[Little Fox Who Loves Teacher Most: Sorry, Teacher, I... spoke without thinking. (looking pitiful)]
[Richest Little Heiress of Heaven Dou: Pfft... hahaha!]
[Loves Eating Carrots: I'm dying of laughter, everyone.]
[Single Academy-Running Housewife: Bibi Dong, I have a suggestion for you. I seriously suspect your disciple Hu Liena is a mole! (wicked grin)]
[Little Fox Who Loves Teacher Most: Huh? I'm not! I didn't! Teacher, she's slandering me! She's defaming me! She's defaming me!]
Hu Liena was so anxious that her little face flushed red and she could barely speak coherently, terrified that her teacher might actually believe those words.
[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Nana, it's all right. Don't listen to their nonsense. I believe you.]
[Little Fox Who Loves Teacher Most: Hehe, Teacher, I knew you were the best! Oh, right, do I need to bring the meat for tonight's Bamboo Shoots Fried with Meat?]
[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Just bring yourself.]
[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Also, Li Yuan, I admit you might know a lot of secrets, but could you stop spouting nonsense? How could I possibly be the person most responsible for destroying Spirit Hall?]
Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong's eyes widened. How could she be the chief mastermind?
Sure, she claimed she wanted to destroy Spirit Hall.
But over all these years, which of her decisions hadn't been made in Spirit Hall's interests?
Her goal was to establish the Spirit Hall Empire and then eliminate Spirit Hall's influence, not destroy Spirit Hall.
Everyone in the group shared Bibi Dong's confusion.
[Big Cat in the Night: Group Leader, I have a question. If Bibi Dong wants to destroy Spirit Hall, why would she keep making it stronger?]
[Yandere Mad Beauty of Martial Soul Hall: Exactly. If I wanted to destroy Spirit Hall, wouldn't that be a completely unnecessary step?]
[Li Yuan: The reason is simple. You're the Pope, Spirit Hall's highest decision-maker. Every decision you make directly affects its future, and for Yu Xiaogang's sake, you made far too many foolish decisions at critical moments.]
[Li Yuan: During the soul master tournament, you knew perfectly well that Tang San couldn't be won over and had to be killed. But out of lingering affection for Yu Xiaogang, you left him a way out. And what happened? Once Tang San became a god, he not only killed you, but also stripped your daughter Qian Renxue of her divine status!]
[Li Yuan: As for Qian Renxue and Hu Liena... they mostly inherited and carried out your misguided course. Then... each added her own bricks and mortar according to her particular love-brain tendencies, digging the pit deeper and deeper.]
[Li Yuan: To sum it up: Bibi Dong dug the pit, while Qian Renxue and Hu Liena shoveled in the dirt. Working together, the three of you finally buried the towering edifice that was Spirit Hall. Perfect! (applause)]
Pope Palace.
As Bibi Dong read Li Yuan's mocking summary, her face turned deathly pale, her expression utterly grim.
She had gotten herself killed and cost her daughter her divine status?
Who exactly was this Tang San?
Was he really that capable?
Although Bibi Dong desperately wanted to deny it, what Li Yuan said seemed... to make a little sense.
Her former self might indeed have gone soft for a moment when faced with Yu Xiaogang.
No!
Impossible!
I, Bibi Dong, possess grand vision and brilliant strategy. How could I possibly...
A fierce struggle raged within her as emotion and reality collided.
Crown Prince's Mansion.
Qian Renxue stared at the screen, biting her lower lip hard, her feelings tangled beyond measure.
She had always believed she was the clearest-headed, most rational one, the one who bore the heaviest burden.
But now it seemed... in Li Yuan's eyes...
She was merely another foolish beauty following behind her mother, "shoveling in the dirt"?
Saintess Palace.
Hu Liena felt as though she had been struck by lightning. "I... I'm one of the accomplices too?" she murmured. "I was actually pushing Spirit Hall into a pit of fire?"
Watching the group fall into an eerie silence, Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
Good. It looked like these "love-brains" and "foolish beauties" had finally started reflecting on themselves.
"All right, that's enough talk. I really have to log off now. See you all later!"
With that, Li Yuan decisively clicked "Offline," and his avatar instantly dimmed.
He left behind a group of "foolish beauties," each harboring her own thoughts, and spectators enjoying the drama, all questioning their lives.
Then Li Yuan silently said, System, claim the God-Given Soul Bone.
