The Beautiful Fool Was Me All Along [Second Update]

In the Star Dou Forest.

The Little One had just woken up and was scrolling through the chat history. When she saw there had been rewards to draw, she let out several excited howls.

But when she eagerly rushed to draw one...

[Hey there! All rewards have been claimed. Please come back earlier next time!]

"Awooo!!!! (Hmph! I didn't want one anyway!)"

She angrily swiped her tiny paw at the air and turned her head away in a huff. Still, she couldn't help sneaking glances at the Brick's screen, drooling over the pictures of those glittering rewards.

She had no idea what any of the rewards meant.

But she had this inexplicable feeling that missing out had cost her dearly!

Not far away, a dark golden bear watched the Auspicious Beast drool at thin air and scratched his ear. "Di Tian, do you think we've killed so many humans that our evil deeds have finally caught up with us?"

"Nonsense! Spouting rhymes now? Are you trying to take a God Trial?"

"But why do I get the feeling the Auspicious Beast's a little... dumb? Is this our punishment?"

The Little One immediately took offense.

She lunged at the bear and hissed with all her might. "Hah—!"

"Di Tian, this is no ordinary Auspicious Beast anymore. She actually dared hiss at me! She's completely out of control! Can I give her a beating?"

"Go ahead. Try it, if you dare."

Xiong Jun: "..."

The Little One puffed out her chest and gave a soft snort. "Hmph."

Who was he calling dumb?

She might be tiny and look none too bright, but she was sharp as a tack.

In her little head, she knew exactly which Soul Beasts she could offend and which she couldn't.

For instance, Bi Ji was kind to her, like a mother, so she couldn't offend her. Zi JI was a tigress, so she definitely couldn't offend her. The King of Ten Thousand Demons ignored her, and the Scarlet King was a guard.

That left only Iron-Headed Xiong Jun.

Nearby, the Scarlet King held back laughter with all three heads. He looked just like a certain lion king from the grasslands in Li Yuan's previous life, trying not to laugh.

Xiong Jun flew into a rage and kicked at him. "What are you laughing at, you stupid dog?"

Scarlet King: "..." No more laughing.

The King of Ten Thousand Demons hid off to the side, stifling a laugh.

There you go, letting your temper get the better of you again.

Reading Bai Chenxiang's words, Li Yuan had guessed her identity, but his mouth still twitched.

Good grief. That was filial piety taken so far it knocked your teeth out.

But... Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng?

That was something good, on the same level as an Immortal Herb!

Li Yuan silently gave Bai Chenxiang a thumbs-up.

She knew how to repay a kindness. Bai Chenxiang was good people!

[Li Yuan: I'm busy all afternoon. Don't disturb me!]

Li Yuan wanted to find somewhere quiet and absorb the God-Given Soul Bone he'd just acquired.

The thing could grow stronger along with him and even develop its own Soul Bone Skill. Just thinking about it got him excited.

But just as he was about to slip away, several messages "dragged" him back.

[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Wait! Don't leave yet. You still haven't told us who the three beautiful fools of Spirit Hall are! (gritting teeth)]

[Li Yuan: I know you're anxious, but calm down first.]

[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Am I anxious? (voice rising)]

[Li Yuan: See? There you go again! (rolling eyes)]

[Child Without Parents: Group Leader, tell us already. I really want to know which three useless fools managed to squander Spirit Hall's vast legacy!]

[Little Fox Who Loves Teacher Most: (kitten peeking out)]

[Richest Little Heiress of Heaven Dou: Actually, what I want to know more is, what's a Love-Brain?]

[Big Cat in the Night: I want to know too.]

[Li Yuan: A Love-Brain is simple enough. It's someone who lets feelings rule their decisions, can't tell right from wrong when it matters, and, once they fall in love, acts like they can't live without that person. They'd even sacrifice everything for them.]

[Li Yuan: As for the three beautiful fools and Love-Brains who took Spirit Hall's unbeatable hand and played it into the ground...]

[They are Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and Hu Liena.]

[Li Yuan: That's right. The three people you'd least expect! Surprised? Didn't see that coming?]

The group chat erupted.

