Qian Renxue looked at her reflection in the mirror and asked calmly,
"Why are you here?"
Bibi Dong stood behind her, her voice laced with anger.
"Why shouldn't I be? If I hadn't brought up Demon Dragon Douluo and Xuan Qing, how long were you planning to keep this from me? Why didn't you report such important intelligence?"
Qian Renxue turned around and leaned against the dressing table.
"I wrote to Grandfather about it long ago. Did he not tell you, or were you simply not listening?"
Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed.
"That old fool did nothing but tell me to deal with Tang Hao and his son. He didn't mention anything else."
"If I hadn't gone to the branch in Heaven Dou City and heard about it from Salas, I'd still be completely in the dark."
Qian Renxue smiled, but the smile was full of scorn.
"Then that's for the best. Grandfather was right not to tell you. His Martial Soul can predict good and ill fortune. If he sensed any malice from you, he'd know at once."
Bibi Dong let out a derisive laugh.
"There's a limit to how much you can lie. Even gods may not have that kind of ability. How could it possibly belong to a Soul Elder? Do you really take me for a three-year-old?"
Qian Renxue shook her head.
"His exact words were that the Spirit-Warding Azure Dragon was born with the ability to communicate with spirits and ward off evil, and the innate trait of sensing malice. It's an ability his Martial Soul possesses."
Bibi Dong's expression changed.
"How is that possible?"
Qian Renxue countered, "Why not? The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect wanted to harm him, and he sensed it hours in advance."
"Then he set a trap, leading them to hunt the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear King, a Soul Beast over a hundred thousand years old."
"Now the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect is most likely an empty shell."
Bibi Dong's pupils shrank.
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect is finished? A Soul Beast over a hundred thousand years old? Do such things really exist?"
Qian Renxue replied with a hint of mockery, "There are only two hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts in the entire Star Dou Forest. Don't you find that strange?"
"We only know of two. Perhaps those are simply the ones the Star Dou Forest wants us to see. No one knows how many there really are, or how powerful they are."
A sheen of cold sweat broke out across Bibi Dong's back.
She thought of how smoothly the hunt for that rabbit had gone. Looking back now, she realized she'd simply been lucky to survive.
If the Star Dou Forest really had so many hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts, then back then they'd simply been too lazy to bother with her.
"Though Xuan Qing's tongue is sharp enough to drive someone to their grave, he doesn't make things up. If he says it exists, then it does. That Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear King was at least level ninety-seven."
Bibi Dong shuddered at the thought.
She'd been planning to hunt the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape to fill the gaps in her Soul Rings.
If there really were so many hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts, going hunting would be less like hunting and more like offering herself up as another dish.
A terrifying thought occurred to her: could there be an existence behind the Star Dou Forest on the level of Qian Daoliu, or even stronger?
Bibi Dong pushed the thought aside.
"You mean we can't touch that Xuan Qing."
Qian Renxue nodded.
"Setting aside his ability to predict good and ill fortune, do you really think Demon Dragon Douluo would be sitting at his base if he were the strongest person backing him?"
"Would he come wandering around with Xuan Qing? Even I, the young mistress of Spirit Hall, don't get that kind of treatment."
Bibi Dong fell silent.
It was true. Having a level-ninety-seven Peak Douluo serve as a personal bodyguard was an extraordinary privilege. Even Spirit Hall's young mistress didn't enjoy such treatment.
A hint of amusement appeared in Qian Renxue's eyes.
"But if you want to go and test him, I won't stop you. Whether you make it back alive will depend on your own ability."
Bibi Dong's gaze turned cold.
"You want to use his hand to get rid of me!"
Qian Renxue admitted it frankly.
"You know what our relationship is like. If you die, I'll get to meet the Pope sooner. What's not to like? Besides, you'd be choosing your own death. You can't blame me."
Bibi Dong took a deep breath, suppressing her murderous intent. She knew she could kill Qian Renxue, but afterward, Qian Daoliu would hunt her without end.
