"Unknown origin?"
Although Bibi Dong had only asked a simple question, the deacon below had already broken out in a cold sweat.
As the Pope who had led Spirit Hall to its peak, Bibi Dong possessed immense prestige within Spirit Hall.
Other than the Worship Hall, all Spirit Hall personnel trusted and feared Bibi Dong greatly.
And having failed to properly complete the task the Pope had assigned, the deacon was deeply anxious.
"Y-yes."
Seeing that Bibi Dong was not angry, the deacon continued.
"We repeatedly investigated the road where Young Master Shang An was first found. Everyone who had passed through or lived nearby six years ago was individually questioned, yet we found no one who had lost or abandoned a child."
"It was as if, as if..."
"It was as if he suddenly appeared there, correct?"
"Yes, Your Holiness is wise."
"Enough. Let this matter end here. You may leave."
Bibi Dong waved her hand. The deacon below bowed once more before swiftly departing from the Pope Palace.
After the deacon left the Pope Palace, Bibi Dong lazily stretched her body. Supporting her forehead with a jade-like hand, she slumped back onto the Pope Throne, a thoughtful look appearing on her beautiful face.
Bibi Dong was not foolish. On the contrary, she was exceptionally intelligent and shrewd. Otherwise, she could never have controlled Spirit Hall under Qian Daoliu's suppression and brought Spirit Hall to its peak.
It could be said that aside from matters concerning Yu Dash, her intelligence was always reliable.
She had her own suspicions about Shang An's origins. Perhaps they were related to the legendary gods.
However, she was already a level-99 Peak Douluo and the inheritor of the Rakshasa God. She was confident that she could suppress Shang An.
By the time Shang An grew up, she might already have completed her God Trial and become the new generation's Rakshasa God.
Besides, Shang An was her disciple. She was confident that as long as she lived, Shang An would ultimately remain her subordinate.
Suddenly, she raised her head and looked toward an empty spot in the hall.
"Since you're here, come out."
"Sure enough, you're also close to reaching that step."
A blond middle-aged man suddenly appeared, looking at Bibi Dong with slight surprise.
"Hmph! Qian Daoliu, who allowed you to trespass into the Pope Palace?"
Bibi Dong rose to her feet, her tone icy as a terrifyingly vast aura pressed down upon Qian Daoliu. Qian Daoliu refused to yield, releasing the aura of a level-99 Peerless Douluo.
For some unknown reason, the Holy Imperial Warriors outside the Pope Palace suddenly felt their hearts tighten, as though some great terror had descended. Yet the sensation quickly faded, like a mere illusion.
"Bibi Dong, don't forget who put you in that position!"
Qian Daoliu withdrew his aura and cast Bibi Dong an indifferent glance. Still, she was Xue'er's mother, so he could not truly attack her.
Besides, Bibi Dong was no longer the woman she had once been. She was no longer someone he could suppress at will. If she disregarded everything and used the divine power within her, the outcome of a real battle would be difficult to predict.
"Qian Daoliu! I am now the Pope of Spirit Hall."
Bibi Dong did not back down. She remained deeply wary of Qian Daoliu. Their clash of auras had appeared evenly matched, but in truth, she had already fallen into a disadvantage.
If Qian Daoliu had not taken back his aura afterward, she would have suffered a silent loss.
Even wielding the Rakshasa Demon Scythe, she likely would not be Qian Daoliu's match. Yet making her admit defeat was equally impossible.
The two remained locked in confrontation for a long while, until Qian Daoliu was the first to break the silence.
"That child..."
"Don't even think about it. He is my disciple."
Bibi Dong watched Qian Daoliu warily.
Qian Daoliu thought for a moment, but ultimately did not argue further. In the past, he might have disputed the matter with Bibi Dong.
But as Qian Renxue grew up, his only thought now was to fulfill the Qian Clan's wish of countless years. Everything else could be set aside.
With a flash, Qian Daoliu left the Pope Palace, leaving only a single sentence in the air.
"Remember, you will always be the Pope of Spirit Hall."
Watching Qian Daoliu depart with cold eyes, Bibi Dong returned to the Pope Throne. She did not yet possess the strength to fall out with Qian Daoliu.
"I will nurture my own disciple. He will surpass her, defeat her, and trample the Qian Clan's hope beneath his feet. Just wait and see."
That night, a room not far from Bibi Dong's bedchamber had been cleaned up for Shang An.
