Two months later
A child winced slightly as Qian Renxue tied a clean bandage around his bruised leg with surprising gentleness.
"Thank you, sister," the boy said shyly, his cheeks reddening under the dirt smudges.
Qian Renxue looked at him with calm purple eyes, deep and bottomless, like a still pool hiding ancient depths.
"No need for thanks," she replied softly.
Then, her gaze sharpened.
'All the information you receive in the city—pass it to the man who always waits near the orange vendor. Forget why you're doing it. Just remember that it's the right thing to do…'
The boy's pupils dilated for a fleeting second before clarity returned. He blinked and nodded innocently, standing up and scurrying out with a small smile.
Qian Renxue's thoughts remained cool and composed. Ninety-fifth child.
As he disappeared into the narrow alleys of the slum, a tiny girl toddled up and placed a garland made of wildflowers on Qian Renxue's head.
She paused, then smiled faintly. "Thank you."
The girl beamed before running off.
Qian Renxue rose to her feet, brushing the dust from her robes, and stepped out of the makeshift shaft that passed for an orphan shelter. Outside, Ghost Douluo waited, blending into the shadows of a crumbling stone wall like a lingering ghost.
They were in the heart of Heaven dou City's slums, a place far removed from its gleaming towers and golden palaces. Here, the stench of poverty lingered in the air, mingling with desperation and smoke. Most nobles ignored this district entirely.
' Afterall in the capital of Heaven Dou Empire the people living here are untouchables for the nobles.' Thought Qian Renxue as her gaze was in the distance where the castle of heaven Dou Emperor was.
But to Qian Renxue, it was a mine of untapped power.
"Their loyalty is simple," she murmured as her gaze swept the slums. "Feed them, protect them, and they'll remember it for life."
These children, often overlooked as pickpockets or vermin, were now her eyes and ears across Heaven Dou City. Their innocence made them invisible to the guards and soldiers. No one suspected a child of espionage.
'The best information network begins where no one is looking.' while looking at the slums her mind was reeling.
Ghost Douluo silently followed as she walked through the dusty path. He had witnessed her gradual weaving of influence over the past month. From merchants and beggars to commoners and children, her invisible net was tightening around the city.
And no one even noticed.
Beggars, already acting as unofficial brokers, had been planted with psychological cues to always share what they heard with "one more person," something subtle enough that it didn't violate their will. A clever trick, and those working under other powers had quietly been brought under control through light hypnotism.
Her mental strength now rivaled, if not surpassed, most high-level Titled Douluo.
Qian Renxue walked calmly through the slums, the garland of wildflowers still gently swaying atop her golden hair. Ghost Douluo followed just behind her, now dressed in a plain servant's robe, his aged face marked by fabricated wrinkles and a stooped back. He looked like nothing more than a quiet, forgettable attendant.
Just as they turned a corner into one of the broader alleys that led out of the district, a group of six rough-looking men stepped into their path.
Their faces were sharp with arrogance, and their clothes, cheaply dyed tunics and worn boots, marked them as part of the gutter's underworld. A faint stench of alcohol and iron clung to them.
The leader, a tall man with a jagged scar across his chin, leaned slightly toward the thug next to him and whispered, unaware that his voice carried in the quiet.
"Is this the girl they were talking about?"
His companion nodded. "Yeah, she has no noble crest. Wandering with only one old man. Probably from some ruined noble family."
Another chuckled. "Delicate skin like that? She'll fetch a good price. Those high-paying creeps like 'em looking untouched."
"HA!HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"
"HE!HE! HE! HE! HE!"
"HA! HA...."
They laughed, loudly and deliberately. Letting their words echo so all the nearby slum dwellers could hear.
And yet, no one intervened. The passersby lowered their eyes and kept walking. In this part of the city, danger was part of the scenery.
But there were exceptions.
The children Qian Renxue had helped earlier had followed her secretly, not that they could hide from her senses. They appeared from the sides of the street, some hiding a rusty knife , they were looking for a chance to help her.
Qian Renxue looked at them, calm and composed. 'Even if they fear those scumbags, they have come. A rare sight in this place.'
She knew where these gangsters are from ' Probably someone connected to the slavers'
Slavery was illegal in name in the Heaven Dou Empire, but behind the scenes, it thrived, protected by nobles and officials alike. This group likely operated under such a shadow.
'Xue Xing the Emperor Xue Ye's brother is probably one of the big shots who support the Illegal slave trade.' Thought Qian Renxue as some information of the original novel was recalled by her.
'Salas, the platinum bishop of Spirit Hall… If the my knowledge of the novel is true, if he really is that kind of monster…'
Qian Renxue's expression didn't change, but a faint chill entered her eyes.