Bibi Dong: We're both lovestruck fools, so Spirit Hall can't develop?

"Liena, this is Elder Mubai, an elder who only recently joined Spirit Hall."

Bibi Dong introduced Li Mubai to Hu Liena.

However.

The latter merely swept her gaze over Li Mubai before looking past him, a look of disdain on her face.

She then turned her head aside.

Li Mubai was left standing there alone, somewhat disheveled in the wind.

Oh!

This little girl actually looked down on me?

Come to think of it.

This was the first time I'd met her, wasn't it? What was with that disdain in her eyes?

I didn't offend her, did I?

By rights.

Even if I couldn't claim to rival the Duke of Pei in looks, I shouldn't be ugly, should I?

I distinctly remembered that the girls at Full Spring House were awfully fond of me. That should mean I wasn't ugly, right?

Could it be... just because Xiao Qian called me master a moment ago, she acted like this?

Did that strike a nerve with this girl?

Wasn't she a little too fragile, then?

And here she was Bibi Dong's disciple, Spirit Hall's holy maiden, and His Holiness the Pope's future successor.

With such a narrow mind, how could she ever accomplish great things?!

Compared with the other elders, I should count as one of the good ones.

Which of those elders didn't have a house full of wives and concubines?

And Bibi Dong too—I had no idea how she'd taught her. Even if that was why she disliked me,

shouldn't she at least have been polite?

With so little regard for propriety, she probably wouldn't be able to shoulder a heavy responsibility in the future.

She didn't even know the first thing about winning people over. She was exactly like Bibi Dong.

Sure enough, when the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams lean too.

With two lovestruck fools together, it would be a miracle if they accomplished anything.

No wonder Spirit Hall, despite its immense power, collapsed and vanished practically overnight.

Ah, forget it, forget it.

What the hell did any of that have to do with me?

It looked like I'd better make plans early, lest I end up ruined and disgraced someday.

Hearing the whispers by her ear, Bibi Dong's expression grew even colder.

Li Mubai actually said I was the crooked upper beam making the lower beams lean?

And he called me a lovestruck fool!!

That was utter nonsense. Today, I had to make things difficult for him-wait.

All of a sudden.

Bibi Dong heard the last few words Li Mubai muttered.

Hadn't Hu Liena simply failed to show him respect?

How had he gotten from that to Spirit Hall's collapse and destruction?

For a moment.

Bibi Dong recalled Li Mubai's inner thoughts and began to analyze them one by one.

According to Li Mubai.

Would Hu Liena perform terribly in the future?

More seriously, would she even become one of the reasons for Spirit Hall's destruction?

Soon.

Bibi Dong discerned the crucial information hidden in his words.

You could know a person's face without knowing their heart.

A person's inner voice could not lie.

Because outsiders had no way of knowing it, all of a person's true thoughts appeared in their heart.

There was no doubt about that.

So.

As for this passage of Li Mubai's inner thoughts.

Bibi Dong undoubtedly believed it.

And those thoughts had unwittingly revealed the second factor in Spirit Hall's destruction.

No...

Strictly speaking, it was the third.

The first factor revealed by Li Mubai's inner voice.

Was that the other elders and worship elders used the power in their hands to seize and squeeze out benefits, leaving the people of Spirit Hall divided and causing many to harbor resentment.

And the second.

Was herself.

Bibi Dong suddenly remembered that Li Mubai had revealed it as early as yesterday's assembly.

Spirit Hall had been destroyed under her watch.

Her future self must have done something detrimental to Spirit Hall's development, leading to that outcome.

And the third was the one just revealed.

He had said that Hu Liena would, in the future, bring about Spirit Hall's destruction because of that so-called lovestruck foolishness.

That too was one of the factors that could lead to Spirit Hall's destruction.

Bibi Dong naturally knew that a faction's destruction or growth.

Was not determined by the influence of a single person.

But by a combination of many factors.

But these three factors that led to Spirit Hall's destruction were surely crucial as well!

Bibi Dong committed all these factors firmly to memory.

If she could change every one of the factors Li Mubai had revealed, and prevent trouble before it happened.

Would that mean.

Spirit Hall would not be destroyed?

As for the consequences of Spirit Hall's destruction, Bibi Dong knew without even thinking.

What could await her but death?

If a crucial figure in a faction did not die.

Would the people who destroyed that faction be content? Would they feel at ease?

Of course not!

"Hu Liena, apologize!"

Bibi Dong's slightly angry words brought a flash of astonishment to Hu Liena's face as she turned her head to the side.

"Didn't you hear me? I told you to apologize to Elder Mubai!"

Seeing that Hu Liena remained unmoved, Bibi Dong raised her voice still further, the anger in her tone becoming clearer.

Those words, delivered almost as a low roar.

Finally brought Hu Liena back to her senses.

Looking at the stern expression on her teacher's face, Hu Liena finally understood.

Bibi Dong was not joking with her.

However.

Still unwilling to accept it, Hu Liena argued reluctantly:

"Teacher, a man like him, I can't possibly..."

Before she had finished.

A voice rang out first.

"Shut up!"

Bibi Dong roared at Hu Liena.

The more she saw the unwillingness in Hu Liena's eyes, the more she believed what Li Mubai's inner voice had just said.

Perhaps.

Hu Liena really would be dragged into the abyss by that so-called lovestruck foolishness someday.

And not only that.

She would drag Spirit Hall into boundless darkness with her.

Hu Liena!

You always blamed me for being strict.

But did you know?

Everything I did was for your own good!

If I wasn't strict and didn't make you afraid of me, would you really take my words to heart?

Li Mubai was right. You really lacked far too much.

Whether in etiquette or in understanding the warmth and coldness of human relationships, you still had so very much to learn.

You had to learn the things I taught you, not imitate me.

A trace of tenderness flashed through her eyes and vanished.

None of this.

Was noticed by Hu Liena.

At that moment, her attention was entirely on Li Mubai.

She looked at Li Mubai, her eyes full of unwillingness at having to apologize to a scumbag who toyed with women.

But she still obeyed Bibi Dong and lowered her haughty head.

"Elder Mubai, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have looked down on you. Please forgive me."

The girl of seventeen or eighteen now had ripples of tears in her eyes, as though they might spill over at any moment and slide down her cheeks.

"It's all right. Please don't cry, or someone might say I'm an old man with no sense of propriety, bullying someone younger."

Li Mubai comforted her.

He was not the sort to press his advantage and refuse to let things go.

On the contrary.

He was actually quite magnanimous.

With many things.

He merely muttered about them in his heart and moved on.

He did not truly take such trifles to heart.

Of course.

As for Hu Liena looking down on him just now, he likewise put it out of mind after muttering about it.