Barely Becoming a Titled Douluo, and the Counterattack System Arrives

"That guy is so crafty, always beating around the bush. Why can't he just be straightforward like me? Say what you mean!"

"Hmph! I didn't like him the moment he walked into the room—putting on airs and acting all mysterious," Porcupinefish grumbled, clearly still holding a grudge against Lin Fan.

"Quiet! If you disturb the young miss's thinking, I'll jab your belly with my Snake Staff," Snake Lance glared at Porcupinefish before turning to Qian Renxue.

"Young miss, what's most important now is whether he knows our identities."

Qian Renxue had been silently staring out the window at Lin Fan's departing figure. Once Lin Fan's silhouette disappeared at the main gate, she finally spoke in a serious tone,

"He knows."

Porcupinefish immediately declared, "Good! For the sake of our plan, I'll kill him right now!"

He then turned to storm out, clearly intending to chase Lin Fan down.

Snake Lance quickly stretched out his arm to block him. "Calm down and let the young miss finish."

Qian Renxue turned around to face them and analyzed calmly, "From Lin Fan's expression the moment he entered, to his words and how he left—claiming we lacked sincerity—everything points to him knowing our identities."

Snake Lance's expression darkened. "Young miss, if that's the case, we must strike first before he has the chance to act."

Porcupinefish also urgently added, "Exactly! Now that he knows who we are, we must kill him before he returns to Yuexuan. Otherwise, if he makes it back, killing him might draw the royal family's attention, increasing our risks."

Their concerns weren't unreasonable. The three of them had been undercover here for more than ten years and weren't willing to let their efforts go to waste.

They had invested enormous resources into this operation—something only they knew. Now that someone had uncovered their identities, they naturally wouldn't want to leave him alive.

Dead men tell no tales.

"Don't be rash." Qian Renxue raised her hand, stopping them.

She then calmly shared her reasoning, "From what I gathered, Lin Fan doesn't seem to want to oppose Spirit Hall. If he truly wanted to expose us, he would've already told Tang Yuehua."

"Tang Yuehua is from the Clear Sky Sect, our sworn enemy. If she knew, she would have immediately informed Emperor Xue Ye."

"This can only mean that Lin Fan doesn't want to be enemies with Spirit Hall. He hasn't told Tang Yuehua anything, and thus wouldn't reveal us to Xue Ye either."

Porcupinefish still grumbled, "But young miss, it's uncomfortable to have someone holding a secret over our heads."

Qian Renxue's expression turned cold as she replied, "Enough! Didn't you hear what he said earlier? 'Whoever loses patience first is the one who breaks the balance.'"

"Now, we need to be even more cautious. Besides, do you even know his true strength? If we fail, we'll be the ones breaking the balance."

Snake Lance suggested, "Then we can't just sit still, young miss. If we can't kill him, at least we should have someone watch him."

Qian Renxue smirked. "Of course. Didn't he tell me to calm my mind? Then I'll see for myself if he's studying etiquette seriously with Tang Yuehua."

"Honestly, he has a point. I've been too caught up in dealing with the nobles these past years. Perhaps it's time I go to Yuexuan myself to settle my mind."

She decisively announced her plan to return to Yuexuan to study.

"…Huh?" Both Porcupinefish and Snake Lance were dumbfounded.

After leaving Tian Dou Restaurant, Lin Fan returned directly to Yuexuan.

Of course, he had considered that Snake Lance and Porcupinefish might try to cause trouble.

But frankly, with his current strength, Lin Fan wasn't afraid of the two of them combined—unless they had a martial fusion technique like Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.

Lin Fan's priority remained clear: completing the system's task.

Even though the reward wasn't particularly amazing, it was still somewhat useful.

He suspected that the mysterious secret realm map fragment might be the key to his future godhood inheritance.

"So fast?" Tang Yuehua was surprised when she saw Lin Fan return to the top floor.

"The crown prince didn't have anything important to say. I just went there to personally tell him to stop disturbing my studies." Lin Fan casually placed his hands on her shoulders from behind.

"You haven't had dinner yet, right? I'll have Yingying bring up some food," she offered.

"Sounds good."

The next morning, Lin Fan and Tang Yuehua went downstairs to the main hall to prepare for class.

But to their surprise, they found Qian Renxue already there.

Tang Yuehua walked over curiously. "Qinghe, what brings you here so early?"

Qian Renxue greeted politely, "I greet Madam Yuehua. It's like this—I've been feeling quite overworked and restless these past few years assisting Father. So, I specifically requested permission to come here to study for a while—to revisit music and etiquette."

"I also hope to cultivate my temperament a bit. I'll have to trouble Madam Yuehua to guide me again."

As she spoke, she glanced at Lin Fan with a smile, nodding slightly in greeting.

Tang Yuehua smiled gracefully. "Is that so? You're already familiar with Yuexuan's rules. Just join the others and study."

"Thank you, Madam Yuehua," Qian Renxue nodded.

Tang Yuehua then leaned toward Lin Fan and whispered, "What exactly did you say to Qinghe yesterday? He's here first thing in the morning, saying he wants to study etiquette and music."

Lin Fan was speechless. He hadn't expected Qian Renxue to show up.

"I didn't say much. Just suggested yesterday that he should calm his mind. Didn't think he'd take it so seriously," Lin Fan replied.

Tang Yuehua sighed softly, "Seems like he still wants to build a relationship with you. Never mind—let him study here. He can't cause much trouble in Yuexuan."

"Class begins!"

She returned to her seat to start the lesson.

Qian Renxue walked over to Lin Fan and softly said, "Thank you for your advice yesterday, Mister Lin. I'll be calming my mind here at Yuexuan for a while."

Lin Fan glanced at her and muttered, "The crown prince is quite… obedient."

Qian Renxue chuckled lightly and quietly took her seat beside him.

Over the next few days, Qian Renxue discovered that Lin Fan was truly studying earnestly—he wasn't just paying lip service.

Meanwhile, as she genuinely settled down at Yuexuan, she found herself having a different experience than before.

Previously, she had only studied with Tang Yuehua to appease the Tian Dou royal family and the nobles.

But now, as she sincerely engaged in lessons, she found her heart becoming much more peaceful.

"It… works? Madam Yuehua's innate domain is truly remarkable. Why didn't I notice this before?"

"My cultivation progress has accelerated these past few days… I'm not far from the Soul Emperor realm." Qian Renxue was stunned by this discovery.

Having experienced this herself, she grew even more curious about Lin Fan.

"This man is truly strange and unfathomable. He harbors many secrets."

If Lin Fan could hear her thoughts, he'd retort with:

"Wow, you love to overthink."