Since the Adaptive God-Given Soul Bone was guaranteed to give him a soul bone he didn't already possess, he didn't hold out much hope of getting a skull or torso bone on his first try.
After all, the four limbs accounted for well over half the odds, while the skull and torso occupied only a small share. Even thinking with his toes, he could tell which outcome was more likely.
A moment later, a Left Arm Bone traced with sleek golden patterns appeared in his palm.
"Sure enough. Just as expected."
Li Yuan shook his head, pressed the Left Arm Bone against his arm, and began absorbing it right there.
As for the Soul Bone Skill, he chose an Enhancement Soul Skill without the slightest hesitation.
After all, the prerequisite for overpowering ten thousand techniques with sheer strength was having high enough stats.
With sufficiently strong numbers, even a basic attack could land a ten-thousand-point critical hit.
As the saying went, the left claw dealt high damage, and the right claw dealt damage that was high. That was exactly what it meant!
Meanwhile.
While Qian Renxue was still questioning her life...
A hoarse voice sounded outside the Crown Prince's Mansion.
"Young Master! I've brought the letter the Pope asked me to deliver."
It was Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei.
Qian Renxue composed herself and resumed Xue Qinghe's usual gentle, refined demeanor.
She walked to the entrance, took the letter Gui Mei offered with some impatience, and made to tear it up.
"Didn't I already tell her? Things in Heaven Dou can't be rushed. They can't be rushed! Why does she keep pushing me?"
Clearly, she assumed Bibi Dong's latest letter was another demand that she speed up her mission.
Seeing this, Gui Mei hurriedly reminded her in a low voice, "Young Master, this time is different..."
"Hm?"
Qian Renxue's hands paused, and she gave Gui Mei a suspicious look.
Gui Mei was Bibi Dong's trusted confidant and always followed her orders to the letter. If even he was saying "this time is different," could something in this letter... truly have changed?
Suppressing her impatience, she opened the envelope, took out the letter, and lowered her gaze to read.
The handwriting was indeed Bibi Dong's, bearing her usual sharp edge.
Strangely, however, the words held less of her usual coldness and command, and far more warmth.
The letter was short. Its gist was:
Everything that had happened in the past was a failure on her part as a mother, and she owed Qian Renxue a great deal. Now, she hoped Qian Renxue could let go of her past grievances. If she wished, she could return to Spirit Hall at any time, and her mother would do her best to... make amends.
At the end of the letter, she had even addressed her as "Xue'er" for the first time ever.
Though the letter contained only a few hundred words, Qian Renxue read it for a long time.
Several minutes later, she slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were already red, and an unbearable sting filled her nose. Tears pooled in her eyes before finally spilling out uncontrollably, rolling down in large drops and soaking the letter.
Angry and aggrieved, she said, "Why should I come to Heaven Dou just because you tell me to? Why should I go back just because you tell me to? Why? Why?"
"All those times I tried to please you growing up, why did you always tell me to get lost? And now you're calling me Xue'er?"
"Bibi Dong, I, Qian Renxue, am not a dog you can summon and dismiss at will!"
Years of heartache surged up all at once.
She could no longer hold herself together. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she let her tears flow freely.
Watching from beside her, Gui Mei couldn't help feeling pained.
Whatever their positions, Qian Renxue was still the only daughter of the former Pope Qian Xunji, whom he had served for years, and a child he had watched grow up.
Seeing her like this, Gui Mei sighed inwardly.
"Young Master, His Holiness the Pope said she truly hopes you'll return. She was wrong all these years. Deep down, she has always cared about you as her daughter. It was only because of certain unknown reasons..."
Naturally, Bibi Dong could never have said those words.
But... who said he couldn't say them on her behalf?
Gui Mei could sense that Bibi Dong's attitude toward Qian Renxue had indeed changed.
To bring about even the slightest chance of reconciliation between mother and daughter...
He was willing to take the risk of fabricating an imperial decree and play "peacemaker" for once.
He would consider it repayment for the soul bone Qian Xunji had bestowed upon him all those years ago.
Qian Renxue wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and turned away, her back to Gui Mei, her voice trembling. "Tell... Mom... Bibi Dong!"
"I'm not going back. After all these years, with the mission already this far along, I'll follow this road all the way into the darkness, even if I die."
"And... give Grandpa my regards. Tell him his granddaughter is doing well."
Before you continue