Chapter 145:The Calm Before the Storm

Unfortunately, if he guessed correctly, the reason Qian Renxue stopped their group this time was probably himself.

As for inviting Huo Lie and the others to a banquet on behalf of Emperor Xue Ye and the Heaven Dou Empire, that was likely just a setup for what was to come.

It was just like how a girl acting coy might ask her boyfriend for a gift—starting with something as outrageous as a private jet, which almost no one could agree to.

But as she gradually lowered her expectations to something more realistic, like a beautiful handbag, the chances of success increased significantly compared to asking for the bag outright.

Similarly, now that Huo Lie and the others had politely refused, if he were to decline as well, it might be a little inappropriate. After all, Xue Qinghe was still the Crown Prince, and some face had to be given.

Without hesitating much, Mu Yang said, "Your Highness has extended an invitation, so of course, I am free. However, I have already made plans to have lunch with Bing'er—I assume Your Highness wouldn't mind?"

Better safe than sorry. No matter what Qian Renxue was planning, or what her intentions were, bringing Shui Bing'er along meant he had two powerful trump cards—his Soul Armor and their Martial Soul Fusion Technique.

As long as a Title Douluo didn't appear, he wouldn't be in danger.

Even if She Long and Ci Xue, the two Title Douluo, did make a move, the combined strength of their Soul Armor and Fusion Technique would allow them to hold out for some time.

Qian Renxue smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Mu Yang bringing Shui Bing'er along was exactly what she wanted.

A woman's sixth sense told her that Mu Yang's strength wasn't simple—he was probably not as easy to control as he seemed.

This banquet had two true purposes.

First, she planned to use assassins to test Mu Yang's strength.

Second, she intended to stage a life-saving scenario, using it as a pretext to pull Mu Yang and his team under her command.

If Mu Yang's strength was impressive, then with Shui Bing'er by his side, when the two of them faced danger, as long as the assassins were stronger than Mu Yang, Qian Renxue wouldn't have to worry about failing to gauge his true abilities.

If Mu Yang was actually a weak Food-type Soul Master, then with Shui Bing'er accompanying him, he probably wouldn't be instantly killed.

Even if the assassins were as strong as a seven-ring Soul Sage, they would still hold out for a few moments, ensuring that her backup plan had time to step in and "save" him.

After all, the assassins she had hired were real ones—not just her own men acting as fakes.

Once they struck, it would be a thunderous blow, and she couldn't rule out the possibility that Mu Yang might be instantly killed.

The restaurant Qian Renxue had chosen was fairly far away.

They rode in a carriage for a full quarter of an hour before stopping in front of a small building.

The building wasn't large, with only two floors, and its entire structure was wooden, giving it a somewhat elegant appearance.

Above the entrance, a signboard carved from purple sandalwood displayed three characters: "Zi Teng Ge".

'This woman is up to no good!'

Stepping off the carriage, Mu Yang took a look at Zi Teng Ge in front of him, then cast a side glance at Qian Renxue, secretly thinking to himself.

The Heaven Dou Hotel, where the Blazing Fire Battle Team was staying, was already a place that combined dining and accommodation.

Now, Qian Renxue had deliberately chosen a location more than ten miles away from the Heaven Dou Hotel just to invite him for a meal.

If there wasn't something suspicious about this, Mu Yang would never believe it.

Of course, if he hadn't known Qian Renxue's true identity, he wouldn't have thought too much about it.

But since he did know, it was impossible not to be suspicious.

That said, based on the original story, Qian Renxue might have been clueless in romance and ruthless toward anyone outside her love interest, but she still had a warrior's sense of honor.

Even if she truly had ulterior motives, her real goal was probably not to eliminate him outright.

After all, anyone with a functioning brain wouldn't see a genius and immediately think of killing them—the first instinct should be recruitment.

Only after multiple refusals, when it became clear that recruitment was impossible and necessary, would someone resort to elimination.

Upon entering Zi Teng Ge, they ascended to a private room on the second floor.

After taking their seats, Qian Renxue smiled and said to Mu Yang and Shui Bing'er,

"Dear brother and sister-in-law, don't be fooled by Zi Teng Ge's humble appearance.

This place serves the best private dishes in Heaven Dou City and is highly favored by nobles and royals.

Moreover, Zi Teng Ge does not operate openly—it only accepts reservations in advance.

Even for me, it took several days to get a booking."

Hearing this, Mu Yang raised an eyebrow and said,

"Oh? Then Bing'er and I must give it a proper taste to see if this Zi Teng Ge truly lives up to your praise, Brother Qinghe."

On their way to the restaurant, thanks to Qian Renxue's intentional friendliness, the two had become more familiar with each other.

With Xue Qinghe being older, he naturally became "Brother Qinghe," while the ten-years-younger Mu Yang became "dear brother."

Well, Mu Yang sincerely hoped that this "Brother Qinghe" wouldn't stab his dear brother in the back.

At that moment, a waiter knocked on the door, entered the private room, walked up to Qian Renxue, and bowed.

"Your Highness, shall we begin serving the dishes?"

"Yes."

Qian Renxue nodded.

Before long, several waiters pushed in food carts, bringing in eighteen dishes in total before leaving the private room.

To be fair, Zi Teng Ge's private dishes were truly exceptional—without a doubt, this was the best meal Mu Yang had ever tasted.

The chefs here were superior even to those at the Heaven Dou Hotel.

Since this was a private banquet, there was no need for formalities.

The three ate while casually chatting.

Shui Bing'er rarely spoke, leaving most of the conversation to Mu Yang and Qian Renxue.

Not long into their chat, Qian Renxue's words began to take on a deeper meaning.

"Dear brother, what's your view on the current situation of the continent?"

"I look at it with my eyes!"

Mu Yang answered without hesitation.

Qian Renxue: "…."

Was that even the question she asked?

"Ahem~ Just joking. If I had to describe it, I'd say it's the calm before the storm."

After a brief tease, Mu Yang answered seriously.

Qian Renxue nodded in agreement.

"The calm before the storm? That does seem to be the case.

Since the founding of the two great empires, Star Luo Empire has always been our Heaven Dou Empire's greatest rival.

Countless wars have broken out between us, yet for several decades now, the two empires have not engaged in any large-scale conflict.

To many, this appears to be an era of lasting peace, but anyone with foresight knows the truth.

When multiple factions coexist, and power is imbalanced, survival of the fittest is inevitable.

In fact, the longer peace lasts, the stronger the hidden forces become, and when war finally erupts, the conflict will be even more intense."

"It's because of the Spirit Hall, right?"

Mu Yang followed the conversation naturally.

"Exactly! It's all because of the Spirit Hall!

Setting aside its massive Soul Master army, just the Elder Hall and Worship Hall alone, with their countless top-tier experts, are enough to make the two great empires wary.

Dear brother, do you know how many powerhouses reside within the Elder Hall and Worship Hall?"

After expressing her thoughts, Qian Renxue turned to Mu Yang and asked.

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