The Cruelty of Truth and the Price of Truth

Qian Renxue stood on the other side of the Secret Chamber.

Facing Lin Qingmo, her long golden hair fell onto her slightly trembling shoulders.

The longer the silence lasts at this moment,

The suppressed emotions surged up uncontrollably.

Her fingertips dug into her palm.

Lin Qingmo's words kept replaying in my mind.

Have you ever considered that the reasons she dislikes you might be far more complex than you imagine?

She hadn't thought about it.

She really hadn't thought about it.

From the time she can remember until now, she has taken it for granted that her mother dislikes her because she is not good enough.

Not strong enough, not good enough, not like a qualified successor.

She never imagined that there might be some hidden story behind this matter that she herself was unaware of.

And once that thought is planted, it can never be eradicated.

Like a thorn, it had been stuck in her heart for over a decade without her noticing.

She was suddenly bumped, and the pressure made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

Qian Renxue's golden eyes looked directly at Lin Qingmo again.

The previous aloofness and defensiveness have been replaced by a deeper emotion.

It is both fragile and an almost stubborn determination.

That look in his eyes that said, "Even if the truth is a knife, I'll take it."

"Tell me."

Her voice was hoarse but resolute, as if she had finally made up her mind to push open a door she had never dared to touch before.

She didn't want to wait anymore, didn't want to go back to check, and didn't want to guess anymore.

If there really is a terrible truth behind this,

She would rather know now than be kept in the dark for another decade or so.

Lin Qingmo looked at her and sighed silently in his heart.

He noticed her fingers were trembling slightly, but she was trying hard to keep her expression calm.

This Young Master of the Spirit Hall is a proud daughter of heaven who was raised by Qian Daoliu.

At this moment, she is using all her pride and courage to face an answer that may overturn her entire worldview.

To be honest, Lin Qingmo felt both sympathy and admiration for her.

Most people would probably be crying and shouting "I don't want to listen! I don't want to listen!" by this point.

But she didn't.

Are you sure?

Lin Qingmo checked it one last time.

"The impact of this event may be far greater than you imagine, so great that you might regret knowing about it."

"I told you, tell me."

Qian Renxue spoke each word clearly and deliberately, her golden eyes showing no sign of backing down.

Lin Qingmo remained silent for a few moments, then slowly nodded.

He sat back down in his chair and waited for Qian Renxue to sit down opposite him before speaking.

Before explaining why Bibi Dong dislikes you, you must first understand one fact.

His tone suddenly became very serious, so serious that Qian Renxue's palms began to sweat.

"The source of Bibi Dong's hatred and resentment has never been you."

"But it is your father—the former Pope, Qian Xunji."

"!!!"

Qian Renxue's pupils contracted sharply.

Father, Qian Xunji!

She had heard her grandfather mention this name since she was little.

His achievements are engraved on the Hall of the Spirit Hall, and a majestic statue of him stands in the Central Plaza in front of the Pope Palace.

Every elder of the Spirit Hall would show an expression of reverence and regret when mentioning this name.

But she had never heard anyone mention her father's name from her mother.

Not even once.

It's as if this person doesn't exist in the mother's world at all.

At this moment, Lin Qingmo tells her that the real reason her mother dislikes her is actually her father?

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but found her mind a complete mess.

She knew far too little about her father.

There are so few labels that it's only "former Pope" and "killed by Tang Hao".

What happened between the father and mother?

She knew nothing.

Do you know the cause of your father's death?

Lin Qingmo suddenly changed the subject.

Upon hearing this, a fierce killing intent suddenly flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes.

The intensity of the killing intent was so strong that the lights in the Secret Chamber dimmed for a moment.

The power of the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul surged uncontrollably within her body.

"Tang Hao."

She forced out those two words through gritted teeth, each syllable sounding as if sliced by a knife.

"Tang Hao, the Haotian Douluo, killed my father."

