Mother and Son Reunited, Hu Liena's Hair-Raising Terror

Mother and Son Reunited, Hu Liena's Hair-Raising Terror

The Pope's Palace.

Yue Guan stood uneasily beneath the steps leading up to the papal throne.

After returning from Bibi Dong's residence and reporting everything that had happened, he hadn't dared make a sound.

He kept watching Qian Renyu out of the corner of his eye. He had been waiting here for a while, but Qian Renyu still showed no sign of emotion.

The calmer Qian Renyu seemed, the more uneasy Yue Guan felt.

He recalled what had happened over half a month ago, when Qian Renyu had ordered every elder at the Titled Douluo level to come to the Pope's Palace and pay their respects.

"Anyone absent will be killed without exception!"

Qian Renyu, who could say something like that, was not someone who was easy to deal with.

If Qian Renyu flew into a rage now, Yue Guan wouldn't find it strange. He would think it only natural.

Even the many elders at the Titled Douluo level didn't dare lightly slight Qian Renyu, yet Hu Liena had gone and done exactly that.

But Qian Renyu was now frighteningly calm. That was what made him truly hair-raising.

Qian Renyu sat serenely on the papal throne. Watching Yue Guan stand there in such obvious discomfort, he asked mildly, "How did she react?"

Yue Guan came back to himself with a start. Realizing who Qian Renyu meant, he hurriedly replied, "Her Holiness Bibi Dong didn't react at all, but she did seem quite taken aback that Hu Liena refused to come pay her respects."

"So, that is rather interesting."

Qian Renyu rose from the throne with unhurried ease and strolled down the steps.

As he passed Yue Guan, he said lightly, "Since that's how she reacted, come with me to her residence once more."

"I'll go see Hu Liena, too—this so-called Golden Generation of our Spirit Hall. Let's find out just how extraordinary she really is!"

With that, Qian Renyu headed out of the Pope's Palace.

Yue Guan stood rooted to the spot, overcome with a hair-raising dread, watching Qian Renyu's figure recede toward the exit.

He drew a deep breath and hurried to catch up with Qian Renyu.

The heavy stone that had been hanging over his heart finally eased a little.

Yes, this was more like it. This was the reaction he had expected.

Bibi Dong's residence.

In the tranquil little courtyard,

Bibi Dong's brows remained tightly knitted.

She looked at Hu Liena, who was still confident and certain that her plan was flawless, her expression complicated.

And when she thought of Qian Renyu's temperament, she simply didn't know what to say.

"Teacher, are you still worried about my plan?"

Seeing Bibi Dong remain like this, Hu Liena hurriedly asked, "Please put your mind at ease, Teacher. These are things your disciple ought to do for you."

Bibi Dong said no more about it. Her face returned to its usual cool composure.

A cold glint flickered in her eyes.

"Nana, you still don't understand him!"

"He definitely won't let this matter rest!"

"But things have already come to this. Leave what happens next to me!"

"Ever since he took power, he has already targeted one of my people once. This time, I won't let him target you as well!"

Bibi Dong had fully recovered her composure.

She spoke in a chilling tone.

In an instant, her entire bearing changed dramatically.

After more than half a month of silence, she had nearly let her former assertiveness fade away. Now it had returned in full force.

Her slightly narrowed eyes held nothing but unwavering resolve.

She would protect Hu Liena, no matter what!

Having made up her mind, Bibi Dong rose from the stone bench.

She held the Pope's Scepter in her hand, and the crown she had continued to wear all these days remained on her head.

Hu Liena's earlier words had, for some reason, sounded an alarm in her heart as well.

Hu Liena's plan was to provoke and undermine Qian Renyu's authority.

Under those circumstances, Bibi Dong believed that if she seized the right opportunity, she could indeed reclaim the position of Pope with ease.

But the same logic applied here: if she let Qian Renyu target Hu Liena this time, she could imagine how badly her own authority would be questioned and challenged.

The matter with Yu Xiaogang had already put her in a very passive position, and her authority had already been challenged and questioned once.

If it were challenged and questioned again over Hu Liena, Bibi Dong knew she would never be able to reclaim the papal throne.

Someone without authority couldn't hold the position of Pope, let alone command Spirit Hall's many senior figures!

Compared with Yu Xiaogang, Hu Liena's status in the open was more important. After all, Hu Liena was her personal disciple.

Bibi Dong could imagine how all of Spirit Hall's senior figures would look at her if she let what came next happen.

If she couldn't even protect her personal disciple, how could she claim to be capable of protecting all of Spirit Hall?

"Teacher, why don't you let me handle what comes next?" Sensing the change in Bibi Dong's mood, Hu Liena offered, looking a little worried.

Bibi Dong took a step forward and slammed the Pope's Scepter against the ground before her. "I said, don't interfere in what happens next. You will follow my arrangements!"

"Nana, are you going to defy your teacher's orders, too?!"

Hu Liena was at a loss for words. Seeing Bibi Dong transform so completely, she no longer had the courage to voice the many words still caught in her throat.

She stood obediently at Bibi Dong's side, no longer as composed and unyielding as she had been in front of Yue Guan.

She dared to provoke Qian Renyu.

But she didn't dare provoke Bibi Dong!

After silencing Hu Liena, Bibi Dong savored the feeling of being in control once more.

Only in this state did Bibi Dong feel like her true self again.

Just as Bibi Dong was enjoying the feeling, Qian Renyu entered from outside with Yue Guan.

His pace was unhurried, as if he were out for a stroll.

Upon entering the courtyard, Qian Renyu let his calm gaze fall on Bibi Dong. Seeing the change in her, a faint smile touched his lips.

"Looks like you've decided to protect her?"

Qian Renyu spoke softly.

As he spoke, he glanced toward Hu Liena.

Their eyes met for just an instant, and Hu Liena's breathing abruptly stopped. She stood stiffly at Bibi Dong's side.

All her earlier confidence vanished in a flash.

A hair-raising dread swept through her from head to toe.

No matter how certain and confident she had been at the start, now that she was face-to-face with Qian Renyu,

the crushing pressure still made her whole body feel awful. She couldn't come close to acting as she had before.

Soul Power surged around Bibi Dong, forming an invisible barrier of protection in front of Hu Liena.

Her formidable presence, no less than Qian Renyu's, met his as it had on the day he took the papal throne from her.

Ignoring Bibi Dong's change in demeanor, Qian Renyu continued walking toward them.

"After more than half a month of silence, you've finally become yourself again. That's rather unexpected!"

"But even so, do you think—"

"you can protect her?