Chapter 53: Qian Renx雪: I Think You Are a Bit Too Extreme

At this point in the conversation, Qian Renxue was already quite satisfied.

Deep down, she had mentally placed a large checkmark next to Chen Ming’s name, deciding that once she recruited him in the future, she would cultivate him as one of her closest confidants within the Heaven Dou Empire.

Initially, Qian Renxue expected this to be nothing more than a superficial formality. However, when she casually brought up the internal situation within the empire, Chen Ming's reaction completely contrasted with the nobles she was familiar with.

"Those guilty of corruption and bribery must be severely punished. A corrupt official in a high position is like a towering mountain; not only does he crush the common people of the Heaven Dou Empire, but his very presence obscures the light of the law, casting shadows that nurture countless parasites."

"They drink the blood of the commoners, demand the lives of the commoners, and undermine the foundations of the Heaven Dou Empire. They turn the citizens of the Heaven Dou Empire into enemies of the state, transforming soldiers who once guarded order into bandits who destroy it. Such internal enemies are far more hateful and terrifying than external ones."

"A maggot among the nobility is still a maggot; it will not change simply because of noble birth. Perhaps their ancestors truly sacrificed much for this country, but these descendants are clearly unworthy of the reputations left behind by their forebears."

"Execute the incorrigible, penalize the rest. For the troublesome noble houses, eliminate the main branch and support a cadet branch; for the disobedient ones, back a controllable child or let their offspring fight amongst themselves. When encountering uncooperative nobles, place the benefits that rightfully belong to them before others. If they refuse to cooperate, plenty of others will."

Though Chen Ming believed he was being extremely tactful—avoiding any theories too shocking for the Douluo Continent and merely displaying the caliber of an exceptional official in a feudal society—his words still left Qian Renxue deeply shocked.

Among the parasites of the Heaven Dou Empire, someone had actually emerged who shared her exact mindset!

Qian Renxue could tell that Chen Ming showed no rigidity or artificiality in expressing these intentions; he was not being coached or deliberately trying to pander to her in this setting. Instead, it was a feeling that stemmed entirely from his heart, as natural as a person firmly preferring a specific flavor of tofu pudding.

He wasn't saying these things for any ulterior motive; rather, put in her position, he would naturally do the exact same thing.

Qian Renxue, a born political animal, had seen plenty of people, but this was truly her first time encountering someone with such a uniquely clear train of thought. His performance made it seem as though he didn't consider himself a noble at all, and not a single thing he said sounded like something a noble would utter.

His entire demeanor was radical to the extreme, the hidden meaning behind his words suggesting he wished nothing more than to tear those parasites to shreds.

Had she not known she was actually an undercover agent of the Spirit Hall rather than the genuine crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe, she might have suspected at this moment whether the other party was an undercover agent sent by the Spirit Hall.

In Qian Renxue’s view, Chen Ming’s attitude was far too idealistic. It felt almost akin to the ideals left behind by the Angel God—so noble that it felt disconnected from reality...

Praise be to the Angel God, sometimes she even questioned whether her own thoughts were right or wrong, yet she never expected someone to be even more steadfast than herself.

Thinking of Chen Ming's various displays, a sudden thought crossed Qian Renxue's mind.

"Perhaps, this Chen Ming is truly predestined to be connected with our Spirit Hall?"

Until the banquet ended and Chen Ming departed, Qian Renxue was still pondering this matter as she sat in her chair. After a long while, she shook her head and let out a slow sigh.

"Who can say with these things?"

"However, I should observe him more closely in the future. He truly is an interesting person."

"Since ancient times, many people on the Douluo Continent have possessed exceptional talent, but not everyone can make it to the end. Given his intellect, it seems he will achieve great things in the future."

"After our Spirit Hall replaces the Heaven Dou Empire and establishes the Spirit Empire, we will inevitably unify the Douluo Continent. With his talent and ability, who knows, he might truly shine brightly in the process."

"Dugu Bo belongs to Prince Xuexing's faction; I'll see if I can use this opportunity to win him over. Even if Dugu Bo cannot be won over, this Chen Ming must absolute not be given up."

Qian Renxue picked up a piece of untouched pastry from the table, brought it before her, and thought to herself as she ate.

"Should recruitment fail, and he leans towards Xuexing..."

Thinking this, Qian Renxue suddenly smiled, negating her own thought.

"No, impossible. Even if he doesn't lean towards me, given his character and talent, it is absolutely impossible for him to lean towards Xuexing."

"He is far too smart, and most importantly, no obvious ambition can be discerned from him."

"A clever person perhaps doesn't necessarily need to have ambition, but how could someone as smart as him, whose mindset is entirely different from ordinary nobles, possess no ambition at all?"

"Though he hasn't shown it, this person's ambition is probably beyond what ordinary people can imagine. Does he want to carve out territory and crown himself king? Or found a millennial clan or sect?"

"In any case, no matter what, he will certainly never choose that Prince Xuexing. After all, no matter what kind of prince he is, he can never compare to the crown prince—not to mention that I, the crown prince, hold real power."

"Since that is the case, there will be far too many opportunities to recruit him in the future. No matter how grand his ambition is, it surely cannot surpass our Spirit Hall."

"Uncle Snake Spear."

Qian Renxue turned her head and called out softly into the empty space. A figure clad in black immediately materialized there.

"Your Highness." Being inside the Seven Treasures Tower, and for the sake of caution, Snake Spear did not directly address Qian Renxue as Young Mistress, but instead fell back on calling her Your Highness.

"If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wishes to trouble Chen Ming, we shall step in to help resolve it. He is a very interesting person and may yet become a significant asset to us."

"Of course, it doesn't need to be resolved too thoroughly. At the very least, let him know that it was the Crown Prince who intervened behind the scenes to shield him from this matter."

"To have Your Highness care so much, this person is truly fortunate for three lifetimes."

Snake Spear narrowed his eyes, nodded at Qian Renxue, and indicated that he had committed the matter to memory.

Seeing that Qian Renxue had no further instructions, Snake Spear did not linger, vanishing once again into concealment to continue guarding Qian Renxue from the shadows.

Yet, hidden in the dark, Douluo Snake Spear found himself lost in thought.

Whether it was his imagination or not, he always felt that at a certain moment, Chen Ming had already detected his presence in the shadows.

As a Titled Douluo, Snake Spear held immense confidence in his own strength, firmly believing that a mere Soul Ancestor or Spirit Master of lower rank could never possibly detect a Titled Douluo like him.

Yet, as a soul master who had climbed step by step to the highest tier, Douluo Snake Spear also trusted his sixth sense.

Without any concrete reason, Douluo Snake Spear simply felt that the kid seemed to have indeed noticed him, choosing merely to reveal nothing.

Considering Chen Ming's performance and talent, Douluo Snake Spear grew increasingly convinced of this possibility. However, lacking tangible evidence, he could only keep the matter buried in his heart, not daring to report it to the Young Mistress, and resolving to secretly investigate Chen Ming when the time came.

If Chen Ming truly had discovered him and handled it with such poise, Douluo Snake Spear wouldn't mind taking on a registered disciple.