[Richest Little Heiress of Heaven Dou: That can't be right. Bibi Dong was one of the people responsible for Spirit Hall's destruction?]

[Loves Eating Carrots: Exactly! How is that possible? Hasn't Bibi Dong made Spirit Hall stronger and stronger?]

[Viper-Hearted Big Sister: Could something have gone wrong inside Spirit Hall?]

[Big Cat in the Night: That's very possible.]

[Single Academy-Running Housewife: I'm dying! The one who destroyed Spirit Hall was you, Bibi Dong! Hahaha!]

At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Rongrong could hardly believe it.

She had heard Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone say more than once how formidable and terrifying Bibi Dong was.

Eleven years ago, the former Pope Qian Xunji had died a tragic death. Bibi Dong had stepped up in that moment of crisis, secured the position of Pope as a woman, and brought Spirit Hall to new heights.

To countless people in the Soul Master World, it was practically a legendary story of triumph.

But now...

He was saying Bibi Dong had led Spirit Hall to its peak, and Bibi Dong had destroyed it too?

How did that make any sense?

Was she fighting a battle between the left and right sides of her brain?

At the Pope Palace.

Bibi Dong sat motionless on the sofa, utterly numb.

She jolted awake from a dying dream—the beautiful fool was her all along?

An indescribable sense of absurdity and helplessness welled up inside her.

By all rights, when someone pointed at her and called her a "beautiful fool," a "Love-Brain," and "the culprit behind Spirit Hall's destruction"...

She should have been furious. She should have wanted to tear Li Yuan to pieces on the spot.

But... she had weathered too many storms these past few days.

First came the truth about Qian Xunji's death, then her illusions about Yu Xiaogang had shattered, and just now there had been the "Barefoot Social Death."

Bibi Dong felt as though the threshold for upsetting her had been forced to an absurd height.

Strangely, she could barely muster any anger now. All that remained was deep exhaustion and... curiosity?

Yes, curiosity.

She didn't want to get angry anymore. She just wanted to know.

Who was it? Which bastard, which step along the way, had truly brought about Spirit Hall's downfall?

After all, among the three "beautiful fools," there had to be a "ringleader" or a "turning point," right?

Surely the three of them couldn't just split the blame evenly, one-third each?

[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Explain yourself. Even if all three of us... well, have our problems, something as huge as Spirit Hall's destruction must have had a major turning point, right?]

[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Which step went wrong? Who... truly pushed Spirit Hall into the abyss of eternal ruin?]

[Child Without Parents: I want to know too. (mixed feelings)]

[Little Fox Who Loves Teacher Most: Teacher... (hesitating)]

Hu Liena was a little panicked. She was terrified she might be the ringleader.

But Bibi Dong's unexpectedly "calm" follow-up left the others in the group stunned.

Huh?

Had Bibi Dong turned over a new leaf today?

She hadn't even flown into a rage?

Maybe those blows had... matured her?

Li Yuan looked at the screen and rubbed his chin.

Well, well.

Instead of launching straight into insults, Bibi Dong had started "analyzing things rationally"?

Interesting!

[Li Yuan: All right. Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll be merciful and tell you.]

[Li Yuan: It's hard to say who the "ringleader" was, because the three of you... formed a perfect, interlocking chain. Each of you reinforced the others. Take away any one of you, and the whole thing falls apart.]

[Richest Little Heiress of Heaven Dou: What does that mean? Why do I feel like I don't understand? (blinking)]

[Li Yuan: I keep telling you to read more. I mean, if even one of those three had a brain, Tang San could never have beaten Spirit Hall!]

[Li Yuan: But if I had to rank you... Bibi Dong, you'd be first. No question.]

[Little Fox Who Loves Teacher Most: Oh, Teacher, did you see that? He said you're the ringleader!]

Hu Liena patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness she wasn't the ringleader. Otherwise, she'd have to go to Peking University.

She had no idea how much trouble her careless remark was about to cause.

[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Outrageous! Is that any way to speak to your teacher?]

Bibi Dong trembled with anger.

What an ungrateful little wretch, daring to pose as her disciple!