"This blood feud is one I will never forgive the Clear Sky Sect."

"One day, I will kill Tang Hao with my own hands to avenge my father."

That hatred almost solidified into a tangible form.

The hatred stemming from the murder of his father over a decade ago, the unresolved feud between the Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect —all the anger was concentrated on this one name.

Lin Qingmo looked at the almost burning hatred in her eyes, but a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

That wasn't mockery, but it was definitely not agreement either.

It's more like someone who knows everything is watching their opponent bet all their chips in the wrong place.

"Indeed, the whole continent knows that Tang Hao killed Pope Qian Xunji."

His tone was relaxed. "The Spirit Hall's wanted poster says that even a three-year-old child on the streets of Heaven Dou City can recite this slogan: Tang Hao murdered the Pope, the Spirit Hall is our mortal enemy."

"But--"

His tone suddenly paused.

Lean forward slightly.

He lowered his voice.

"Have you ever considered that this isn't the case?"

Qian Renxue's expression froze.

She thought Lin Qingmo was joking.

But his expression told her he wasn't joking.

He was serious.

They're frighteningly serious.

What does it mean to say 'that's not the case'?

Qian Renxue's voice became shrill. "My grandfather told me personally that my father was killed by Tang Hao!"

"Would my grandfather lie to me?!"

Your grandfather was indeed lying to you.

"Impossible!"

Qian Renxue suddenly stood up, pushing the chair back half a foot, the chair legs scraping against the marble floor with a screeching sound.

"My grandfather is Qian Daoliu! The Grand Pontiff of the Spirit Hall! Level 99 Peerless Douluo!"

"Moreover, it concerns the cause of his own son's death. What reason does he have to hide the real murderer? What reason does he have to deceive me? To deceive the entire continent?"

She was practically screaming.

The phantom of Six-Winged Angel appeared and disappeared behind her, its golden light casting an indistinct glow on her face.

Lin Qingmo looked up at her, his gaze as calm as a deep pool of water.

When he spoke his next sentence, his tone was even more subdued than before.

But this seemingly casual remark froze Qian Renxue in place, as if struck by lightning.

He has.

His reason was guilt.

Qian Renxue's brain felt as if it had been struck by a boulder; instead of splashing water, it was left with a buzzing blankness.

Grandpa... felt guilty... kept it a secret.

These three words spun wildly in her mind, but she couldn't piece them together.

She had imagined countless possibilities.

Perhaps there was a traitor within the Spirit Hall itself.

Perhaps there was more to the story than meets the eye in the memory of my father's battle back then.

Perhaps Tang Hao used some despicable means.

But none of them pointed to the grandfather.

That stern but loving old man.

That Grand Pontiff who dedicated his entire life to the Spirit Hall and gave all his glory to the Angel God.

How could he possibly hide the true killer of his son?

"You're talking nonsense."

Her voice was trembling, and her confidence was no longer as strong as before.

Lin Qingmo did not directly respond to her question, but simply continued speaking.

"It wasn't Tang Hao who killed your father, Qian Xunji."

His tone was calm, but every word exploded in Qian Renxue's ears like thunder.

He paused.

Watching the fear gradually spread in Qian Renxue's eyes—a fear she didn't want to hear but had to hear nonetheless.

"But it's your mother."

"Bibi Dong."

The sound was not loud.

But it was like a hammer that shattered all of Qian Renxue's understanding of the world that she had accumulated over the past twenty years.

The lights in the Secret Chamber suddenly went out for a moment without warning.

The Six-Winged Angel's Martial Soul suddenly exploded behind Qian Renxue, the golden light so dazzling it almost tore the entire space apart.

Her face was expressionless because her facial expression management system had completely crashed.

Lin Qingmo simply leaned back in his chair.

Seeing the worldview of the Young Master of the Spirit Hall collapse before him, he let out a soft sigh.

He said it before.

The impact of this event was far greater than she had imagined.