A Mother and Daughter, Hearts in Turmoil, Thoughts of A-Qing

Deep within the solemn and imposing hall, the magnificent murals cast cold shadows amidst the interplay of light and shadow.

Bibi Dong rested her chin on her hand, leaning gracefully against the golden Pope Throne.

In those peerless eyes,

The initial daze was fleeting.

Instead, there was an undisguised mockery.

"Talk? Qian Renxue, what makes you think you can talk to me?"

The Pope's Scepter struck the white marble floor tiles with a heavy thud, the crisp sound echoing through the spacious hall.

Bibi Dong leaned slightly forward, her long, straight legs appearing and disappearing beneath her black robe with gold lettering.

Her gaze swept down at Qian Renxue.

"Talk about that utterly awful drama you staged in the Heaven Dou Empire?"

"Or shall we talk about how you destroyed the Spirit Hall's more than ten years of hard work in one fell swoop?"

"All that investment of resources, and all you get in return is a pathetic excuse of faking your death to escape?"

Bibi Dong's lips curled into a cold smile, her words full of sarcasm and mockery.

In her view, Qian Renxue's sudden "showdown" was nothing more than a child's anger and embarrassment after losing a game.

Qian Renxue did not draw her sword in anger as usual, nor did she storm off.

She just stood there quietly.

Despite Bibi Dong's cold words slapping her face, her eyes remained calm and unwavering.

Bibi Dong scoffed inwardly.

This brat, what's with the act of being so profound?

Did they think that changing their clothes and running over to call out "Mother" would erase everything?

That's absolutely ridiculous!

"The success or failure of the Heaven Dou Empire is my fault, I admit it."

Qian Renxue took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the turbulent thoughts surging in her chest.

She raised her head, her golden eyes staring directly at the woman high above on the throne.

"But today I'm not here to talk about the Heaven Dou Empire, power and interests, or the future of the Spirit Hall."

"What I want to talk about is..."

Qian Renxue paused, her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves, and uttered the name that had been hidden in her heart for twenty years.

"It's Qian Xunji, my... father."

The moment the words "Qian Xunji" were uttered, the temperature in the entire Pope Palace plummeted!

Boom!!!

An immense, suffocatingly large amount of purplish-black Soul Power erupted like a volcanic eruption!

Bibi Dong's originally beautiful and noble face instantly twisted, her eyes filled with unimaginable resentment and Berserk.

Although the influence of the Rakshasa God on her has been erased by the God of Destruction.

But his hatred for Qian Xunji never disappeared.

The combined auras of the Death Spider and the Soul Devouring Spider raged wildly within the hall, causing the hard white marble floor tiles to crack with a sickening sound.

That overwhelming hatred from the depths of his soul almost tore everything in the world apart!

"You're asking for it!!!"

Berserk killing intent slammed down on Qian Renxue like a tidal wave.

Qian Renxue's face was deathly pale, and her entire body shone with dazzling golden Angel light as she desperately resisted this world-destroying and ferocious pressure.

Back off?

No way!

Qian Renxue gritted her teeth, letting the heavy killing intent crush her bones.

Looking into Bibi Dong's double pupils, which were completely consumed by hatred, Qian Renxue's heart slowly sank into an abyss.

What kind of hatred was that...?

Completely devoid of reason, driven only by a mad urge to utterly Destruction everything in the world!

Just how deep was the hatred directed at that radiant, wise, and mighty Pope father in the Worship Hall?

Qian Renxue's heart was filled with gloom.

She finally understood why Bibi Dong always looked at her with such piercing disgust.

But only now did she personally experience the murderous intent that wanted to tear her to pieces.

Only then did she realize with painful clarity what kind of nightmare she truly represented in this woman's eyes.

A moment later, the Berserk purplish-black Soul Power receded like a tide.

The fierce wind inside the hall suddenly stopped, leaving only broken floor tiles and lingering malevolent energy.

Bibi Dong's chest heaved violently.

A few stray strands of hair clung to her sweat-drenched temples.

Her icy gaze was fixed on Qian Renxue, her hoarse voice carrying the lingering scent of blood.

"Qian Xunji? How dare you mention that trash's name in front of me?!"

Bibi Dong gripped the armrests of the throne tightly with her five fingers, her knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

"Speak! What exactly do you want?"

"Did that Old Ghost Qian Daoliu send you to provoke me, or are you trying to disgust me with that dead man's name?!"

Looking at Bibi Dong's beautiful face, which was filled with defensiveness and hostility,

The resentment that had lingered in Qian Renxue's heart miraculously vanished completely.

She did not defend herself.

There was no retort.

They didn't even show the slightest bit of Angel pride.

Under Bibi Dong's astonished and uncertain gaze,

Qian Renxue slowly adjusted the hem of her pure white palace dress.

then,

She slightly bent her knees and bent over.

He performed a perfectly standard, yet incredibly solemn, bow toward the Pope Throne.

He bent over at a 90-degree angle and didn't lift up for Jiujiu.

"Mother, I'm sorry."

Qian Renxue's voice slowly echoed in the hall, calm yet revealing a heartfelt sincerity.

"I was too willful and arrogant in the past, and I never tried to understand the pain you were carrying."

I know the damage he caused you is irreparable.

"I don't dare to ask you to forgive him, and I dare not ask you to accept me."

Qian Renxue slowly straightened up, her golden eyes clear as water, without any impurities.

"But I still want to say to you in person... I'm sorry."

After saying that, Qian Renxue didn't linger for another second.

She took one last deep look at Bibi Dong, then turned and walked out of the hall.

The pure white skirt swayed in the wind.

The dazzling sunlight outside the gate poured down on her, as if draping her in a brand new golden veil.

"..."

On the Pope Throne, Bibi Dong stood frozen in place.

She stared blankly at Qian Renxue's departing figure, her mouth agape, her mind reeling.

Apologize...?

That arrogant descendant of Angel, with blood from the Qian Family families flowing through his veins, was just bowing and apologizing to her?

He didn't even say a word in defense of Qian Xunji?

"She knows..."

An extremely terrifying thought burst into Bibi Dong's mind, like a thunderbolt striking her head, shattering all her defenses!

How did she know?

"Qian Daoliu would never tell her!"

"What exactly did she find out?!"

Bibi Dong's delicate body trembled violently, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

She slumped helplessly deep within the throne, her expression dark and unreadable.

She clenched her teeth so tightly that her lower lip was bitten until it bled.

His hands were clenched into fists, his long fingernails piercing his palms.

Blood dripped from between her fingers onto her purple-gold robe, yet she seemed to feel no pain whatsoever.

Do you hate it?

Of course I hate it!

She hated Qian Xunji, that beast who ruined her life.

I wish I could scatter that person's ashes all over every corner of the Douluo Continent!

She also hated Qian Renxue, that "bastard child".

Every time she saw that face that bore a resemblance to Qian Xunji, it relentlessly reminded her of the dark and hopeless despair she had endured back then!

But setting aside all this hatred and disgust, Bibi Dong's truest feeling deep down was actually escapism.

That was, after all, a piece of flesh that fell from her body.

She had no idea how to be Qian Renxue's mother.

They could only use the harshest language and the coldest attitude to push the child away, in order to cover up their helplessness and hatred.

But now, Qian Renxue knows everything.

The daughter she had avoided for twenty years bowed her head in remorse and apologized.

This struck Bibi Dong's fragile defenses more severely than any deadly Soul Skill.

Bibi Dong's heart was in complete turmoil.