Chapter 10: The First Trial Mission

Upon returning to the Spirit Hall, Qin Hua initially thought that Bibi Dong would protect him, but reality proved otherwise.

Early the next morning, Bibi Dong called Qin Hua to her.

"Regardless of whether you can become the future Supreme Pontiff of the Spirit Hall, you should see yourself as the future successor of the Spirit Hall. Therefore, you must always hold yourself to the highest standards. I will not protect you blindly; some things you must accomplish on your own. You might be wondering why I haven't intervened much? Well that is because a qualified Pontiff never just relies on external forces but also on their own strength."

Qin Hua understood Bibi Dong's words very well. A sapling nurtured in a greenhouse could never grow into a towering tree. Of course, unless it was treated with pesticides, but there were no pesticides on the Douluo Continent.

So in the end, it all depended on Qin Hua himself. If he only relied on the power of the Spirit Hall and lacked his own strength, he would neither be able to command respect nor establish his authority.

"This letter contains information about the second princess of the Heaven Dou Empire, Princess Lingyang. Tomorrow, she will go fishing at the Xingyue River outside Heaven Dou City. I leave her to you. How to proceed is entirely up to you. According to the intelligence, Princess Lingyang is only accompanied by a Spirit Saint. This time, I will send two Spirit Duoluos to assist you. Remember, make sure it's done cleanly!"

Hearing Bibi Dong's words, Qin Hua immediately responded.

"Teacher, don't worry!"

"Good, you may go."

Seeing Qin Hua's confidence, Bibi Dong was very pleased.

After Qin Hua left, Bibi Dong called Chrysanthemum Douluo to her side.

"Tomorrow, you will personally go and protect Qin Hua in secret. As long as Qin Hua's life is not in danger, you don't need to intervene. Remember, your main task is to observe. Record every detail of Qin Hua's actions, even if he goes to the bathroom. Leave nothing out!"

"Your Eminence, isn't it too early to start honing his character?" Chrysanthemum Douluo hesitated and asked.

Bibi Dong shook her head in response.

"It's not too early. His identity is too special, and I don't know how long I can protect him. Moreover, the Spirit Hall is not a monolith. There are too many variables."

Hearing Bibi Dong's words, Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression changed.

"Could it be..."

"Knowing is enough, no need to say it out loud. I have a headache, you may leave."

...

That night, Qin Hua tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He wasn't foolish; he could see that Bibi Dong's goal was to temper his character. Princess Lingyang was destined for him to deal with, while the two Spirit Douluos were only responsible for eliminating her guards.

Tomorrow, he would have to kill someone himself. This feeling was indescribable, a mix of excitement, fear, and a hint of anticipation.

Time flew by, and it seemed like he had only turned over a few times before the sky brightened. He jumped out of bed, not needing to dress since he hadn't undressed. He arrived at the plaza, where six figures cloaked in black robes were waiting.

"Greetings, Holy Son!"

The six spoke in unison.

With their entire bodies covered in black robes, their faces were indiscernible. Qin Hua could only judge their ages by their voices.

Two seemed to be in their fifties or sixties, while the others were around thirty.

"Thank you all!" Qin Hua clasped his fists and said.

"We will follow your orders to the death!"

"Good! Let's go then!"

Under the dim early morning light, the seven of them quietly left the Spirit Hall through a side gate. Their destination was the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.

After Qin Hua left, Bibi Dong emerged from behind a rockery with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.

"Your Holiness, I'm going now," Chrysanthemum Douluo said.

"Go ahead," Bibi Dong replied calmly.

Watching Chrysanthemum Douluo's departing figure, Bibi Dong remained silent for a long time.

...

By the time Qin Hua and his group arrived in Heaven Dou City, it was nearly noon. To avoid attracting attention, they took small paths, which naturally delayed them.

Fortunately, Princess Lingyang usually went fishing in the afternoon, so they had plenty of time.

Looking at the letter in his hand, Qin Hua felt warmth and was impressed by the Spirit Hall's powerful intelligence system. The letter detailed Princess Lingyang's information so thoroughly that it even mentioned what underwear she was wearing today. Qin Hua couldn't help but marvel that the Heaven Dou Empire's defeat was not undeserved.

If it weren't for Tang San's sudden rise as the son of destiny, the Spirit Hall's years of preparation and effort would have long swept across the entire Douluo Continent.

Arriving at the designated spot and setting up an ambush, all they had to do was wait for Princess Lingyang to appear. Although the Xingyue River was outside Heaven Dou City, it was still a royal garden, so there were hardly any people around.

Emperor Xue Ye adored his daughter, Princess Lingyang, so much that the Xingyue River was specially created for her. Originally, it wasn't called Xingyue River, but since Princess Lingyang's real name was Xingyue, Emperor Xue Ye renamed it.

"Killing Emperor Xue Ye's beloved daughter this time should cause him some heartache," Qin Hua thought, recalling the slaughter of his parents and family. Today, he would consider it as collecting a small part of his revenge. One day, he would demand it all back with interest.

As time passed, their target finally appeared.

A procession of over a hundred people came out of Heaven Dou City, heading straight for the Xingyue River. The entourage included more than sixty guards and nearly fifty eunuchs and maids, making it quite a spectacle. Passersby quickly avoided them.

Princess Lingyang was known for her bad temper. Although she didn't kill easily, she often beat and scolded people. Recently, a couple had blocked her horse, and she had her guards break their legs, causing the woman to lose her unborn child.

Princess Lingyang had merely thrown a few gold spirit coins at them and moved on. To her, anything that could be solved with money was not a problem. The couple, fearing her power and reputation, had no choice but to accept it.

It was said that the couple hanged themselves shortly after returning home, a truly tragic story.

"Your Highness, we can act now. I have identified the Spirit Saint, who is acting as Princess Lingyang's coachman," a voice informed Qin Hua.

Looking ahead, Qin Hua saw an unremarkable old man behind Princess Lingyang, appearing very inconspicuous. Who would have thought that he was a Spirit Saint? In the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family, a Spirit Saint was considered middle to upper echelon. Yet here he was, willing to serve as a coachman to protect Princess Lingyang, highlighting her esteemed status.