Can a Broken Mirror Be Whole Again?

"No need to go to so much trouble."

Bai Wanwan smiled calmly and placed the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum she was holding on the table. "I only want to know one thing, Elder Chrysanthemum. Are you loyal to Spirit Hall, or to His Holiness the Pope?"

At those words, Yue Guan's body trembled imperceptibly as his gaze met Bai Wanwan's Azure Blue eyes.

"Young Lady, what do you mean by that?"

"There seems to be no difference between the two, does there?"

Yue Guan forced a somewhat strained smile, his somewhat effeminate voice emerging from his lips.

"I was merely asking."

"As for the difference, perhaps there is one, or perhaps there isn't."

Bai Wanwan rested an arm on the table, propped her head up with her hand, and quietly watched Yue Guan's eyes.

Bai Wanwan did not think poorly of Yue Guan. In fact, she thought quite highly of him.

According to the original work, Yue Guan was an exceptionally qualified subordinate—loyal and capable. His only minor blemish was that, before his death, he had considered surrendering to Tang San.

But in truth, that had been the result of many factors combined. In the end, Yue Guan had not died in humiliation. He had died to avenge Ghost Douluo and for Spirit Hall.

Moreover, Yue Guan's eventual thought of surrendering had, strictly speaking, been caused by Hu Liena.

First, he and Ghost Douluo had been punished by the Pope after failing to capture Xiao Wu.

Then, while hunting a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest, Ghost Douluo—his partner of decades and close brother—had fallen. After Yue Guan returned to the Papal Hall, his standing there had also declined. The Pope treated him coldly and no longer valued him, which gradually changed his state of mind.

Hu Liena bore considerable responsibility for all of this.

After all, when they had gone to capture Xiao Wu, Bibi Dong had already ordered Yue Guan and Guimei to seal off the surrounding area. Under normal circumstances, given Tang San's strength at the time, he should never have been able to break through Yue Guan and Guimei's blockade.

Yet the problem had been Hu Liena. She had spoken up and brought Tang San inside, setting off a chain reaction that caused the operation to fail.

Hu Liena had not taken part in the second operation, but the problem had still originated with her. If she had not told Tang San that her teacher had taken Titled Douluo to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Spirit Beasts, that operation would not have been likely to fail either. Ghost Douluo would not have fallen, and the 100,000 Year Spirit Ring would not have become Tang San's prize.

It truly proved the saying: there was no fear of villains scheming tirelessly, only of fools having a sudden bright idea.

With Hu Liena's two interventions, she had directly handed Tang San three 100,000 Year Spirit Rings. Along the way, she had gotten Ghost Douluo killed on the spot and indirectly caused Chrysanthemum Douluo's death as well.

With that level of effectiveness, she was practically comparable to an Undercover agent.

Even an Undercover agent might not have managed something to that extent.

"Young Lady, I am naturally loyal to Spirit Hall. But as an elder of the Papal Hall, I must obey His Holiness the Pope's commands. It was so under the previous Pope, it is so under the current His Holiness the Pope, and it will remain so under the next His Holiness the Pope."

"As long as I remain in the Papal Hall, I should obey His Holiness the Pope's commands. Therefore, in my view, being loyal to Spirit Hall and being loyal to His Holiness the Pope are one and the same. There is no difference."

Yue Guan's expression was extremely earnest, as was his gaze.

Hearing this, Bai Wanwan did not answer immediately. Instead, she looked at Yue Guan with a faintly amused smile.

Yue Guan's answer was very tactful.

Well, at least that was how she saw it.

He had first said he was loyal to Spirit Hall, then claimed there was no difference between the two.

After a long while.

Bai Wanwan smiled, reached out, and pushed the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum before her toward Yue Guan.

"Elder Chrysanthemum, I'll give you this Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum. But I hope you can remain loyal to Spirit Hall, just as you said."

As Bai Wanwan spoke, she rose and headed out of the courtyard without waiting for Yue Guan's reply.

Yue Guan rose to see her off, only stopping once he had escorted Bai Wanwan to the gate.

As he watched Bai Wanwan's departing figure, a thoughtful look gradually appeared in Yue Guan's eyes. No one knew what he was thinking.

Only after Bai Wanwan vanished from the edge of his sight did Yue Guan turn and return to the courtyard, closing its gate behind him.

Elsewhere.

As Bai Wanwan walked along the level path, preparing to return to the Worship Hall, she saw a figure approaching from ahead.

That figure wore the Pope's attire. It was Bibi Dong.

"His Holiness the Pope."

Seeing Bibi Dong stop before her, Bai Wanwan called out softly.

"Mm. I just went to the Worship Hall to find you, only to discover that you had come to the Papal Hall."

Bibi Dong nodded lightly, then casually turned and walked onward beside Bai Wanwan.

"You were looking for me?"

"His Holiness the Pope, did you need something from me?"

A trace of confusion appeared in Bai Wanwan's eyes. For a moment, she could not think of what else Bibi Dong might need from her.

Upon hearing Bai Wanwan's question, Bibi Dong did not speak immediately. She seemed to be choosing her words, or perhaps contemplating something.

The two walked silently along the level path.

A gentle breeze blew by, lightly stirring their hair.

After a long while.

Bibi Dong stopped and turned to Bai Wanwan. "Do you think a mother and daughter can ever mend their broken mirror?"

Bai Wanwan could not help but freeze slightly. Her gaze discreetly examined Bibi Dong.

She found it quite unexpected that Bibi Dong would ask such a question.

"His Holiness the Pope, do you want to hear the truth, or a lie?"

Bai Wanwan asked softly.

"Just tell me the truth."

Bibi Dong's tone was calm, without the slightest ripple.

"Has His Holiness the Pope ever heard this saying?"

Bai Wanwan reached out and plucked a leaf. Without waiting for Bibi Dong's reply, she continued, "Giving birth without raising brings no gratitude; raising without teaching harms a child for life."

"His Holiness the Pope just asked whether a broken mirror could ever be whole again."

"This question is like the leaf in my hand. It has already been torn in two. Even if I use Soul Power to rejoin the halves, leaving no visible flaw on the surface, there will still be cracks within."

"When some things come too late, they are simply too late. Things that once seemed priceless may now be worth less than weeds by the roadside."

"But nothing is absolute. I have always believed that as long as one tries, no matter how slim the hope, there is still a possibility. But if one does not even try, then there is no possibility at all."

Bibi Dong quietly watched Bai Wanwan and did not speak for a long time. Yet her gaze did not change in the slightest at Bai Wanwan's answer, as though she had anticipated it all along.

She seemed very calm.

Bai Wanwan casually tossed away the leaf in her hand and looked at Bibi Dong with an unchanged expression.

Time passed bit by bit.

Two minutes later.

Bibi Dong softly murmured in acknowledgment, then silently turned and headed toward the Papal Hall.

Bai Wanwan, meanwhile, started walking toward the Worship Hall.