Parting, a Promise

He returned to the Papal Palace to see Mother.

"Han'er, what's wrong? Did you run into some difficulty while cultivating your spiritual power? You don't need to push yourself so hard. Mother has already figured out how you'll obtain your ten-thousand-year third Soul Ring." Mother looked at Bibi Han's pained expression.

"It's not that."

"Mother, I told Little Xue about my birth."

Bibi Dong's expression abruptly changed, becoming extremely worried.

"How did it go between you two?"

"She cried. She said we were enemies, then she left." Bibi Han had never experienced heartbreak in his previous life and had not known what it felt like. Now, his heart hurt terribly.

"Perhaps I really shouldn't have let you meet in the first place." Bibi Dong blamed herself for making that decision back then. Both of them were her children. She could not choose between them.

"Mother, it isn't your fault. I'll settle this. I want to see Little Xue, but she refuses to see me."

"Alright, alright. Mother will help you."

Afterward, Bibi Dong went to the Worship Hall to find Qian Renxue, but failed. Bibi Han also tried visiting several times, but all of them ended in failure.

From then on, Bibi Han shut himself in his room, intending to numb himself through cultivation.

A few days later, Bibi Dong pushed open the door to Bibi Han's bedroom. Bibi Han was immersed in cultivation, but he looked vastly different from before. His long hair hung messily behind him, uncombed for days. A layer of grime covered his fair face as though he had not washed for days, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"Little Han." Mother's heart ached terribly at the sight of Bibi Han like this.

"Mother, what is it?" Though he was hurting inside, he still forced out a smile before her.

"This is a letter from Little Xue."

Bibi Han opened it with both excitement and apprehension. Delicate handwriting came into view.

I'm leaving. Didn't you want to see me? I'll be waiting for you at the South Gate. —Qian Renxue

The moment Bibi Han saw the letter, he immediately perked up and rushed out.

"Little Han."

"What is it, Mother?" Bibi Han asked as he turned back.

Mother directly handed him a mirror. "Look at yourself. How can you go see her looking like that?"

Seeing his reflection, Bibi Han's eyes widened. He hurriedly washed his face, combed through his hair with his fingers, and straightened his clothes. Then he thanked Mother and sprinted away.

The South Gate was an exclusive passage for Spirit Hall's Platinum Bishops and above. No one else was permitted to use it.

Bibi Han immediately summoned the Blue Silver God Martial Soul, threw out a mass of Vines, and secured them to the stone pillars on either side, forming a giant slingshot. He had two Red Cardinals launch him and told them he would be fine.

With the Red Cardinals' full strength, Bibi Han's small body flew several thousand meters. Spirit City was a major city; though it was far inferior to Heaven Dou City, it still spanned ten thousand meters.

As he was about to land, Bibi Han directly summoned the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul and hurled it diagonally downward with all his strength. Boom! A crater appeared in the ground. Using the recoil, Bibi Han landed safely and charged ahead. As for whatever punishment he might receive afterward, or what those who saw the Clear Sky Hammer might say, Bibi Han did not care in the slightest. How could such trivial things compare to Qian Renxue?

At the South Gate, Qian Renxue was waiting for him alone. Of course, she was not truly alone; the guards were all hiding in the shadows.

Bibi Han called out breathlessly, "Little Xue."

Bibi Han looked at Qian Renxue. She was not doing much better than he was. Her eyes were red, dark circles shadowed them, and it was obvious that she had suffered these past few days.

Qian Renxue did not respond. Instead, she questioned him with an exceedingly solemn expression, "Bibi Han, I'll only ask you one question. If the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall go to war again someday, which side will you stand on?"

Bibi Han answered without hesitation, "If that day truly comes, I'll stand with Spirit Hall. Other than Tang Hao and Tang San, I won't show mercy to anyone."

Qian Renxue continued questioning him. "Why? They possess the Clear Sky Hammer and share your bloodline. They're your family."

"Same bloodline? Family? Hahaha!"

Bibi Han laughed mockingly and replied, "Little Xue, if they truly considered me family, they would not have refused to protect my mother back then. The greatest sect in the world did not dare shelter my mother. Even if they shamelessly claimed she was to be used as a Soul Ring, that would have been something! But they did not even dare say a single word. They chose to abandon her!" (And they kept calling us bastards.)

"I will not associate with cowards!"

"They disgraced the dominance that the Clear Sky Hammer should possess!"

Bibi Han's tone was filled with utter seriousness and contempt as he said those words.

Qian Renxue knew how Bibi Han had chased after her. When she had heard it from her subordinates, she had been both shocked and deeply moved. Hearing Bibi Han say this, she immediately replied, "Alright, I believe you. Let's make a pinky promise!"

He had taught her about pinky promises, something from Blue Star.

"Hook fingers, hang yourself, never change forever. Whoever lies is a puppy." Their thumbs pressed together, and the two of them laughed.

At that moment, it seemed as though their relationship had returned to what it once was.

"Oh, right. Will you change your surname back to Tang in the future?"

Confused as to why Qian Renxue would ask that, he replied, "No. My surname is Bi. Mother raised me, so I will always be called Bibi Han!"

"If only your surname were Qian. Then in the future, we could also..." Qian Renxue seemed to think of something, and her pretty face flushed faintly.

"Why Qian?" Bibi Han was completely baffled.

"It's nothing. I'm leaving. Remember to come see me."

"I definitely will!"

He then watched the carriage depart until it vanished from his sight.

Several hundred meters behind Bibi Han, three people stood atop a tall building: Mother Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu, and Golden Crocodile.

Bibi Dong had followed as soon as Bibi Han came out. Otherwise, where would those two Red Cardinals have found the nerve to launch him? If they had truly dared act on their own, even if Bibi Han had not been hurt in the end, they would not have kept their lives.

"The matters of the older generation truly should not be borne by the younger generation."

"What do you think, Bibi Dong?" Qian Daoliu said, his words carrying a double meaning.

Bibi Dong gave a cold snort and continued watching Qian Renxue depart. Little Xue, take good care of yourself.