"Uncle Long, thank you."
Long Xiaoyao's words put Zhongli Wu at ease.
Having an elder backing him felt wonderful.
On the other side...
The first thing Qian Xunji did after coming back to life was, naturally, go find Bibi Dong and settle the score.
His heart was full of rage, and he could no longer hold it back.
He had poured his heart and soul into Bibi Dong, only for her to stab him in the back.
Qian Xunji had to make Bibi Dong pay.
Pope Palace!
Bibi Dong's face was so dark it looked like water might drip from it.
"Damn it!"
"Why does that wretch Qian Xunji keep haunting me?"
"If he's already dead, then he should stay dead."
"Why did he have to come back to life..."
At the thought that she would soon see Qian Xunji again, all the hatred and panic in Bibi Dong's heart surged up at once.
Since becoming the Pope, Bibi Dong had rarely lost her composure like this.
"Ji'er, come see me at once."
Just as Qian Xunji returned to Spirit Hall, Qian Daoliu's voice suddenly rang in his ear.
Hearing that familiar voice, Qian Xunji temporarily suppressed the anger in his heart.
"Yes, Father."
Following his memories, Qian Xunji made his way to the Worship Hall.
He had been dead for many years, but the place in his memories had not changed at all.
At that moment, Qian Daoliu and the other worshippers were all eagerly awaiting his arrival.
"Father, I'm back."
In front of Qian Daoliu, Qian Xunji would always be a child who never grew up.
"Ji'er, you're back. That's all that matters!"
"Your father... missed you."
Qian Daoliu's voice choked with emotion as he fought back his tears.
When Qian Xunji had fallen, Qian Daoliu had been overcome with grief.
If not for his high moral standards, which kept him from laying a hand on Bibi Dong,
Bibi Dong would have died a thousand times over.
Even so, to avenge Qian Xunji,
Qian Daoliu had still made the entire Clear Sky Sect pay a terrible price.
It was easy to see just how deeply Qian Daoliu loved Qian Xunji.
After their long separation, father and son had much to say to each other.
The other worshippers did not interrupt. They simply waited quietly nearby.
Come to think of it, they had not seen Qian Daoliu this happy in a long time.
"Father, where is that slut Bibi Dong?"
"I'm going to kill her. I'm going to make her wish she were dead."
After sharing a tender reunion with Qian Daoliu, Qian Xunji immediately wanted to go settle the score with Bibi Dong.
He could not wait another moment.
At the mention of it, a troubled look appeared on Qian Daoliu's face.
"Ji'er, do you blame your father for not killing your enemy with his own hands back then, for not avenging you?"
"I don't blame you, Father. This is between Bibi Dong and me. I'll settle it myself."
Qian Xunji shook his head.
He knew very well what kind of person his father was.
Qian Xunji's father held himself to very high moral standards.
When it came to his feud with Bibi Dong, both of them had been at fault.
Given Qian Daoliu's nature, he could not possibly take his son's side without reservation.
Besides, Bibi Dong was also Qian Renxue's mother.
For Qian Renxue's sake, Qian Daoliu would surely find it difficult to act.
So Qian Xunji understood his father's dilemma.
But now he was back!
He would go settle the score with Bibi Dong himself.
"Ji'er, I can't interfere in the feud between you and Bibi Dong."
"But this time, I won't let Bibi Dong hurt you again."
Qian Daoliu had a strong sense of right and wrong.
He would not use his seniority to bully someone weaker and kill Bibi Dong on Qian Xunji's behalf.
After all, when it came down to it, Qian Xunji was also at fault.
But he would not allow Bibi Dong to hurt Qian Xunji again.
Back then, he had been careless and failed to protect Qian Xunji.
This time, he would not make the same mistake.
After all, Qian Xunji was Qian Daoliu's son, his only child.
Qian Daoliu had a duty to protect his son.
Qian Xunji was deeply moved.
Those words from Qian Daoliu were enough for him.
After leaving the Worship Hall...
Qian Xunji headed toward Pope Palace, brimming with murderous intent.
Bibi Dong had sensed what was coming. Before Qian Xunji arrived, she sent everyone away.
"Bibi Dong, you slut. You never thought I'd come back, did you?"
Qian Xunji radiated a bone-chilling killing intent as he stepped into the magnificent Pope Palace.
At the center of the hall, Bibi Dong sat high upon the papal throne.
The moment Qian Xunji appeared, Bibi Dong's fingers involuntarily tightened around her palm.
"Teacher, you rushed here in such a hurry. Did you want me to kill you again?"
Bibi Dong's eyes showed both disgust and a trace of panic.
This man had left her with too many memories.
He had hurt her, but she had also feared and respected him.
"Shut up!"
"You wretch, you have no right to call me that."
Qian Xunji was no longer the calm and dignified man he had once been.
"I treated you like the apple of my eye. Whatever you wanted, I gave you."
"But you were an ungrateful snake. You actually stabbed me in the back."
"I must have been blind to take you in as my personal disciple."
Qian Xunji roared hysterically.
Having his sincere feelings betrayed like this was agonizing.
Bibi Dong trembled and retorted,
"If you hadn't forced yourself on me like a beast, would I have treated you this way?"
"Don't you dare play the victim."
Bibi Dong believed she was the one who had been wronged.
She had once respected Qian Xunji so deeply.
She might as well have thought of him as her own father.
After all, without Qian Xunji, Bibi Dong would never have achieved so much.
She had once been an innocent, romantic girl.
She had kept every kindness Qian Xunji had shown her in her heart.
Bibi Dong had resolved to repay Qian Xunji by treating him well.
But in the end...
Qian Xunji had dragged her into a secret chamber by force and destroyed her entire life.
She had killed Qian Xunji for revenge. What had she done wrong?
As Bibi Dong brought up the past, she felt that she was the one who had suffered an enormous injustice.
"If you hadn't fallen for Yu Xiaogang, would I have done that?"
"I gave up so much for you."
"But you turned around and fell in love with that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang."
"What did everything I did for you even mean, then?"
Qian Xunji had not expected Bibi Dong to still dare claim she was the one who had been wronged.
He had taken Bibi Dong in not only to make her his successor.
He had also wanted her to bear him an exceptional child.
For that reason, Qian Xunji had been attentive in every way, pampering her to the heavens.
He had worked hard to build a bond with Bibi Dong.
But the moment he looked away...
Bibi Dong had fallen in love with that good-for-nothing Yu Xiaogang.
And she had even wanted to elope with him.
That was the very definition of biting the hand that fed you.
Qian Xunji was no fool. Why should he let a good-for-nothing like Yu Xiaogang take the cabbage he had raised?
He had not killed Yu Xiaogang outright. That was already the height of benevolence, and he had done it out of consideration for Bibi Dong.
Yet Bibi Dong had still turned around and tried to kill him.
If they were going to talk about who was at fault, Bibi Dong had been in the wrong first, and her offense had been far worse.
"There's no point saying more!"
"If you want to fight, then fight!"
Bibi Dong had no desire to keep arguing.
As far as she was concerned, Qian Xunji deserved to die.
And not just Qian Xunji—the entire Angel Clan did, too.