Pope Palace, bedchamber.
Before the luxurious full-length mirror, Bibi Dong looked at her reflection.
Her skin was fair as snow, her phoenix eyes dignified. The years seemed especially kind to this woman, leaving not even the faintest trace on her face. Instead, they had settled into her features, giving her a fully ripened, breathtaking allure.
"Good skin?"
Bibi Dong let out a cold laugh. Her slender fingers traced her cheek, but her gaze was as cold as a stone in an ice cellar.
"Silver-tongued little brat."
She casually tossed the black notebook called Su Yun's Diary onto the table. It landed with a sharp slap.
Just moments ago, she had actually read the second diary entry on a whim.
She'd assumed that after being cowed by her regal presence, the boy would write something like a confession.
And what did she get?
The whole thing was full of stuff like:
That scared the hell out of me?
Up close, Teacher's skin really is so good?
What kind of Holy Son was this? He was nothing but a lecher!
If anyone else had dared tease the Pope like that, the grass on his grave would already be two meters tall.
And yet, Bibi Dong hadn't laid a finger on him.
It wasn't just because of the potential of his Judgment Angel Martial Soul. That diary was just too strange.
She'd tried destroying it with Rakshasa Divine Power and even tried sealing it away with a Space Soul Tool. None of it worked.
It was as if the notebook had grown into her eyes. The moment Su Yun put pen to paper, its contents appeared before her in real time.
This was a force of law that stood above Titled Douluo—even above gods.
"Phew..."
Bibi Dong exhaled, then returned to her high-backed chair.
She rubbed her brow, forcing herself to calm down and summon the reason befitting the ruler of Spirit Hall.
"If I can't destroy it, then I can only make use of it."
"Let's see what other ivory your dog's mouth can produce."
She opened the diary again, skimming past the outrageous lines that had made her blush and her heart pound, and turned to the entries farther on.
Su Yun had deliberately added these juicy details to trick her.
[Ugh, Dong'er might look mighty and imposing now, but I know she's suffering inside.]
[There's no one in this world who understands Bibi Dong better than I do.]
Bibi Dong's mouth twitched. Who was your Dong'er? No one understood her better?
What an arrogant, clueless man. Disgusting.
But the next moment, her pupils shrank to pinpricks.
[All her life, she's been fighting against fate. For that so-called "Grandmaster," she fell out with Qian Xunji, and ended up locked in the Secret Chamber. It was the nightmare of her life.]
[She hates Spirit Hall, the Angel Clan, and even this world. That's why she began the Rakshasa God Trial—she wants to destroy everything.]
[But you foolish woman, you know the Rakshasa God has been setting you up, right?]
[The Rakshasa God is a scheming old snake. Its divine sense has been eroding your reason all along, magnifying your resentment until you become a madwoman who knows nothing but slaughter.]
[You think you're using divine power, but actually, divine power is playing with you. When the battle at Jialing Pass comes, you'll realize that everything you've done has only paved the way for that cheat, Tang San.]
[You'll die at Tang San's hands, without the slightest shred of dignity. And that Grandmaster you dream about will only hold his little Er Long in his arms, stand over your corpse, and sigh, "Those who do much evil bring destruction upon themselves."]
[Tsk, tragic. So tragic.]
[I almost want to write the word "tragic" for you.]
Silence.
A deathly silence.
The air in the bedchamber seemed to freeze, and even the wind outside the window fell still.
Bibi Dong stared at the lines of text, her face pale as paper and her body trembling despite herself.
If the Secret Chamber had shocked her before, then this passage about the Rakshasa God Trial and her future fate—
It was a bolt from the blue, shattering her mental defenses outright.
The Rakshasa Divine Sense was eroding her reason?
She would be killed by Tang San?
Yu Xiaogang would...
"Impossible..."
Bibi Dong sprang to her feet, knocking over the chair behind her. It crashed to the floor, the sound reverberating through the vast bedchamber.
"Absolutely impossible!"
"I have Twin Martial Souls. I'm a level-99 Peerless Douluo, just one step away from becoming a god! Who in this world could kill me?!"
"Tang San? That brat mentioned in the diary?"
She argued against it, but her voice trembled.
Because only she knew that lately, whenever she cultivated Rakshasa Divine Power, she often felt restless, irritable, and prone to fits of anger.
She'd thought it was a heart demon. But now, could it really be a god's trap?
Bibi Dong was suspicious by nature, and extremely clever.
When every clue pointed to a conclusion, no matter how absurd it seemed, that conclusion was often the truth.
"Su Yun..."
Bibi Dong picked up the diary again, her expression turning deeply complicated.
Fear, anger, confusion—and a trace of hope, like a lifeline cast to someone on the brink of despair.
If this diary was real, if the future really was that tragic, then the only variable that could change everything lay with this cheap disciple of hers!
He knew the future!
He even knew of the gods' schemes!
"Looks like I still haven't paid you enough attention."
Bibi Dong drew a deep breath. The panic in her eyes gradually receded, replaced by the decisiveness and ruthlessness of an empress.
"Someone!"
A ghostly figure emerged from the shadows.
Ghost Douluo, Gui Mei.
"Your Excellency."
Gui Mei knelt on one knee, his voice hoarse.
With her back to him, Bibi Dong stood with her hands behind her back, her voice regaining its usual cold authority:
"Investigate someone. Tang San, from Notting City."
"I want every scrap of information about his ancestors going back eighteen generations. Find out what age he wet the bed and what color of underwear he likes. I want every last detail!"
Gui Mei froze.
