Bo Saixi's worries went unnoticed. The Sky Screen's updates continued.
A youthful, beautiful pink-haired girl appeared on the Sky Screen, with a boy beside her who wore a cold expression and put on an air of solemnity.
Anyone familiar with them recognized them at a glance: they were Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang in their youth.
The two clearly seemed like a couple, but in the Sky Screen's rapid montage, most of their time together was spent in the library.
Bibi Dong admired Yu Xiaogang's talents. She even used her status as Spirit Hall's Saintess to take him to view classified materials that were not open to the public.
As the Sky Screen showed this, different people reacted in different ways.
Ordinary people were lapping up the gossip. After all, you didn't get to hear gossip about Spirit Hall's Pope every day.
Bibi Dong herself had gone dark with anger, her fury steadily mounting. The more she feared something, the more it came to pass. The Sky Screen was going to expose one of the most painful memories she had.
Liu Erlong looked jealous and unhappy as she watched Yu Xiaogang, while he wore a wistful expression. Whether he was reminiscing about Bibi Dong or something else, only he knew.
Qian Renxue, meanwhile, was furious. She had known nothing about what had happened between Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang.
Though her relationship with Bibi Dong was terrible, that did nothing to lessen her anger toward Yu Xiaogang.
She was already thinking about capturing him and giving him a good, long torture session. If Bibi Dong really had feelings for him, it would count as revenge against her, too.
Sethos, Tighnari, and Nefer remained perfectly calm. After all, this had nothing to do with the Akademiya.
The Sky Screen continued. The camera shifted to Pope's Palace, where Bibi Dong knelt before Qian Xunji as he scolded her.
When Qian Renxue saw Qian Xunji appear on the Sky Screen, she nearly cried out.
But in the end, she forced herself to swallow the word "Daddy."
"Bibi Dong, you have disappointed your teacher beyond words. I turned a blind eye when you became too close to that useless man from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, but you actually took him to look through Spirit Hall's secret records. Do you know what your actions mean?"
Bibi Dong looked stubbornly at Qian Xunji, showing no intention of admitting she was wrong.
"Teacher, Xiaogang isn't useless. He's done a great deal of research into Martial Soul Theory. He..."
"Enough! I know perfectly well whether he's useless or not. I'll give you one last chance: cut off all contact with Yu Xiaogang, and personally drive him out of Spirit City."
The camera shifted again. This time, the scene was a secluded place, where Bibi Dong and Yu Xiaogang stood together.
"Xiaogang! Let's elope. Let's leave Spirit City and go somewhere no one can find us. We can live a quiet life, just the two of us."
At Bibi Dong's words, an unmistakable look of panic appeared on Yu Xiaogang's face.
Yu Xiaogang knew very well that if he really dared to run off with Spirit Hall's Saintess, there would be nowhere for him to stand on the entire Douluo Continent.
But at a time like this, he couldn't reject Bibi Dong, either. He could only stall.
"This is a difficult matter, Dong'er. We have to think it through carefully. I'll come up with a perfect plan. Wait for word from me."
Ouyang Kong, already in Heaven Dou City, couldn't help commenting as he watched the Sky Screen.
"That excuse was so obvious, yet Bibi Dong believed him. Sure enough, a lovestruck brain has zero intelligence."
Qian Renxue was cursing Bibi Dong in her heart, too. She had never imagined that the woman could be so foolish.
"So foolish she can't even see through the simplest lie. Her fate definitely won't be a pleasant one."
Nefer toyed with a chess piece and delivered her verdict.
"But isn't she the Pope? Can that really be considered an unpleasant fate?"
Dori sat atop her Jinni and deliberately played devil's advocate.
"Hmph. Just keep watching."
The Sky Screen changed again. This time, the setting was a secret chamber. Bibi Dong lay unconscious on the bed, while Qian Xunji sat beside her.
Bibi Dong soon woke, but her whole body was powerless.
"Teacher? Where is this? Why am I here?"
Qian Xunji walked to the bed and looked at Bibi Dong, his voice cold.
"Dong'er, you have disappointed your teacher too much. I have no choice but to put an end to your thoughts of that useless Yu Xiaogang once and for all."
Qian Xunji began taking off his Pope's robes, and the scene gradually darkened. All that could be heard was Bibi Dong struggling.
"No! Teacher! Don't!"
"Ah! Qian Xunji, I hate you!"
This was one of the Secret Chamber Douluo's iconic scenes.
In Spirit City's Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu kept his eyes closed. He hadn't watched this part of the scene at all.
Golden Crocodile Douluo could clearly sense an incomparably violent surge of Soul Power rampaging from the direction of Pope's Palace.
The source of that rampaging Soul Power was naturally Bibi Dong. As for Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, the two of them were in a predicament and had no way to complain.
The ordinary people were abuzz with discussion. This gossip was simply too explosive. The current Pope of Spirit Hall and the former Pope had actually shared this kind of relationship.
"What kind of people are they?! If something like this happened in Sumeru, Cyno definitely wouldn't stand by and do nothing."
Kaveh couldn't help chiming in with the Grand Sage, Ouyang Kong, and Lesser Lord Kusanali, Nahida.
"Aether, did you send Scaramouche to Spirit City?"
Nahida asked.
"Yes. I believe he'll complete the mission."
"I don't doubt Scaramouche's abilities. It's just that mouth of his..."
"Don't worry. If he brings trouble down on himself, he can deal with it himself."
"Ah-choo! Can puppets catch colds? Or is someone talking about me behind my back? The Grand Sage or Lesser Lord Kusanali?
"Spirit City's just ahead. I'd better pick up the pace. What a bother!"
In Heaven Dou City, at Blue Tyrant Academy, Liu Erlong, Yu Xiaogang, and Qian Renxue all stood frozen.
But the three of them had entirely different thoughts.
Liu Erlong was gloating. After what Bibi Dong had gone through, how could she still be fit to compete with Liu Erlong for Yu Xiaogang? As for feeling sorry for Bibi Dong, she didn't feel that way at all.
Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, suddenly understood. He had wondered why Bibi Dong's attitude toward him had changed so drastically back then. So this was what had happened.
He did feel sorry for Bibi Dong, but more than anything, he felt relieved—relieved that Qian Xunji had gone after Bibi Dong instead of him. Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have lived to this day. Bibi Dong had taken the blow for him, in a way.
Qian Renxue felt as if she were about to fall apart. She could never have imagined that the good father in her memories had forced Bibi Dong to give birth to her.
At last, she understood why Bibi Dong hated her so much. The problem had never been with her; it had been with her father, Qian Xunji.
Everything she had done had been meaningless. Even if she completed her undercover mission, she would never earn Bibi Dong's approval.
She had wasted twenty years of her life on something that was impossible from the start.
"Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!"
Qian Renxue's sudden, unrestrained laughter startled everyone around her.
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