The man who entered was none other than Qian Xunji.
He looked… older. Much older. His once neatly combed blond hair now had visible streaks of gray, and the proud golden robes of the former Pope hung slightly loose around his frame. His eyes — once sharp and cold as a blade — now seemed dimmed.
The powerful Titled Douluo aura he once carried like a cloak of divine majesty was gone. What remained was the shell of a man — still tall and dignified, but fading.
For a brief moment, silence stretched between father and daughter.
Qian Renxue sat perfectly still, her hands folded in her lap, gazing at him with calm indifference — neither hatred nor affection. The air seemed to thicken, as if even the walls of the room remembered the tangled bond of blood and betrayal between them.
Qian Xunji, too, hesitated for a second when he saw two daughters — identical in every way. His gaze darted between them, first to Qian Renxue, then to Eve, confusion flashing in his weary eyes. But instead of asking questions, he simply sighed and held out a file.
"I came to deliver the report," he said quietly, his voice hoarse but controlled.
Eve leaned back in her chair and said lightly, "You can keep it on the table."
Qian Xunji obeyed without protest. As he placed the report down, Qian Renxue's eyes caught something — a feather quill in his hand.
The quill shimmered faintly in the candlelight — silver and gold threads running along the spine of the feather, faint inscriptions of the Angel carved near the base. The craftsmanship was intricate — delicate enough to belong to a noble, yet sacred enough.
Her pupils contracted slightly.
She recalled that quill surfing through her memories, back then 'Qian Renxue' was an ordinary child.
Her previous self had chosen it as a gift — long ago, when she was still a child, barely five years old. It had been a gift to her mother, Bibi Dong. Back then, she had spent hours selecting something perfect — something that would make her mother smile, even if just once.
'So that's where it ended up…'
Her lips curved faintly — not in a smile, but in something cold and sardonic.
'Bibi Dong must have thrown it away, and this man… picked it up like trash.'
Her gaze lingered on Qian Xunji as he turned to leave. He paused briefly, perhaps expecting her to say something — a greeting, an accusation, anything — but she gave him nothing. Her silence was colder than any blade.
When the door closed behind him, Eve looked at her curiously, an almost mischievous spark dancing in her eyes.
"Well," she said lightly, "you didn't even look angry."
Qian Renxue finally tore her gaze away from the quill, her expression smooth and composed. "Do you think I care who you employ for work?"
Eve shrugged, her smile never fading. "I didn't ask him to work for me. He came on his own — said he wanted to be useful in some way. Since he's a cripple now, I gave him some clerical work. It's not like he can do much else."
Then she tilted her head, her voice teasing but not without weight. "If you don't like it, we can make him pack up and leave. I don't mind."
Qian Renxue's eyes flickered with a faint trace of something unreadable — not pity, not warmth, just quiet detachment, like watching the last ember of a dying flame.
"There's no need," she said softly.
Eve raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How merciful of you."
Qian Renxue didn't respond immediately. Her gaze turned toward the window again, the afternoon light spilling across her golden hair. "Mercy has nothing to do with it. Some people… punishment isn't death or exile. It's living long enough to understand the weight of their choices."
She looked at Eve with her usual composed calm and continued, her voice soft but resolute,"I had just come here to take a look before heading to Spirit City."
Eve raised an eyebrow, her expression half teasing, half concerned. "Is it because Bibi Dong is planning to take in a disciple? Feeling a little... restless?"
Qian Renxue's golden hair shimmered faintly under the lamplight as she shook her head. "No, not because of that. I already know Hu Liena will be accepted as her disciple —." Her tone paused for a moment, thoughtful. "But it's not just her. Along with Xie Yue and Yan, there are two others in their circle now."
Eve's eyes immediately lit up with curiosity. "Oh? Another group of talented youths? Or..." her lips curved in amusement, "reincarnators?"
Qian Renxue nodded slowly, her eyes faintly glowing purple as if searching through invisible threads of fate. "Yes. I suspect they might be reincarnators — though I've yet to confirm it. That's why I need to go there personally."
She paused, her tone turning colder, sharper — like a blade hidden beneath silk."I have stirred the entire soul beast ecosystem for three years — disrupted the balance of the Douluo Continent,— yet the resonance I seek still eludes me. The faith gathering was only the first stage. My real goal was to complete my incomplete sixth soul skill."
Eve let out a low whistle, her amusement returning. "Ah yes, that nasty ability of yours. When you fuse your incomplete sixth skill with your first, you become something terrifying — an omniscient observer."
Qian Renxue's smile was faint, dangerous, and breathtakingly serene. "Oh! I am still not there yet. I can connect unconditionally with you and Julia — because you are part of my consciousness. But for others... I can only glimpse them for a few seconds if they pray through the ritual. That's the limit."
Qian Renxue crossed her arms, tilting her head. "Still, you're clearly restless. Trying to gauge even my reactions? You must be bored out of your mind." Her grin widened slyly. "Why don't I send you somewhere fun instead?"
She continued, the corners of her lips curling like the edge of a knife. "No need. I already have a place prepared for you. Somewhere you'll find... interesting company."
Eve blinked. "Wait, what?"