Tang San?
Who was that?
Some nobody from who-knows-where?
Why had the Pope suddenly taken an interest in an insignificant ant like him?
But he didn't dare ask. He could only bow his head and accept the order.
"Yes!"
"And one more thing..."
Bibi Dong paused. Her tone softened slightly, but to Gui Mei's ears, that made it even more alarming.
"Have Elder Ju go to the Holy Son Hall and deliver something to Su Yun."
"What should I deliver?"
"A Soul Bone."
Bibi Dong said calmly,
"Tell him it's a congratulatory gift from me for his Martial Soul Awakening. Have him cultivate properly and stop thinking about all that nonsense all day."
Gui Mei was so shocked he nearly dropped his mask.
A Soul Bone?!
A priceless treasure that even Titled Douluo coveted!
And His Holiness the Pope had just casually awarded one to that Holy Son who barely made his presence felt?
"Yes... I'll see to it at once."
Gui Mei vanished, his mind full of questions.
Bibi Dong turned around and gazed at the nightscape of Spirit City beyond the window, her fingers gently rubbing the diary's cover.
"Su Yun, since you understand me so well, I'll play along with you."
"You want to be the hand pulling the strings from behind the scenes?"
"Hah. The pieces on this board aren't so easy to play."
Holy Son Hall.
Su Yun was sprawled on his bed without a shred of dignity, feet kicked up as he read the reward the system had just issued.
[Congratulations, host. You successfully triggered the key character "Bibi Dong" to self-delude (misinterpret your intentions). Law of Causality correction value +100.]
[Reward: Mental Power Combat Art—Telepathy (Pseudo).]
[Note: This skill cannot directly read minds, but it can vaguely sense the target's emotional fluctuations and their favorability toward the host. An essential skill for Casanovas raising a harem and scoundrels trying to stay alive.]
"Telepathy?"
Su Yun's eyes lit up.
This was great!
With this, he could precisely control his performance in front of big shots like Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue.
For instance, if he'd known earlier that Bibi Dong was angry but didn't intend to kill him, he wouldn't have hit his knees so quickly. It had been so embarrassing.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Just then, someone knocked at the hall door.
Who was it, in the middle of the night?
Could that old hag Bibi Dong have come back for a second round?
Su Yun jolted in fright, hurriedly stuffed the diary into System Space, tidied his clothes, and put on the Holy Son's aloof air.
"Come in."
The doors swung open, and a strong scent of chrysanthemums wafted inside.
A man in flamboyant golden armor, wearing lipstick and holding up a delicate orchid finger, stepped in.
Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yue Guan.
"Oh my, His Highness the Holy Son, still awake?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo smiled so flamboyantly he seemed ready to burst into flower. Su Yun got goosebumps all over.
Su Yun gave an awkward laugh.
"Elder Ju, so it's you. What brings you here so late at night?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo swayed over to Su Yun, pulled a delicate brocade box from his robes, and held it out.
"His Holiness the Pope said that the Holy Son's awakening of a god-level Martial Soul is a great blessing for Spirit Hall. He has specially bestowed a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone to help Your Highness strengthen your foundation."
"And there's more~"
Chrysanthemum Douluo leaned close to Su Yun, his powdered face nearly touching Su Yun's. He gave him a coy wink.
"His Holiness also asked me to pass along a message."
Su Yun instinctively took half a step back.
"W-what message?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo pinched his voice, mimicking Bibi Dong's tone with a mocking lilt.
"She said: 'You wrote the diary well. Write more next time.'"
Boom!
Su Yun felt as if lightning had struck the crown of his head.
Was this a threat?
It was absolutely a blatant threat!
Seeing Su Yun's expression, as if he'd swallowed a fly, Chrysanthemum Douluo covered his mouth and giggled, clearly misunderstanding something.
"Oh, Your Highness, don't be shy. You're the only one His Holiness pays so much attention to."
"Well, the gift's delivered, so I won't disturb Your Highness's rest."
Chrysanthemum Douluo waved his handkerchief and sashayed away, leaving behind a room full of chrysanthemum fragrance and Su Yun, who was still reeling.
Su Yun held the brocade box containing the Soul Bone, feeling as though it were a scorching-hot potato.
"You wrote the diary well..."
"Write more next time..."
The corner of Su Yun's mouth twitched. He felt like crying.
Was he being urged to update?
The Pope herself, awake in the middle of the night, had sent a Titled Douluo to urge him to update?
"Fine. You want to read it, huh?"
Su Yun gritted his teeth, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
"Now that I'm aboard this pirate ship, don't blame me when I flip it over!"
"Bibi Dong, you brought this on yourself!"
"Just wait until I spill all your old secrets, then trick your daughter into a pit of despair. Let's see how you keep up that icy act!"
He summoned the Diary again, picked up his pen, and wrote at lightning speed.
This time, he was going big.
[Since Dong'er was so generous and even gave me a Soul Bone, I couldn't very well be stingy.]
[Tomorrow, I'll take a stroll around Notting City.]
[I heard that ten-thousand-year-old Rogue Rabbit has already taken human form? Heh, she's Tang San's future wife—and the key medicinal ingredient for bringing Bibi Dong's mother back to life... No, wait, for bringing that other person back.]
[Since Tang San hasn't arrived yet, I'll reluctantly take care of this rabbit for him first!]
[Just as Xu Qi'an of Great Feng once said: listening to music at the brothel is a way of life; snatching someone else's wife... Bah, snatching opportunities is work.]
[That way, I can have the best of both worlds!]
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