Inside the Pope Palace in Spirit City
Bibi Dong sat upright on the throne that symbolized supreme power. Her fingertips tapped lightly against the armrest as her cold gaze fell upon the intelligence report that had just been delivered.
The report detailed the earth-shaking events that had taken place in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace: Fourth Prince Xue Beng and Prince Xue Xing had died, while Poison Douluo Dugu Bo had been gravely wounded and forced to flee.
And the mastermind behind it all was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast never before recorded by Spirit Hall, one with terrifying strength: the Holy Wing King, Yu!
What made her gaze grow even darker was the spies' report that this Soul Beast seemed to have a close relationship with the Crown Prince "Xue Qinghe," who was in hiding within the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
All signs indicated that her daughter, Qian Renxue, not only knew of this Soul Beast's existence, but might even have been in close contact with him—yet she had never breathed a word of it to Spirit Hall, or to her own mother, the Pope!
A surge of anger at being kept in the dark and treated with contempt, mingled with deep unease that her plans might spiral out of control, flared within Bibi Dong.
She could not tolerate any factor beyond her control.
"Good. Very good..." Bibi Dong's voice was icy. "Someone, send a letter to that Crown Prince."
Before long, a letter bearing a distinctive Soul Power signature appeared on Qian Renxue's desk.
She was both delighted and anxious, unsure why Bibi Dong had suddenly written to her at a time like this.
Then the words on the letter appeared before her eyes, and her chest gave a sudden jolt.
The matter that took place in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace one month ago is already known to Spirit Hall.
The Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, the "Holy Wing King, Yu," slaughtered a prince and a prince regent, and gravely wounded an imperial protector. Its ferocity is boundless.
According to our investigation, this beast seems to be an old acquaintance of yours.
Why did you never report such vital intelligence? Do you understand what a threat this kind of variable poses to the great undertaking of Spirit Hall and to your mission in hiding?
What exactly are you thinking?
Describe this beast's origins and your connection to it in detail at once. Do not conceal anything further!
—By order of the Pope
As she unfolded the letter, what greeted her was not concern or a word of greeting, but a bone-chilling interrogation and reprimand.
The coldness between the lines was harsher than the blizzards of the Far North, freezing the faint warmth in her heart in an instant.
Every word felt like a cold needle, stabbing deep into her heart.
An overwhelming sense of grievance swept over her like a tide.
She had been hiding alone in this den of danger, treading carefully at every turn and walking on thin ice, enduring pressure and loneliness beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
How desperately she longed for even the slightest acknowledgment from her mother, even just a look of approval.
But all she ever received in return were these condescending, icy interrogations.
As though she were merely a tool to be strictly monitored, not a daughter of flesh and blood who longed for a mother's affection.
Tears welled uncontrollably in her eyes. She bit down hard on her lower lip to keep them from falling.
The grievance nearly left her unable to breathe.
But the next second, reason doused her like ice water, and she immediately came to her senses.
Her mother's letter meant that Spirit Hall's intelligence network had already uncovered Xiao Yu!
They knew everything he had done in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace a month ago! They had even discovered... their connection!
A crushing sense of danger immediately overwhelmed her grievance.
Xiao Yu's existence had been exposed! For him, that could spell utter disaster!
Given Spirit Hall's way of doing things, there was only one possibility when facing a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast with such terrifying power: they would spare no effort to eliminate him!
Xiao Yu... The Soul Beast companion who had stayed by her side when she was most lonely, brought her an unusual warmth when she was lost, and possessed unbelievable potential... She could never let him be surrounded and hunted by Spirit Hall because of her!
Her fierce desire to protect him overwhelmed all her personal feelings.
Qian Renxue took a deep breath, forcing down the anguish and alarm in her heart. She could not let her mother see her wavering or her concern for Xiao Yu. That would only put him in greater danger.
Your Holiness the Pope:
I have received your letter.
The matter in the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace was indeed the work of the Soul Beast "Yu." My failure to report it in time was a serious dereliction of duty. I await Your Holiness's punishment...
I humbly dare to ask: could Spirit Hall refrain from taking action against "Yu" for the time being?
His target was only Xue Beng and Xue Xing, seeking revenge against them and making an enemy of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. As far as Spirit Hall is concerned, we might simply watch events unfold and use him to weaken Heaven Dou.
A rash clash with him could come at a great cost and only benefit the empire. Moreover, his whereabouts are uncertain and his strength unfathomable, making him difficult to hunt down.
—Respectfully submitted, Qian Renxue
The letter was finished. Qian Renxue looked at the final line, "I humbly ask that you refrain from taking action against 'Yu' for the time being," and her fingertips trembled slightly.
She knew how powerless this request was, and how likely it was to anger Bibi Dong.
She had done her best to portray Xiao Yu as a "weapon" that could be used to restrain Heaven Dou, downplaying their past contact in the hope of winning him a sliver of time before Spirit Hall immediately marked him for execution.
After sending the letter, Qian Renxue leaned wearily against the back of her chair and closed her eyes.
The grievance caused by her mother's cold interrogation had now been replaced by an even deeper anxiety.
She did not know whether the letter could change her mother's mind. All she could do was pray that Xiao Yu would be safe, and that Spirit Hall's attention would not turn, for now, to that figure deep in Sunset Forest.
This worry weighed on her far more heavily and helplessly than her mother's coldness.
Inside the Pope Palace, the icy air seemed frozen in place. Bibi Dong turned Qian Renxue's reply between her fingertips. Her peerless face showed no hint of emotion; only the cold light in her deep violet eyes flowed like a blade.
"Use him to weaken Heaven Dou? Simply watch events unfold?" Bibi Dong's voice was soft, yet filled with bone-chilling mockery. It echoed through the empty hall, making Ghost Douluo Gui Mei and Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, who stood nearby, shudder.
"My dear daughter... Since when have you learned to evade the point and change the subject so skillfully?"
A wisp of dusky purple Soul Power flame ignited at her fingertips, and the letter bearing Qian Renxue's plea turned to ash in an instant, fluttering to the floor.
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast... With such intelligence and strength, and able to speak, its Soul Ring and Soul Bone are of immeasurable value! Letting it live is not a boon. It is a blade hanging over Spirit Hall's head!"
"Today it can slaughter a prince and a prince regent. Who's to say it won't turn its sights on Spirit Hall tomorrow?" Bibi Dong's voice abruptly sharpened, and her formidable pressure made the air throughout the hall sink.
"Gui Mei, Yue Guan!"
"At your service!" The two Titled Douluo immediately bowed and answered.
"Take a team each and search for that beast's tracks. The moment you get a lead, report back to me. I'll go there in person," Bibi Dong said coldly.
Since Yu had easily gravely wounded Dugu Bo, Yue Guan and the others would not be enough. She would have to go herself.
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