The Rakshasa God's trial still had to take place in Spirit City. If she acted now, she'd be the one to lose.
"We'll talk about this later. You have to help me hunt down Tang San and Tang Hao."
"According to the information Yue Guang and Gui Mei sent back, they fled in the direction of Heaven Dou City, then disappeared. This is your territory. Help me find them."
Qian Renxue thought it over.
"I can, but I can't promise anything. If Xue Qinghe openly cooperates with Spirit Hall, that would be tantamount to treason."
"If we really do that, our plan will be over. So we can only investigate in secret."
Bibi Dong nodded.
"Then investigate in secret. Once we find them, leave the rest to me. Tang Hao must die, and Tang San must die too. Otherwise, they'll be a source of endless trouble."
Qian Renxue continued, "What are you planning to do about the Clear Sky Sect? Tang Hao is still one of their people. You won't just sit back and do nothing, will you?"
"What could I do? That old fool Qian Daoliu hasn't given the order. Can I, the Pope, act on my own?"
"He's Spirit Hall's Great Enshrined. I'm just the Pope. If he wants to protect the Clear Sky Sect, can I really touch them?"
Qian Renxue rubbed her brow in frustration.
"So you're mindlessly hunting Tang Hao and his son without giving the Clear Sky Sect a thought? Are you idiots? Don't you know you have to strike a snake seven inches from its head?"
Bibi Dong gave her the same answer.
"That old thing, Qian Daoliu, hasn't given the order. How can I, the Pope, act? Why don't you go tell him and see if he listens to you?"
Qian Renxue said nothing more. She turned and went to the table to write a letter.
When she'd finished, she folded the letter and handed it to Bibi Dong.
"When you get back, give this letter to Grandfather. Tell him to send troops against the Clear Sky Sect and have them capture Tang Hao."
"The reason is that although Tang Hao was expelled from the Clear Sky Sect, they never stripped him of his title, Clear Sky Douluo."
"That proves the Clear Sky Sect still recognizes him as one of their own. They can be held responsible for all the Spirit Hall branches Tang Hao destroyed over the years, as well as the Spirit Hall Soul Masters he killed."
"They can either revoke his title of Clear Sky Douluo and hunt him down themselves, then hand him over to us."
"Or they can choose to be starved to death. Let them decide."
Bibi Dong took the letter.
"Do you think Qian Daoliu will let you do that? He lost to Tang Chen back then and promised never to set foot in the Clear Sky Sect."
"Then we'll besiege them and draw out their reinforcements. We'll surround them without attacking. We can starve them to death."
"No matter how powerful the Clear Sky Sect is, they still need to eat. They've kept their gates closed for years, so even if they have supplies stored away, they won't have much. Surround them for a year or two, and they'll fall without a fight."
Bibi Dong looked at Qian Renxue with a strange expression.
"I thought your Tianshui Hospital was so noble. I didn't expect you to use such a dirty trick. Surround them, draw out their reinforcements, starve them to death. That's ruthless."
Qian Renxue gave a self-mocking smile.
"If Xuan Qing had pointed at you and cursed you out, you'd have seen the light too. He cursed me so badly I wanted to hang myself, and I couldn't even come up with a single retort."
"And I learned this trick from him. That boy used the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan against itself, killing with a borrowed knife."
"Why shouldn't we learn from him?"
Bibi Dong was silent for a moment.
"I'll deliver the letter, but I can't promise Qian Daoliu will agree."
Qian Renxue, however, sounded confident.
"He won't refuse. Grandfather may value his promises, but he isn't stupid. Tang Hao must die, and the Clear Sky Sect must be crushed."
"If persuasion doesn't work, then we'll use force. For Spirit Hall's future, he knows what matters most."
Bibi Dong said nothing more. She put away the letter and turned to leave.
Her relationship with Qian Renxue was poor. She'd already said more than enough.
If she stayed any longer, she feared she might lose control and attack her.
Before you continue