In the end, it turned out to be the same person.
He was never separated from her.
He too...was deceived for over a decade.
Qian Renxue felt a pang of heartache as she looked at the extremely complex expression in Ning Lin's eyes.
The scene she feared most eventually came to pass.
In such a cruel and despicable way.
She bit her lower lip so hard it almost bled.
At this point, any explanation would seem pale and powerless.
She took a deep breath, met everyone's gaze, and slowly began to speak.
"Tang San is right."
Her voice was still clear and melodious, but it carried a tremor that she couldn't hide.
"I am Xue Qinghe."
She admitted it.
Decisive and efficient.
Inside the main hall, gasps of astonishment rose and fell.
The Avalanche Emperor's face had turned a deep liver color.
His beloved elder brother, whom he had respected for over a decade, turned out to be the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall and the mastermind behind the murder of his two other brothers!
The Heavenly Dou Empire, from beginning to end, was a huge joke!
Tang San looked at Qian Renxue, then glanced at Ning Lin.
"Then your story must be quite interesting."
"A Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall and a Deacon of the Spirit Hall, acting out a touching scene of brotherhood in Heaven Dou City."
His words were like daggers to the heart.
Ning Lin's crime of colluding with the Spirit Hall seemed to be completely confirmed at this moment.
"Shut up!"
Qian Renxue suddenly shouted, her golden eyes blazing with anger.
"What happened between him and me has nothing to do with the Spirit Hall, and even less to do with you!"
She turned around, no longer looking at Tang San, but facing the court officials and those bewildered gazes.
She also turned to Ning Lin, the one who made her heart ache so much she couldn't breathe.
"That's right, I am Qian Renxue, the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall."
"I was ordered by the Pope to infiltrate Tiandou, disguise myself as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, and intend to overthrow the empire."
Her words were so frank that they surprised everyone.
"but!"
She abruptly changed the subject, her voice rising sharply.
"Ning Lin has absolutely nothing to do with my mission!"
"When I met him, he was only six years old, and I was only seven."
Qian Renxue's gaze drifted into the distance, as if she had returned to that distant afternoon.
"Back then, I was an unloved blonde orphan in the Papal Palace, while he was a new employee in the data department, struggling to even get enough to eat."
We met in the garden.
"He saw that I was lonely, so he gave me his only piece of cake."
"I saw that he was thin and weak, so I secretly slipped my share to him as well."
"We made a promise to protect each other forever."
Her voice echoed in the empty hall, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
These words stunned everyone.
This includes Tang San, as well as Dai Mubai and Oscar.
They expected to hear a confession of conspiracy and intrigue, but instead, they heard a story of childhood sweethearts.
"Later, I became a saint, and he became a deacon."
"Later, I received a mission to impersonate Xue Qinghe and come to Tiandou City. He vehemently opposed it, believing that it was too dangerous and unjust."
Qian Renxue's gaze fell on Ning Lin, filled with endless tenderness and guilt.
"Because of his opposition, he was placed in Tiandou City by the Pope... by my mother, as a powerless city lord, ostensibly to assist, but in reality to monitor and punish."
"He always thought that I was really in seclusion in some secret realm of the Spirit Hall, so he stayed here, handling government affairs while waiting for me to come out of seclusion."
"He had no idea that the Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, with whom he spent every day and regarded as a confidant, was me, whom he had been waiting for for more than ten years!"
At this point, Qian Renxue's voice was already trembling with sobs.
"Tang San!"
She turned around abruptly, the Angelic Sword pointing directly at Tang San.
"Tell me now, who did he collude with?!"
"Just last night, Emperor Tianbian fell critically ill, and martial law was declared in the palace! Who was it that risked their life to break into the palace alone, just to save the 'brother' in their heart?!"
"It's Ning Lin!"
"Who is it that, with the mere rank of Soul Emperor, single-handedly fought two Title Douluos, suffering severe injuries and nearly dying, yet never retreated a single step?!"
"It's Ning Lin too!"
"The blood he shed for the Heaven Dou Empire was real!"
"His loyalty to Crown Prince Xue Qinghe is genuine!"
"What he upheld was the justice in his heart, and the monarch he respected! What crime has he committed?!"
Qian Renxue's questions struck everyone's hearts like heavy hammer blows.
The way the civil and military officials in the main hall looked at Ning Lin completely changed.
From disdain to sympathy, and then to admiration.
yes.
If Ning Lin really was a spy, why would he risk his life for a fake crown prince?
The news of his solo battle against the Serpent Spear Douluo and the Porcupine Douluo last night had already spread throughout the entire palace.
That fearless loyalty and courage cannot be faked.
He was just... fooled.
He was simply risking his life to protect someone he believed was worth protecting.
This loyalty, regardless of status or stance, is enough to move anyone.
Tang San's expression shifted between light and dark.
Qian Renxue's words directly undermined the charges he had leveled against Ning Lin.
Colluding with the Spirit Hall?
They ended up in such a state precisely because they were fighting against the Title Douluo of the Spirit Hall.
This reason is untenable.
Are we just going to let Ning Lin go like this?
Absolutely impossible!
This person has opposed me time and time again, and even caused the sacrifice of Da Ming and Er Ming, and the slander of Tang Clan. If I don't kill him, where will the dignity of Tang San, the Sea God, be?
"Well said."
Tang San's voice returned to calm.
"Even if he didn't collude with the Spirit Hall, it's still a fact that he slandered my Tang Clan and intended to expel my Tang Clan from the Heaven Fighting Alliance, isn't it?"
"Our Tang Clan has made great contributions to the Empire, but he repays kindness with enmity. For this alone, he deserves to die."
Tang San gave a different reason.
Today, he must kill someone to establish his authority.
"Treasonous retribution?"
Ning Lin, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.
He slowly, step by step, walked to Qian Renxue's side.
The chains binding him had long since turned to ashes under the divine radiance of Qian Renxue.
He looked at Tang San, his eyes calm and without a trace of emotion.
"Tang San, your Tang Clan is a sect, not an empire."
"If you are powerful enough, you can wield a divine weapon, storm into the council hall, and boss the emperor around, arbitrarily deciding the life or death of a city lord."
"If you can kill me for the Tang Clan today, you can depose His Majesty for the Tang Clan tomorrow."
"A powerful sect that is not under the control of an empire is the greatest threat in itself."
Ning Lin's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resounding.
"As the city lord of Heaven Dou City, what's wrong with me advocating for the relocation of the Tang Clan out of Heaven Dou City?" "It's my duty!"
You can read 40+ advanced chapters right now on PA TREON.
Don't wait for daily updates
Support and unlock: [ patreon.com/FicHub ]
(End of chapter)