Leng Ningshuang watched her disciple's furious, humiliated expression, her heart twisting as if a knife were turning in it. She rose and walked over to Shui Bing'er, gently taking her cold hand. Her voice was full of guilt and helplessness.
"Bing'er, I'm sorry I'm so useless. I can't protect you. Spirit Hall... they hold all the power now. They don't care about any betrothal. In their eyes, if they take a fancy to something, they have to get it. As for the betrothal... they have plenty of ways to make it 'disappear.'"
She paused, hesitating for a moment before gritting her teeth and speaking in a low voice.
"Bing'er, how about... you leave for a while and lie low? Get out of the Heaven Dou Empire and hide somewhere remote for a time. Once things have blown over, you can come back..."
"Hide?" Shui Bing'er spun around and stared at Leng Ningshuang in disbelief. "Master, you're telling me to hide?"
"Not forever. Just to avoid their sharp edge for now..."
Leng Ningshuang hurriedly explained, "The people from Spirit Hall will arrive in three days. If you confront them head-on, you're the only one who'll suffer! As long as you're gone, they can't do anything to all of Skywater Academy! Once you've gotten through this, we can make plans..."
"What about you? What about Skywater Academy?" Shui Bing'er cut her off, her voice trembling slightly.
"If I leave, will Spirit Hall let you go? Will they spare Skywater Academy? They'll vent their fury on you and the entire academy! How can I bring trouble on the whole academy—and on you—because of my own problems?"
Leng Ningshuang had no answer. She knew Shui Bing'er was telling the truth.
Given the way Spirit Hall operated, if they truly couldn't find Shui Bing'er, they would certainly unleash their fury on Skywater Academy. By then, the academy might really face annihilation.
"And besides..." Shui Bing'er's voice dropped, carrying a complicated emotion. "I don't want to hide."
She walked to the window, gazing beyond the academy walls toward the distant Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Determination glimmered in her ice-blue eyes.
"If I hide, what about Xiaochun? He'll definitely come looking for me. If he comes and finds I'm gone, what will he think? Will he think I've changed my mind? That I don't want to marry him anymore?"
She turned to Leng Ningshuang, her gaze clear and unwavering. "Master, I don't want him to misunderstand. I promised him I'd be here waiting when he came for me three days from now. So I'll wait for him here."
Leng Ningshuang gazed into those clear, crystalline eyes, unmoved by doubt. Her heart filled with both relief and anxiety.
She knew her disciple well. Cool on the outside, she was more stubborn than anyone within. Once she made up her mind, not even nine oxen could drag her back.
"But... Spirit Hall..." Leng Ningshuang still couldn't set her worries aside.
"I'll handle Spirit Hall." Shui Bing'er's voice was decisive, leaving no room for argument.
"Master, trust me. I won't make a joke of my lifelong happiness, and I won't gamble with Skywater Academy's safety."
Leng Ningshuang watched her for a long while, then finally let out a long sigh. She knew she couldn't talk her disciple out of it. All she could do was pray silently that some kind of change would come three days later.
Meanwhile, far away in Spirit City, a very different scene was unfolding inside Pope Palace.
Yan knelt on one knee on the cold brick floor. Tiny beads of sweat dotted his brow as anxiety churned inside him.
He had just reported to Pope Bibi Dong that he intended to go to Skywater Academy and "settle the betrothal." He had expected to be reprimanded.
After all, he had acted without asking permission first, making the decision on his own.
Yet to his surprise, Bibi Dong, seated high above him, showed no sign of displeasure.
She sat upon the papal throne, lightly tapping the armrest with her fingertips. The crisp, rhythmic sound accompanied the inscrutable light in her deep eyes.
"You're saying the girl with the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul has come of age?" Bibi Dong's voice revealed no emotion, yet carried an invisible pressure.
"Y-yes, Your Holiness," Yan replied respectfully, head bowed. "She's now eighteen, and her strength should have reached the Soul Ancestor level. This disciple... this disciple fell in love with her at first sight and hasn't been able to forget her in six years, so..."
"So you want to use Spirit Hall's name to snatch her?" Bibi Dong interrupted, her tone tinged with amusement.
Yan's body jolted. He hurriedly kowtowed. "This disciple wouldn't dare! I truly admire Miss Shui Bing'er and want to take her as my partner, so we can cultivate the Great Dao together! I beg Your Holiness to grant my wish!"
Bibi Dong watched his terrified expression in silence for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. "Get up."
Yan froze, then cautiously raised his head. Seeing the rare hint of approval in Bibi Dong's smile, he felt much more at ease.
"You did nothing wrong," Bibi Dong said slowly, her voice carrying unquestionable authority.
"If Spirit Hall wants something, we should take it openly and without shame. If we set our sights on a talent, we should do whatever it takes to bring them over. Since Shui Bing'er possesses an exceptional Ice Phoenix Martial Soul and is around your age, the two of you would make a fine match. It would also be a great boon to Spirit Hall's future."
She paused, her gaze settling on Yan with a trace of expectation.
"I approve. Take Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo with you to Skywater Academy. If Shui Bing'er knows what's good for her and agrees obediently, so much the better. If she refuses to see reason..."
A cold glint flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes. "Then make sure she learns what happens when someone refuses Spirit Hall."
Yan was overjoyed. He immediately knelt again. "Thank you for granting my wish, Your Holiness! I won't let you down. I'll bring Shui Bing'er back to Spirit City!"
Yan had just risen and was about to take his leave when Bibi Dong's voice rang out again, carrying a casual note. "Yan, there's something I want to ask you."
Yan stopped at once and turned respectfully. "Please ask, Your Holiness."
"That Shui Bing'er..." Bibi Dong tapped the armrest lightly with her fingertips, producing a crisp sound.
"I seem to recall she's betrothed to Ning Xiaochun, the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. According to their agreement, she was to officially marry into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect on the day she came of age. Did you know about this?"
The excitement on Yan's face froze. He opened his mouth, a flicker of shock and bewilderment in his eyes. "A betrothal? This disciple... this disciple didn't know."
He really hadn't known. Six years ago, Hu Liena had told him Shui Bing'er and Ning Xiaochun were unusually close, but she hadn't mentioned the details of their betrothal.
He'd been displeased at the time, but hadn't taken it seriously. In his eyes, what hold could a betrothal made between six-year-old children possibly have? By the time he was grown, Shui Bing'er would already be his.
But now the Pope herself had brought it up. There could be no doubt that the betrothal was real.
"You didn't know?" A meaningful smile tugged at Bibi Dong's lips. "Then I'll tell you now. Shui Bing'er is the future sect master's wife chosen by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Are you sure you still want to snatch this bride?"
Yan's expression shifted several times. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect might not be as powerful as the Clear Sky Sect, but it was one of the Upper Three Sects, wealthy beyond measure and powerful in its own right.
Publicly stealing the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's fiancée was tantamount to slapping the sect in the face. It would inevitably provoke a direct clash between the two great powers.
Yet when he thought of Shui Bing'er's cool, peerless beauty, her noble and graceful bearing, and her powerful, pure Ice Phoenix Martial Soul... greed and possessiveness instantly devoured his hesitation.
"Your Holiness!" Yan dropped to one knee, his voice resolute.
"I've made up my mind! I don't care about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect or any betrothal! If I set my sights on a woman, I'll have her! If the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect knows what's good for them and lets her go, so be it. But if they don't..."
He lifted his head, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. "Then they'll learn what happens when they offend Spirit Hall!"
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