
"Who knows what's going on in that old madman Tang Hao's head!
He came out in the middle of the night and started attacking me with a hammer without saying a word?!"
"That's right!"
Xuan Hao suddenly sat up straight on the sofa, as if he had suddenly remembered something important, his eyes becoming extremely resentful and indignant:
"I must go to Yuexuan and have a serious talk with Tang Yuehua about this!"
"That shameless old man Tang Hao, a titled Douluo, actually had the audacity to bully a kid like me who's not even fifteen years old! He almost broke my bones!"
"Damn it! Isn't he ashamed?!
I'm still a child!"
They could just pack up and go.
Xuan Hao greeted Na'er and the others, and without waiting for Xue Qinghe's consent, he grabbed the Crown Prince's arm and led him out of the hotel, heading straight for Yuexuan in the center of Tiandou City.
It was morning. In the main hall of Yuexuan, Tang Yuehua, dressed in a silver palace gown, sat behind a harp, teaching court etiquette and music to a group of noble children from Tiandou City.
Xuan Hao swaggered into the lobby entrance.
Upon seeing the familiar figure outside the door, Tang Yuehua paused slightly in her playing.
She shook her head helplessly, stood up, and said gently to the students below, "That's all for today.
Please practice on your own."
After dismissing the students, Tang Yuehua led Xuan Hao and Xue Qinghe, who was dressed casually, straight into the private room on the top floor.
As soon as he entered, Xuan Hao acted as if he were at home, casually sprawling on the soft sofa, pouring himself a cup of top-quality snow-topped cloud tea, and stuffing the delicate pastries on the table into his mouth, without needing Tang Yuehua to serve him at all.
Tang Yuehua was already used to his behavior.
When Xuanhao was eight or nine years old, he started coming to Yuexuan to play. Over the years, he has come to the top floor from time to time to freeload.
On the surface, they pretended to be studying etiquette at Yuexuan, creating a "gentle and elegant" image, but in reality, they treated it as a high-class playground.
In Tang Yuehua's eyes, no matter how powerful Xuan Hao is on the outside, he's just a mischievous kid at heart.
"Tell me, what happened?" Tang Yuehua sat down opposite Xuan Hao, glanced at Xue Qinghe with a strange expression beside her, and laughed, "This early in the morning, not only did you come to bother me, but you also dragged His Highness the Crown Prince over."
Xuan Hao swallowed the pastry in his mouth, patted the crumbs off his hands, and began to complain with a wronged expression:
"Madam Yue, you have to be my judge!
I went out to Soto City a while ago to look for Ning Rongrong, who ran away from home. But a few days ago, I ran into an old madman named Tang Hao there!"
"That bastard was completely out of the blue.
He suddenly jumped out in the middle of the night, grabbed a hammer, and beat me up without saying a word!
If I hadn't been quick-witted and immediately introduced myself, bringing up my family elders and the powerful figures behind me to threaten you, I might not even be alive to see you today!"
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