Mother and Daughter Clash at the Funeral

"Grandfather, Grandfather!"

Rushing into the Angel Temple, Qian Renxue could no longer concern herself with etiquette, calling out loudly for Qiandaoliu.

Having just returned with the corpse of his descendant, Qiandaoliu had not yet managed to process the grief in his heart when he heard his granddaughter's voice. He had been contemplating how to break the news to her ever since his return, never expecting her to find out so quickly.

"Xiao Xue, why have you come?"

"Grandfather, has something happened to Father?"

Qiandaoliu sighed inwardly, thinking as expected; it must have been Lin Beiya who learned the news through the Sacred Cloth and told her.

Since things had reached this point, he did not intend to hide the fact of Qian Xunji's death from Qian Renxue, though he still had no intention of revealing the true cause.

"Xiao Xue, your father's injuries suddenly flared up, and he has returned to the embrace of the Angel God."

Upon receiving the definitive news, the Little Angel's entire body began to tremble. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably as she shook her head and muttered:

"...No, that's impossible. I saw Father yesterday, and he was perfectly fine."

"Grandfather, are you lying to me? Has Father gone somewhere else to enter seclusion and recover?"

Looking at his tear-streaked granddaughter, Qiandaoliu's eyes were filled with unbearable pity, but the facts were the facts, and no one could argue with them.

"Sigh, Grandfather knows it is hard for you to accept this all at once, but..."

"I don't believe it! You're lying!"

Qian Renxue did not want to listen any further; she turned and ran out of the Angel Temple, not even pausing to greet Lin Beiya and Lei Ying as she passed them.

Watching Qian Renxue disappear into the distance, Lei Ying asked with a face full of confusion:

"What is going on here?"

"I lent my Sacred Cloth to the Pope to help him recover from his injuries. Now that the Sacred Cloth has returned on its own, it can only mean that the Pope..."

"Ah? That's impossible, right? The Pope is incredibly powerful; who in the Martial Soul Hall could possibly harm him?"

Lin Beiya shook his head, not intending to explain too much to Lei Ying. There were many things he knew but could not speak aloud.

He was simply worried that Qian Renxue might do something foolish in a fit of rage, such as running up to Bibi Dong to demand the specific details.

While she would likely be safe from death, she would certainly not escape a beating.

Lin Beiya had Shi Nuo help him request leave from the academy, and for several days, he kept watch at the entrance of Qian Renxue's residence.

Logically, Lin Beiya should not have been able to access her quarters, but since Qiandaoliu also hoped someone could help his granddaughter emerge from the shadows, he naturally did not interfere with Lin Beiya's actions.

For several days, Qian Renxue kept herself locked in her room, never once coming out, even when Lin Beiya brought food and knocked on the door.

"Xiao Xue, tomorrow is the Pope's funeral. You must go."

"I know. See you tomorrow."

Qian Renxue's hoarse voice reached his ears through the door. Hearing that she was still willing to communicate, Lin Beiya felt a secret sense of relief.

After a night of peaceful cultivation, Lin Beiya dressed in black and arrived at Qian Renxue's door once more.

This time, his knocking did not go unanswered. Upon hearing Lin Beiya's call, the door opened, and Qian Renxue, also dressed in solemn attire, walked out slowly.

Aside from her eyes being somewhat red and swollen, Lin Beiya could not see anything else amiss.

"Let's go. Let's see the Pope off."

"Mm."

The two passed through the garden and arrived at the Title Douluo Sacred Stele Group located behind the Douluo Hall, the burial ground for the generations of Title Douluo-level powerhouses of the Martial Soul Hall.

Not every Title Douluo affiliated with the Martial Soul Hall could be buried in the Title Douluo Sacred Stele Group after death; they had to have made outstanding contributions to the Martial Soul Hall during their lifetimes.

As Pope, and having provided the Martial Soul Hall with an heir like Qian Renxue, Qian Xunji was qualified to rest there for eternity.

The entire stele group was arranged in a circle, and in the center, people had already begun to handle the encoffining ceremony for Qian Xunji.

Qiandaoliu and the several Great Pontiffs of the Worship Hall were all present. These old men all wore solemn expressions; they had watched Qian Xunji grow up, and now that the white-haired were burying the black-haired, their hearts were heavy.

Lin Beiya looked around and discovered that not many people had come to attend Qian Xunji's funeral. Counting the seven Great Pontiffs of the Douluo Hall, there were only about a dozen people in total, but Lin Beiya could name every single one of them.

What surprised him most was that Bibi Dong was also among them. He assumed she had come to put on a show since she was about to succeed to the throne.

He did not know if it was his imagination, but Bibi Dong's peripheral vision landed on him several times, leaving him feeling quite confused.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, the master of ceremonies immediately began the proceedings.

In short, it involved introducing the life of this Pope of the Martial Soul Hall, exaggerating his various contributions, and then, with a pained expression, inviting everyone to take one last look at Qian Xunji.

The deep red coffin was slowly pushed in, and Qian Renxue, standing beside it, burst into loud, painful sobs once again.

Lin Beiya and Lei Ying's eyes were filled with pity, but they could not bring themselves to comfort her.

No one else had any intention of rushing the little princess; after all, this glance was a final farewell.

Only Bibi Dong stood to the side, watching the parting father and daughter with a look of sarcasm in her eyes. Since Qiandaoliu had no intention of taking her life, the revenge would continue.

Once the Little Angel had finished crying and slowly returned to Qiandaoliu's side, the funeral reached its conclusion, and the time for burial arrived.

But as fate would have it, as Qian Renxue turned, her eyes met Bibi Dong's, and the mockery in the woman's gaze was not hidden in the slightest.

This completely ignited the fury in Qian Renxue's heart, and she pushed past her grandfather to roar at her.

"Does this woman have a heart at all? Even if there is no affection, you shouldn't be gloating over your own husband's death!"

"Hmph, gloating? I only wish to celebrate right now."

"You..."

The conflict erupted with sudden violence. While the group was still stunned, Qian Renxue had already released her Martial Soul and charged toward Bibi Dong.

Bibi Dong let out a cold snort, her soul power erupting to effortlessly repel Qian Renxue. Fortunately, the Little Angel was backed by heavyweights; the Second Worship, Golden Crocodile Douluo, reached out a hand and caught her, setting her down safely.

"Bibi Dong, you have crossed the line!"

If he had previously held back to avoid causing a scene at the funeral of his own kin, Golden Crocodile no longer cared now that he had seen her dare to lay a hand on Qian Renxue. He glared at Bibi Dong with icy eyes, the low, murderous roar of a crocodile echoing from behind him.

The formidable pressure caused Bibi Dong, who was still only at the Soul Douluo cultivation level, to turn pale. She gritted her teeth and turned her head away, choosing to ignore them.

"Hmph, still that nauseating aura; you are no different from your father."

Hearing her mother's disparagement, the already heartbroken Little Angel turned deathly pale, though under Qian Daoliu's restraint, the girl was unable to move.

The minor interlude concluded, and Qian Xunji's funeral proceeded smoothly. It was not until the coffin was sealed and the crowd began to file out in an orderly fashion that Bibi Dong's voice rang out once more.

"The first day of next month is an auspicious date. My coronation ceremony as Pope is set for that day; I invite the Grand Pontiff to attend and witness the event."

Qian Daoliu turned and swept a cold gaze over her before turning back to continue walking forward with Qian Renxue.

"I will."