For the matters that followed, Xue Qinghe did not bring Chang Kong inside. Instead, he left him outside the room.
Wu Qi lightly patted his arm. "You should read more books. Think things through instead of relying only on brute force."
Watching the two of them enter the study and close the door, Chang Kong hesitated as if he wanted to speak.
Right now, he had no mood to argue. He needed to figure out how to prevent Ning Rongrong from retaliating.
Inside the study, Xue Qinghe took a stick of incense from a small altar, lit it, and placed it into a burner.
"From this point on, this place is absolutely secure. You may speak freely."
Two Titled Douluo were guarding him in secret. Lighting the incense was clearly some kind of signal.
At this moment, the two Titled Douluo would certainly be closely monitoring everything outside the study.
"I heard that from just two sentences back then, you deduced my identity?" Xue Qinghe said, gesturing for him to sit.
The two sat facing each other. Wu Qi relaxed into his chair.
"I heard that the Grand Worshipper has a granddaughter about the same age as Xue Qinghe. When my teacher told the Grand Worshipper about my speculation, there was a brief moment when his aura became unstable."
"So I guessed that you are the true young master of Spirit Hall."
Xue Qinghe frowned slightly.
Fortunately, Wu Qi belonged to the Worship Hall. If he had been an outsider, he likely would not have walked out of the Crown Prince's residence today.
After a moment, Xue Qinghe suddenly smiled and personally poured him a cup of tea.
"You're able to connect such subtle clues together. Grandfather said you are exceptionally intelligent. It seems he did not exaggerate."
With those words, he had effectively acknowledged his identity.
They were both members of Spirit Hall. From the beginning, Wu Qi had no intention of pretending ignorance.
Since they were on the same side, their strength should be directed outward, not wasted on meaningless internal scheming.
Changing the topic, Xue Qinghe asked, "Since you are so perceptive, tell me what you noticed upon entering the city."
Wu Qi explained what he had observed in Suotuo City. Qian Renxue clicked her tongue in admiration.
"Your powers of observation are truly enviable. Your guess is correct the source of the rumor does indeed come from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and it was most likely spread personally by my teacher."
Wu Qi was not surprised.
Ning Rongrong had managed to find Shrek Academy thousands of miles away and enroll there. It was unlikely to be a coincidence. She was probably guided in some way.
Although Wu Qi did not think highly of Shrek Academy, its background was relatively clean. Studying there would not drag her into the struggles between major powers.
Ning Rongrong had already developed a rebellious streak. Ning Fengzhi likely anticipated that she would run away from home.
To temper her spoiled temperament, it was quite possible that Ning Fengzhi deliberately guided her toward Suotuo City, ultimately leading her to join Shrek Academy.
Putting those thoughts aside, Wu Qi noticed the worry on Xue Qinghe's face and asked,
"Strictly speaking, this is a private matter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Why does it trouble Your Highness so much? Is there more to it?"
"The matter troubling me is a long story. I may need you to make a trip to Suotuo City."
Xue Qinghe explained the situation.
"Recently, a large quantity of grain in Suotuo City has mysteriously disappeared, enough to feed a thousand people for a year, with surplus."
"The rumors spread by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School have drawn a large number of people to Suotuo City. Every time I try to investigate the destination of this grain, there is too much interference."
He did not know whether this was a coincidence or something Ning Fengzhi had done intentionally.
Such a large amount of grain disappearing clearly suggested the existence of a hidden force of about a thousand people, loyal to an unknown master.
Qian Renxue wanted to know whether this force was a private army secretly maintained by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Wu Qi pondered and asked, "It's only one grain disappearance. Is it necessary to make so many assumptions? Could it not be bandits from the surrounding areas acting together?"
Bandit activity had long been overlooked across the continent.
Among the Spirit Masters who turned to banditry, some were criminals with no other path to survive. Others lacked cultivation resources, did not wish to join major factions, and sought quick profit instead.
Expecting bandits to farm diligently and achieve food self-sufficiency was unrealistic.
Xue Qinghe shook his head, rejecting the speculation.
He pulled open a drawer and spread a document across the desk.
"Strictly speaking, the grain was not robbed."
The document clearly indicated that the grain had been purchased by a major buyer. However, after it was transported out of Suotuo City, it vanished and never entered circulation on the market.
Xue Qinghe had only recently uncovered this information. Immediately afterward, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect released rumors about Suotuo City, turning it into a focal point in a short time.
He could not help but suspect that Ning Fengzhi was attempting to cover something up.
Wu Qi asked again, "Even if it is a private force secretly raised by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, what of it? As long as your identity remains hidden, such forces would eventually become your support."
Xue Qinghe hesitated. After a moment, he spoke seriously.
"The Worship Hall and the Papal Hall have a secret plan. For it to proceed smoothly, I must understand all deployments of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect truly hides a thousand-man army, the plan will face significant uncertainty. This matter cannot be treated lightly."
He did not reveal the specifics of the plan, but Wu Qi could guess.
At this point, Qian Renxue was focused on gaining Bibi Dong's acknowledgment.
Infiltrating the Heaven Dou Empire was part of Bibi Dong's broader scheme. Qian Renxue had willingly stepped into this position because of that mindset.
Wu Qi did not know many of the details of the Spirit Hunting Plan, but he was fully aware of how it would ultimately end.
As for the missing grain, he felt it was unlikely to be directly connected to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect maintained close ties with the imperial family. Even if they secretly maintained a private force, they would not leave such obvious traces.
This matter likely involved another faction.
The assignment to investigate in Suotuo City seemed more like a pretext. The real purpose was to have them leave Heaven Dou City, which was a vortex of power struggles.
Wu Qi and Chang Kong had arrived too suddenly. Xue Qinghe most likely had not yet figured out how to properly arrange their positions.
At the very least, before forging suitable backgrounds for them, staying too long in Heaven Dou City and drawing the attention of major factions would only cause trouble.
With this in mind, Wu Qi did not refuse and instead accepted the task.
Before they left, Xue Qinghe reminded them, "Your safety comes first. The results of the investigation are secondary."
After leaving the Crown Prince's residence, Chang Kong digested the information Wu Qi had shared.
After a while, he asked, "Brother Wu, do you have any leads on how to investigate?"
Wu Qi spread his hands. "No. And I don't plan to investigate at all."
Chang Kong's eyes widened. "If His Highness finds out what you're thinking, we'll be in serious trouble!"
Wu Qi was unconcerned.
The investigation was a pretense; avoiding the spotlight was the real goal.
Moreover, even if Xue Qinghe truly intended to investigate, having the two of them operating openly would serve as cover. The real investigators would act in secret, free from interference.
So there was no need to worry. They only needed to focus on their own matters.
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