Shang An lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
As he recalled everything that had happened today, he thought, Spirit Hall must already be investigating my background. Go ahead and investigate. You won't find anything anyway. Maybe it'll even lead to some wild overthinking.
But Bibi Dong was ultimately a problem. Though she had treated Shang An kindly today, he knew that this woman had actually gone mad.
Her heart was so twisted that she wanted to destroy Spirit Hall and destroy everything. If she continued like this, Spirit Hall would still follow the same old path as in the original story.
He was practically tied to Spirit Hall, so naturally, he had no desire to fawn over Tang San.
Suddenly, Shang An flipped out of bed. He had decided—saving Spirit Hall would begin with changing Bibi Dong.
"Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock."
Bibi Dong stood at the entrance to her bedchamber in her nightgown, her proud curves faintly visible, looking at the small figure knocking on her door.
"Xiao An, what is it?"
"Teacher, I'm afraid of the dark."
Shang An stared up at her with tear-filled eyes, speaking pitifully.
Bibi Dong could not help but find it amusing. She had thought the boy had some serious issue, yet he was merely afraid of the dark.
"Xiao An, you need to learn to be independent..."
Looking into Shang An's pitiful eyes, where tears swirled as though they were about to fall, Bibi Dong ultimately could not finish what she wanted to say.
"Sigh, then Xiao An can sleep with Teacher tonight. Just this once."
Shang An immediately went from sorrow to joy and happily hugged Bibi Dong's leg.
"Yes, Teacher."
This was perhaps the benefit of having great charm. Shang An was extremely satisfied with how the Great Freedom True Scripture increased his charm.
Next, Shang An took off his shoes and outer clothes, then obediently lay down on the bed.
Bibi Dong smiled faintly as she looked at Shang An's little head sticking out. Shang An could be said to be the first male ever to enter her bedchamber.
Then Bibi Dong gently lay down on the bed as well. At her level, ordinary meditation was no longer useful.
Perhaps a single insight could allow one to enter a new realm, or perhaps one could remain trapped in the same realm for life. Rather than meditate bitterly, it was better to sleep and ease the exhaustion in her mind. Perhaps she might even break through in her dreams.
Lying on the bed, Bibi Dong's thoughts were in turmoil. She had never been so intimate with any man before. Even though this was only a boy, she did not know why she had absentmindedly agreed to Xiao An's request.
Feeling the gentle, tranquil aura emanating from Shang An, she became somewhat entranced. Her chaotic thoughts from the day gradually emptied on their own, and before she realized it, Bibi Dong had fallen asleep.
Following her body's instincts, Bibi Dong unconsciously moved closer to Shang An. Still feeling that it was not enough, she finally pulled Shang An into her arms like a body pillow.
Shang An looked at the ravine so close before him without the slightest ripple in his heart. After all, his body did not support such thoughts.
However, he had not come here today simply to sleep with Bibi Dong. More importantly, he had come to stir Bibi Dong's obsession.
He would gradually change Bibi Dong and prevent her from being consumed by her obsession and returning to the old path.
Normally, given Shang An's strength, it would have been impossible for him to use Psychic Power on Bibi Dong without her noticing. But Bibi Dong's obsession ran too deep, and her mind was riddled with wounds.
It could be said that she had already fallen into madness. In a cultivation world, she would have long been plagued by Inner Demons.
And now Bibi Dong was asleep, with her mind almost completely undefended. This gave Shang An an opportunity.
The next day, Bibi Dong woke from sleep and prepared to stretch. It had been a long time since she had slept so comfortably. Last night, she seemed to have had a dream.
In the dream, she had returned to her childhood. There was no Qian Xunji and no Yu Xiaogang. She had taken Xiao An to play freely by the sea, acting like a child herself.
Wait, Shang An!
Bibi Dong suddenly woke completely. Shang An was held in her arms, while her other hand was still resting on his buttocks.
Bibi Dong's beautiful face reddened slightly. Before Shang An could wake up, she gently placed him back onto the bed and then quietly slipped away.
She felt a wave of shyness in her heart.
At that moment, she felt so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear into the ground.
Bibi Dong comforted herself inwardly, then swiftly left the bedchamber while Shang An was still asleep.
"Still, hugging Xiao An while sleeping was quite comfortable... Bah, stop it. I can't think about that anymore."
After Bibi Dong left, Shang An slowly opened his eyes.
Before you continue